Mousa - Joliet, Illinois

Mike G.

Our meal event was dissapointing. The bar was set for an upscale dining experience.

Opening glass of wine and cocktail very good.

Appetizer was awesome Taramaslata, no pink dye and fresh ingredients.

Entrès served promptly but extremely disappointing. We both ordered truffle fries as a side, both orders poor, my wifes had very litttle truffle topping.

lamb chops were average, cooked correctly but a bit dry. Porkchop entrè was 2 thin chops ordered medium. The chops arrived to table well done.

The expected upscale experience was ruined. $200 not well spent. I never complain unless something really wrong, and once you have to complain, event is ruined.

I assume Cut 158 will not be any better since same owners own Mousa anns Cut 158.

Steve P.

Fantastic meal. Big thank you for Nina getting us set up at the restaurant and Sophia for the impeccable service. We initially went there because we were seeing a show at the Rialto Theater but we’ll go back next time just to go to Mousa. Bit of advice ya’ll. When you’re expecting to get great food and you show up to eat at 6:15 pm (with a performance starting at 7pm at the Rialto) please don’t walk out and not pay because you couldn’t get your dinner in 15 minutes!! I watched this happen 3 times the night I was there. Not fair. It was very upsetting to watch and I felt awful for the staff who are working so hard to make the experience perfect for all the diners.
PS. If you don’t order the Greek potatoes, ya gotta go back. They’re that GOOD!!

ww.italianwifey -. M.

We dined at Mousa before seeing a show at the Rialto. We have been to this location before when it was a steakhouse. The ambience is wonderful. There’s a long bar when you first walk in and the dining room is past that. They have a small parking lot in back of the restaurant and the restaurant is right by a large parking garage so there’s plenty of parking.
Monica was our server and she was friendly and provided good service. The young man who filled our water glasses and cleared our dishes, was on top of everything as well. We were given a complimentary shot of ouzo before starting our meal. It’s a licorice tasting alcohol. My husband ordered a glass of Greek wine as well.
My husband and I ordered small plates and shared everything. We started with the saganaki, which was served with a plate of pita triangles. It was a very generous size of cheese, but unfortunately it wasn’t flamed at the table so it wasn’t melty or gooey or sizzling hot. It was warm, but disappointing not to have that wonderful melting cheese. I’ve never been to a Greek restaurant where they didn’t flame the cheese at the table and then douse the flames with fresh lemon.
Next, we had the grilled octopus. Again, a very generous portion, and it was presented beautifully. However, as you got into the thicker portion of the octopus, it was very chewy. I had to leave some on the plate after spitting it out because it was rubbery and I couldn’t chew through it.
At this point in our meal, my husband ordered a second glass of wine which didn’t show up until the very end of our dining experience. Monica apologizing for the long wait when it appeared saying there was a new bartender.
We also ordered the lamb meatballs. Home run on this small plate. Four small meatballs served on a bed of tzatziki sauce, which is a yogurt cucumber sauce. The meatballs were very flavorful and the creamy sauce added something special to each bite.
Since my husband‘s wine did not show up until we were done with our small plates, we decided to add a dessert while he drank his wine. The Italian lemon cake we ordered for dessert was fabulous. It’s a light yellow cake filled with lemon cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Very good! I ordered a cappuccino to go along with dessert, but Monica came back saying that they couldn’t make it because they were out of milk. How does a restaurant not have milk in their refrigerator? The restaurant just opened for business at the dinner hour so it wasn’t like they were opened all day and ran out.
Mousa is popular, every table was filled and the reviews from others are good. We came here because of the good reviews. Maybe it was just an off night for us, but the chewy octopus, not flaming the cheese at the table so it’s sizzling hot and melting, and not having any milk on hand for a cappuccino two hours after opening your doors won’t bring us back. It’s too bad because it’s a half a block away from the Rialto and so convenient. I can’t recommend this restaurant, but give it a try because others have rated it highly. Like I said, it might’ve just been an off night.

Celia K.

We went on a night where the restaurant wasn't too busy. We received remarkable service. What I like is when the wait staff can give personal recommendations when you can not decide what to order.
The food was authentic and remarkable. I highly recommend the lamb patties with Greek potatoes. The Mousa salad with beets was exquisite, too. Let's not forget about the saganaki! Cocktails are unique and delicious. Will we go back? 1,000 %

Sara L.

🍽️ Dive into a world of flavors with our classic Greek plates. From succulent grilled and rotisserie meats to an array of mezze and the freshest seafood, we have something for every palate.

The drinks were equally impressive - each sip perfectly complementing the rich flavors of our meals. It’s clear that Mousa puts as much thought into their drink selection as they do into their food. 🍹 🍷 🍸

And of course, the grand finale - the Baklava dessert. 🍯 It was the perfect blend of sweet, nutty, and flaky. Each bite was a little piece of heaven, ending our meal on the highest note possible. 😋

In every sense, dining at Mousa was a perfect night out. Great food, excellent drinks, heavenly dessert, and the best of company. What more could we ask for?

Angelique D.

We went looking for a privately owned Greek restaurant for date night and found this on yelp. What a fabulous find!! It is so cute -elegant but cozy with a beautiful bar and intimate tables in a historic old church! Shea, our server, and the hostess, whose name I’m sorry I didn’t get, were so super welcoming and genuinely friendly! Now the FOOD-We enjoyed a melt in your mouth tender grilled octopus and a gyro plate special that was phenomenal-accompanied by a perfectly light, dry Greek red table wine. We can’t wait to take some friends back!!

Sabay H.

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary here on a Friday night. We had reservations for 7pm and were seated right away even though it was a packed house. Our server Megan was awesome and we truly enjoyed our food. We ordered the grilled octopus, spaghetti with Greek-style meat sauce and the grilled Branzino. Everything was delicious. It was a delightful experience.

Amy S.

6 of us ate there this past weekend for the first time! Our server was wonderful, the food was fantastic and loved the vibe there! So glad we tried it and will definitely be back! And the Saganaki was delicious!