Jake’s Tavern

Pretty decent all around. Curbside parking, nice menu quick service. Bar active. Downstairs dining room quiet conversation, mostly oldsters. We will come back.

Omg why so expensive? 16 bucks for nachos with chicken? Only worth it during happy hour, when drinks are 5 bucks and select apps are 5 bucks as well. Waitress was really nice and drinks were ok but not worth 9 bucks a piece and the 28 bucks for 2 appetizers.

Great dinner had the ny strip special and steak sandwich saw a great band Driven. Staff was very good. Atmosphere was enjoyable. Will definitely go again.

Jakes is an interesting place to go. There are three «rooms»; when you first walk in, you can go to the left, which holds the bar and a handful of bar tables, or to the right, which is the dining room, or straight ahead to the big room, which has a big bar and a dance floor, and also leads to the patio. The lights are usually dim all around. The food here is delicious, but you get very small servings for the price. For example, I was here on a double date a few months ago. One guy ordered the filet mignon skewer, which was like $ 12 or $ 14. It came with two skewers of meat, or about 4 bite-​sized pieces. Stick with a flatbread or the nachos and you’ll be fine. As for drinks, Jakes usually has a great selection, but, again, at a high price. They had a winter sangria that was in a mason jar, pre-​mixed, for something like $ 9. Was it worth $ 9? Absolutely. But my friend and I each had an appetizer and one drink and were done for the night, whereas if the drink had been even a few dollars less, we would have probably had 2, which would have led to splitting another appetizer. They have good music, but it’s the same local bands that you’ll find at other local bars. Also, the median age at Jakes tends to be a little higher than you’ll find at, say, Archies or Knuckleheads. With that being said, it’s very chill and a relaxing place to go for a quick drink or two.

The décor is the best thing about this place, definitely has a unique atmosphere about it, it’s unlike any of the other bars in the area. They have a good selection of beers on tap, and the bartender was really friendly. Didn’t get a chance to have any food but I’ll definitely be trying some next time I stop by.

Went here w a bunch of friends for a birthday party. We had a blast. Great band. Awesome atmosphere!!! Great bartender. Gooooo shark!!! Great drinks!!! Although I didn’t eat there. The menu looks great! I’ll be back to try the food!

Good selection of beers, atmosphere is nice, staff is pretty quick. For a local night out I would recommend this place.

I went to Jake’s for the first time and really liked it. We sat in the bar and the service was very friendly. The draft beer prices were noticeably higher than most comparable places BUT I will say that they were much rarer beers in general than can be found at other bars (including those known for there craft beer selection). The food was better than anticipated. The burger was solid and the Cuban sandwich far beyond expectation and worth going back for. It’s definitely a place I’d return to.

This place is just ok.
It’s not comfortable anywhere you decide to sit in there. I don’t know if it’s the set up or the chairs or just the overall place itself.
What rubbed me the wrong way is the bartender was kind of nosy and rude. I ordered food and asked a few questions on how it was prepared and I wanted to know if I could not get the marinade on it and he said, «It is what it is! that’s the way it comes!» but not in a polite way. What a jerk!

Meh. Friendly bartenders. Cold drinks. Decent atmosphere, but damn with the prices. $ 7 for a domestic bottle? Where the f**k does this bar think it is?

Always a fun time, bring all your friends,
You will never want your great night to end.
Craft beers in the front for the hop-​head,
Then go to the back and dance til’ you drop dead.
This was the last stop of a bar crawl for my friend’s 21^st birthday. Plenty of craft beers on draft and in bottles at the bar in the front. Some are pretty pricey, so be sure you know what you’re ordering. Bartenders are always willing to help you pick a good brew.
After a few pops, head to the back, where there is usually a live band on weekends and people dancing. There’s also another bar back there. Make it rain.
Good place for some brewskis with the boys or if you’re single and ready to mingle. You have the best of both worlds at Jake’s. Always busy, and always a good time.

Jake’s is the sh*t. It’s totally laid-​back, it’s got great food and an outstanding beverage list, the service and staff are excellent, everybody gets along, and the building itself is beautiful. What else do you need?
If you don’t want a $ 9 beer, don’t order one. Don’t like karaōke or live music? Stay out of the back room.
Go have some fun!

Great service~!!! I had the scallops wrapped in bacon which were cooked perfectly and delicious then I had the seasonal salad which consisted of fresh arugula, fresh sliced strawberries, cruncy nuts, gorgonzola cheese and a vinegarette dressing. Everything was fresh and delicious and my server Doug was very attentive, professional and friendly. I will be stopping by again to check out the other menu items.

I use Unilocal a ton, have never written a review. I feel obligated to tonight.
My girlfriend and I stopped at Jake’s tonight on a whim. We were gonna drive to New Haven for dinner but decided to stay in town. When we stopped in we took a quick look at the menu. It looked pretty good, we told the waiter we’d like a table. «2? You can sit anywhere! Oh, and we have specials tonight!» Perfect, so we took a seat. It’s too bad we’d never get to try the food or learn what the specials were.
We seat ourselves, and the menus are conveniently on the table so we can start looking at them. After about 5 minutes of deliberation we decide what we want, close our menus and wait. I’m already a little annoyed that no one has come over, but 5 minutes, whatever. Another few minutes go by and we have still not been approached. No water, no drinks order, no «here are the specials.» At this point I’m starting to get mad. The waiters are walking through the room, and even making eye contact with us. But they still haven’t stopped by our table. Mind you, the place was practically empty, so it’s not even like they simply lost track of us. When they weren’t in the dining room, the two waiters were milling about chatting to each other in the entrance. Again, it’s not like they were busy enough to overlook us.
We want a nice night out, so we let it go a few more minutes. I have no problem flagging a waiter down once I’ve already established a relationship with him or put my order in, but what do you say here? «Oh, excuse me sir? Hi, you can start waiting now. Do your thing.» We put on our jackets, got up, and left. On the way out the waiter says to us, enthusiastically «have a nice night!» to which I respond and explain that the reason we are leaving is because no one helped us after 15 minutes. He seemed confused, muttered something, but we were already out the door.
All in all though, I’m glad we didn’t eat there. The food didn’t look great and we ended up having a FANTASTIC meal up the road at J. Christians. It’s no wonder this place was empty though, as we will surely never be returning.

I like Jake’s for a number of reasons…
It is a fun atmosphere. A cool, mysterious bar in the front and a more open, live-​music venue in the back with a bigger space to hang out. But note, it can get packed if a popular band is playing! But people are always dancing, which makes it even better.
I usually go with a group of friends and HIGHLY recommend the antipasto platter. It is, without a doubt, worth the $ 25 or so. It is a ton of food and delicious!
Bartenders are friendly and offer advice if you tell them what type of beer you are looking for. Last time we were in there, a few of us (women AND men) were offered a sample of the Fireball shot at the end of the bar.
I have never sit down for a full dinner but it is a great place to grab a drink and appetizer with some friends before some music.

I love to go to Jake’s for good beer and good bar food. This place can get loud, but every time I’ve gone, the food was good and I love that they have micro brews. It’s a nice bar to sit at, if you can get a seat, and sometimes they put out free food for happy hour. There’s a lot to look at and the bar tenders are usually pretty friendly, but busy.

I’ve been to Jake’s twice now. On the first visit, myself and 2 friends stopped in for a round of beers, early evening. After being ignored standing at the bar for a while, the bartender reluctantly took our drink orders, acting as if we were bothering him.
We ordered 3 pints of Guinness, and while the bartender was pouring them, my friend grabbed a few potato chips out of the big basket sitting in the middle of the bar. The bartender glared at him and yelled, «Dude, what the f**k are you doing? Those are mine». It was an honest mistake, as when someone sees a big basket of potato chips in the middle of the bar with noone sitting near it, they seem complimentary. Why a bartender would leave his food on the bar while serving is beyond me, let alone get mad and swear at customers over it.
He finished pouring the drinks, came back over with an obvious attitude over the chip incident and said, «that will be $ 30». $ 10 for a pint of Guinness? We questioned him, unsure if he was inflating the price because we upset him. That pissed him off even further. We were happy to just get our $ 10 beers, down them, and get out of there.
Against my better judgement, I went back a second time with a different group of friends. We were greeted by a different bartender, though with the same «don’t bother me» attitude, slow service, and high drink prices. After 2 times walking into a bar in good spirits, I got sick of being treated like I wasn’t welcome there and having it dampening my evening, I won’t be going back.

Please allow me to get the good stuff out of the way first. They know how to cook a burger. Moving on…
I’ve read complaints about high priced beers. And yes, there are some $ 10 to 14 beers on draft. However, the two bartenders — it is always the same two — ignore you so badly that you will likely only get one beer during your entire meal. There were only 5 other people at the bar when I finished my solitary beer half the way through my meal. And I never got another chance for a refill. I mean, what a deal! I had a $ 7 beer. When is the last time you left a bar with a $ 7 alcohol tab?! Fantastic, right? I recommend this place for your next AA meeting. Afterall, you are more likely to get drunk from the purelle you carry in your hip pocket than at this place. Those two guys better be the owners, because they are losing money for this place left and right. It is almost criminal and it is a shame. The bar has potential.

I wanted to love Jakes… I really did… The only good time i ever had here was on Halloween. Besides that since…
EVERY TIME THEY OVER CHARGE FOR DRINKS! YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!
After the last time i was there and was charged 8 $ for a tequila sunrise I’m never going back again. That is a 5 or 6 dollar drink period. Friends of mine bartend and confirmed this to me. They also overcharged my friend on a long island also. They’re bartenders are also not consistent in the way they make drinks. I’d rather go to my favorite hole in the wall where the guy will be nice enough to give me an occasional free shot and not rape me when i buy a round of drinks for friends. The crowd at Jake’s really is not all that great either. At least not for the early 20s crowd.

this place has never quite won me over, its definitely not on my list of where to go on a friday night. It has an «older crowd», and it seems like everyone turns and looks at you when you walk through the door like you have 2 heads. Again, this could be because its not the «hippest» places for 20 odd year olds to hang out. The back room is good sized space dance floor, but not utilized well since, no one really dances (besides the brave couple dancing across the floor). The times Ive been there has been some good cover bands, but again, no one really gets into it, and it seems like a flash back to 8^th grade formal, plus alcohol.
Most recent, and WORST experience here was St Patricks Day… hopping around wallingford bars, friends and I came to Jakes for a carbomb. We ordered 5, turned away waiting on drinks, only to turn around to find the bartender had mixed everything in the same cup, a nd was left sitting there. Now, If you know anything about carbombs, you know it is an absolute sin to pre-​mix to 3 components of the drink, for fear of the baileys curling when left sitting too long in the guinness. Needless to say, It was utterly DIGUSTING. and when I asked the bartender if he knew how to make a «proper» carbomb, he just shrugged his shoulders, said the price due, and walked away. Very dissappointed… but with the high cost of the drinks, we downed them… and needless to say suffered later.
Would rather not go here unless every other single bar in wallingford is closed, over capacity, or out of service.