I have eaten at Jake's for dinner twice and had good service and good food. The first time there was live entertainment doing country music that was very good. Both times the food has been good , not great but not bad either. Service has been good too. ll in al li like the place and Waco NEEDS great places like this downtown. The decor is excellent and fun. I just hope the owner reads reviews and makes some changes as people write taking the varied opinions in stride. The food is bland to some degree and the service good be more fun and faster for sure. I will certainly go back!
The decor is very eye catching and real, Waco doesn't have anything like this. Chicken fried steak was good but little chewy, vegetables are just VERY bland nothing great. Something that kind of bothered me and I remembered the face and it was the face of "Jake" I guess? He comes around to every table trying to "smooze" people and his breath stinks and he is REALLY very arrogant, just like he was when he had a place in Sironia. ANNOYING! His poor wife should be the one out there talking, she is the talent behind all these places. That brings up the other issue we had and it was with the desserts, we heard he sold his old restaurant (which is still in business)but can open up shop a few blocks away and sell the same thing????? Can you think of something new?
Bad Business. It turned our stomach. By the way, the same day we visited, the people next to us got up and walked out, they said their food was horrible.
The decor is really interesting and fun. Service was quite good and the food was great. I had a sandwich and ordered the sweet potatoe fries. Both were excellent. The sandwich was so big I had to take half of it home.
My friend got a burger and said it was good.
The food was served on hubcap-looking metal plates. The menu was all geared towards a car motif. Very clever. Drinks were labeled "fluids".
It's a little pricey for lunch, but considering how much food you get, and the great service... it was worth it. Check out the great desserts too. Pecan crusted buttermilk pie. Yum!
Went to Jake's for the soft opening last weekend and cannot say enough great things! Dinner is served homestyle (or family style as some people say) and includes rolls and cornbread, a delicious twist on a caesar salad that is tossed table side, and generous portions of delicious entrees that come along with bowls of traditional southern sides - cream corn, mashed potatoes, green beans, and black eyed peas.
The chicken fried steak was absolutely mouthwatering and definitely large enough to share. The steak was thick and juicy and the breading crispy but light and had a nice little pop of its own flavor.
We also tried the cajun grilled catfish that had just the right amount of spice and was cooked to perfection.
We ended our meal with samples of the German chocolate cake and famous bread pudding that were just the icing on the cake (ha!) for an already perfect meal.
I would definitely suggest Jake's to anyone looking for a great southern, homestyle dining experience and look forward to returning soon to try out the lunch menu!
