Jake’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que & Catering

«Best» of 2016 says it all ! We do try to visit at least once a month. The food was served quickly and at the right temp. The Staff are always courteous and polite ! Prices are reasonable !

The restaurant was clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. However, the food is far from good BBQ. I tired the restaurant years ago during their grand-​opening and never returned. I decided to give it another shot and I was just as disappointed as I was the first time. The BBQ flavor is just not there.

I always get the fried pickles with the wasabi ranch! the rewards program is great. it seems I get a $ 10 voucher every other month. I take my co workers to rack up the reward points as well. Jake’s BBQ has never let us down! yummmm

Food was great as it normally is. Got the family feast which is a really good deal for the money.
Was totally shocked at the charge for refills on the coffee. This is the only restaurant that I know of that charges for the refills. Wish the waitress has told us ahead of time. Makes you wonder what else is going on here.

Family Feast was great, first time in this restaurant and the food and service were excellent. The red beans were a little to sweet but the rest was amazing, specially the baby ribs.

Honestly, I’ve had better. It’s kind of hard to find real good BBQ in Virginia Beach. The other restaurants I’ve been to in the area are a hundred time better. The food here was mediocre. It reminded me of a Sonny’s (a Florida restaurant). The staff here are incredibly lazy, I waited 20 minutes for my drink, then another 10 for a plate, and then 20 minutes for a to go box (for my husband). I really wish half of them weren’t standing around. It had a giant banner saying it won an award of some sort, but let’s be realistic… This place was garbage. Just my opinion.

Want good-​quality «Q» at a great price in a welcoming environment that’s appropriate for the entire family? Come to Jake’s! I’ve eaten a lot of BBQ in my life; and while this isn’t Austin, Lexington, or Memphis level, it’s pretty darn good by all accounts! The restaurant is laid out well with plenty of seating (provided your vehicle can make it over the murderous speed-​bump in the parking lot — slow down pulling in!!!), wood paneled walls, and the intoxicating aroma of smoke hanging in the air. The menu isn’t massive — nor should a «Q» menu ever be — with a good selection of smoke-​house favorites such as Brunswick Stew, brisket (with a decent smoke ring), chicken, and pulled pork. Want a beer? They have you covered there too! A few small caveats that are worth noting:
The Carolina style bbq has a tendency to be a bit too «wet» so plan on the juices to mingle.
The brisket, while good, can be dry at times — especially during non-​peak hours.
The stew is great but lacks the subtleties of veggie flavors as the smoke flavor overwhelms the broth — not a bad thing, but I like the whole package.
One last point: if you’re a local, enroll in their rewards club! They give you great discounts and to my surprise, a $ 15.00 off coupon for my birthday!

So, we had brisket, sausage and hand-​pulled pork on our first visit here. Sausage was Awwwesome. Shredded pork was OK but we’ve had better elsewhere. Same for brisket too.
Ambience was nice.
I will definitely go back to try the rest of the menu and have another helping of the sausage too.

Well… my sister and I ventured to Jake’s at the recommendation of another conference attendee. I ordered the ½ Slab Memphis Rib Combo with Fried Shrimp. I chose the BBQ baked beans and cole slaw for my side items. The ribs were not the most tender ribs I have ever had but they were okay. The sauce was really tasty. The fried shrimp were some of the best shrimp I have EVER had… imagine that, amazing fried shrimp at a BBQ joint… but they were really, really good! Both my side items were tasty just very small portions. As you can see in the picture, they came in cups that you would receive sauce or salad dressing in at other restaurants.

I ordered the ½ slab rib combo with Carolina chopped bbq. Bbq a bit dry, had a strong vinegar taste. Ribs were good, with the sweet smokey sauce. The end piece was a bit tough (beef jerkish). We were told the mac & cheese was house made, it may have been, but it taste like box. No real cheese at all. The house salad was made with mixed greens and it satisfied the pallet with a generous dressing cup on the side. We did not try any dessert, nor drink. Don’t know if we have to try them again when back in the area.

Love eating here. They have the best BBQ Ribs. Meat just falls of the bones.
Staff are very friendly and on point. Highly recomend dining here.

We came here for dinner last Saturday and we came back again the next day. OMG the chicken wings were Super Delicious and the the shredder pork sandwich was the best. The staff was very friendly. We will come back again and we already recommended to people.

Jakes is the best. This is our go-​to for barbecue. The smoked chicken wings, ribs and brisket all please the BBQ lover in me. Our favorite dish as of late has been the appetizer pulled-​pork nachos. The serving is enough for two, but when eating as a meal we each order our own. They’re made with flatbread, pulled pork, BBQ and jalapeños. So deliciously good. We eat here a couple times a month. For the regular dinner plates-​the portions are enormous. Worth a try!

We stopped in for dinner last Thursday after arriving in town for the Oceana Airshow. It was slightly empty when we arrived so there wasn’t a wait to sit down. After some initial confusion over who our server was going to be, we got settled in and placed our orders.
My first time at any BBQ/​Smokehouse, I always sample the pulled pork. I got mac n cheese and cole slaw as my sides and sampled the three varieties of sauce. The sauces were all of the sweet variety, so not typically my cup of tea (sauce) but the spicy one was the one I favored the most. The pork was good, moist, but not smokey at all. It almost tasted like it was slowed cooked in an oven, there really wasn’t any wood taste to it at all. Despite that, it was good.
The atmosphere was okay, but like I said, it was pretty dead at that time of night so there really wasn’t any hustle and bustle. Our server was practically running the whole place herself and did a fantastic job despite the circumstances. Very friendly too.
All in all, it wasn’t bad but I’ve had better. Might try the BBQ place that is in the gas station down the road next time, for comparison.

As much as I like this place I like it more that I live a long way away from here… my waist line couldn’t handle living closer.
After a day downtown my friend and I decided to try someplace new. It has been about 4 years since I’ve been to Jakes and I had forgotten where they were. My friend had Jakes bookmarked so it was a pleasant surprise to find out this is the spot he picked.
To start we had the quesadilla with pulled pork. TERRIFIC! There was a hint of spicy and a great smoky pulled pork flavor.
We both had the two meat combo with ribs and brisket. I had a side of hush puppies and a side of apples. He had beans and mac & cheese.
The brisket was some of the best I’ve had in Hampton Roads. Easily in the top 3 or 4. The ribs were very good. My only issue was that while the larger end of the rack of fall-​off-​the-​bone tender, the smaller end was getting close to tough and dry. Our ribs were good but another thirty minutes on the smoke and the small end would have had issues.
The apples were pretty good and the hush puppies were terrific.
I will come here in a heartbeat, I’m just glad that for me it’s a long drive so my return won’t be soon.

My quest of finding a local BBQ joint continues. I found this place through friends in Unilocal.Places like this always have space in my heart most specially since its a local restaurant. Quite honestly, it was a long drive but I’m glad that I came here because it was absolutely worth it.
At first, I was skeptical of coming here because of the mixed reviews however I don’t always go with the flow. In my mind its only fair if I give them a chance then decide if its for me or not. And besides we all have a different opinion on how to deal things given the circumstances.
I’m actually surprised that the outer part of the restaurant doesn’t match the interior. I mean, its positive way. The entire place looks amazing. I love the 360 dining set up, this place can hold an easy 100 customers. What makes this place really special is the impeccable family environment, the warm welcoming vibes and infectious smile of the staff.
For starter, I ordered the BBQ QUESADILLAS filled in pulled pork with cheddar jack cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeños. It was perfect for sharing appetizer. It was simply delicious with a lot depth and flavor. For main course, I ordered the two (2) meat combo platter (beef brisket and ½ slab of pork ribs) with a side of macaroni and cheese and BBQ baked beans. The entire dish was massive and I didn’t even know how I finished it. Well, let me tell you the meat was divine. Every inch of the meat was seasoned well. I can taste the smokeness of the ribs and it was tender, juicy and pulled off to the bones. The brisket was incredibly delightful. The sides alone was phenomenal and most definitely complimented the main dish. My only criticism was the sauce options however I also found it unique and original not to copy the different types of sauces.
This place is absolutely on my list, a true and no kidding BBQ solid joint. I can’t wait to be back.
What’s are you waiting for?

Tried this place for lunch today. I never heard of it but i’m always up for trying new things. Right when you walk in you get the instant smell of smoke and smoked meats. It was very pleasing. It was a clean place, good maintenance.
The wait staff is friendly and pays attention to detail for the customer experience. I got a lemonade and my friend got a fresh sweet tea.
We shared an appatizer of fried pickles, the spears not the chips like you see in a lot of other places. It came with a mayo-​horseradish sauce; it added a nice tangy compliment to the fried pickle. I ordered a lunch special: the carolina bbq plate. The pork was vinegar-​based and very tender. Got bbq baked beans and loaded mashed potatoes for my sides. Love the sides; although I think they could thicken up the sauce for the beans and serve more of them. Really good job though.
I will be coming back.
P. S.–The wait staff is smart. The waitress recommended to-​go cups to take pur drinks with us. Good idea, it was hot out that day.

I’ve been here quite a few times over the past few months. The atmosphere of the place is similar to any other type of restaurant. Staff have always been friendly and courteous. In the many visits I’ve been here, I have never encountered any serious problems. Overall, my experiences here have gotten better than when I was there in the fall of 2013.
On this visit, I had the pulled chicken platter with macaroni and cheese and hushpuppies. The meal came out in a reasonable amount of time, and the place was busier than I normally see it at 5 pm on Friday. The pulled chicken was great. There wasn’t a lot of sauce on it, so I thought it wasn’t going to be tender. There are various sauces at the table that you can use, so I used them. I was wrong about the pulled chicken not being tender. It was actually near perfection. Adding my own sauce to it was actually better, especially since I could have more control over the portion. My mom was with me as well on this visit. She had the beef brisket with the loaded baked potato. She said that they have some of the best baked potatoes in this area.
Service was also good, especially considering how busy it was. Drinks were promptly refilled as needed. The server checked back also to make sure that everything was to our liking as well.
With the casual and informal atmosphere, I think this place would be good for anyone looking for a barbeque meal. Children’s menus are available and during some times of year, they offer a kids eat free on Friday.
If you’re in the area as a local like I am, or if you are just visiting, it is worth checking this place out.

I’ve been to this restaurant twice and it’s okay. I wasn’t WOWED! Mind you I’m not a huge BBQ person, but my babe loves it so being the amazingly wonderful girlfriend I am, I happily tag along when he has a craving for ribs.
The first time I had the fried flounder. If you want fresh fish Jake’s is not the place to get it. The fish, while not the worst I’ve had, tasted frozen. The second time I decided to try the pulled barbecue chicken. It wasn’t bad! I took home a doggie bag, and the pulled chicken was just as tasty the second day. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere casual.

You know that you’re in a place that knows their barbecue is top notch when there’s no sauce on the table. Well, Jake’s puts the sauce on the table. I guess some people like the sauce. Okay, my expectation is set.
I was here for lunch, so I went with the lunch menu and ordered the ribs with mac & cheese. The ribs were meaty and flavorful — tangy and sweet as they should be — but they were still a little dry. Yep, I put sauce on them.
The mac & cheese had a good texture with al dente noodles but the cheese sauce was bland and flavorless.
Service was good though, especially for a light lunch crowd.