Mulligan's Grill and Pub was the big winner in the most recent Readers' Choice poll for best Mothers' Day brunch, but don't bother trying for a reservation this Sunday—

They're booked and space is maxed out at 225 people.

"We have so many reservations our banquet room will be full," Unit Manager Dave Winbigler said, noting that patrons will also be eating in the dining room.

He hopes this—and the Readers' Choice poll win—are signs of an upward swing at Mulligan's, located inside the clubhouse of the University of Maryland Golf Course. He says he has noticed more foot traffic at the restaurant over the last two months, though he hasn't compared recent sales to past numbers, yet.

"To be honest with you, I'm not sure where they're coming from ... It's definitely improving," he said.

Winbigler came to Mulligan's two months ago with a culinary background, most recently having run Rip's Country Inn for six years (which, oddly enough, won the same Readers' Choice poll in Bowie this week). When he came to Mulligan's, he was impressed with the food, but wanted to decrease the wait time for patrons after ordering.

"It didn't take a lot of time [to decrease the wait]. The people who work here are very bright," he said.

Danny Wiess, who was enjoying a meal at Mulligan’s Thursday afternoon, said he hasn't noticed any recent changes at the restaurant, even though the UMd. employee has been bringing colleagues and friends to Mulligan's for about six years, he said.

"I like the atmosphere. There's lots of green," he said, referring to the view of the courses.

Mulligan's made a late surge in the poll, which ran on four local Patch sites for 1-½ weeks. The College Park eatery came in with 42 of 103 votes. S & J Restaurant in Riverdale Park won 24 votes, just ahead of Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store in Hyattsville, which had 23. Busboys and Poets had a strong showing for a new restaurant, earning 11 votes.

If you're one of the 225 people who got a reservation before Mulligan's was booked, look forward to a $22.95 buffet from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, that includes an extensive selection, ranging from sliced roast beef au jus to scrambled eggs; from French toast to the baked potato bar.

Mulligan's Grill and Pub has yet to be reviewed on Patch. Write a review and give it a star rating here.