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Jack's Bar And Steakhouse - Steakhouse in New Haven, Connecticut

Jack's Bar And Steakhouse

4.2 (957 reviews)

212 College St, New Haven, CT 06510

Steak house
Brunch restaurant
Lunch restaurant
Night club
Seafood restaurant
Sports bar
Tapas bar
Wine bar

About Jack's Bar And Steakhouse - steak house in New Haven, Connecticut

Steaks, seafood & fine wine served in clubby, upscale environs with an outdoor lounge.

Customer Review Summary

Jack's Bar And Steakhouse offers a range of dining experiences that vary significantly among guests. Many patrons rave about the brunch, highlighting the amazing service and delicious food selection, from oysters and wings to seafood pasta and brunch favorites like chicken and waffles. The ambiance is described as clean but somewhat clinical, with decor that feels mismatched for a steakhouse. Some reviewers appreciate the attentive staff, particularly praising individual waiters for their outstanding service, while others express disappointment in the overall service quality, especially at higher price points, where they encountered issues like slow response times and missing utensils. Food quality received mixed reviews; while some items like burgers and oysters were praised as fresh and flavorful, others found dishes underwhelming given the cost. Overall, while many enjoyed their meals and the lively atmosphere, others felt the experience did not meet their expectations for a high-end steakhouse.

Key Features

Service options

  • Curbside pickup
  • No-contact delivery
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Fireplace
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great dessert
  • Great wine list

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Halal food
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Private dining room
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Cozy
  • Romantic
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists
  • Transgender safespace

Planning

  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free street parking
  • Paid parking garage
  • Paid parking lot
  • Paid street parking

Pets

  • Dogs allowed outside

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.2 out of 5
5
577
4
198
3
63
2
46
1
73
Based on 957 reviews

Tiffany's Good Eats

6 months ago

Stopped in for brunch and was thoroughly impressed. The service was amazing, and the food was delicious. They have a full bar which offers a wide selection of cocktails. Their menu ranges from seafood, to steak, to classic brunch favorites. For appetizers, my table started with the oysters, calamari, and the wings. The wings were perfectly crispy and flavorful. Our entrees consisted of seafood pasta, as well as brunch favorites like the chicken and waffle, loaded omelette, and crab cake eggs Benedict. We all enjoyed our meal. We concluded with chocolate mousse for dessert. I recommend for your next brunch experience.

Jeremy Edmunds

4 months ago

In a brick building where the College Street meets Crown, there was a steakhouse that challenged everything you thought you knew about steakhouses. The old man had been to many steakhouses in his time, in Chicago, in New York, in places where the men wore suits that cost more than boats, but he had never seen one quite like this. The place was clean. Too clean. The kind of clean that makes you wonder what they're hiding, like a boxer who smiles too much before a fight. The lights above were bright and unforgiving, the way lights are in places where people don't want shadows. But the oysters, ah, the oysters were good and they were true. "One dollar each during happy hour," the bartender said. He was kind, the way people are kind when they know something isn't quite right but they're doing their best anyway. Them oysters came on ice with small bottles of hot sauce standing like red soldiers around them. The burger came too, thick and honest, with thin fries that were golden and correct. The old man had seen many burgers in his time, but this one had juicy dignity. It didn't pretend to be something it wasn't. But there were strange things here. The bathroom doors had no knobs, as if they had given up on the very idea of knobs. Men would push through with paper towels in their hands, like matadors with very small, very absorbent capes. The old man thought about this while he drank his odouls at the black granite bar that felt like it had been ordered from a catalog called "Restaurant Parts for Places That Used to Be Banks." The televisions showed sports games that nobody watched, their blue light mixing with the too-bright ceiling lights in a way that made everything look like a waiting room where you might also happen to get a steak. A fifty-ounce tomahawk steak cost one hundred and fifty dollars. The old man knew that somewhere, someone was proud of this. Above the bar, there was a piece of wall art that looked like crumpled paper, frozen in time and painted white. The old man stared at it and thought it might be trying to tell him something, but he had not had enough life to understand what. The bartenders moved with grace and kindness, as if they had accepted their fate in this strange place between worlds - not quite fine dining, not quite sports bar, not quite third world medical facility. They poured drinks with precision and smiled genuine smiles that made you forget about the institutional lighting above. It was a good place, the old man decided, but it was good in the way that some things are good despite themselves. The oysters were cheap, fresh and cold and tasted of the sea. The burger was true. The bartenders were real. These things mattered more than the missing doorknobs and the lights that made you feel like you might be asked to fill out paperwork at any moment. In the end, that was what it was: a place that served honest food in a dishonest room, with people who made you forget about the room altogether. And maybe that was enough. The old man knew that in life, as in steakhouses, you take the good where you find it, even if it comes with fluorescent lights and bathroom doors you have to handle with paper towels. "It is good," he said to nobody in particular, and ordered another round of dollar oysters. The games played silently on the TVs above, and somewhere, beneath the too-bright lights and behind the knobless doors, life went on in its strange and wonderful way.

Rosalena Steffania Martoni

4 months ago

We did not have a reservation but was immediately greeted us to a table. I ordered an Extra Dirty Martini with Extra Olive Juice, amazing. I then ordered 6 oysters, Seabass with mash potato and a NY Strip 16oz AU Poivor Medium rare with truffle fries, so delectable to the taste. All and all, 10/10 recommend this restaurant. The waiters are accommodating and attentive. You won’t be disappointed. Always a pleasure dining here.

Amie Sandillo

Disappointing Experience for the Price I had high expectations for this steakhouse, given the premium prices, but unfortunately, the experience did not live up to them. For a $200 meal for two (before tip), I expected top-notch service and attention to detail—neither of which were present. Our waitress only came to the table twice: once to take our order and once to drop off the food. The rest of the time, we were left trying to flag someone down. It took 20 minutes just to get someone’s attention for the bill, and even then, they had to go find someone else to bring it to us. To make matters worse, when our food arrived, we weren’t even given a steak knife—at a steakhouse, no less. We also needed a new fork and had to ask someone for replacements since our server was nowhere to be found. The food itself was just okay—certainly not worth the price. And for the cost, I would expect a much more refined dining experience. Instead, we got plastic sauce containers and a cheap plastic fake candle on the table, which made the ambiance feel more like a fast-casual restaurant than a high-end steakhouse. Overall, this place is wildly overpriced for the level of service and atmosphere they provide. If I’m spending that much on dinner, I expect to be treated like a valued guest, not an afterthought. Definitely would not return.

Andrei M

1 month ago

David was probably the best waiter I’ve ever had in my life. The nicest guy, funny and he even gave us a free shot because the accident dropped my silverware. The food was prepared very fast and his services was astounding. 5 stars without a doubt. Thank you David your a gentleman!

Leann Quninoes

5 months ago

I went here with a 10 other people for a coworkers birthday. There was a reserved area in the back that was very nice. Our server was amazing. I can’t speak on the food because I wasn’t able to eat anything because I was vegan and there was no options. Everyone seem to enjoy it though not sure it was worth the price that they paid. I did have a delicious espresso martini.

Jennifer Diaz

1 year ago

My friends and I celebrated a birthday at this establishment, a party of 7. Despite making a reservation days in advance, upon arrival, we found half of the restaurant reserved for another party, resulting in a brief 15-20 minute wait for seating. The bustling ambiance attested to its popularity. Eventually seated in a tight side room filled with guests, we indulged in superb drinks, particularly the espresso martini! The seating was a big uncomfortable as it was very tight. The culinary offerings were a mixed bag. Personally, I savored a delectable burger, while some friends found their dishes merely satisfactory; the pasta, in particular, lacked the wow factor. Also the octopus ordered was lacking in pairing as it did not include anything and was a very small portion. Despite these minor hiccups, the overall experience was commendable. The only downside was the initial confusion and the snug seating arrangements due to the restaurant's full capacity. Despite these minor inconveniences, we had an enjoyable evening and relished the food. I would eagerly return, perhaps at a less busy time, to savor the ambiance and cuisine anew.

Joe Spirito

1 month ago

Had excellent dinner & dessert, the service was priceless, the owner was there, introduced himself, asked how we liked our dinners , if your looking for a great place to have dinner or just appetizers & drinks, give Jacks a try, you won’t be disappointed

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11 AM–11 PM
Monday 11 AM–11 PM
Saturday 11 AM–11 PM
Sunday 11 AM–11 PM
Thursday 11 AM–11 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–11 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–11 PM

Price Range

$50–100