"I had a pretty good following from my time at Hacker's," recalls Wendy. "After it closed, every time I ran into somebody they wanted to know when I was going to open my restaurant. It was, 'Where are you opening your place? Let us know!' That kind of helped the decision."
Unfortunately, despite Wendy's experience and their connection to the club and the community, the timing was not right and they initially had to let the opportunity pass. But after the next tenant opted to close, Wendy and Tim knew they had to give it a shot. With the golf course under new ownership, this time the timing was perfect.
"These guys are doing a great job getting this course back up to where it needs to be," Tim says of the course's new owners. "The greens are in the best shape I.ve seen since I've been living here. You won't find a better golf deal around, and we're excited and proud to be a part of what's happening here."
As you would expect from a restaurant situated within a golf clubhouse, Mulligan.s Bar and Grill certainly caters to the golfing set. Tim and Wendy even have a system to help hungry golfers get back to the links faster.
"We've got what we call a 'turn menu,'" Tim explains. "Golfers can call in their order from hole number eight. We can have that ready for them as soon as they come in on their way to the back nine."
Tim and Wendy are quick to point out, however, that Mulligan's Bar and Grill isn't just for golfers. In fact, what they are creating is the classic local meeting place, where everyone from card-carrying PGA pros to the family down the street greet one another, mix, mingle, and relax.
"Mulligan's is absolutely open to anyone and everyone," Wendy says. "We want people in and around Moyock to know there's another restaurant in town and it.s a good restaurant. As our motto says, it's a place where friends meet. You can bring people for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it's economical with good food,
good portions and friendly people."
Like the owners of the golf course surrounding it, the Meads have been pouring time and effort into sprucing up the restaurant. They have scrubbed from top to bottom, added new table linens, new curtains, and other décor. They have also installed two flat panel televisions and hope to install at least two more before football season starts in the fall. Karaoke nights are already on the schedule. Wendy and Tim are also planning to include live music in the near future as well.
For all the time they have spent on the aesthetics and entertainment, they have spent countless more hours developing and refining their menu. It features all the fare one might expect of a grill — all-day breakfast, Angus beef hamburgers, wraps, hot dogs cooked on the patio grill, and wings doused in your choice of sauces straight from the birthplace of Buffalo wings, Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Mulligan's pizza is a perennial favorite.
It also includes more varied and exotic dishes like Caribbean jerk chicken, teriyaki steak, and a selection of pastas and salads. All of it is available for eat-in or carry out. Mulligan's will also deliver to Moyock customers between Puddin Ridge Road and Ranchland.
We want people in and around Moyock to know there's another restaurant in town and it's a good restaurant. As our motto says, it's a place where friends meet.
Wendy says she's open to input from her customers and she's willing to give most suggestions a try. "If somebody comes in and they have something very specific that they would like to eat, if it is at all possible we'll cook it for them," she says. If it turns out to be a hit, don't be surprised to find it included among the daily specials. Those specials change every day, and Mulligan's is already gaining a reputation for its established weekly rotation.
Thursdays are the weekly pizza social from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Slices are just $2 and there are beer and wine discounts all day. Friday night is social night, with food and drink specials from 6 to 10 p.m. Their $10 all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is fast becoming a weekly tradition for many local families. And for those who have trouble keeping up with the calendar, Wendy and Tim are happy to fax their weekly specials list.
In addition to the set specials, Tim and Wendy are also planning other special events. They have arranged for some local Mexican friends to take over the kitchen for an authentic Cinco de Mayo feast. Moms will be greeted with a fresh flower when they come in for brunch on Mother's Day. And calls have already gone out to the North Pole to make sure Santa will be available for a breakfast gathering planned around Christmas.
"I want this to be the place to go for good food and good friends in Moyock," Wendy says with an enthusiastic smile. "Definitely, the place," Tim agrees. "This summer, we want the patio at Mulligan's to be a place where neighbors and golfers can hang out, have a drink, watch sports, or just relax with friends without worrying about the drive home."
