This place serves up some good hot-dogs, burgers, Italian Beef and... well, probably just about everything on their menu is good. Although it may look like a greasy spoon from the outside, I find the food is not overly greasy. (although a cardiologist probably would warn you to say away from this place.) Every time I go there I do have to wait in line, no matter what time I go there. The parking lot does get crowded, but there is overflow next door. Same goes with the seating, in the area you put your order in the seating is limited and with the long line of people putting in their orders or waiting for their food, it gets really packed... but, there is a overflow seating area which you can go to. Although I've tried several items from their menu, all of which was good, my favorite is perhaps the Italian Sausage. read more

I'll agree with the first reviewer. VERY good beef...VERY good burgers....VERY good fries. I had a problem with them not taking debit/credit cards AND with their prices on individual side orders. If a choice was available, I'd go to Sammie's in Lake Villa. read more

Now, here's the deal. This is a real Chicago-style sammich joint. Good respectable Italian beef with the little flecks of pepper in it; nice enough. The cheese on the sausage/beef combo I got was set in the sides of the good bread it was served on. I had it dipped, of course -- extra juicy. It just left me a little flat. I like the cheese on top, like they do at another local place in Round Lake Heights that I won't name here. The sausage was nice and spicy, but dry. Almost pepperoni dry. It's strange to say, but the way the beef was shaved was oddly dry, too... little peices and crumbs and seemingly tough. The sandwich came wrapped in multiple papers, which is nice and traditional, and the fries came in a nice big portion in the little white bag with the big stains that indicate freshness, as they say. I've just had better in the area. While I will say that I'm not probably going to go out of my way to go back, it's without any sense of malice or regret. It's at least $2.00 an item higher than my usual place and my usual place makes a sandwich I like better, that's all. Would I put up a fight if someone wanted to go there? No, and I'd try the wings... I heard they're good. read more

Like the food fine, good hot dogs, burgers and beefs. Would probably go there more but... The only con was the big guy with the beard loudly complaining about his job. Almost made me want to leave. I come back but only when he isn't around. read more

I know what it's like to have people come into your place of business ten minutes before closing, but that's no excuse for EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE STORE TO GET EVERY PART OF YOUR ORDER WRONG. I ordered two dogs, ketchup only. The cashier apparently wrote down "two dogs, ketchup and mustard." The cook then calls out that he has two dogs with ketchup and mustard ready. I told him that this was wrong. I told him that it was two hot dogs with ketchup only. The guys yells at the cashier for screwing up the order and then proceeds to make two hot dogs with MUSTARD ONLY! JACKWAGON! OPEN YOUR FREAKING EARS!!!!!!!!!!! I then call when I get home, which is only TWO MINUTES after they close, and they refuse to answer. SCREW YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Have been there a few times and have yet to be disappointed. Everything I've had has been right up there. Nice menu and prices. I think they've recently expanded to the part of the building just north of their first square footage, which is a good sign. Like the Chicago decor. It's a bit out of the way for Chicago folks, but if you live in or travel to the far north reaches of the area, it's worth the stop. I live in these parts, so I'll be back. read more

Finally made it in to try the beef sandwich and it was really damn good. I asked that it be dipped in the au jus and that was not done but the bread was soft and fresh so I didn't hold it against them. I always order a side of au jus cuz if I'm not wiping my elbows I'm not happy. The beef was extremely tender and perfectly seasoned. They offer the beef in 3 sizes which is a great idea. The fries were so-so as they were lukewarm by the time we got them home. Wait time at 12:30 was approximately 20 minutes which I thought wasn't too bad considering we had burgers in the order as well. The burgers were very juicy. I have stopped in recently to satisfy a craving for a Chicago Dog and they did not disappoint. A well appointed kosher dog with hot crispy fries. I am a fan for life. You can't get food like this where I live!!! ps-They do accept credit cards now. read more

Had some family over to had a beer tasting today. Afterward we wanted to get some takeout. Called big Jacks and they were awesome, did a great job taking the order over the phone, had the order ready in 15 minutes for 7 people, and the food was freshly made to order when I arrived. Definitely will go here again! Check out my pics! read more

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Have not been here for over a year...maybe two. I ordered only a beef..the bread was fresh..the meat was ok...but not nearly as good as i recall. Seems like it's become a hang out for an employee and his friends. A bit of arguing behind the counter..like this kid does not want to work. Makes you worry about the quality of the food he produces. If I'm in the area I may stop back...but with Portillos near by...they need to step their beef game back up. Heck, Sammies is a better option for dogs. read more

Chicago style has come to central Lake County! This is by far the best fast food in the area. My favorites are the hot dog and the italian beef w/ hot peppers. The fresh-cut fries are amazing as well. We ordered a tray of pasta for a party and it did not disappoint either. read more

Worst resteraunt we have EVER been to! Flys all over frozen gyros, cold fries. Im not a mean person but this was really bad! Be careful....my husband and i went. We paid but because you pay first we threw all away. And felt nauseated all day. Now when we pass by it makes my syomach sick. Everyone be careful ordering here. read more

Beef was a bit small, as other yelpers noted. Asked for "wiz" and it was really hard to find. Friendly service from one, not really the other, guys working. Not exactly "cheap" for a mom and pop dive stop, but we liked it! Pepsi products, self serve. Fries were yummie, hand cut and greasy delicious. Pizza puff was spot on. Would go back to try the burgers! Seating outside, albeit on a busy intersection corner. read more

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Best Hotdog outside of the Chicago City limits. Not the most friendly Staff, but maybe that's part of the atmosphere. It's not as if I walked in the place with a cardnials jersey and asked for ketchup on my dawg. Darn good fries though. mmmmmmm greasy goodness read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch and split a big beef with my girlfriend and it was fantastic absolutely the best beef ive had in awhile read more

When in the first week they were open and would have given five stars but just went in this week and they are lucky to get two stars. They were friendly but the place is not very clean. The food was disappointing at best. The first time i went there the fries were fresh cut, this time they were in a container waiting next to the fryer. The hotdog i got was ordered as a Chicago dog yet had no sport peppers and no celery salt. Unfortunately i ordered to go and didn't realize it till i was gone. Sadly i spent over $6 on the hotdog, fry, and drink special and there was nothing special about it. Thankfully there are other better places not to far away. read more

Pretty good hot dog place with very good handcut fries. They are somewhat like a poor mans Gene and Jude's, with hotdogs with the fries on top. The only problems are the hot dogs are not Vienna Beef but the lower quality alternative. The hot dogs also don't have the good snap like a gene and Jude's or portillos. The staff is also unfriendly at times. So overall good food, especially for the area. read more

I like big jacks and think their food is really good. Their Italian ice is my absolute favorite, followed closely by their hot dogs. The parking lot is the only thing I don't like. I haven't had to Much other then the hot dogs and the fries, all which j like the fries are always hot and the drinks are always cold read more

Been here several times, The guy at the front counter is a dick. In person and over the phone. Also, I got a bag of fries and they are by far the greasiest I've ever had! The whole bag was a different shade of brown from being so greasy, and was so bad that the bag almost ripped. I love fries but digging into these fries had my hand came out greasy as hell lol. Sammie's is way better anyway. read more

I'm not sure what store anybody else is talking about... but this was my first visit and I'd say I found my new "beef joint!" Being my first time there, I honestly can't review the rest of the menu but the Italian combo was out of this world! While Sammie's is OK, you're going to wait for it, seems like a bunch of kid running it. My first favorite local beef joint was Sneaky Pete's but they had to close cause of route 45 being widening. Hey, Big Jacks is a busy place... but I was still served quickly and I was amazed with the "no wait & generous portions and" service I'd come to expect in Cook County! My wife and I intend to make it a once a week treat for a long time! read more

We ordered polish sausage. It was good. We were not happy about the fact that no one taking our order or preparing food was wearing a mask or gloves. This was in July 2020. We will not go back. read more

Whenever I need to stop by the Avon Township building I make it a point to stop and have a beef sandwich and REAL fries at Big Jacks. My favorite place used to be Fratellos in Volo but now I save on gas and get an even better sandwich. Pay no attention to the person who left 1-star for a soggy dog. Try putting a spoonful of relish on a hot dog and keeping it dry!!! If this dude lives in the area like he claims and if he ever had a hot dog at Scotty's, he would know that THEY also put a handful of fries wrapped in with the dog. The other day I got a kick out of watching a couple of middle-aged ladies going on and on about the guy pressing the spuds through the cutter. Better fries than ANY fast food joint! read more

I'm confused by all the generally good reviews of this grease-ball place. Others have mentioned long waits. Doh! We ordered two hotdogs, a cheeseburger and fries. Sat down along with a few others waiting for the order. Meanwhile, 10-12 folks walked in with their rug-rats and yard-apes, ordered up and lo and behold! Over the next 20 minutes we watched all of those people get their orders while my little group and two others still sat wondering WTF! We came in well before these others, and they got orders before us. So, I was getting a bit peeved, along with the ladies at another table and we asked the brainless kid behind the counter about our orders. He frowned and said "read the sign up there" referring to the "wait" time might occur because Jack's was so good, they don't rush the food prep. I just about went over the counter. Here's the deal. Big Jack's has the worst service I've ever seen as the employees are a bunch of teenaged/20 somethings who could give a rat's behind about what they're doing. Insulting customers, hey! No problem. When we finally did get the order, it was wrong. Intentional? Waited another ten minutes to get the right order, and we walked out. I was so pissed off at this point, the sack of food-like substance went in the garbage can outside, and we drove up to Culvers on Rt 83. And BTW, I saw the fries - just take a potato slice, dip it in some motor oil and fry it. That's Big Jacks idea of French fries. Sickening to look at, and the main reason we tossed the whole shebang in the can. read more

If this place was in the city of Chicago , while still good , it would hardly register on the radar screen. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere though , it is an oasis of great fast food in an desert of cornfields. The couple of guys there could have easily been the basis if the Saturday Night Live Superfans from so many years ago "Da Bears!". Along with their heavy Chicago accents , they brought a considerable amount of skill in cooking Vienna beef products with them. The Beefs here are really good , the fries hand cut and excellent , and the Maxwell st. polishes are good. My son liked his chili cheese dog as well. I wish I would have saved room for the Italian ice , but sadly the food was too good to stop eating. If you are near the Gurnee / Grayslake / Round Lake area , and who in their right mind would be , give this place a look see for some good eats. read more

I love Italian Beef but I won't eat it anywhere else besides Portillo's Beef , than i saw a person next to me eating 1 i had to try one . Amazing beef sorry Portillo's i guess im going to have to drive 1 hour away from my house just to gran a beef oh and the home made cut fries are pretty tasty as well thank you Big Jacks read more

Sadly. This place is going down fast. The hot dogs are tiny. The buns are no longer poppy seed. The fries have gotten so greasy that it goes through the wrapping and bag. The fries have no salt and the hot dogs are bland. The service is fair. They are now closed on Monday. Let's take the focus off the beer and video gaming and get back to the food. Jack needs to take notice. Quality check please! read more

When this placed first opened it was my go to hot dog place, now it's my stay away hot dog place. The guys they have working are kinda rude the place is grimy, buns are soggy and I think the dogs have gotten smaller. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere. read more

Stopped to pick up lunch and everything was made fresh which was nice. I waited about 20 minutes for two hot dog specials and a cheeseburger special. It seemed like a long time for what it was. Plus at the end they did not include one of the bags of french fries that came with the order and instead of giving me the fries the person behind the counter told me that they didn't come with what I ordered which wasn't true. I had to show them my receipt to get the fries and then had to wait another few minutes while they were made. I don't know, it's a bag of fries, was it worth arguing with a customer over? read more

If you want Chicago style hotdogs or Italian beef sandwiches in the Northern suburbs this is the place to go! I absolutely love this joint and would recommend it to anyone looking for a taste of Chi-town. No matter what you order you simply can't go wrong and the prices are very reasonable. read more

Overall: quick, decent, cheap and convenient. Get ready for the grease-filled french fries - but all that we've had from there has been solid. read more

Today I went to Back Jacks' for the first time. I was very disappointed and was not satisfied like your sign said I should be. I ordered a beef with cheese. When I opened my sub I didn't see any cheese. So, I went to ask the red headed guy and he took his fingers and picked through my beef...YUCK!!! So, I went back to the girl at the register (who was very nice and polite) and asked for a new beef. The red headed young guy grabbed and slammed it into the garbage. I thought that was so rude and uncalled for. The red headed guy was also rude to a customer who was waiting for his food. This man was wondering where his food was because 3 other customers who came in after him received their food. The red headed buy rudely referred him to the sign that says hamburgers take longer to cook. I was not impressed with the service I received and would not recommend going back. Do not go!! Very pricey too. read more

Called and placed an order for pickup they said ten minutes, waited in store for 15 minutes. No milk shakes at a hot dog burger place what?? Not to mention the tables we waiting at we're sticky and covered. Maybe instead of watching tv, you could wipe the tables which people eat off of. read more

The food isn't all that and the service is TERRIBLE! Super unfriendly staff!!! Plenty of other places in the area with great food, no need to go here. Try Lily's down the street instead! read more

The food was fine. We were the only ones in the place and unfortunately the wait for our food was very long (I use to work at a hotdog place, too long) and the hotdog was a squished mess, not in a good way. Enough to deter us from going there again. read more

On behalf of me and my husband... He gives hit a low rating based on the service. We tend to go to this place near closing. It's not that we like to be "those people" but it's just not open very late. When we arrive near closing, the employees all seem annoyed we came in. She gives it a high rating because she doesn't get a strong vibe from them about being put out (maybe she's just used to the Chicago demeanor more?) but the food is VERY good. The fries are wonderful. The Italian beef is flavorful, and without a Portillo's close, this quickly becomes the best beef in the area. In fact, they have "gravy bread" on the menu -- dipped french bread in the jus but no meat. If you're interested in a cold sandwich, they have those too. Note that there is parking at the sign shop next door. The restaurant gets hot, so the ice machine can't keep up sometimes in the summer. I'd take it to go if you have the option, and buy a cold drink at Thornton's across the street. UPDATE FROM HIM: Coming here when it isn't almost closing time is a much better experience. Same good food and no "hurry up and get out" attitude. read more

Every so often we think, why not go to Big Jack's? Then, we decide to go, and remember why we don't go. The order today was taken by a friendly cashier. I specifically asked for a #7, 1/2 pound burger, which was supposed to include an order of fries and a medium drink. This order also included 2 Italian beefs, another order of fries, and a medium Italian ice, to go. We were given our cup, and the wait began. The fries guy seemed to know his stuff, but the bald guy (I assume Jack) making sandwiches seem to throw everybody off. We waited over a half hour. We finally got our order. We got the order home. ONLY ONE ORDER OF FRIES. What are the little specks of black in the Italian ice? What there is seems fine, except for no other order of fries, and the specks in the Italian ice. I can't eat the food there except for the Italian ice, but I hesitate to eat it, as there are those little black specks. My teens don't eat as much as others, but splitting an order of fries three ways doesn't cut it. Yelp says there are 24 reviews as of today that are NOT shown for Big Jack's. I read them. I'd say they are accurate. The place needs to be closed for a month, two months, revamped for better customer service, and then maybe some training. read more

First off the attitude they gave me when I ordered the triple burger with cheese was unprofessional. If they don't to make it don't F'N put it on the menu. I've been here two other times without any problems and great food but this time is the last time. Enter at your own risk. read more

The Italian Beef sandwiches are outstanding. The French fries are really good as well.

Not worth the wait for a couple of burgers and burnt fries! We had an appointment so opted for "fast food." I advised them of our limited time, they said it would be fine, a couple of burgers would only take 10 mins. There was only one other person there when we arrived and only 2 pick ups during the 35 minutes we sat waiting. We had to throw everything in a bag and run. Food was not exceptional in any way. read more

Always hot and good. Nice people behind counter. Nice prices. Highly recommend.

The people that work here are not professional and they aren't the kindness. The food is alright. I can make a better burger at home.