Aurora is a quiet suburb in the southeastern outskirts of Cleveland. So no, this ain't Tremont or Ohio City. But out of this farmland crops up this place that offers food that would be, in my view, the best you can get that's similar to a downtown foodie spot. Not at par with being adventurous or eclectic, but very good enough to intrigue the palate. I'm giving in 5-stars just for being the only such place with imagination in the whole town. Patio seats are plenty! And... more importantly it is NOT located in an architectural monstrosity we call a strip mall -- but in some strip that resembles a refurbished "old" barn town. Charming feel. The calamari passed what I call the rubber band test, it was soft and extremely tender. The rib-eye steak was cooked to the correct temperature and was tastily combined with their own horseradish sauce (although without the dark charred crust you'd see in them fancy steakhouses which I feel is the best way to have steak). Bottom line though -- it's what I'd call a great steak for the price. All food was served hot. Service was excellent. read more

Mad Jack's Grill & Pub - Scallops. Squash puree. Bacon and date risotto. - New American Near Me - Aurora, Ohio

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We would definitely bring friends and family from out of town to this place to show it off. The food was great. The patio is amazing. Beer selection awesome. We tried the hummus, gazpacho, ribs, meatloaf, pizza and three desserts. The chocolate mousse was good, the fried dough was better and if you like bread pudding it was truly great. If you are wondering what you should try, don't miss the ribs. Exactly as good and tender as ribs should be. Great sauce too. We will be back. read more

Mad Jack's Grill & Pub - New American Near Me - Aurora, Ohio

Stopped in for lunch with some work colleagues. Great setting in a Victorian house with a well lit dinning area and a neat little bar. Ordered the spinach dip as an appetizer which was very good and came with seasoned and lightly fried pita chips. They also brought out a wonderful basket of fresh baked bread. For my lunch entrée I opted to get the special soup and half sandwich which was cream of tomato with basil and a meatloaf sandwich on ciabatta. The soup was excellent, just creamy enough without being overly unctuous and with the right amount of basil to compliment the preparation. The sandwich was also very good as the meatloaf was moist and flavorful and was topped with frizzled onions, homemade slaw and melted cheese on a toothsome ciabatta roll. It came with some seasoned, house made chips which were excellent. I would certainly return and try their dinner menu. read more

Found this gem on yelp of course and enjoyed it very much! Allison our server was very kind and the food was delicious. We just came from twinsburg festival and needed a break, a great yummy break too! Kids got chicken nuggets and fries, sister got a veggie burger and said it was awesome, and I got the pizza add pepperoni yum ! read more

The chicken tortilla soup is always a favorite! Great service when we order take out lunches for company visitors

The hubs and I decided to go on a quick getaway and stumbled on to this small town. Usually small towns don't have a lot of good dining choices but here in Aurora they do. Decisions. Decisions. We chose Mad Jack's because the description started out with craft beer. It ended up being a great choice. Their beer selection was solid and included a few regional beers that we could not try at home. I ordered a cup of Lobster Bisque and a Simple pizza. The bisque came out at a great temperature-not too hot, not room temperature. It was creamy and had the perfect texture/thickness. There were small pieces of lobster. I would have preferred a little bit more lobster. The flavor of Bisque was nice but seemed to be missing something-maybe a pinch of salt? It was good but slightly missed the mark. My pizza came out right out of the oven. It was cheesy and the tomatoes burst when you bit into them. Lots of flavor. It was finished with a white balsamic. The touch of fruitiness was nice but just a smidge too sweet. The edges were crispy which was nice. Our servers were very friendly and took great care of us. This is a great place to dine. Just a few tweaks and they would be five stars. read more

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Tasty high quality food and great friendly service! The salmon salad is to die for (the salmon is as tender as a marshmallow) and the Jacked up burgers and the pizzas are really really good too. Never disappointed! The ambiance and the bar area is very nice and when the weather is warm the outdoor seating is great too. read more

One of my favorite places to meet my friends for dinner. Cozy ambience with delicious cuisine. The Chicken Marsala was particularly good! read more

Average, nothing super stellar, nothing bad. I'd probably eat here again.

What do they have in Aurora Ohio, Outlets and lots of white people. Apparently they have at least one good pub with some great food from what i saw. It was me vs the world and outlet. I was going to take on a formidable opponent being Michel Kor's. Boy did I need some grub before this match. A very nice couple at the bar told me to go with the short rib sammy. It was fanstatic. Great bread, tender, flavorful. and it came with so good fries. Thank you Mad Jacks. read more

I love the family owned feeling that Mad Jack's gives off. The waitress was very attentive and was really patient about answering any questions and giving suggestions. The warm spinach and artichoke dip is to die for and the chicken pasta is so simple, fresh, and light. read more

Had a great experience here. Chose this place for lunch and service was quick and on point. Food recommendations were really good. Very homey feel to the place. read more

We had a very special lunch experience the 2nd week in September, 2023. Our retired school group wanted to catch-up with each other (approximately 12). We knew owner John Updyke always accommodates his restaurant patrons with having some great food in his very welcoming restaurant (inside & out, & in their private cottage house). The menu offered each of us a good selection, their daily specials & soups, & other yummy choices. Very good attention was given to our group by the server, the kitchen staff got our lunches out together for our dining experience, & all of us were pleased with the delicious taste & portions with our choices. The server was friendly to each of us with taking our drink & food orders, delivering the drink & food, checking on drink refills, individual payments, & take home containers. John & his staff made us feel comfortable with our long lunch together, & we all expressed how much all our lunches tasted terrific. We hope to be back soon to enjoy all at Mad Jacks! read more

We had lunch on their patio on a Saturday afternoon. It wasn't terribly busy so the service was adequate. I ordered the sandwich special of the day, which was an Italian on sourdough, and a house salad. Both were very fresh and delicious! read more

I have heard that the food is pretty good. The prices are way out of line in my opinion.

We had dinner here recently and not much has changed. Same menu and same okay service. This is a very old former home and the conversion to a restaurant space worked pretty well, but the space is still on the tight side. After years of being open for business at this location, they're consistent. Slightly elevated bar food, nice setting, okay service, all at prices that are fine on an expense account, but kind of high for the entrees. read more

I came here for a birthday dinner. Their homemade pickles were amazing. The staff was really friendly and knowledgeable. No kids menu but kid friendly. They have outdoor and indoor seating. The only big disadvantage is the parking. It's hard to park and leave. read more

Fun, local place that highlights Aurora on their menu with their yummy Greenmen burger. I enjoy their specials along with their draft beer selection. read more

Great little place right up the street. Went for dinner a bit ago and had some excellent sandwiches and salads. The place itself is so darn cute and if you love little century homes turned into restaurants, this is for you. The service was great and the food was greet as well. We ordered burgers and pulled pork and I ordered a salad- the usual is seems. Did end up getting some great bread pudding for dessert. It was a good time and recommend . read more

Cozy bar with friendly servers, wonderful small plates! Beautiful patio with a covered area for protection from the weather element.

Not a good experience... side salad with our meal was brown and limp, not the way a salad should be. Manager very nice just didn't order a replacement. Dinner came and one meal is what was ordered the other not! I got my meal when my husband was about done with his... disappointing. They were very apologetic, didn't charge us for our 4 drinks, but if you want to get any business right now you should be on your A Game. Have kids in the industry.. understand food service, but tonight was bad!! Won't go back suejones229@gmail.com read more

Had the salmon salad was amazing! Very positive experience for Lunch with my client. It always helps when the service is great, and the food is outstanding definitely will be back. read more

Just had dinner with our neighbors food was great mice to sit on the patio and enjoy dinner and drinks.

My gf and I tried this place based on 94 reviews and 4 stars. We would like to firmly disagree w that rating. To begin, my gfs lobster bisque was heavily salted. Next she ordered the BLACKENED CHICKEN SANDWICH w a dill sauce and fries. What she got was a Cajun chicken sandwich with horseradish sauce and over salted french fries. Meanwhile my beef shortrib sandwich was dry and my fries were also heavily salted. After 2-3 bites she couldn't finish her sandwich and we asked for it to be replaced. While they did give her the correct one they did forget to give her fries and replaced them w chips. The only bright side was they honored up to the error and they removed the chicken sandwich from the bill. While that was kind of them (and expected) I doubt it was enough to come back for a 2nd time. read more

Tastes like microwaved food. Been a handful times since we live local to give it more chances, but always disappointed

Never pay $24 for gumbo! I was born and raised in New Orleans so when I found gumbo on the menu I expected a treat. This is NOT traditional gumbo and poorly cooked roux is masked by the spicy chorizo. The holy trinity of onions, celery and green pepper are missing as are the basic salt and pepper seasoning. Try something else on the menu. And you should never pay more than $15 for a bowl of extremely good gumbo! read more

I haven't been here in years and was pleasantly surprised that the quality of food was a good as I remembered. We stopped for lunch and were seated immediately. We had the excellent lobster bisque to start. We added (and shared) a grilled cheese sandwich. It was delicious. Several types of cheese melted on great bread. The thick slice of fresh tomato was the perfect addition. The chips were not that good. I would rather have had good store-bought than dull handmade ones. Service was excellent. Decor could be updated. Nothing has changed in years and it's a bit sad & drab. read more

Food was great.... try the crab ragoons! So good! 2 huge ragoons and you could actually see the crab meat in them.... none of that canned stuff with the fake red chunks. Ew. Had the goat cheese side salad.... very fresh and good. And the lobster bisque. I did wish there was more lobster...I almost feel like I got the top of a fresh batch which isn't bad but you can't go wrong with more lobster. A bit price for just a cup though.... 6. Service was mediocre. Server seemed to be just going through the motions. Very polite and nice but she was acknowledged a couple of times and just walked off. My sister and I wanted a glass of wine and asked a few questions and she left us without taking our order! Maybe we gave the wrong impression but we both looked at each other a bit confused. We also think our wine was switched but by the time we saw her again to ask our food had bee.n delivered by others and we liked what we had anyway. Would have been nice to know though. We switched halfway through just to be fair! Overall I'd give them another chance. It was a lazy Tuesday after all and we can't expect everyone to be on top of their game all the time! Or maybe my sister and mom and I are just..... awkward. read more

Mad Jack's Grill & Pub - Crab Ragoons.... yummm - New American Near Me - Aurora, Ohio

Oh, Mad Jack's, thank you for such a refreshing lunch!! First - this is the white building set back from the road. There is parking in front, on the side, and on the south side via another lot. The entrance is next to their patio. The jalapeno poppers - FRESH peppers with the right amount of cream cheese AND goat cheese (swoon), in a delicious,crumbless batter fried to perfection! The dill sauce is fantastic paired with these babies and I would go back just for them. The veggie burger - I can't believe it's not meat! Am I right?! LOL But really, this is a black bean/pinto bean/barley concoction made in-house that is JUICY and DELICIOUS. It is seriously the best house-made veggie burger I've had yet. Messy, but I'll take messy over dry and flavorless. The pickles, however, are freaking fantastic. My ONLY suggestion would be to put MORE THAN TWO on this burger and I will ask for more next time. These are let your tongue smack your lips good and compliment the dill sauce. I would make even more versions of burger with this amazin' patty! Add some jalapenos and pickled tomatoes for this girl! :) The house chips were good but I was full by then, so I'm glad I didn't ask for fries. The spicy pizza - uh, HUGE. Very cheesy. I enjoyed it, it wasn't my favorite pizza ever but tasty as far as pizzas go and my husband raved over it (he should, he ordered it). The environment is colonial so it was kind of like we were still in Gettysburg but eating fine, fresh food.... So excited for this shiny little gem! read more

Don't eat here if you happen to be hungry at mealtime. I had the braised short rib with a side of mashed potatoes and asparagus. Someone needs to let the chef (or whoever plates) know the definition of "entree" and "side dish." The mound of mashed potatoes nearly covered my plate, while the three bites of short rib (I'm not kidding, it was literally three bites, and not generous ones), did nothing to fill me up. The only reason they get two stars instead of one is because the short rib tasted good. I just wish there had been enough of it to give me a nice dinner. Wish I had read the reviews before I went. Tiny portions, large prices. read more

Really fresh delicious lunch. I had come for the harvest chicken salad on their website. Turned out it was seasonal and not available, super disappointed until he offered for the kitchen to put something together as close as they could to the dish, man did they impress. Delicious salad and so nice for them to accommodate that way. Chicken was warm, fresh, and perfectly cooked. Another at the table got the salmon salad, I think it's safe to say all the salads are heavenly. Get them undressed cause my moms was over dressed. Burger was also great according to others at the table. Service was great, atmosphere casual but cute, I'd go back for sure! read more

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I would highly recommend the salmon salad; the house made vinaigrette was amazing, and the salmon was perfect. Warm, not over or under cooked, and just the right amount of butter. I was also pleasantly surprised at their variety and quality of hot tea choices. read more

This is a cozy, friendly local grille with great service, homemade potato chips, and solid food. My harvest salad was full of apples, candied pecans, fresh strawberries, and craisins, topped with a generously sized piece of marinated chicken. The champagne vinaigrette was delish: not too tart with just the perfect amount of sweetness. The black bean soup was flavorful and filling but not heavy and I really liked the small, perfectly portioned multigrain rolls in the bread basket. Coffee was hot and fresh too. Our server was friendly and the food came out in less than 10 minutes. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

I was the only person in our group of four that liked this place. for appetizers, my sister and her boyfriend got the crabmeat over the tater tots. We thought it would be crabmeat over the tater tots. Instead it was potato mush with crabmeat in a coating. They ate two and left the rest sitting there. They tried to pawn the remaining food on my husband and I. My husband and I got the calamari. It was about the size of two babies fists. We were highly disappointed in the price versus the amount of food that you got. That said, the calamari was good. My sister and her boyfriend both got sandwiches, the husband got the short ribs, and I got what I believe was the Mad Jack burger. Neither my sister nor her birth boyfriend liked the sandwiches. I believe after mixing sauces back-and-forth and adding some stuff they ended up eating the entire sandwiches. I believe the biggest complaints is that they didn't like the sauces available for the sandwiches. And for them, the sandwiches were a bit dry. My husband's short ribs seem to be a very small portion for the $20 price tag. And he was disappointed that they put green beans on the plate instead of something upscale like asparagus. he did like the short ribs though. My burger had to be one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life! It was juicy, cooked the way I ordered it, had just the right amount of crunch on it with the toppings, and the sauce was delicious! The bun even added to it! I couldn't have been happier, except it was a little expensive. I would like to go back someday but I don't think my sister her boyfriend will be willing to join us. ;) read more

Food was good but I think overpriced. Service was great. Drinks are good. We sat outside. Nice patio. Portions are small for the price.

Cute pub with good food! I had the flat iron steak with horseradish cream sauce. It came with potato croquettes and brussell sprouts. All of it was so yummy! The steak is a thin cut so order a smidge under what you would normally order. My sissy got the chicken Marsala. She didn't love it but she didn't hate it. We shared the spice bread pudding and it was awesome! Colin was our server and he was hilarious and very attentive. read more

The turkey burger was awesome and my love had the salmon salad. She loved it and the service was great! We will definitely be back to try dinner! read more

Good food, good service. We got the blackened chicken sandwich and chicken paprikash. Enjoyed both

This is the second year in a row my daughter and I have eaten here on our way back from Illinois to New York. The food is great, reasonably priced and the service friendly. I wish it was near home. We would be regulars. Tonight we split a Calamari appetizer. It was fried to perfection. I had Braised Short Ribs with Roasted Corn. Ribs were tender and the corn was AWESOME! read more

I've been here 3-4 different times and can stamp a solid 4 stars on Mad Jack's. It's appealing enough to bring me back, but doesn't have that 5 star spark. The place: small, homely joint off one of the main drag in Aurora offers as much seating outdoor as it does indoor. This is great in the summer, but our Ohio summers are only 2 months long now so the main building itself is relatively small and cozy. The outdoor has an uncovered area and a covered area. Parking is at a premium, as well. The staff: overall, the staff is very friendly and typically everything is done in a timely manner and done right. The food: Mad Jack's does a good job of making everything seem appealing and appetizing. The menu is diverse and easy to read. The burgers are solid, the entrees are solid, and the Gyro is just OK (the lack of Tzatziki is a big problem). The fries are typically good, but they were a little over seasoned the last time around; someone must have gotten spice-happy. The atmosphere: Great! Whether you are coming for food or drinks, the crowd is a typical family restaurant and not a "pub" or anything like it. read more