Jaqu’s – The Place

This place will help you get lucky!
I went on a double date here with another couple for Valentine’s Day. I was responsible for picking the place, so obviously I wanted to go here because I had a awesome coupon. It was hard to find the place, it’s kind of tucked away in a shopping plaza. The Target right across the street dampered the outside atmosphere, but we were planning on eating inside anyways. The restaurant was dimly lit and there was a local band playing live music. The place is small, classy place with closely spaced tables. We ordered a bunch of random stuff off the menu including fried cheese plate, calamari, burgers, steaks, salads, and seafood pasta and paired them with several bottles of wine. All of the food and wine were very delicious. The service was great and the price was moderate to expensive. When the tab came, I applied my coupon and let the other couple and my date cover the rest. I’ll leave the rest of the night to your imagination…
Chicks love a guy who can save money. For you guys who want to impress their dates with a 50 dollar off coupon, check out
before going out. I picked up a coupon for 50 dollar off coupon for 6 bucks. If you don’t get lucky from that, then I don’t know what will!
A little about my credentials:
I first got into cooking & food when I was in college. After being rejected by numerous girls and getting zero action, I decided it was time for a change. I needed a new makeover to boost my geeky, engineering image. I applied for a cooking position at a Mediterranean-​Italian Restaurant near my home and learned to cook all sorts of pastas and dishes. I never became a professional chef, but I continue to enjoy & love food. 8 years later and 55 lbs heavier, I am now an engineer that travels all over the world trying new foods and learning about different cultures.

Wow… this place is officially 5 stars in my book. When I think of Valentine’s Day dinner at a restaurant I think of overbooking, lost reservations, suicidal host/​hostesses, inflated menu prices, and waiters that run around like a chicken with their heads cut off. Of all my V-​day past experiences I think only once have my wife and I had a flawless experience. I’ve had at least four v-​days where they didn’t have my reservation, multiple where I’ve had to wait 30 min to an hour after my reservation, and 99% of the time service blows. You’re lucky to ever see your waiter.
This year I used
to make my reservation so I would have an electronic confirmation, no room for mistake. I choose Jaqu’s since our lunch experience was good and wanted to try some more menu items. Upon walking in we were instantly seated in a nice booth. It was dark inside the restaurant with candles lit at each table. They also had a two-​piece jazz band playing romantic music. Within minutes somebody came by to take our drink orders. I had the Italian Martini which was basically a lemon drop with Tuaca and my wife had the Italian Margarita which had Amaretto instead of triple sec. Both drinks were heavy poured and tasty.
I was pleasantly surprised to see we were given regular menus with a few «V-​day specials». I think it’s insulting when places force you to order off a v-​day menu that’s marked up 25 to 50%. To start we ordered the spinach artichoke dip recommended by Unilocaler Mary R. It was loaded with flavors and wasn’t greasy at all like some places make it. You could really taste the artichoke and spinach. It seemed to have garlic too and a tiny spicy kick at the end. Very good!
For dinner I ordered the duck breast with port wine cherry sauce. For sides I had the broccoli and spaghetti with bolognese. The duck was cooked to perfection. It was tender as a pork loin and rubbed with a savory rub. The tart sauce was served on the side as a dip which was tasty… but the duck was so good it really didn’t need it. There wasn’t a single rubbery or chewy piece that you’d expect from duck cooked wrong. The house made spaghetti with bolognese was a generous portion and had a nice rich meaty flavor. Even the broccoli was good, sprinkled with seasoned salt.
My wife had the bacon wrapped filet. I took a bite and was blown away by the dry rub they use. I’ll definitely be getting a steak next time.
For dessert we had the special v-​day one which was strawberry/​vanilla gelato in a white chocolate heart. Excellent!
Hats off to Jaqu’s for it’s perfect service. This place was a well oiled machine with everybody helping everybody. If any staff member (including the manager) saw something that needed to be done they’d swoop in and take care of it. I’m thoroughly impressed by my entire experience start to finish and will be back again and again!

Mr. D took me to Jaqu’s for valentines day dinner and boy did they out do themselves! The staff was having no problem keeping up with the crowd and really having fun dancing around to the smooth live jazz that was entertaining everyone tonight (
). Matt Kalin gave out free complementary CD’s tonight so you got to take a piece of the evening home with you and listen to it all the way home in your car.
The place was full but the staff had everything under control. They work as a well oiled team here and everyone made sure your table was well stocked — you didn’t just have to wait for your server. The atmosphere was relaxing and enjoyable.
We ordered the spinach dip that was highly recommended by Mary R. and it was really good… not the oily cheesy stuff that some restaurants try to pass off for a dip. This dip was creamy and fresh — so much flavor packed into a dip. It came served with brochette.
For my entrée, I ordered the 6 oz. bacon wrapped fillet which came with their special rub and a demi glaze. My sides were mash potatoes and Fettuchini Alfredo pasta (they make their own pasta here and it’s really good). This was an AMAZING dish! The fillet was cooked perfectly. I got it medium rare and it basically melted in my mouth. We finished our meal by sharing a valentines dessert. It was vanilla and strawberry gelato made into a heart shape and dipped into white chocolate. This bit of decadence really completed a romantic dinner with the best valentine a girl can ever hope for!
PS — I recommend making reservations for the weekend dinner since they do turn away if they don’t have space… this happened to a couple tonight who didn’t call in advance to make reservations. I don’t think she was too pleased when they were turned away at the door and had to retreat to the Thai Princess for their romantic evening… poor fool — should have planned ahead on that one! Also, this place is no longer opened for lunch so you will have to do dinner.

Too high class for me here.
$ 2 off wine at HH, but the cheapest wine is $ 8 so it’s still $ 6 a glass.
The calamari was alright.
I would come back for dinner, IF I didn’t buy, the prices are too high, oh my, oh my. God I love when things rhyme.
They are no longer open for lunch.
They have live music W-​Sat.
Walked out w/​2 glasses of wine and calamari from HH menu and still ended up paying $ 24. I’m just not that classy.

One of my favorite places… EVER. I never order lamb unless it is a 4 star restaurant. I’m not being a snob but it’s SO EASY to fuck up lamb, no matter how good of a cook you are. The lamb chops are to DIE for. This is not based on a one time experience, people. I’ve had this dish at least 5 different times and it has been spot on each time. Order it with the maitre-​d butter, broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. I’ve never had broccoli cooked properly in a restauranat… except here. Crisp tender and bright green. Even George Bush would have LOVED it!!!
The Kobe burger is like a little piece of heaven with the truffle mayo and greens. The ingredients used are the best and freshest anywhere. They pride themselves on this and proudly state it to their customers. I’m not a steak fry person but they are done perfectly here. Crispy outside and tender inside. Amazing.
The artichoke dip is wonderful. The vegetarian soup is outstanding (although made with chicken broth I’m not sure it actually qualifies as vegetarian but I could care less — I’m a carnivore, through and through).
Don’t miss the live music either. It really enhances the evening and just makes an outstanding meal even better. While they don’t have much of a selection of wine outside of CA & Italian varieties, their Chianti is very good and their Port (the cheapest on the menu, believe it or not) is a really nice surprise.
The crème-​brule is a good choice, although I’m not a desert person. I tend to revisit the fresh berries if I want desert. Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with a dollop of whipped cream. Now THAT’S my kind of desert.

I really wanted to give this place 4 stars. Really. This place has the breakdowns of a family-​run business — despite having reservations, they sat people ahead of us and then had us wait another half hour or so for a table. Service was friendly but a bit lacking — people kept stopping to have a quick chat with other people and the bar was run very inefficiently. Usually this would be enough to knock it down a star for me.
But I can’t do it.
A few weeks after my visit, I’m still dreaming about my cocktail of the evening — the Tuscan Martini. Made with Tuaca and lemon juice and… other stuff (who cares), served very chilled, it’s sweet but with a tart edge that keeps it from being sugar-​y. I’m not a drinker at all but I crave it.
Nevermind my entrée — the duck breast (my favorite meat) with blood orange (my favorite fruit) reduction. Absolute. Heav-​en. Perfection, even. I had to pass on dessert, but I had my eye zeroed in on the s’mores dessert thingie. Next time I’m coming in and sitting in the bar area just for drinks (or rather, «drink») and dessert. But since my Dining Companion and I had demolished bruschetta and spinach dip (both also amazing), I felt I should have some ladylike decorum and refrain that particular evening.
I guess I do have one other «suggestion» — maybe more sides (or more unique sides), I wasn’t quite impressed with my options and struggled to select two, though it was nice to see asparagus on the list. Zazzed-​up mashed potatoes would have been nice or something else interesting. The sides were kind of boring and uninteresting compared to the wow-​factor of the entrees — more like something you would get from El Pollo Loco, Koo Koo Roo, or Boston Market.
Live music in the corner was pleasant, interesting and unobtrusive… at least from across the room. Complemented the Martini quite nicely.

Came here for the first time last night and I am a Fan!!! Its a bit of a trek up the 405 for me but well worth it and we will be back! I am still getting over being depressed that Bistro West closed but Jaqu’s is the first place that is cheering me up!
For dinner we only got 2 main courses:
The Picatta (we are still at odds over whether we got halibut or swordfish) was amazing. This dish came personally recommended for the owner Duane and he didn’t let us down.
The Prime Flat Iron steak was delicious too. The rub they used had fantastic flavor and the meat was tender. Cooked to perfection. It comes with steak sauce on the side, but only a fool would use it as the steak by itself had fantastic flavor.
They also threw in an appetizer for us on the house. The Classic Trio. Awesomeness. Of the 3, my favorite was the red pepper almond pesto, but the bruschetta and walnut pesto were great too.
What put the night over the top was the personal greeting and introduction by Duane the owner of Jaqu’s. He is a very friendly and entertaining guy and its nice to see the owner of the place having drinks and a good time in the restaurant, rather than someone who is micromanaging everything.
As everyone has said, the live music is a nice touch. Some white guy with a humongous afro was performing while we were there and he sounded very good. Smooth, laid back music.
I am a fan and will be making the trip to Jaqu’s a regular outing from now on. I cant wait to try the rest of the menu!
BTW, you can read the info on the restaurant on their website, but couple little things. Jaqu’s is pronnounced «Jacks» and is named after Duane’s granddaughter Jacqueline. Also Duane is the owner, not Jaqu.
Cannot wait to return!

This joint is a modern high-​end-​looking semi-​romantic sports-​bar-​ish place with live music. I have no idea how I’m supposed to feel. To simplify, I guess I’ll start with the only complaint I have. Our candle ran out of oil about 5 minutes after we sat down and was never changed. Guess we can knock out «romantic».
The quality of the food and service are both good for the mid-​range prices. The entrees range from $ 20 to mid 30’s, and it gets cheaper if you opt for pizza, pasta, or burgers. Just like the décor, the menu comprises both elegant and casual in a tasteful way.
Speaking of taste, my duck breast was tender and well-​prepared. I wish I had chosen a different sauce though because I liked the citrus quality but not the bitterness of the blood-​orange reduction. I ended up stealing my friend’s port-​wine cherry sauce that she chose for her free-​range chicken. I thought the sauce was well-​balanced, the wine flavor being distinct but not overwhelming.
I chose wild rice and mashed potato as sides, tasted a good amount of butter in them, and decided that it’s Thanksgiving week and I already blew my diet anyway so screw it. I cleared my plate. My palate did not complain.
Oops, I lied earlier about only having one complaint. My friend ordered her kobe burger medium-​rare, but it was more like medium-​well. The waiter told me my duck would be medium, but some parts were medium-​well while others were well-​done. I guess they play on the safe side here and up everything 2 levels. We were still satisfied with the food though so no harm done I guess.
Speaking of harm not being done, near the beginning, after we emptied our first bread basket, one of the servers asked us if we needed extra bread and we said no… but it was too late. About 5 seconds later, a waiter came by with a new bread basket. Then after our meal, our waiter offered to split the check for us before we even asked. Preemptive service is really nice. Guys with girlfriends– watch and learn.
This place is one of those in-​between places, it’s casual fine-​dining, it’s dress up or dress down, it’s chat with friends or go on a date, it’s like purgatory but with really good food and no suffering– not even for your wallet.

This review is based only on the prime lamb chops I had.
It was G to the R-​E-​A-​T! So flavory, juicy, tender, and seasoned very well! I got the mashed potatoes and broccoli as sides and the broccoli was super flavory too! Every bite of this dish was mmm mmm good! I was there with a few girlfriends and I forgot they were there because I was too busy enjoying my meal! (Sorry girls lol)
My friends had the cheese platter and the grilled artichoke. The cheese platter was pretty good. I had a piece of the feta (goat?) with chives spread on bread and that was delicious. The grilled artichoke wasn’t bad either. I wasn’t too crazy about the aioli sauce. A bit sour for me.
So if you come here… order the prime lamb chop with the maitre d’butter. I promise you won’t regret it. And if you do… the chef probably screwed up somehow.

Came back for lunch to see what the scene and vibe was like…
MUCH different atmosphere when we arrived for lunch on a Sunday afternoon (1 pm). The Jets game was on, and unlike the booming scene I saw last time, the restaurant was literally empty — aside from someone that could be the owner/​manager, a server, a hostess, and the chef.
Needless to say, I didn’t mind at all as we got seated right away and had our every need met.
They have a special going on where select items are half off from opening until 6pm (don’t quote me on that). Some things I remember on that menu were the calamari, spinach dip… we opted for the deep fried asapargus in a Newcastle beer batter. It came with ranch dipping sauce and an ancho chile dipping sauce (ancho tasted better with it). They gave us about 8 large sized asapargus and while they were a bit on the greasy side, it was a treat for me. They were cooked just right and gave me another reason to love asapargus.
Lunch is up until 4pm so we opted for some sandwich fare. My friend got the roast beef dip while I got the crab cake sandwich. The dip came with heaping portions of onions and mushrooms and I thought of the two sandwiches, it was tastier. My crab cake sandwich didn’t exactly have a wow factor so it was in the middle for me. I was really surprised that I enjoyed the steak fries. Typically, steak fries to me seem too flake inside, but this one came out crispy all the way through (just like I like it).
All of this came out to about 38 bucks tax and tip… not bad for lunch at all. I hope this place attracts more business so I can keep introducing other people here.

Someone slap me.
How have I not eaten here before?
I’ve been wasting precious lunch hours at this very center with the likes of Lazy Dog, Pavilions and now Panera when the whole time a treasure like Jaqu’s has been waiting for me.
I know this sounds absurd but I’ve never had a Kobe burger. I’m not truly a fan of meat unless it’s good quality or its 3am, I’m shit-​faced and Jack in the Box’s sourdough burger all of a sudden seems gourmet. After scanning the menu for a moment I thought why the hell not, today isn’t going to get better all by itself and I ordered.
Alright now, listen up people because this is quite possibly the best burger I’ve ever had.
Ever.
That’s right.
So lay back and let me rock you into burger slumber… thick Kobe beef patty cooked well with a juicy slice of heirloom tomato, aged cheddar cheese melted onto every inch of that burger, black truffle mayo, greens all sandwiched in between a pliable potato bun served with a side of crunchy steak fries, a pickle and a pepper.
Did I mention it was the best ever? Evah, evah?
Their spinach artichoke dip is so mouthwatering I wanted to bathe in it. They add a little crushed red pepper to give it a spicy kick. It seems like such a simple addition but it makes it stand out from other spinach artichoke dips I’ve had. What can I say? I likes it hot.
While this place is a little pricey for a midweek lunch it would be great for a date or a night out with friends.
Their happy hour Tues.-Thurs. 2 – 7 is decent with $ 1 off beers, $ 2 off wine by the glass and assortment of appetizers between $ 4 and $ 6.

A restaurant remains in my 4-​star category when it does everything it is supposed to, well and repeatable, albeit its taste in food is the strong note.
I’ve passed this quaint storefront on numerous occasions as I’ve lived in the area over a year. Tonight I realized I never Unilocald the thing and discovered a link to their website.
Now believe me I work in advertising and a website with glossy photos and ambient tones usually wont fool me, but the photo of the Kobe burger especially nagged at my pretentious visual acumen and desperately convinced me to «let go and let Jaqu’s».
The Kobe burger indelibly ascends in taste upon initial bite and plateau’s three-​quarters of the way through. After your palate has desensitized to the black truffle mayo and aged cheddar you will be ready to call in. Scattered about on its plate are crisp golden house chips, gorgeously prepared and most recommended as the side item.
The review might as well have ended here at 4 stars but 20 minutes from meal’s end an «acoustic-​guitar-​one-​man-​band donning my same skinny jeans» steps up and out of nowhere goes into The Cure: «Lovesong» to be exact. Now 1 glass through of my Napa cab, I’m thinking, you can’t possibly top that. That is how you land a 5-​star.

We visited here recently and were pretty impressed with the food and the service. I have been sort of fixated lately on the idea of there being a restaraunt where you could eat several times a week and not get broke or fat. This isn’t the place because it would make you broke but the food is actually something you could eat quite frequently and suffer no health consequences. For example, my free range chicken came roasted and plain with sauce on the side. The seasonal veggies were crispy and fresh and simply seasoned. No secrets here. No heavy creams or thick glazes. The dish was not finished with butter, etc, etc. The food was delicious, though. Perfectly cooked and seasoned.
On the negative side I felt like the place suffers from an identity crisis. It’s sort of like fine dining crossed with a coffee shop crossed with a sports bar. I was not impressed with the wine list, either. Prices range from decent (for a list) to a bit high. Selection too boring. Thier mixed drinks are pretty expensive, too. We will return — but when we do we will go for the $ 15 corkage fee.
We really enjoyed our meal here. Perhaps a bit pricey to go into the regular rotation but we’re looking forward to another visit.

I visited this restaurant for the first time last night with 2 of my girlfriends, and I must say that this place is a very nice find!
Very warm and relaxing ambiance (especially with the live music in the corner), friendly staff, nice wine selection, and of course great food!
We started off with the grilled artichokes. This was very flavorable and I felt I was eating something very healthy & light.
My two girlfriend’s salads looked delectable. Nice portions and the greens look incredibly fresh. I ordered the fresh halibut and was very happy! It was nicely flavored and complimented the the sides very well.
We were checked on multiple times by the manager and the owner himself. The owner is a very friendly old man, and cares alot about his food and patrons. I surely will return in a few weeks.
I’m so happy I found great spot in OC!
Well worth a visit, my Unilocalie friends!!!

With live music and their mini-​lit candle light romantic ambiance, I’ve always had dinner here. I have a special place in my heart for lamb, but I am very particular about how it is seasoned and cooked. Jaqu has forced me to admit that I really like their lamb chops with their brandy sauce on the side. Their medium rare steaks (I don’t like my steaks mooing at me) are also on point with their New York Steak, Bacon-​wrapped steak, and seasoned Ribeye! Yum!
However, today was my first time eating lunch here only to discover that their 20% off happy hour begins are 2:00pm on specific weekdays. What a bummer for us because we came in a 1:30pm. With a bunch of my other girlfriends, they were all super excited to try out Jaqu since they’ve never been here before. I really did not know what to recommend since I’ve never been here for lunch, but I assume that the best was to recommend the page in the menu entitled «lunch menu.»
After a huge dilemma in deciding between the steak sandwich and the crabcake sandwich, I went with the latter. I had the crabcake sandwich with fresh fruits! Yum! I definitely patted myself on the back for making the right decision, however I still had a bite of the steak sandwich and made a mental note to myself to order that on my next visit. The chicken wrap was actually a lot better than I anticipated and its leaves a creamy mmmm taste in your mouth that leaves you craving for more.
I still think that this place is a bit pricey without the
gift certificate, so for a better meal and better price, I still recommend using the
. For Jaqu, they have the $ 25, $ 50, $ 75, and $ 100 gift certificates but make sure that you read guidelines for using the gift certificates. Today, we used the $ 50 gift certificate and our meal came to be $ 80 for 7 people including 18% gratuity with two desserts! Thumbs up!
Every meal should end with a happy ending. Our happy ending was The Chocolate Soufflé and Crème Brûlée. =D

Stopped by for lunch with the warden first timer to Jaqu’s was here when the place was called Davios. Jaqu’s only had about four tables working. I ordered a Beef Angus burger with steak fries very good hit the spot .The Wife ordered Chicken burger which was actually 2 chicken Breasts they should call it chicken sandwich she loved it very fresh, prices are ok lunch was $ 22.00 a decent price for a good meal.
Pros
service very good nice friendly staff 5 stars (only four tables)
Beef Angus burger
Steak fries
Chicken burger
Bread flat and sour dough delicious
nice and clean
great décor
Cons
don’t really have any
I can’t wait to come back for dinner.

I really wanted to like this place more. The setting is cozy and small, but you don’t feel cramped. They have live entertainment every night [Kristy Jo is amazing]. We had great service despite showing up 30 minutes before they closed. And after our meal the owner even offered to buy me a beer.
We ordered drinks, he got the lager and I had the pomegranate mojito. Oh, hello cough syrup. Maybe I’ve just been drinking beer more often, but this was hard to finish. And the glass it was served in was kinda ridiculous. I don’t like pretentious glassware or flatware or plates. [I know, I’m weird]. After I finished that I ordered the lager as well. Wish I would have just went with that to begin with.
And the food… well I’m picky with my veal. I can’t help it because the first time I had veal was in culinary school and I’ve never had anything as good. I got the veal marsala and honestly the most amazing thing on the plate was the side of angel hair pasta. Oh if I would have known I would have just ordered that! I tried the duck and it was pretty good with the blood orange sauce. And for a starter we had the baked brie. It was pretty good, not something to write home about though.
I think next time I go it will be for drinks and dessert. They have a chocolate soufflé so I’m curious because most restaurants won’t attempt a soufflé.
But like I said, their service was fantastic, and that’s enough to make me give them another chance.

Randomly tried this place since I found it on
. Came in hand with a $ 25 certificate ($ 35 min purchase) that I got for $ 2. It’s in a shopping center right off Beach next to Lazy Dog Café. Food roundup:
Grilled artichoke appetizer: YUMMY, my favorite dish of the night. 3 huge artichoke halves grilled to perfection with a yummy balsamic sauce and roasted garlic aoili for dipping. Big portion and grilling it is nicer touch than just having it steamed.
Beef Angus burger with steak fries: Standard big burger with big slice of yellow tomato.
Veal Picatta: Veal a tad bit on the dry side, but the sauce was delish — lemony and chockfull of mushrooms. The side of angel hair was excellent, they make fresh pasta on site and it shows!
Lowdown: The ambiance reminds me of a smaller slightly more upscale Cheesecake Factory, with some nice lighting and wood throughout. It’s casual enough with some tastefully placed tv screens to watch a game, or nice enough for a date. I really like having this kind of place in the area, the food is tasty (especially the appetizers and pastas) in a nice atmosphere with live music. We spent $ 20 for 2 out the door with the coupon and as we left, they gave us a flyer that we can use for 20% off. They look like they have a decent happy hour too. Service really friendly and mgr came to check on us twice.
P. S. When we were there (Tuesday night), they had speed dating in the other half of the restaurant, thought it was fun to observe a bit. Not sure how often this happens since mgr said it was their first time hosting this type of event.

«…because sometimes you want to forgo the Cheesecake Factory for a bit nicer, high (er)falutin place to do your business luncheon…»
«…because sometimes you prefer gourmet sliders at happy hour, rather than two tacos for $ 2…»
«…because sometimes you want to eat food absolutely drenched in garlicky olive oil…»
All of the above are reasons enough to go to Jaqu’s…“The Place” (read: Jack’s). Try not to let the annoying spelling of the name ruin it for you. And don’t let their tagline — «fine dining, cocktails, ambiance» fool you either. Rather than being «The Place» memorable for any of those things, this is the kind of place that does the job, fits the bill, and is otherwise known as «A-​OK.» And if you’ve got corporate companions in tow, all the more better!
Jaqu’s…“The Place,” is formerly known as «Davio’s» (an Italian joint). If you’re familiar with the latter, the owners of Jaqu’s…“The Place,” have kept the same old Davio’s specials (homemade pasta, wood-​fired pizza oven), added some steaks and burgers, thrown in some live music acts, and have thus created a little bistro with a «city-​ish» feel. This «slightly» upscale place has the darkness of a Houston’s, the pizza of a Wolfgang Puck Express, and throws in the corporate ambiance of a McCormick and Schmick’s.
I’ve had the self-​proclaimed specialty «chicken piccata» at Jaqu’s…“The Place” which was absolutely drenched in butter and garlic — to the point where not even Sonicare or Listerine could come to my aid. It was tasty, but I actually felt embarrassed for the rest of the day. The miniature Angus sliders (with blue cheese, horseradish aioli and fried onions) are also pretty good — don’t be afraid to expense account a few of the $ 9 platters of 3 for you and your fellow blue blooded cubicle mates.
Overall, stop at Jaqu’s…“The Place,” when you want something a little fancier than Lazy Dog Café (next door). If you compare across town, for the price, portions really aren’t bad and attentive service make Jaqu’s…“The Place,” a great place for business outings. Happy Hour is M-​Th (2−6pm), offering 20% off food items.

The review for this place is mostly padded by their service. It was a hit or miss for the party of 8 that I was with.
Quirky +‘s:
—The B.F. came later, so I told them to keep his food warm in the kitchen until he arrives. He came, I gave him a hug at the door… we get back to the table, and his plate is there waiting for him. I thought that was thoughtful of them to be paying attention rather than waiting for me to tell them.
—When the bill arrived, he actually already separated the bill into 4, one for each couple. We asked around if anyone requested it, which no one did. I thought that was cool that he remembered who was with who, considering our seating arrangement was random.
–The bread thing that came with I believe Garlic Aioli? It was yummy, and free!
Plus in general:
–The music that was going on in the background had a Norah Jones feel to it. It wasn’t too loud where it was dominating our conversations
–The location in general was cozy, and the décor felt like it was something a BF would put together say if he were to surprise you at home (not perfect, but it felt personable)
–Kobe Burger ($ 15) was yummy! The other person who had it also enjoyed it.
–Ribeye ($ 24) was actually really good. We didn’t expect it to be, but the BF was craving meat, so we ordered that. No fancy presentation, but that didn’t stop every guy at the table from staring the BF’s plate down as if Angelina Jolie just landed on his plate.
–Rasberry lemon drop martini ($ 9.50) was actually pretty good. The Cantaloupe one, not so much. Tasted like medicine.
Altogether, I wouldn’t necessarily come here if you’re looking for a grandiose culinary experience. I would come here maybe on a first date, or if you are meeting up with other couples, and you want to enjoy a nice but non-​stuffy dinner. In our case, we were meeting a friend’s guy for the first time, so it was perfect for that setting. It’s definitely a laid back kind of place, almost like a lounge. The food will either be good or bleh, depending on what you get.