03/23/09

Great Atmosphere, Delicious Food, Outstanding Service!

by Linsea

I was extremely impressed with this place! I went there expecting an average sports bar/tap and was pleasantly surprised when I walked through the door! The decor is very interesting: dark, cozy, interesting "artifacts" everywhere. The smell was incredible! The menu is your typical run of the mill bar menu...fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches etc...But the taste is by no means typical. The portions are huge so while a meal may be 13 bucks, it's really like 2 meals when you factor in your leftovers! I'm not much of a bbq person, but when the friendly server suggested the brisket because it's their speciality I thought I had to try it. It was AMAZING!!! The fries it came with also had a unique spice to them. Nothing about the meal was less that extraordinary! The service was incredible as well. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu (including the hundreds of beers) and the manager even stopped by the table to chat and check up on us. What I liked the most about it though, was that it was genuine. It didn't feel like the kind of over-the-top, fake friendly service that gets annoying. They just made honest suggestions and were genuinely making sure that we had a great time. I will absolutely be back and would recommend it to everyone!

• Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service
• Cons: can't think of any

09/03/08

great neighborhood pub and restaurant

by raviolirinaldi

On our visit to Chicago our concierge recommended this place for a quick bite of lunch. As we walked in, we knew right away that this was our kind of place. The restaurant/bar is a huge space with plenty of tables and televisions to catch the games on. As we sat at our table and opened the menu we were shocked at the amount of beer Jake's had to offer! We tried Goose Island Honker's Ale ( a local brew) and I was excited to see that they had Shiner Bock on the menu (my boyfriend is from Texas and when we visit it is all I drink). The menu is of the no frills sort - basic bar food made very well. My boyfriend enjoyed the barbecue brisket sandwich and I enjoyed the veggie burger. Both were served with a heaping amount of french fries and slices of pickles. We enjoyed the place so much that we stopped in on our last night for a late night bite to eat and some beer. We highly recommend this place and would return next time we are in the Chicago area.

• Pros: great beer list, friendly service, tasty food
• Cons: N/A

07/25/08

good food, atmosphere, and prompt service

by CHFMB

After a ridiculous experience down the street at Cru we needed a place to grab a bite. So we walked down to Jake's and found a great communal table with plenty of open seats, the Cubs game was on and our waitress was eager to serve. Ice cold beers, snappy service, simple food done right and a comfortable atmosphere...sounds like the formula for success! Nicely done Jake's, we'll be back.

• Pros: Beer, Food, Service, Atmosphere
• Cons: None on the night I visited

02/15/08

Any day of the week... cool place

by havinggoodtimes

Jake's is great. They have fantastic food and a really great staff who treat you like a friend but still do their job well. I love how all sorts of different people are regularly there. Unlike other bars where it seems like all the people wear the same clothes and have the same personality, you'll find everyone from students to yuppies to corporate execs to industry folks at Jake's. If you don't enjoy good food and fun people, then you can go to a stuffy night club or stay home.

09/04/07

WORST SERVICE EVER!

by phishbone3

Having been in the foodservice industry for more than 26 years, and managed for fifteen i've never experienced the worst service in my life! Now listen....... if you explain to your server(jennifer, i think!) that you don't want your entree on top of the appetizers and five minutes into eating your appetizers....BAM! here comes our entree! Now I asked the server, why is our entree coming out right now, and her response was that the kitchen was closing! NOW UPON FURTHER REVIEW, A GROUP OF 6-8 INDIVIDUALS CAME THROUGH THE DOOR AND I PURPOSELY DRANK ANOTHER APPLE MARTINI TO SEE IF THEY WERE EATING, AND OF COURSE THEY DID! I'M A SERVER AT ONE OF THE TOP RESTAURANTS AND IF A CUSTOMER REQUEST A CERTAIN THING, THAN THATS WHAT THEY GET! THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT WAS THE WAITRESS KNEW SHE WAS WRONG, WAS STILL TIPPED 20% AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN COME BACK TO SAY THANKYOU! I'LL NEVER GO BACK AGAIN! I WOULD'NT USE THE OUTSIDE WALL TO URINATE ON!

• Pros: FOOD WAS GOOD
• Cons: SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE

07/14/07

Good Spot

by billbig

Jake's is a good fun bar with good bartenders and lots of beer choices on tap--bartender reccommended the brisket sandwich as their specialty and I really enjoyed it and will have it again and again--fortunately I'll be spending a month in the condo next store and know I have a good place to go!!

• Pros: good atmosphere-good service -good bar menu
• Cons: none

08/30/05

Great Food, Great Beer, Great Value

by cjgathsby

In the River North/Mag Mile area, Jake's is a rarity, as there are few reasonably priced bars that aren't total dives. The style of the food is typical for a bar, and everything I've had there has been excellent. Recommendations: the Jake's burger, the hot dog, parmesan garlic fries. Service is good and usually very quick. Jake's also has an awesome beer selection including a lot of hard-to-find belgian beers (also go for the martini specials!). Join their brew club, I'm like two beers away from completing it. Overall, Jake's is a solid bar at a good value.

• Pros: Beer Selection, Service, Inexpensive
• Cons: Parking

07/29/05

Big plates of bar food draw a young, professional crowd to this Streeterville hangout.

by Contributor

The Scene
The atmosphere at Jake's is a step above the typical sports bar, with rustic stone accents and dark wood adding class and character to the TV-and-neon-beer-sign decor. Side by side Golden Tee machines and dart boards offer diversions in the bar area. With four dining areas--including outdoor seating and a comfortable all-weather indoor patio--the emphasis is clearly on the grub.

The Food
Bar food basics crowd the menu here, and Jake's scores points for friendly service, big portions and reasonable prices. Start with nachos, a huge mound of chips with cheddar, salsa, onions, sour cream, jalapenos and guacamole--enough for four. Hot, crisp, gooey chili-cheddar fries make the grade too. Sandwiches include a big, juicy nine-ounce burger, plus chicken breast, hot dog, and chopped salads (Caesar, Cobb, Chinese chicken).

04/11/03

WORST SERVICE EVER!!!

by jcgerhard

WORST service I've ever had at a bar! My law school was having an event here and called three weeks in advance, and then the day of, to give the bar notice that we were coming. Apparently, calling ahead doesn't mean you'll have a reserved area. They didn't even have enough wait staff to serve us all. What's the point of calling ahead then!?! The place would have been better if the service didn't suck so much.

• Pros: Drink Specials
• Cons: Service

01/13/03

great drinks, so-so food

by jemogford

Great place to grab a few (or more) drinks...the joint definitely fills a void in the neighborhood of an affordable bar/restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere. Don't expect too much from the food (quality-wise), although the portions are big. Better ribs/burgers are nearby (Isaac Hayes, Houstons) although in vastly different types of joints.

• Pros: relaxed atmosphere, affordable, drink prices
• Cons: so-so food