Jake’s City Grille

I can’t say enough good things about Jakes! It’s my fiancée and I’s favorite place to eat in the Brainerd lakes area. The Greek chicken panini with Greek side salad is to die for! My fiancée tells everyone that the Jake burger is the best burger he has ever had, literally every time we eat here we are blown away! Also it doesn’t hurt that they make one of the best martinis you could ever hope for :) I work at a store in Nisswa and anytime someone asks me for a restaurant recommendation I send them to Jakes! All I can say is do yourself a favor and go to Jakes ASAP!

I’ve been to two of the five Jake’s City Grills so take this review with a grain on salt. The Plymouth location is pretty great, no doubt. The food is always good and the staff rocks. A lot of usual’s. I don’t know what to say about the Gull Lake location though. I arrived and restaurant was empty during a Vikings game. Some hick hunters arrived for a short while but that was about it. There was a piece of plastic on my pizza and the waitress/​tender pretty much asked me to leave. Minor stuff but stuff none the less.

We have been to Jake’s a handful of times and the service has been mediocre at best. Being a server for 15 years in my teens/​twenties, I cut servers a break when they get busy and I love over tipping. This last time we went to Jake’s will be the last we ever go. We waited over an hour for our breakfast. Three tables were seated after us and ate before us, and were larger groups. They told my husband that he couldn’t have cheese on his hash browns because they cook them in bulk. The manager came over and apologized about thirty minutes into our wait, and then our server ignored us until our food came, she dropped the check and ran. We worked to occupy our four and six year old daughters, and will never return after the craptastic service and half assed attempt to apologize for shitty service.

If i could give half stars i would give 4.5 stars but for being a very clean, classy, and friendly restaurant i dont feel bad for giving a 5 star rating. The weekend breakfast is what my family went for this day. The free caramel roll is a great start to the meal. My grandmother commented on her oatmeal saying it was the best she had eaten in her 87 years. The cream, raisins, bananas, and brown sugar makes this unforgettable! Walnuts come with this also if desired. All the toast was delicious with every breakfast dish because my entire family agrees that the bread in the morning is a must at being high quality and toasted right. This bread wasnt just bought at some cheap nearby store it seemed homemade. The eggs benedict is killer but i do think the homemade hash is kind of chunky and dry. Dont forget the delicious bloody marys… they are the best around!

Good low key place with very nice service! Waitress was very polite and noticed when drinks were low, just could have known the beer tap list or had a list written down, may have been new. Food was very good with good portions!

Large servings and good presentation. Food is good but could be better. My asparagus was served with the woody end still attached. Servers were friendly and prompt. Good value.

Update! We were out boating on Gull yesterday and stopped at Jakes on the lake for lunch. We were told that the food is the same at this location as the other one across the street but that they just do a smaller menu. 3 adults, 2 children were present. We ordered a ranch chicken wrap which was flavorless. I requested extra ranch just so I could swallow the sandwich as it was so dry. One of the kids ordered a burger and soon was complaining about how disgusting it was. I tried a bite and was overwhelmed by the amount of pepper on it. As kids meals are expensive $ 7.50 without a beverage we informed our server. A manager came over and asked how things were. When we informed him about our thoughts on the food being better across the street he told us that it was not possible because it’s made by the same cooks! The kids burger was taken off of the bill. Later we walked by the outside grill where the food is made to see burgers on the grill with large mounds of pepper on them. What are they trying to cover up? I’m sad that this is not a good option for lunch while boating and will stick to the place across the street:(

Casual restaurant with dining room and adjacent bar. Food was fantastic for this tucked away gem!
I had the filet– perfectly made to order
Raving reviews on the food ordered by others in my party– tilapia tacos, prime rib, and prime rib dip.
Deserts at this restaurant is a MUST!!! They are scrumptious and decadent!

Kind and quick service at Jakes on Gull Lake. The pizza is no threat to local competitors, but Jake’s Red Chili is great. Relaxing experience that’d I’d be willing to repeat.

The food is always great. It can be a bit pricey, but if you go for happy hour there are great appetizer and beer specials. The weekend breakfast is delicious and reasonably priced. Desserts are amazing, period.

Nasty food, very SMALL portions. Nice friendly staff. What happen to Kellys???

The food is fantastic, but the waitstaff needs some improvement.
My husband had the fried egg burger, about which he stated, «The yolky-​ness of the egg, the juicy freshness of the burger and the gooey melty-​ness of the cheese combine to make an excellent taste experience.» (He thinks he’s Andrew Zimmern). I tried the Rueben sandwich, served on toasted marble rye. Usually I like a thinner slice of corned beef, but this was very well-​seasoned. The sandwich was also served with a side of extra Thousand Island dressing, preventing me from having to ask for it, which was nice, considering how difficult it was to get our waitress’ attention.
As I said, the waitstaff leaves a bit to be desired. The young lady who served us was not terribly attentive, and our food was brought by a manager. She also recommended we try the seasoned sour cream with our fries (which are also excellent, by the way, thinly cut and seasoned with salt, pepper and a touch of vinegar). The sour cream did not arrive with our plates, but was evident on the bill. ($ 0.75! Each!)
This is a new business, though, so I’ll give them some time to get things running a little more smoothly, then probably try them again.