Jake's Famous Crawfish Portland, Or

My first time dining at Jakes Crawfish and everything was great. But I'm not that hard to please - I just want very good food with very good service in a nice atmosphere. And I got all of that. I also think that Jakes has an excellent menu (I had the grilled Steelhead - and I loved it!) I got what I expected - a very nice civilized meal. The waitress was perfect, the wine was good. Zero complaints here. My party was seated in the back room of the dining area, which was perfect. I think that the back room is probably the quietest area of the restaurant as it is the most removed from the bar area. (I bring this noise thing up as I had previously eaten at the Portland Steak and Chophouse and their dining room was the most insanely loud, and consequently most uncomfortable dining room that I've ever been in. Since that Chophouse experience, I now think that I might be a little ""dining with bar noise"" gunshy. Thanks a lot you evil Portland Steak and Chophouse!) Pros: large menu, excellent service, smoke free Cons: parking might be semi-iffy (though I still usually find free street parking in the area) more

We had a lot better places in San Francisco when I lived there, but Jake's has a good selection of fish and they do a pretty good job. Oysters are always good. They're also the closest place to my house and have a cool bar. more

Love Jake's! Fresh seafood and excellent, attentive service. Lobster bisque creamy and rich, yum! The crawfish etoufee is terrific. Fresh fish always well prepared, and the halibut I had was just incredible. Perfectly cooked seafood. Desserts are primo, the chocolate bag is fantastic. A must! more

need i say more? Jake's is one of the best, if not the best, restaurant in portland. elegant yet casual atmosphere with consistently the best seafood. try crabcake appetiters. wine selection is extensive though i'm not a wine drinker. the price is in the premier range but you get what you pay for. the service is unmatched. every single waiter/waitress has been extremely knowldable and attentative. two thumbs up. more

I go here quite often and always find it to be great. While they may slip every now and again, keep in mind that this place is ALWAYS very busy, they remain a great sea-food restaurant. We have always had the most professional service. The manager heard it was our anniversary and came out with two glasses of champagne and congratulated us. It was a very nice touch to a wonderful evening. I just think some of these other people come in angry and are looking for reasons to come here and write a bad review. We are here to say that Jakes is Great! p.s. You have to try that Chocolate Bag dessert, it is the best dessert in town. Pros: It's been here for about 100 years. Cons: It can be kind of loud. If you don't make reservations it can be a long wait for a table. more

Cheap happy hour bites with free entertainment walking past the windows... being located off Stark does seem to have some benefits! Pros: watching all the portland locals out the windows Cons: parking, but that's not really their fault more

Jake's has been one of my favorite places to have great seafood and enjoy a wonderful atmosphere. Well, that was to my most recent experience. The service was absolutely horrible. Our waiter was rude and disrespectful. The last straw was when the waiter essentially throws our appetizer on the table as though we were dining at some low rate diner vs. the ""special occasion"" dining establishment that they historically have been. The manager seemed too careless that our experience was negative. After waiting for 45 mins to get a seat we ate half of the appetizer and then left. I?d much rather find another place to eat than to be treated with such poor service, lack of respect, and disregard. I highly recommended NOT patronizing this restaurant! Pros: Horrible Service Cons: Horrible Service more

I love this place but recently have had bad dining experiences. The waiters are no nonsense and not your usual schmoozer?s. With Jakes historical currency and reputation, they don't have to be. The last time I went though, our waiter looked like a ghost - literally. He was pale and sickly looking. The wine we wanted was not available and the waiter told us to ""go back to square one"" and walked off. No apology and no recommendation. He disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time. One of the potatoes that came with my meal had a dark section the size of my thumb. When I pointed it out, he said that it was probably a bad spot on the potato. He said not to worry 'cause it?s not putrid, just bad. I told him that he needed to bring it up to the attention of the chef so he could keep an eye for what is coming out of the kitchen. He came back and said that the consensus in the kitchen was that it was just a bad spot, that?s all. I would like to suggest the owners spend some time updating their people, process and food or they are going right back where they came from, the past. Pros: location, decor Cons: waiters, food more

You can't miss it. It is right on top of their front door :). It is a great way to draw people in. However, Jake's is great in other ways too. I have been there a couple times for dinner and drinks. The food is amazing. The calamari is flaky and does not taste fishy at all. I had a pasta dish that was just excellent. The servers are very professional, and the background music helps set the scene for the night. When I went here for drinks, the bartender was friendly and made great conversation. He was very knowledgeable about all the liquors and beers. Pros: Great staff, Nice environment, Excellent Food/Drink Cons: Very busy evenings/weekends, spendy more

We recently dined there. The server was nice. But the soup tasted burned, and the garlic bread that came with it was stale. The mussels had so much garlic, it tasted bitter. My husband's catfish tasted like dirt. Cons: Bad food more

While the service can be kinda slow because the place is always packed, they are always very helpful and the food is wonderful. We have been many times and have NEVER had a bad meal... Jakes is a must try! And some people who are displeased with Jakes are obviously just difficult and could never be pleased with anything!! Pros: great food! Cons: none, we love it. more

Jake's has obviously gotten too big for its britches and the food has went downhill in the past few years. The manager, Lance, is a real a-hole. I made a reservation. 30 minutes past that time, we were finally seated way in back. I was taking my two adult ""kids"" out for their birthday. My son ordered etouffe. It looked like it had been sitting on the stove for hours..gross. I ordered scallops that were drowning in butter and potatoes. SENT THE MEAL BACK. Daughter got halibut that was downright nasty. Neither one wanted to make a scene. Overpriced and lousy meal. Called the next day. Talked to Lance. He tried to tell me the food was ""too rich"" and how ""great"" it was. Didn't want to get into it with him but I strongly disagreed. He said he would mail me a gift certificate. TWO WEEKS LATER...still no certificate (and I live in PDX). Called again. He was rude, indifferent, claimed it had been sent and made no apologies for anything. That seems to be the attitude there - arrogance. I had to ask him to check on it. Hung up the phone and thought this is ridiculous. Called him back and just said to credit my credit card. He started WHINING about ""how much work that would be"". This was my kid's ruined birthday dinner! Then he starts attacking me on the phone saying how I am complaining about NOTHING. When I told him my meal was lousy and it ruined my evening, he started laughing! That's right. I couldn't believe it. I asked to speak to his supervisor and he tells me that if I continue to use that tone of voice, he's going to hang up on me...and then that's exactly what the SOB did! I think the Health Dept. and Fire Marshall need to take a Saturday night visit to that joint. Never again. The food has went downhill and the management doesn't give a rip about how they treat the customers. Pros: Absolutely Nothing Cons: Overpriced, too greasy, horrible management practices more

We had expected a bit of a tourist trap, but were greatly surprised. Everything, including the service, was first rate. I had a Maine lobster steamed to perfection. My partner had halibut which was as fresh as could be. We had to wait about ten minutes for our 8:30 Friday night reservation. Pros: Food, Service Cons: Noise more

Great place, just perfect. Won't be writing a lot... Just this: we live in Seattle, and now drive to Portland once a month (giving ourselves a little break) just to dine there.... Pros: Everything more

I am a clam chowder afficionado and this place had some of the best chowder I have ever had. The atmosphere was great. We chose to sit at the bar and the waitstaff was attentive and not overbearing. Service was quick but not rushed. We had plenty of time to enjoy our appetizer before our entrees arrived and drinks glasses were never empty. Food was excellent, service was great and very friendly and the decor is very cool. We plan to be regulars! Pros: Seafood, Clam Chowder Cons: parking more

Id heard women dining alone feel they receive lesser service than men. I didnt buy that until I wandered into Jakes with my girlfriend. All we wanted was to share a meal and a laugh. What we got was appalling service from a waiter whose face was so pinched one could only assume he constantly smelled something bad. He wouldnt pepper our salad, rolled eyes when we ordered a salad to split (we also ordered two expensive entrees). When we requested a cooler for the white wine hed left sitting on the table, he ceremoniously slammed down the cooler (I think that was supposed to learn us). The best part though was the manager, who upon hearing my complaint could only reply, Hes aloof. Priceless. The food's great but who needs the aloof service? Better go some place else; PDX has plenty of restaurants serving great food by happy servers. Pros: Food, Location Cons: Very poor service, Management indifferen more

We went for my birthday last month and I felt like we walked into a circus. It was so loud and completely packed. I have never seen so many people in one place. Has the fire marshal checked this place out? We had great service, although I will admit it can be hit or miss. The food was great as usual, but the atmosphere was just way too chaotic. I had to literally yell at my husband across the table in order for him to hear me. I would honestly compare the noise level to a Chucke Cheese birthday party. It finally quieted down after 8:30pm, just as we were ready to leave. I love the menu and the chef, but the whole dining experience was really ruined by the noise factor. Pros: Food, Service Cons: Noise Level, Crowded, No waiting area more

I have been going to Jake's for years and have always had a great meal. However, the last 2 times I have gone, I have received rude servers. Our waiter hit me w/ the plate when he set down an appetizer, and made no effort to apologize. Then he left our whole table (of 10) waiting for 45 minutes after we were through eating to pick up our bill. Finally we all just stood up and put on our coats, and he finally came over. Again, not the least bit apologetic. I hate to see such a (usually) great restaurant get dragged down by inattentive and rude servers. It's a shame. Skip Jake's if service is important to you. Pros: food, ambiance, romantic Cons: service more

pricey.. my waiter was rude and absent too much... food was very good.. when i asked for just a regular garden salad with ranch.. the waiter rolled her eyes at me like a snotty literary type would if i told her my favorite author is stephen king. Pros: food was good Cons: crowded, expensive more

We went to Jake's for dinner and waited almost 45 minutes to be seated even though we had reservations. The food was awesome and not too high. We were a party of 4 and everyone was having a hard time hearing each other. Even the waiter couldn't hear us. We sat at a booth way in the back corner and it was difficult to get in/out the booth because it was such a tight squeeze. The only thing I would recommend that they change is an area for waiting. Standing by the register, we were in the way no matter what. The bar was crowded so standing by the register is the only option. I would suggest getting rid of the tables on either side of the doors and using that for a waiting area. Overall, it was good food and I'll definetly come back again! Pros: Awesome food, Affordable prices, Nice decor Cons: Poor waiting area, Very, very loud, Tiny booths more