Jake's City Grille ~ Eagan, Eden Prairie, Maplewood & Plymouth, MN

Cuisine: American, Pizza, Steak, Chops & Ribs, Steak, Chops, Ribs

Restaurant Features: Bar, Patio Dining, Sunday Brunch, On-Site Parking

Location: Eagan, Eden Prairie, Maplewood, & Plymouth, MN

Addresses & Maps:

Eagan: 1288 Promenade Place Eagan, MN 55121 (651)287.8784

Eden Prairie: 12365 Singletree Lane Eden Prairie, MN 55344 (952)930.3742

Maplewood: 1745 Beam Ave E  Maplewood, MN 55109  (P) 651-366-6440  F) 651-366-6441

Plymouth: 3005 Harbor Lane North Plymouth, MN 55427 (763)559-1595

Links: Jake's City Grille Website 

Atmosphere: Contemporary with warm, rich colors;  very relaxing and inviting. Large dining room split into two sections, with additional seating on large patio.  I found it interesting that the wall between patio and restaurant is a clear-garage door; not sure if/when it is opened. There is also a nice view of the kitchen and wood-fire oven in the back of the restaurant, you can watch your pizza being baked!   

Menu: Jake's has a very large menu! Appetizers include Buffalo Wings, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Dumplings, Lettuce Wraps, Seared Tuna, Bruschetta, Nachos, and Walleye Fingers. There are a variety of Burgers and Chicken Sandwiches and Specialty Sandwiches like the Prime Rib Dip, Walleye Sandwich, Lobster Clubhouse, or Smoked Turkey Melt.  In the mood for a good steak? Choose from Ribeye or Prime Rib (3 sizes to choose from), or Ribs and Beef Brisket.  Other entrees include Glazed Chicken, Pork Chops, Shrimp, Walleye, Salmon.  Tex-mex selections include Smoked Chicken Enchiladas, Fajitas and Tacos.  Pasta selections include Cajun Chicken Fettucine, Spicy Garlic Shrimp Linguini, and Baked Penne with Sausage.  There are also wood-fired pizzas with many choices of toppings.

Jakes also offers a Sunday brunch.  Items include Mesquite Beef Brisket, Peel-N-Eat Shrimp, Eggs Benedict, Huevos Rancheros, Scrambled Eggs, Jumbo Sausages, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Smoked Gouda, Au Gratins, Southern Fried Chicken, Made-to-Order Omelettes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pan Gravy, Ciabatta French Toast, House Smoked Salmon, Fresh Fruit, Bagels and Cream Cheese, Caramel Rolls, Cinnamon Roll

Price guide: Appetizers $7-12  Burgers/Sandwiches $8-12 Entrees $15-21 (More for large prime rib)Pasta $11-14 Pizzas $9-11 Sunday Brunch $14

What I ordered: Smoked Chicken Enchiladas (Herb seasoned shredded chicken, onions and pepperjack cheese wrapped in corn tortillas with ancho chili sauce, pico de gallo and sour cream).  I have to say I thought this meal was really good, better than I expected for a non-Mexican specialty restaurant.  The black beans must've been marinated in spices because they had really good flavor  The rice was also excellent.  The enchiladas themselves were very cheesy, but had chunks of white meat chicken.  The portion was modest, I was actually able to eat the entire thing.

One of my companions ordered the Fire Grilled Chicken Ciabatta
(Caramelized onions, cheddar, Jake Sauce and chipotle mayo). She liked it so much I ended up ordering the same sandwich on a  separate visit a few days later with a different companion.  I was blown away by the amount of french fries that were on my plate!  The sandwich was very good, it had a sweet sauce that was similar to BBQ, but more sweet and not as thick.  Loved it on the ciabatta bread. 

On my second visit to Jake's, my companion ordered the largest Prime Rib (22oz).  Huge steak for the money! It was very tender and cooked perfectly.  The au juis at Jake's was very good 

I was too full to consider dessert on either occasion, but they all looked really good, as you can see from their dessert tray.

Service: Excellent on both occasions.  The servers were very knowledgeable about the menu and made recommendations, or answered all questions.

Overall Impression: Great atmosphere, huge menu of excellent food, prices a little high but comparable to similar restaurants.

Comments

[KD - Oakdale, MN]

1.

They food was aweful, very bland in taste, except for the hair found inside of my Loster Taco. My food was lukewarm to cool in temperature. My husband said his Chicken Club Sandwich was also very bland, and even the Cheesecake had no to taste. The waitress was very friendly, the Buffalo wings, and Banana Cream Pie were good - so guess there is always a silver lining in every cloud. The manager did compensate for the hair found in the food with a free dessert.
Very dissappointing for such a pricey menu.

[LR from White Bear Lake]

2.

My husband & I just returned home from Jake's. Our first time there. He had fajitas and I had the ravioli. He liked his meal. My dinner was luke warm and really bland. The presentation was dull could have been better, especially with the high prices.
The thing I noticed, which really alarmed me was the bus person cleaning tables,he cleaned 3 tables and one booth in our area, all with the same dirty cloth (never opened or rinsed it) he also used the same cloth to do the chairs and booth seats. No gloves on either and with the same hands put the salt & pepper in place and new silverware on the table. Our server was abrupt and not very friendly either. We wanted to sit in the bar at a booth, but were told that it would take too long to clean and we could be seated immediately in a booth in the dining area. I know we will not go back.

[Oakdale]

3.

I think Jake's is fabulous! I've been there several times, have had several different food items, and have never had "bland" food or a bad experience. Their martinis and drinks are also very good. Great service and a fun atmosphere.

[I did not want my name displayed as comment above! :(]

4.

My wife and I went to Jake's City and Bar for the first time and was very disappointed. I had the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries. The chicken was so dry that I had to wash it down with a sip of beer every time I took a bite. The fries were luke warm and very chewy. My wife wasn't pleased with her meal either. We sat there for 45 minutes waiting for our waitress. Finally, when she came by, she asked us if we wanted to box our food up and we declined, then asked us if we wanted desert. You have to wonder when two people come in for dinner and are sitting there with two full plates that haven't been eaten that their might be something wrong! She never asked!!!!
Our dinners with a drink a piece were over $55 dollars without tip.
We left hungry! Never will go back again. The little food we did have was very bland. I can't see them being in business much longer.

[Twin Cities Restaurant Blog]

5.

I deleted the other comment with your name.
How disappointing your experience was with Jake's. That is awful...nothing
worse than bad service.
I have not been back there myself just because there are so many other
options out there for less money

[Kinda]

6.

I have eaten at Jake's over 15 times, and have never had a bad meal. service can get slow after the meal is over, though. I would recomend it to anyone looking for a good meal with a higher class atmosphere than a Fridays, or abblebee's. food is always excellent, and there are always open tables, even during the busy brunch hour.

[AP in WBL]

7.

I've been to the Jake's in Eagan a lot of times, and the one in Maplewood just once. I've never had anything I didn't like. Definately not bland food. My co-workers and anyone else I have brought there also love the food. I really prefer the Jake's in Eagan becuase the outdoor patio is fantastic in our nicer weather seasons. Some of my favorites are the Bruchetta, Lobster Tacos, Chicken Ranch Wrap, and Shrimp & Sausage chowder, but I have many more...
They have fun "girly" drinks, but I don't think of them when I think of a serious martini or fantastic bloody mary. The atmosphere is up to date and fun. TV's in the bar so you can watch the game. I used to be a restaurant manager, so I am really picky about service. I can say that I have never been really disappointed at Jake's, but it can be a little slow sometimes. Overall, pretty darn good for that price range, in my opinion.

[nancy]

8.

I've eatten at Jakes several times. Very good food. The Shrimp & Sausage chowder is really good (Served on Friday nights.)I look forward to going back.