Jak's Grill

I celebrated my birthday at Jak's Grill with my family, opting for it over Metropolitan Grill due to Jak's perceived kid-friendly atmosphere. However, the experience turned out to be quite disappointing. Upon entering the restaurant, the lady who greeted us exuded a cold demeanor. The waiter, tasked with managing multiple tables on his own, appeared unfriendly and rushed.Despite specifically reserving the dinner as a birthday celebration, the waiter failed to inquire about it, leaving me feeling unwelcomed. While I don't anticipate overly warm service at Metropolitan Grill, my primary expectation at Jak's was to enjoy a good steak. Unfortunately, the disappointment extended to the food itself. The harvest salad was underwhelming, and my $70 medium rare ribeye failed to meet expectations.When I ordered a medium rare steak, I anticipated receiving a delicious, perfectly cooked medium rare steak. I received a medium-cooked ribeye instead. I have dined at Daniel's Broiler, Metropolitan Grill, and El Gaucho without encountering any issues in the past. Given the substantial price I paid for the steak, I expected nothing less than a superb dining experience.I didn't make a scene about the subpar meal, and we felt rushed throughout the evening. This experience has left me with the decision never to return to Jak's Grill - Issaquah location for dinner. However, I love the brunch at the West Seattle location, as the entire crew there provided excellent service. The prospect of quality service is compelling enough for me to make the drive from Sammamish to West Seattle for a satisfying brunch, but I will never consider Jak's for dinner.

My friend had really enjoyed dinner here once, so wanted to meet me her for dinner. We got here at 4pm for happy hour, which is 4pm-5pm on Mondays through Thursdays. We decided to both start of with the Pineapple Express cocktails, which were not on the happy hour menu, and the Calamari Steak Crisps and Brussels Sprouts off the happy hour menu. The Pineapple Express drinks were tasty. The Calamari Steak Crisps could have used some more seasoning on the batter. And the dipping sauce had a very light flavor, so the calamari tasted a bit plain and needed a lot of the squeezed lemon. The Brussels Sprouts were good, but my friend said it tasted better the last time she had it. We decided to get another round of drinks, and my friend ordered the Maple Whiskey Sour, which she liked. I asked for a Paloma, and it tasted nothing like a Paloma; I tasted weird. But service was very friendly, and still enjoyed my time here.

Time for an update after multiple stellar return visits. I get all the hype and love for Jak's now. This place is consistent. Like, every subsequent meal here has been great. Service is fabulous, the food is always good and our steaks are always prepared perfectly.On our last visit, we were notified that they recently changes/updated their menu and concept a bit. In an attempt to elevate their menu, they've added some new menu items (wagyu) and even removed some (halibut). Steaks still come with sides, but it's not just your regular potatoes, carrots and broccoli. You can get mac & cheese, sauteed wild mushrooms, crispy brussels sprouts and grilled asparagus, to name a few. We will definitely continue to dine here whenever that steak craving hits.

I've been to Jak's in Laurelhurst many times for dinner over the years, and was invited to tag along for brunch at the Issaquah location recently. There were a handful of open tables during brunch hour on a Sunday. I personally prefer the ambiance at the Laurelhurst location better--the AC was on blast making for a chilly dining experience. The hostess and server were both friendly, no complaints there. Being a plant-based person trying to go with the flow, I went with the oatmeal (no milk) served with raisins, brown sugar, and fruit ($9). It was as expected. I can whip up a tastier pot at home honestly, but it satisfied my hunger and was pretty healthy. It would be much appreciated if they offered a non-dairy milk alternative. One of my friend's seemed to enjoy her french toast, and my other friend thought his chicken fried steak was okay. I could come back for social get-togethers, although there are other brunch spots I prefer in the Seattle area for both food and ambiance. (There is a big free parking lot behind the building).

I've been coming to Jak's for years and it's just a reliably good and lively place. It's a little dark inside, so if that kind of ambiance makes you uncomfy, try coming for lunch or earlier in the day. Their steaks are delicious and always cooked to the temperature I request. Pro tip: order the ufo for a single potato pancake on top of some mashed potato's -- so good. For me, their cocktails are nicely balanced and their appetizer salads are chilled a fresh. I would definitely recommend stopping by!

From the second we walked in, we felt profiled. We happen to be two young adults with my boyfriend's two younger sisters. We arrived at about 4:25pm tonight 1/22/24 and Erica was our server. At first I thought maybe she was slightly nice, but she was so much in a rush to serve the ONE other table she had, that my boyfriend got a double basil hayden and even though I handed her my ID, she didn't even wait to see what I wanted, I had to tell her "wait I want something too!" Cause she already started walking away. It wasn't busy, it's a Monday night, and regardless, with the prices at this place, we deserve to be treated like any other guests. Our food was awful. The artichoke dip was way over cooked and it was like they took Safeway artichoke dip and put it in a toaster oven. One of my boyfriends sisters asked if they had an adult sized portion of the macaroni, she said no because they come in small portions that are baked in the dish, which in my opinion instantly makes me think of the Red Robin microwaved kids macaroni. I ordered a French dip with pepper jack and grilled onions added, it was barely even room temp when I got it and they forgot my au jus. The burger my boyfriend ordered was supposed to be cooked medium and it was cooked well done. The girls both got macaroni and both said that even Panera had better macaroni. Our server never checked on us. I wanted another drink but between the time we ordered our entrees and the 20-30 mins it took to get our food, we weren't checked on even ONE time. She made us feel like we were bothering her and she probably thought because we were young that we weren't going to tip well, which is why we received garbage service the whole time. I would never return here or recommend this place to anyone and I would hate to have Erica as a representation of my restaurant. The restaurant table was also old and moved around like it was unbalanced. If you want to be treated with respect and not profiled, and also have kids, this definitely is not the place to come.

Quality is always above average here. Service has plummeted. No silverware, slow, didn't offer bread....I really wish we would have just gone to taco time and went home. That was the transactional and low-bar experience we had. Steaks were overcooked and it was a joke. Time being our biggest asset as a civilization, I quickly boxed up the mediocre meal and threw it away. We won't be back for a very long time. We live in Sammamish and there are worse places to go, but they who care.

Put simply, one of the best steak houses in the area I already enjoyed it. The service is fantastic and great ambient.

My last review for Jak's was 4 years ago. We still frequent the Issaquah location and absolutely love it! Jak's continues to provide a 5 star experience. The atmosphere is conducive for a date night or dinner out with friends. Food is always good. And service is excellent.This past visit I ordered the Bourbon Pork Chop, hubs ordered the sirloin, and friends ordered the Moroccan Skewers. Everyone loved what they ordered.If you are in the Issaquah area and haven't tried Jak's yet, you must!

Its the beginning of the year. At Jak's that means...beef wellington!My wife and I wait all year for the wellington to appear on the menu.So, if youre reading this around January, don't miss an opportunity to try this absolutely amazing entree!Filet mignon, prosciutto, gruyere, mushroom duxelle, all delicately contained in a flaky bread roll. This is a one of a kind dish that is rarely on any menu. Jak's only does this for an extremely limited time, so, don't miss your chance!.As far as the rest of the meal... the garlic mashed potatoes are always good, the mac n cheese is always good, and the brussel sprouts were very good!The other dish was the wagyu flank steak. Not big, but tons of flavor! Perfectly cooked domestic wagyu with a perfectly mixed herb butter. I have had wagyu a few times, and this is up there with some of the best. Absolutely worth the price.If we want a "steak experience"... we choose Jak's. Nuff said.