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Jake Melnick's Corner Tap
Categories: Nightlife Bars Sports Bars Restaurants American (Traditional) Nightlife Bars Pubs Sports Bars, American (Traditional), Pubs [Edit]
41 E Superior St(between Rush St & Wabash Ave)
Chicago, IL 60611
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 266-0400
- Nearest Transit:
-
Chicago-Red (Red Line)
Grand-Red (Red Line)
Chicago-Brown (Brown Line, Purple Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:30 am - 12 am
Thu-Sat 11:30 am - 2 am
Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Christina C. said: "Karaoke is great here. kinda dive-y. No big. Good drinks. Great place to just let your guard down and relax. I love it. Bring a group of awesome friends, and sing your lungs out!" read more »
269 reviews for Jake Melnick's Corner Tap
Review Highlights
"Best beer selection in the city."
(in 33 reviews)
"I also love their outdoor seating in the summer."
(in 10 reviews)
"But the mac & cheese was crazy good - and I don't even like..."
(in 14 reviews)
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269 reviews in English
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Review from Corey H.
1/7/2012
I had a great time here. Two of us went here on a Friday night in the middle of January at about 9pm. We had to wait for about 5 minutes for a table. No problem. I imagine that during a more tourist season and a more reasonable dinner time (ie 6pm ish), this place probably has a pretty long wait. Maybe call ahead to see the wait time. As previously said, they have the best wings in Chicago. I LOVE wings and I have to try them at just about any place. I've even created a list on this website for best wings in my area. This place has really good wings. They have about 6 flavors... traditional buffalo hot or medium, garlicish, grilled, super hot and XXX. I love spicy wings and inquired about the heat level of the last two I mentioned. They offered to let me try them but warned me that they only recommend it for "professionals". I was glad they did. As I figured the sauce is too hot to actually be enjoyed. It was good but the only reason to order them would be to challenge yourself. They are meant to make you cry and sweat. I stuck with the traditional buffalo spicy sauce. It was franks red hot, which I like. The wings are slightly breaded and fried. They were slightly crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Loved em. SIDENOTE - I see someone complaining because they ordered the XXX wings with their husband and some friends and it was too spicy and they couldn't take the heat and complain they were not formally warned with the "waiver". You should have noticed all the stuff on the walls talking about how spicy their wings are. Second, you should have tasted a little of the sauce first, that was a rookie mistake. Don't blame this place because you underestimated the heat, especially when you declined to taste the sauce first. As for the waiver they didn't bring out, its only for show and doesn't serve and anything more than some memorabilia to remember the experience with. That shouldn't give you reason to EX this place.
My guest had the trio of BBQ sliders. They came with the three types of BBQ they offer. It was really good. I liked the Carolina style because they put coleslaw on it with a vinegary and spicy BBQ sauce.
The beer selection was awesome. Tons of micro brews and then some.
TVs everywhere to watch any game.
As for the service, our waiter was awesome. Super friendly, and helped us out with beer selections. I gave him a big tip in appreciation.
The decor was pretty laid back. Wood with lights all over the place. Pretty standard of a BBQ joint. I liked it.
I'm from out of town but I'll go back for sure if I'm ever in town again. -
Review from Melanie S.
Chicago, IL
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Over the years, this location was home to Randall's Ribhouse, Blackhawk Lodge, and currently, Jake Melnick's Corner Tap. There's your Chicago trivia for the day.
First and foremost, it's a sports bar, but it also happens to have good food. You can't really go wrong with anything you order here. They offer tons of barbecue items, salads, sandwiches, tons of french fry options (the garlic parmesan are a must-try)and their famous, much-ballyhooed wings, often touted as "best in Chicago."
While they're good, I can't crown them Chicago's best. They should be crispier and more flavorful. A recent order of the garlic-cayenne wings yielded no real discernible taste of either garlic or cayenne. Sad face.
They have an extensive beer list and daily specials. If you're a craft beer lover, this place will give you a beer boner.
Service is friendly. Prices are kind of high, but given the area, not outrageous.
The clientele is a mix of sports fans (they have TVs in every area), older folks, the after-work crowd, and tourists. Everyone seems to be comfortable here.
I guess what I'm saying is Jake's is fine. You could do worse.Listed in: Stuck in the Middle with You
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Review from Bill K.
Albany, NY
1/17/2012
The good - extensive beer menu, decent food.
The bad - prices (usually at least $6-7 for a beer, up to $12.95 for a dozen wings), service, and most TVs don't have HD. Let me repeat and expand on that last comment....the year is 2012 where most households have high def TVs, and this is supposed to be a sports bar that charges +$7/beer and $12.95/dozen wings, yet they don't have the games in HD!!! Even worse, most of the TVs are pretty small and hard to see due to their positioning.
You are much better off cooking or ordering in and watching games in your own living room than going to this joint. -
Review from Tommy M.
Vienna, VA
Updated - 2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Have been back a couple of times and I still enjoy Jake's as much as the first time. I am a creature of habit and keep getting the hot wings followed by the pulled pork trio. The waiter was something of a jokester - usually that would turn me off but he had us laughing. The big challenge here is deciding what beer to order - great great variety.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/1/2011
This place is convenient to downtown and is deservedly well known for hot wings. Compared to… Read more »
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Review from Claudia S.
Chicago, IL
1/4/2012
I'm teetering on this review, as my experience was somewhat disappointing, but it wasn't awful either. My birthday falls on a big day. It's a day I don't expect many people to be out eating and growing up, it's a day that my favorite restaurant would be closed. That being said, Jake Melnick's was open on my birthday and they have wings! Not only do they have wings, they've been voted to have some of the best.
Service was great, I have no complaints there. My issue was that everything we seemed to order was out. I'm glad I got a wing order in when I did, because when I went to order more, they only had 2 types left. One I didn't care for, the other just didn't appeal to me in the first place. There were a few other items my mom and step-dad tried to order, but I'm going to assume the reason they were out of so many items was because of the holiday.
I ended up going with a buffalo chicken sandwich (or something like that...it was chicken and I know there was buffalo sauce, as that's pretty much a staple for me). Filling, good flavor, no funky coating and it saved my birthday dinner.
Unfortunately I can't remember what drinks we had, but they were all good. Aside from not knowing what to order a few times, I enjoyed Jake Melnick's. A little disappointing because I love wings, but the few traditional ones I had were worth choosing this spot for a birthday dinner. -
Review from Aaron N.
12/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you like beer and wings, Jake's is a spot in Chicago you have to try. The beer selection is freaking ridiculous. I have never heard of 90% of the beers they offer (prolly cause I tend to stick with Bud-Light), but whatever flavor you like, Jakes will have it. I enjoyed their moonshine which was a perfect mix of flavor and alcohol (whiskey)...plus it was served in a mason jar, which always helps.
On to the food. I went with a bunch of people and they said the spicy wings were slamming. I (like an idiot) took the challenge and tried their XXX wing. I knew I was in for a disaster when the server said the sauce was made with the 2nd spiciest pepper in the world! Althought I finished the wing (like a champ), it was not fun at all. My tongue felt like it was about to explode and nothing helped cure the pain...only time. So, I suggest you only try one, regardless of how "tough" you think you are.
Overall, I really enjoyed this spot and will definitely be coming back to eat the normal wings. Boom! -
Review from Charlie R.
Hanover Park, IL
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here after seeing the Christmas sites by Water Tower Place. Wanted a good eating experience, but not too uptight. Jake Melnick's came to mind. Went in on a very busy Saturday night and was told that it would be a 45 minute wait. Not surprised at all so we got a beer at the bar. GREAT BEER MENU! 20 minutes later we were seated in the back.
Started off with a side of onion rings which were ehh. I ordered a burger, can't remember the name but had bacon, pork and BBQ sauce as toppings. One of the best burgers I have ever had!
Service was a little slow, seemed like our server was paying attention to other tables more and our waters were always empty, but I will chalk that up to being near the holidays.
Great food and beer selection! -
Review from Carolynne M.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 11/7/2011
So, I get a message sent to me a few days ago. It is from the assistant GM of this place, who saw my initial review. The message he sent was really cool, and in it he apologized for what happened last year and invited me to participate in this years competition. I of course jumped at the opportunity.
When we got there Andy decided he would order a basket of the wings for himself that were supposedly one step down from the competition grade. I had a bite and honestly? I thought those were hotter than what I ended up having in the contest. Those really packed a wallop.
The year before the winner had eaten 35 wings, so I knew I wasn't going to win. I can do any amount of extreme heat, but I cant eat fast and I cant eat massive volumes of food. But I was so excited to be able to taste these bad boys (since there is almost no place in the Chicago area that has the ability to make things hot enough for me) that I really didn't care.
There were 10 people competing, and I was the only girl. When we started I was surprised at how Not-Hot these things were, and I was able to eat 15 in the 5 minute time period. Which of course was dead last (the winner ate 51!!!!), until one of the guys got disqualified because he couldnt handle it and ran to throw up. So, hey, there's that.
And I was the only one who didn't need the "help" at the end (they gave out plates of bread, milk and ice cream which everyone attacked). yeah, there was a little bit of burning at the back of my throat, but a couple of sips of milk cured that easily enough.
So hey thanks for a fun time Jake's. If you can make a contest where someone wins by eating a progressively hotter wing, you got your girl right here. The contest right now? I will let the guys have their gluttonous fun with it. Next year I will be in the audience, having those same wings... but for lunch!Listed in: Pain IS good!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/17/2010
The prize was MINE. No, I am not even exaggerating. I KNEW I was winning in the same way the cheetah… Read more »
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Review from Adoley J.
11/6/2011
A good BBQ spot with great beer selections. YES PLEASE!
Had dinner here last night and over 24 hours later I am still dreaming about the pulled pork. Cannot wait to go back and try the famous wings. -
Review from Joel M.
11/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you are near the Viagra Traingle and want to get away from the upscale more expensive bars, Jake's is the place to go.
The smell of BBQ when you walk in lets you instantly know that the patrons aren't going to be wearing sports coats and sipping martinis. Giant tables are great for accommodating groups, and the service is solid even when its packed.
Oh yeah, best beer selection in the near north area by far. Lag IPA on tap and a huge selection of Belgium beer and stouts/porters as well.
Recommended for both happy hours and nights out. -
Review from Dario C.
Chicago, IL
12/5/2011
The burgers rock. And they're huge. Fries are excellent as well.
I think the wings are good, but not out of this world. I had them again recently, and they were a bit too greasy for my tastes. They're definitely meaty, though.
We watched a Bears game here on a Sunday; there were a lot of tourists there (I'm not suggesting this is a bad thing). We just figured all the hotels on the Mile probably recommended Jake's.
Bottom line: great place for a beer and a burger. -
Review from Chris Z.
11/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Wings and beer! HIstorically a great combination!
Jake Melnicks is a great place to sit down with some friends and grab a drink with some wings and catch whatever game is going on! They have TVs located throughout the bar area and are normally fixed on whatever game is on TV at the time.
Their claim to fame are there chicken wings. I've had a few of the flavors and they are rather solid, but definitely nothing that special. Their pulled pork nachos were rather scrumptious!
I'll probably be back to Jake Melnicks in the near future! I love the calm and relaxed vibe.
#RealTalk -
Review from Michele S.
Lombard, IL
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here on a Saturday afternoon. The place was packed with folks watching college football.
I loved the menu. BBQ and bar food are some of my favorites. My husband and I both went with the pulled pork sandwich with fries. The food was absolutely delish, and the portions are large for a reasonable price point.
The only thing that seemed to be lacking was the service. We barely saw our server the entire time. I was busy, so I can cut them some slack.
We will definitely be back. -
Review from Carm O.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2012
Very laid back comfortable atmosphere. Kind of surprising for the location. Came to eat here with my kids so I was a little unsure when we entered, it looks more like a bar kind of establishment, but no need to worry... they are kid friendly. Everyone enjoyed their food. We had burgers, chicken wings, mac & cheese, and fried pickles. The servers were very nice, the restaurant was very clean, and I would like to go back sans the kids for some drinks & wings. We actually found street parking which was surprising. I would recommend.
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Review from Michael P.
Chicago, IL
10/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
If you don't like beer, I feel bad for you, son: I've got 99 problems, but when I go to Jake Melnick's, drinking beer ain't one.
Great BBQ-based items.
I've been here at least three times; I'll be back at least three more.
Solid. -
Review from Zach M.
Chicago, IL
10/21/2011 1 photo
One of my absolute favorite places to go in the city. Great comfortable setting. Try any burger special they have that month. Best beer selection in the city. Best bartenders. And... Great place to watch a game.
Almost forgot. If you ok with taking a break on a diet, go for the Buffalo Bleu Cheese Fries.... Absolutely amazing! -
Review from Katie R.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2012
I may be partial to Jake's since I live next door, but they do have great beer, good food, I always enjoy whatever I'm eating or drinking there. The staff is always friendly. It can be a tourist hot spot for those tourists who migrate a little too far west of Michigan Ave. so the wait may be long between 6-8pm. It's a good spot to bring a group of eclectic people that may prefer a salad or wings or burgers or mac-n-cheese.
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Review from Cassidy S.
Chicago, IL
10/15/2011
This is more of a teaser trailer than a review, I suppose. Met a friend for a pint after work on Thursday and she recommended the place. Overall? I'm definitely going back.
The place smelled amazing from the first second through the door. Barbecue wafted in the air... We were given a hightop right away, tucked against a wall but snug and seemingly private for the boisterous atmosphere. A few huge parties increased the volume a bit, but my friend and I could still converse without yelling across the table. Our server was, if anything, overattentive, but helpful with her draft recommendations and full of energy.
The late-night menu was the only one available by the time we arrived, but I'm definitely coming back to find out what that smell was about. -
Review from blondyne b.
Chicago, IL
11/12/2011
I arrived downtown at 10:00 am to shop. As I look for a park, I noticed a sign that read "Best hot wings in Chicago". I knew then that was my spot for lunch. I made my way back to Jack's around noon. The place was nearly empty, I was concerned however, it was still early. Their menu selection seemed pretty good. I ordered traditional hot wings, artichoke dip w/ tortilla chips, fries, and topped it off with an iced tea.
The wait staff were typical college students trying to make it. My server was very nice and attentive. They got the 3rd star because of the outside patio.
The wings were a disappointment...I was expecting "the best in Chicago". Although they were ok, they reminded me of smaller Hooter wings. I've had better...much better! I prefer Juniors. I am not a beer drinker but they had a better than normal selection. Also, they had a selection of root beer that I did not get a chance to take advantage of.
This place is cool if your walking by and want some bar food and catch a game. However, I will not be driving downtown to specifically eat here. -
Review from Chris R.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 11/1/2011
I ordered the Halloween wing mix of spicy, very hot, and XXX wings and they were great.
The XXX wings are dressed with Bhut Pepper (ghost pepper) sauce and holy crap were these hot but with great flavor. The waitress properly warned me they were ghost pepper so unless you know what this is you probably will be in more hell than heaven if you order them.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/27/2011
I walked by this place numerous times in the past and never really thought much of it from the… Read more »
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Review from Roy H.
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty solid BBQ joint. With a fantastic tap list. The prices can be a tad high but thats river north for you.
I have had a few things from here, but the biggest standout was the Mac and cheese...it had BBQ beef, onions, ruffles chips, and some other stuff in it. So wild!! The usual pulled pork sandwiches/etc come with a TON of fries. You can sub for other typical BBQ fare like baked beans/coleslaw...both of them are good also.
They have a ton of TVs here so its easy to watch sports while eating with friends. -
Review from Lenora C.
Chicago, IL
10/21/2011
Me and the boyfriend were having a dilemma on where to eat.. first it was Bennigan's then, Gino's East. We ended up getting off at Chicago and walking back to Superior. I saw the usual places but, never seen Jake's. The boyfriend and I checked the menu, he wanted a good burger and I wanted some kind of meat whether it clucks, moos, snorts, or lives in water. We found exactly that on the menu. It was crowded in the front area when we went in so, we got seated by the indoor patio area which had TV's tuned to ESPN showing baseball highlights.
How wondrous that you steal my heart Jake's! Sports, spirits, and good food is always on on my list. -
Review from Jeanette S.
Chicago, IL
12/19/2011
We had a bad experience. We obviously didn't do our homework before coming because we had no idea what the wing challenge was. My husband likes really hot food. The friends we were with also like really hot food. So, when ordering the wings, it didn't seem like a bad idea to try the XXX wings. The waitress asked if he had had them before, and she also asked if he wanted to try the sauce first. He declined since he has never had a problem before, even with the hottest level the restaurant offered.
So, we order our food - which took a very long time to get and the restaurant was not packed - and dig in. The mac and cheese was great. The baked potato was great. The wings were passed around and everyone started sweating and gagging a bit. Finally, when it was too hot to stand, my husband said something and the waitress brought out a 'cooling plate'. It helped a little, but at that point it was too late for anything but time.
After doing some follow up on the website, it appears that this XXX wing heat requries the eater to sign a waiver and they get a picture and a fireman's hat and that there is some form of more formal 'warning' about the heat.
Had we known that (or seen a waiver come out...), the order would never have been placed for that heat level, and 3 of the 3 people that ate them would not have the 'digestive issues' wreaking havoc the next morning.
The main disappointment is the lack of disclosure from the waitress on the true level of the heat, followed by the wait time for a less-than-packed place.
Sadly, this is within walking distance and we had high hopes of many returns. Time to find a new favorite. -
Review from Adam H.
12/3/2011
A co-worker loves this place and raved about their wings and beer selections. I like wings. I like beer. I grabbed my wife and some friends and went.
The good things:
The food: The best thing about this place is their cheese fries. Yes. They don't sound like anything special. Melted cheddar cheese on crispy fries served with a homemade ranch dressing. Simple but a key element makes them great. Real cheddar cheese. For some reason the city of Chicago hates cheddar cheese. If one orders cheese fries at a hot dog stand, sandwich shop, diner, sports bar, pizza place, pretty much anywhere in Chicago, 99.99% of the time the cheese fries will come out overly smothered in a cheese sauce. This place does it right and is the only eatery I know of in the city that serves their cheese fries with real grated melted cheddar cheese. My wife loves this real version of cheese fries and we will be coming back to this place just for them alone. Their hot wings are good. I wouldn't call them jumbo like advertised but they are a good size and tasty. I had their wing combo with their Traditional spicy and Poncho's Marinated wings. The Traditional was a good tasting buffalo wing served with a good tasting blue cheese. They didn't really have any crispiness to them like I prefer but they weren't soggy either so I was fine and I would order them again in the future. The Poncho's wings were a hit or miss. The first three wings I had were kind of bland in taste and they made me wonder how they won best wing in Chicago. Then I had the last two, the ones that were on the bottom of the pile soaking in all the juices and flavor, and it all made sense. Pretty dang good. Too bad not all of Poncho's wings were that tasty but at least my meal ended on a high note. The last thing I tried was their BBQ Pork Nachos. Really quite delicious. Nice pork and the bbq sauce worked with all the nacho fixings. The only problem I had was the jalapenos. I like jalapenos and spicy things. But for some reason my nachos had a little too many thick slices of the peppers all throughout the dish and all of them were hidden under the layer of melted cheese. Eating the chips became a game of chance and I had to start picking at everything to make sure I didn't have too many peppers in each bite. An annoyance. Yes. A deal breaker. No. Still good nachos.
The drinks: Great beer selection and even great bottled soda pop selection. I had fun trying out the Goose Island soft drinks that I didn't even know existed and my wife enjoyed the fact that they had five choices of hard cider.
The not so good things:
Service: Our server Molly was great. At first. She was very helpful in navigating my table on what beers to get and had inisght on what food we should try and was all smiles while doing so. And she was there again for us for round two of our drinks laughing and being pleasent the whole way. And then she was gone. Like a faded dream. I wasn't drinking alcohol and was indulging my sweet tooth with soda. I got a root beer and an orange cream. Both were good and I could have and would have drank more but she wasn't around. Luckily everything was fine with our food and my friends really weren't drinking too much so they were content but I wanted something more and sadly didn't get it. Even though the place was busy I just wished the great start could have lasted to the end.
Ambiance: It was loud. I know. It's a bar. A nice bar. But nonetheless it's not called Corner Tap for nothing. I could barely hear my friend across our table when she talked sometimes though. There were just several large groups eating in there the thursday night we went and it was a loud experience. The rest of the place with its look and feel was nice but the volume kind of was overwhelming for most of our visit.
The conclusion:
Everything I ate and drank I liked but I have a hard time getting excited to come back to this place on any sort of regular basis. I know I'll be coming into a noisy atmosphere where servers will eventually forget about me. But I need to stop listening to my head and start paying more attention to my stomach. Good wings. Great cheese fries. Good wings. Great cheese fries. I may just have to keep trying this place until I get it right. -
Review from Michelle R.
Chicago, IL
10/6/2011
OMG the BEST Burgers in the City and I have many of them.
My search is finally done for the BEST Chicago Burger...JAKES!!
Love the fries and ranch too and the staff are nice.
I only can go once a month/two month because its a lot of calories to take in. So I use Jakes as my CHEAT MEAL!!
You Try their burgers -
Review from linda g.
Updated - 11/22/2011
These stars are for a superb beer menu, fast service, good food, great location, fun atmosphere. Nuff said.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/10/2010
Fun place, kind of loud but you can get seated in a quiet area. Decent Belgian beer selection. Food… Read more »
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Review from Meridith E.
Chicago, IL
7/26/2011
Fun place to have drinks & aps for happy hour. I can't judge on their entire menu as I've only had drinks here. (Hey, don't judge me.)
I love the atmosphere and love me some high-top tables in the bar section. My one issue is that I always feel as though it's so hot in there....I'm like, bring on the A/C people.
The service is always on par with friendly staff. They have a full bar, so everyone can have some drinks and relax. -
Review from Jessica C.
Chicago, IL
8/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wings: as fluffy and scrumptious as could be!
Service: HORRENDOUS. We literally waited 20 minutes in between every request (water, food, bill, get our credit cards back, etc.). Did I mention that our cups were DIRTY and had bits and pieces of who knows what at the bottom?!
I loved their wings but am very dissatisfied with the service. It makes it hard for me to even want to return if I have to wait that long for our waiter/waitress. -
Review from Victor M.
6/22/2011
My overall experience with Jake's was ~30mins and here it goes!
Setting: Sunday Evening, June 19th, 2011.
Cast: Host, Waitress 1, Me, Friends.
[Me & Friends walkin]
Host: Hi, welcome to Jakes. How many?
Me: Table of four please.
Host: Do you care to watch the game?
Me: Nah, any table is fine.
Host: Alright, let me check if there's any available tables.
[Host walks away and Friends peer through the dining room area]
Friend: The dining area is half full.
Me & Friend: haha, that's funny.
[Host returns]
Host: Ah, I found a table for you.
Me: Thank you!
[Me and Friends sit down at a table in the corner by the patio with two other tables by us]
Me: Ohh! food looks good here!
Friends: Share the 8lb burger? Nah, the bbq looks good though.
Me: I think I'll try the chicken.
Friends: Wings?
[Conversation among Me and Friends change]
Friends: So what's new?
Me: School is.. blah blah blah blah
Friends: Oh yeah? blah blah blah blah
[Conversation continues]
[~20mins pass]
Me: I'm thirsty, where's my water?
Friends: I don't know.. where's our settings?
Me: Didn't get them yet.
Friends: The dining area is still half-full, I've seen a couple of waitresses walk by.
Me: Want to try someplace else?
Friends: Sure, let's go.
[Friends and Me walk towards the entrance]
Waitress: Thanks for coming guys, have a good one.
Friends: Thanks, you do the same.
[As Me and Friends approach the door, Me smiles at the Host]
[Host has an expression of, "WTF, these guys just sat down]
[Friends and Me leave and head 1 block West and South along State st.] -
Review from Brandon Y.
Minneapolis, MN
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great Beers on tap (a little heavy on the belgians and czechs but I'm alright with that) I'm a beer purist and though I like a good hoppy IPA it's nice to see some traditional European Lagers on tap at a beer heavy bar. Came in for some beers and college football, didn't eat there but was salivating over the delicious looking and smelling BBQ food all around me.
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Review from Matthew W.
Chicago, IL
7/19/2011 15 Check-ins Here
As Homer Simpson says..."Beer".
Order "A little Sumpin' Sumpin'" It's a good beer and you'll sound ridiculous and hilarious all at the same time.
Extensive beer list. A lot that I hadn't heard of until Jake's. Good specials. Not cheap but probably worth the cost.
The food is average but it's comfort food and a lot of it and that has to count for something. They make a pretty good burger. Skip the pulled pork though.
Good place to watch the game...any game. They have a ton of TVs. No pretension either. Just a good time. They even have a rewards card for loyal customers.
Don't forget to check in on Foursquare for great specials like free fries or 50% off lunch and definitely don't forget to grab a Root Beer Barrel Candy on the way out.
Tell 'em Jake sent ya. I've never actually tried that but maybe it'll work. -
Review from Julia J.
8/11/2011
The Left Hand Milk Stout together with four kinds of wings and their sweet potato fries really made the right first impression on me at Jake's.
We strolled in on a Thursday night after work and took a seat at the bar. The bartender was attentive and gave us great service all around.
We tried the Poncho, traditional medium annnndddd traditional spicy, plus the wing of the month that had a Thai peanut sauce on it- which was pretty delicious without being too much. The Poncho and wings of the month were grilled while the other two were breaded. I definitely preferred the grilled, but both kinds were larger wings than you'd get at Bdubs or Yakzees and much meatier too.
By the time we were leaving around 7pm, the masses were starting to roll in and it was a little hectic. That being said, I definitely wouldn't come in for dinner during the high tourist season, but this is a good place for some good old fashioned American pub food and some delicious beer selections. I'll be back! -
Review from Diane D.
Somerville, MA
9/25/2011
Recently spent several days in Chicago and went here twice. There were two consistent themes: Beer selection is awesome and Service is ridiculously slow.
The food was ok, I like to judge a place based on it's blue cheese-theirs was decent.
If you order the fried pickles, they use the thin dill stackers as opposed to chips or spears, but I love fried goodness! We had the garlic cayenne wings both nights; definitely a keeper, but no boneless.
It appeared to be a great place to grab a drink, but I wouldn't count on it for a great dinner. -
Review from bettina k.
IL
11/27/2011
One of those fake pubs that heaps hyperbole on its own menu offerings without delivering the quality, but always exceeds the price expectations of what is essentially bar food. The jumbo wings are mini with a maxi price tag , whiskey shots are $11, and they skimp on ketchup or BBQ sauce for menu items. The BBQ rib combo will leave you hungry for more meat. On three occasions, the publicized free wifi didn't work . During football season get a far superior burger at Zed 451 for half of the price with a $3 draft , or else go to Pippins for authenticity instead of this Marriott hotel bar annex
-
Review from Stephanie W.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Jake Melnick's is probably a great place to grab a beer, watch the game, and chow down some junk food, but I wouldn't come back for any other reason. We stopped by for lunch because we were in the neighborhood and starving and they had valet parking, and on further consideration, we really should have looked a little further afield. The second star is solely for our waitress, who was a total sweetheart, super attentive, friendly, and personable.
We ordered a BBQ chicken flatbread pizza, a Chinese chicken salad, and a garbage salad. The portions were HUGE, but the pizza was mediocre at best and the salads were barely edible. Definitely sticking to the bar food next time. -
Review from Tres B.
Denver, CO
5/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just steps from the snooty-riums of poshness and dainty delicacies of Michigan Avenue and their high end hotels is this informal, welcoming glorified diner, slinging outrageously messy and marvelous wings, BBQ and various concoctions thereof.
They are famous (and rightly so) for their wings. Even the mild has a kick. The very hot might light the roof of your mouth on fire. BE WARY.
One of us, who shall remain nameless, had this big disgusting burger with fried onions and bacon and brisket all piled on. Oy vey! It was received quite favorably by the taste buds, but not by the arteries.
Nice beer selection.
The interior is faux rustic, very comfortable, dark and warm. The service was exceptional, friendly and on-spot.
Valet parking is $11. -
Review from Jen K.
Chicago, IL
7/1/2011
Will never go here again based on the service we received. Although, the manager was kind about it, and made up for it too. Unfortunately though, the restaurant is forever stained with the poor service and attitudes of the host and server.
We were with a group of 6 people and waited over an hour to get sat at a table in the bar. :/ The hosts weren't very kind either. Is it the Downtown Chicago snob attitude? I don't know but they should really be kinder to a group that is about to drop a $100 tab into their laps...
One thing I will say is their salami & pepperoncini flatbread pizza was delicious! Then again, maybe I was just starving after waiting an hour and a half, in a half full restaurant. :( -
Review from Ariana S.
7/14/2011
Came across this little gem in search of a nice outdoor patio on a nice night in Chicago (yes they exist people..nice nights that is).
After the patio, the first thing we noticed was the heavenly scent of wings and BBQ. Table for 3 please!
Now this place is the real deal. Brisket, Pulled Pork, Corn Bread, Wings- it was a difficult choice. We of course had to try the Mac & Cheese of the Month which happened to be Poblano style with corn. AMAZING. COme to find out that every month is a new style (they've done Chilli Cheese, Pizza style, BBQ chicken style)
They also have some really good craft beers (although we figured we would take it easy on this Wednesday night).
Cool atmosphere, not expensive and food was good. Weird location for a spot like this but definitely a place I would go back...especially when they have panko crusted mac & cheese on the menu.
Oh forgot to mention April- our server!. The sweetest thing EVER. She even asked if she could split our checks three ways (splitting up the appetizer too). Now seriously I can count on one hand the times I didnt get an eye-roll for this request, let alone an offer. -
Review from Bill D.
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This could have been tortuous trap for the gluten intolerant. Surprisingly, it's not.
They have one GF beer, but it's either not very popular or it's really popular as they had one bottle. The server was awesome, considering the fun of dealing with a large group of hungry, hungry engineers.
I didn't try most of the food that was served (barbeque? usually risky for GF). But the cobb salad and cole slaw were really excellent.
I enjoyed the kick-back atmosphere, the lack of attitude and Rush Street atmosphere.
If you don't get to this part of the country often, try Sprecher Beer. They have several varieties here. -
Review from Michael S.
Rahway, NJ
1/6/2012
We just happened upon this place for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Didn't know anything about it, but we thought we'd go in and check reviews later. This place is great. I had wings, my partner had brisket. Both were good, served hot and quick and the food was delicious. It's a very simple place with no issues except for having to wait for a table (but our wait was only a few minutes). Definitely a place to come back for 2 or 3 big, filling chow-down outings!
