I like it..small, clean, not to loud and the hot dog was off the hook..had some mustard and a few grilled onions on top..I was set..yes, they were out of pretzels but I was hooked up on some gold fish and a really well poured Jack...zero complaints..if you are in town, do it! read more

Glad to see there are so many positive reviews about this bar. Probably the closest thing to a SF bar in the south bay. Crowd is generally very friendly, bar staff is awesome and drinks are stiff. OK - let's address what the critical reviewers said. Bad Music - not the case - not a dancer and I would say that Jacks probably has some of the most danceable music in the south bay. I would describe it as old school rap/R&B and soul - good stuff. I would look at the poor reviews and see where their music tastes lie - this is not a dance club/techno scene Expensive - $8 a hard liquor drink - ok.. is that expensive? Crowded - never a line and you can still get drinks at the bar - really the only 2 things that I can think would make a crowded bar bad (unless the bathroom is crowded - and I havent had that issue there either) Parking - uh.. there is no lot but there is street parking or you can park at the happi house accross the street. That lot was packed last night and you could still find a parking spot on the street less then 250meters away. Location - it is where it is.. if you want other bars in the area there are none. If you like cops and bad parking go downtown.... so if we put that aside and follow the other reviews what could be wrong with this place? Not much.... The owner, Jordan, is awesome! OK, why not 5 stars - well, trying to think about how to write this, although the crowd is generally friendly I can say that in over 15 visits that i have yet to see an attractive person in the bar....besides the hottie female bartender and I guess the 6 rollergirls dancing on the bar (ok girls i'll give you that but I have only seen you there once).. I have numerous single male and female friends (like 5 now) that will not go there with me because of this (shallow crowd). SO based on the location understand that you are going to Jacks as a destination and might want to go home alone. read more

Wish i could say this is my favorite neighborhood bar but i must say, aside from a good choice of beers and great DJ's, the customer service here is offensive. On multiple occasions i've gone in and the bartenders were rude, and drunk. I've gone in several times and the same experience every time. I've given up on this place and making the 15 min walk to the downtown watering holes. read more

I want to like Jack's - it's close and there aren't that many bars located in - or within walking distance to - Japantown. But, I can't. I don't care that the place is dingy and dank - I kinda dig that - but the bartenders are a 4 outta 10 on a good day when they're not loaded. PLUS, there's no guarantee that the back patio - a simple slab of concrete - will be 'open' and allow you to breath fresh air while you drink. It could be my favorite dive joint. But, it just isn't because the requisite delivery of the bare minimum is too hit-or-miss. How hard is it to serve a beer? read more

Typical hole in the wall dive bar. Cheap drinks, friendly staff, cool juke box. They let us bring our dog in and even got him a water bowl. read more

Gotta say this place is pretty friggin cool. After moving back from LA I've had a hard time finding good dive bars in this area that have a good crowd and bartenders that swear like sailors. This place made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Good job Jack's read more

This is a great place to watch all of the US Men's and Women's National Soccer teams. Staff allows outside food at the bar. Go OUTLAWS!!!

Had a great time here last Friday during the day with an out of town buddy. Sports, drinks, good prices and ash tray outside. What more could I ask for from a local dive?! :) read more

So does this place pop on a Monday night? I'm in town from Los Angeles and want to enjoy a brew

This place is pretty chill. The bf and I come here to hang with his friends. I have never been for their Happy Hour, but they have a pretty good selection of hard liquor and beer. Any place that has Red Stripe, I'm there. Anyway, I will say, their music on Friday nights suck. The DJ plays a whole bunch of not cool 70's music and since we're normally chilling at the back table right under a speaker we can barely carry a conversation. They should move that speaker else where. Other than that, the bartenders are friendly and service is quick. Also, bathrooms are clean and stocked, however I will say one night I was there, some girl upchucked all over the bathroom and wasn't cleaned up right away. That was not pretty. read more

I love dive bars! Some friends and I came across this little spot around noon on a Sunday looking to grab some drinks before checking out the Obon Festival in Japantown. We ended up staying for more drinks than planned, but loved the back patio area where you have picnic tables, giant jenga, and that bean bag toss game (totally forgot the name of it!) Awesome spot to hang out. It was so awesome, we even ended up coming back here after only staying at the Obon Fest for half an hour. read more

Ended up coming here on a Friday night, expecting either a typical dirty dive, or, since I did find Jack's on Yelp while searching for a beer pong venue, well, a typical machismo-magnet (cough, downtown). Goodness me, it was neither. Really, any place that has The Harder They Come and Enter the Dragon on their flat screens, James Brown and Musical Youth through the speakers, and PBR on tap without attracting too much pretense or general doucheness is a keeper for me. Sure, Jack's could possibly get a little 'cozy' if more than 20 or 30 people crammed in, but throughout most of the night, there was plenty of space to maneuver, getting a drink didn't take more than 5 minutes, even with just 1 or 2 bartenders, and street parking was no problem...Let's keep it that way, please. Don't tell-- but that's just me being selfish. read more

This is one of my favorite bars in San Jose. The atmosphere is chill and the drinks are great. Where else can you play beer pong and stare at hotttt bartenders? Matt and Jordan are the coolest bartenders I know. I had my birthday party there back in April, and it was my best Birthday so far. Love it :) read more

As far as dive bars goes.. Jacks is the best! The bartenders are super friendly and personable (Charlie is one of my favorites!) They have an awesome DJ on weekends and drinks are well priced. read more

Jack's is an awesome place to kick back and unwind. The bartenders here are cool as hell, and you can instantly tell that they love what they do. The crowd is always diverse and extremely loud when games are on...but that's bound to happen when something's playing on TV! If you're looking for a chill spot to kick with some friends and have a couple beers, Jack's is your spot! read more

Great vibe from the start. We were out on a Saturday with our dog and needed a place to watch the Bama game. We called to ask if they allowed dogs and they almost screamed YES!! By the time we got there they had the game on the outside TV and welcomed us at the door. It was like we were regulars. The bar is a bit small, but they have a huge outdoor patio with high tops and picnic tables. They have a bar and taps on the patio so maybe they expand their capacity on weekends? Everyone was friendly and engaging. Obviously, we enjoyed our first visit and will most definitely return. They don't have a menu, but there are a few fast food restaurants close by, and Dish Dash delivers. read more

hey I thought Jack's was all about being different, now they are ditching my 60's soul jams to "once every three monthes". I called to see when the next san jo a go go was and those buttheads said that. I would have given them five stars if they would have kept the uniqueness going on. read more

i LOVE Jack's... it's Dive-Tastic! the drinks are strong, the staff is fun, the crowd is crazy... it's always a perfect slice of San Jose culture when i go in there... a little bit of every click! They have a great art from local artists up on the wall, i've actually even bought a couple painting there... i love that they support the art scene that way and it keeps the environment fresh, something new to see every time! read more

Josie, renee, and angela are the best! great bar to chill at, nicest patrons! only downside is there's always hella dudes

Calls itself a soccer bar but only one tv was on the Cali Classico. Not a Quakes bar. Go elsewhere for important games.

what's good sweet tea vodka backyard with heater for smokers cool music/DJ cute and highly professional bartender girl interesting paintings on the wall for sale easy parkings just a couple blocks from SJPD. ok this is not that good. oh don't dance standing on the bar. you will be shown the door. read more

I love JACK'S! This bar is just a few blocks from my apartment so my boyfriend and I and our friends are here a lot. Almost every weekend! The bartenders are awesome and so friendly! The drinks here are good as well as the price! On Friday and Saturday nights (the nights I'm mostly here) they have a live DJ that plays great music. The atmosphere here all together is great. Every now and then we try and change it up and go somewhere else but we always end up at Jack by the end of the night!! Jack's never fails for having a good time! read more

Jack's was one of the reasons I was excited about moving to J-Town. Three key ingredients make this local establishment a favorite for us; cheap drinks, friendly bar tenders, and eclectic music selections. Jack's is a good place to watch the game or check out the local scene. If you want to be part of the crowd then the weekend nights (Thursday -Saturday) are perfect for you. It is a good mix of college students, working locals, and regulars. Get there early because it does get crowded. Anytime is a good time at Jacks. Recommended: Soul DJ on Friday nights, pitcher of Pabst, Sports game on a weeknight. read more

Ok hole in the wall bar. Good spot to kill time drinking a beer if you are downtown and not into the club scene.

Jack's in a no-frills, solid watering hole in Japantown. I went there on a Monday and it wasn't too crowded. However, I can see how it might get pretty tight for space on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. They have one those digital jukeboxes, which is actually at the crux of a funny story. I think they had the jukebox set to a predefined playlist of reggae tunes. I decided to play some music, put $5 in and made 8 selections. After the 4th one finished, the bartender asks me how many more I bought. She explained that the DJ was ready to start spinning and that she might need to cancel the rest. For my trouble, she bought me a beer. A few minutes later, the DJ starts playing...more reggae music. Seems like they could have saved some money and stuck with the jukebox. Anyways, Jack's seems like a cool enough place and I'm sure I'll be back again. read more

Jack's is different from the places that I normally find myself at. I like the big..oooo backyard at this place. It felt like I was hanging out and having a beer at a friend's house. Nice little venue. read more

Came here last night for the first time and... not impressed. Its tight and cramped and if you are in the older crowd age range then this would be a great place for you. The crowed here was pretty random at best and the drinks were mediocre. At least they had a covered smoking area outside and they also had a mini food shack serving Jamaican jerk bbq which I guess was an upside for something different for bar food. read more

This is a typical neighborhood, hole in the wall type of bar. The environment is friendly which makes me feel comfortable pretty quickly. On any given day, it's a simple bar where you can dress super casual and chill with the mixed crowd. read more

This place is home. Tanisha is dope af. She made me feel completely at home. My drinks were never empty and I am absolutely coming back

My favorite local bar around by far! You become a regular right off the bat and the bartenders are awesome and friendly, (Amy and Nicole kick butt). The place is small but on the weekends they open the back area so there is plenty of room to move around. They have a great selection of music on their jukebox and 4 or 5 flat screen TVs. They have local D.J.'s who spin GREAT music and the drink prices are about average and the pours are above average. Love, love, love this place! read more

The juke box has zero volume, and the bar's sound system is obnoxiously loud. That could be forgiven if the bartender didn't have such crap taste in music. If you like sophomoric songs about booty blasted above a yelled conversation level, crowds of douche bags, and $7 drinks, then this is your place. read more

I lived right around the block from here and this place was always fun to go to. I love their pint nights on Thursday with the different beers and you get to keep the glass! It is on the biker bar side but I have never once felt unsafe at this bar. The staff is super nice and I am really glad that they are becoming more popular! read more

I really enjoy Jacks! Jordan is actually my friend mary's brother so I had met him a few times before and when I heard he was opening up a bar in San Jose I knew it was going to be the SANTA CLARA HIGH hang out and it was.. but then it became it a little bit more than that. The music selection was always good and they is always a adult crowd that doesnt get too outta control. Chill spot I havent been in a while and I have had some crazy nights. What I like most about this bar is the beer pong table haha.. its crucial. ANY CHALLENGERS?! read more

I like Jack. I met Jack last summer when my friend had a birthday party in his backyard. It was quite interesting, everyone wearing wife beaters and blue jeans. I even saw a girl wearing blue Nike Cortes and sweats. She was gangsta'. Well not literally. Jack serves 40s. I mean forties. Yeah, I could hardly believe it. Everyone was holding forties wearing wife beaters and Nike Cortes, drinking in Jack's backyard. Jack was cool. The vibe was nice and relaxing, met with old high school friends and chill. Bottom line, I think Jack also likes me too. And no... I am not an alcoholic :| . read more

i go to this place to support my buds who run fun on Tuesday nights! that would be a "cold chillin" ( www.myspace.com/sjchillin ) night, which usually happens once or twice a month. they play everything that you won't hear at any major club and play appropriate music for this dive bar enviornment...what also makes this place so great is that it's clean for a dive bar, the bathrooms are new, so you can wipe your ass in a safe place. There is no dance floor in this place, but if the music is right and you've had plenty then you'll be sure to find lots of girls dancing near the entrance so just wiggle on by to get a drink or join the fun... Even when the place is dead, you can always count on the goldfish or pretzels offered at the bar to keep you company! i hear the happy hour is well worth it and goes until 9pm! oh yes, stay away from the pricey jukebox. read more

Huge fan. The bartenders are incredible and the drinks just keep coming. It's our new local spot.

Bartender wasn't all that nice, maybe because we weren't regulars. C'est la vie- we won't be going there again.

Finally found a great working mans bar! Middle class blue collar customers and great staff. I haven't found a bartender I didn't like. Special shout out to Andy who popped my "jacks" cherry along with tanisha, Jovi, Sandie, Racheal, Travis, that's all I can think of now but everyone is great. The drinks are strong the people are friendly and the munchies hit the spot. I haven't found a good bar in years- and jacks hits the spot. Unfortunately I'm only here short term for work but just wanted to say thanks to the crew for the great times and memories. read more

Great local bar. Friendly staff... reasonable prices... great for Earthquakes or Sharks games

Typical dark, crappy American 'neighborhood bar'. No character (except for the 'characters' in the bar). I stopped in one day after work at about 5:30 and it had a bit of a frat-boy meets trailer-park feel to it. read more