OK, we're all geeks here, right? Right. We've all seen Guardians of the Galaxy?…read more The scene in the prison where all hell breaks loose, and Rocket and Groot are fighting bad guys, and the bad guys are all like "PEW! PEW! PEW!" and Rocket doesn't have a gun, and then Drax arrives and is like "BAM! BAM! BAM!" and kicks people and throws Rocket a gun, and Rocket says "Oh.... yeah!" in an almost religious way? That "Oh... yeah!" was how I felt when I took my first bite out of a Jack's burrito for the first time in a long time this evening. I donated to the Jackstarter to help Illegal Jack's return from the dead, so I popped in today for the first time since the reopening to see how things had gone (and pick up my swag bag, priorities, people!) and I didn't plan to stay and eat due to lack of time... Then I saw a couple of burritos being built in front of me. And I smelled the pulled pork... and I caved, people. I folded quicker than a paper tent in a hurricane. I watched the staff look after the woman ordering two burritos to takeaway, wrapping the first one and leaving it where steam and heat would stop it going cold while the second was assembled. I love attention to detail like that. Also, using the lid of whatever filling you choose to catch any spillage so the fillings aren't cross contaminated. Little things make a difference, people. It came to be my turn. I opted for carnitas (that's what the pulled pork smell wafted out of) with a mild salsa, sour cream, pinto beans, seasoned rice and cheese. I watched in awe as the burrito was rolled. I really need to learn how to do this myself some day, I took my cup, filled it up with Coke and sat down. One bite later, I was back in Tex-Mex heaven. I'd missed Jack's, I really had. Other places may have more branches, but quantity isn't quality. Jack's is quality. The new premises are still a work in progress as Mr. Jack (nice bloke!) explained to me, but are still clean, bright, comfortable and welcoming, and even the music being played ticked all the boxes for me. Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd? Perfect Tex-Mex music. Honestly, I can't fault it. I will be back, I will eat too much every time I go, and I wil swear that I'll never do it again. But it's a lie. It's all a pretty little lie... Oh, and if you're in over the next week or so? Ask about the cranberry salsa - it's astonishing! Welcome back, Jack. You were missed..

BURRITOS! WHO DOESN'T LOVE EM??…read more Last night after a long and rainy day at work I coerced two coworkers of mine to join me for a bite out. My bus routes being what they are, I'd not only seen the remnants of the old Illegal Jack's on Lothian Road (though never got to try it), but now had spotted the new location along St. Patrick's Square nestled in the corner. Because we were looking for a budget meal that we could still sit down to, we decided to give Illegal Jack's a go. The first thing that became apparent to us is that Illegal Jack's has actually employed friendly staff. Wha... what? Where even am I? Walking in the door to being greeted with smiles and genuine friendliness is such a novelty when so many places give you the ambivalent "I'm being nice because I have to" luke-warm treatment at best, or downright snubbing at worst. And yet when we walked into Illegal Jack's the two gals at the counter of wonder were chatty and all smiles, and we had a short conversation about how good the music they were playing was. (Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack anyone?) Next comes prices. I got a small veggie haggis burrito (score!) that was somewhere around 6 pounds. Normally I'd be greedy and add chips or sides, but even this burrito being small, it's actually massive (I was impressed the gal at the till managed to perfectly roll it, and even smush it all around so the proportions were evenly mixed--MY HERO). So I topped it off with a nice wheat ale from Stewart's and left with my bill around 11 pounds. Not bad at all for a solid beer and a solid burrito. Next came seating. Illegal Jack's isn't quite up to restaurant standards of atmosphere for obvious reasons, but the seats feel a lot cozier and less standardized than your typical Pinto's or burger chain. We sat down next to a gentleman mysterious staff member who was doing some laptop work--he very nicely jumped to shift some of his things to the side for us so we could sit. Again, as I was remarking loudly that the music was lovely he thanked me for noticing as he must've been the man in charge of the playlist (come on, Grateful Dead was playing, my hippie heart rejoiced!). But enough about my music tastes. How was the burrito, you may ask? Delicious, of course! That was a really damn solid burrito. My coworker even did a happy dance (twice) whilst she ate it, which I think is a good sign for any burrito. Even more than that, when the gentleman staff sitting next to us noticed my bottle of Louisiana hot sauce on the table he disappeared into the back and plopped down a bottle of Scotch Bonnet + Mango hot sauce from his personal supply in the back for us to try. Damned if it wasn't delicious, but whoo it had some great heat! Overall I left this place feeling 1) chuffed as all get out 2) with super duper happy tummies 3) pleased at how NICE everyone was and 4) STOKED that I have found an amazing burrito place that I can easily get to (lamenting the fact that Los Cardos is all the way on the other end of town in Leith!). So if you're fancyin' a fairly-priced burrito in a joint that feels just a little bit closer to home, give Illegal Jack's a scope. I know for certain I'll be back!

Service was wonderful, knowledgeable about gluten allergies! Beautiful little place and very best…read moreGluten free Pizza I have ever had! Well done and much thanks!!! Fabulous!

This is a actually a REALLY GOOD place to grab some lunch. I ordered the "Stoned Steak". When it…read morecame out, it was sizzling on a stone. Sort of like fajitas. I was at first turned off because the steak was raw but I didn't know that the stone was super super hot and was cooking the steak. I cut the steak up to help with the cooking process, but honestly, I probably didn't have to. Once it got done to a medium well, I took a bite...it was Damn Good! The meat was tender, no fat and not stringy. Very good steak. I guess it's from the dry aging? Not sure. All I know is that it was tasty. The two pizzas ordered by my wife and daughter were good too per them. The service was quick and friendly too. Oh and thanks to Yelp, my wife and I got a free starter with each full priced meal! I got chicken wings, which in my opinion were just okay. My wife got the garlic bread which was pretty good; light, airy, and garlicky.

This was a fun and tasty stop on our journey. We arrived a little before 6 pm on a Friday evening…read morewithout a reservation. We were greeted warmly and the hostess was able to just fit us in before a crush of reserved tables. Lucky for us because our meal was delicious and un-rushed.

I really would have loved to write a better review, but if I did I'd be lying, and I just can't…read morelie. Came in on a Friday night super excited for a burger- my partner and I had been waiting for this all week! At 7pm the place was already full, but we were told if we could wait a few minutes a table would be available. So after some back and forth debtate, we decided to wait it out. This establishment is small, I don't think it could seat more than 20 people. There are about 6 tables, all in close proximity. Service was decent and we both just opted for the classic burger and fries combination. The food came out not long after and it really wasn't anything to be amazed by, I could have made this burger at home. Fried were good but you know, fries are always good. Nothing proprietary here. What I absolutely hated was the communal sauces concept- the whole idea just seems unhygienic and gross to me. There were a variety of sauces given to each table on a large platter, shared from table to table to have with your meal. One of the tubs was a tiny scraping of mayonnaise the other table had but we were given the rest of to finish- ugh, gross. Overall quite underwhelming and did not hit the spot. I'm sure there are better burger joints around where you don't have to share the sauce. I wouldn't return and I'm really disappointed- I was hoping to add this one to the list of local faves.

Man this place is awesome!…read more I've been here twice for dinner. Wings are good. My coworker got the short rib and the ONLY thing wrong with is that they only gave you one. I had the wings as an appetizer and pork chops as a main course. Side selections are good too. This place is also very accommodating as both time we came without making reservations. It's a pretty cool spot too with a cool bar and nice ambiance. I'd come back...

Excellent American style meat and bourbon place. We were here for the Meat Monday, two 400g steaks…read morewith sides and cocktails for £29. Servings are generous and our server was super sweet. Definitely recommended!

Ok, 2.5 stars. I don't want to be too harsh now…read more I was so excited to come here and review the this place. It was a toss-up between Bell's diner and feed, both being equidistant to my home. So off I went to feed wanting to suss out this new local business and what it had to offer. And it was meh. Feed is actually located inside St Vincent's pub. There's a little section in the back for the 'feeders' which I assume is an affectionate term but I just didn't like. You will then need to brave the masses to corner yourself off in an area out the back that's oh so lonely whilst the masses look onto their football game and scream and cheer nonstop. So really one star for ambiance, it downright sucks if your looking for a semi quiet meal without sports crazed fans hollering every other minute at a screen you can't see. Then begins the mission to return to the bar, again braving (and interrupting) the masses to order food. Now with 2 burgers, 2 fries, two drinks (beef and cider) and 6 wings the total came to £47.80- WAY too overpriced in my opinion, and at this point I started listing the higher end restaurants I could have gone to for the same/less cost in my head. So then back to my seat. There is nowhere to look except the wall, it's really quite isolating. Then the food rolled on our after about 10 minites and I realised- I've eaten this food before! And the waves of memories set in, where I had actually had feed delivered to my home just after it first opened, and then I remembered the food being so uninteresting that I actually forgot about it. Hoping for an improvement, I dug in. Wings: with 6 for £10 I'd expect them gold plated, but they were your run of the mill cooked wings slathered in Buffalo sauce. The blue cheese and and celery were good though, I remember when they delivered they put the celery in with the chicken so I had limp and warm veggies the last time. Some improvement, not much. Fries: just fries. From the frozen section. Maybe I was hoping they'd be hand cut or something? Anyway they were good but you could get fries like that anywhere. Burgers: overdone and dry, just like last time. The bread is too chewy and needs to be heated in my view. The house made pickles are a nice addition but it was in with my blue cheese and chilli jam burger- made no sense and was not a good addition. I love to support a good new business but I'm really struggling to find the good points here. The food was good, but there are better burger joints in Edinburgh. This place is a pub and a poor attempt at encouraging people to use this place as a restaurant. The level of noise and crowding does not make for a good meal. It was also not even memorable to me from the last time, and I rarely forget a meal. Overall this place is overpriced and not at all amazing. I'd don't feel the need to go back, and consider this fair warning if you decide to brave the masses too.

Been here many many times for food and in my opinion it's the best burger in Edinburgh. BUT tonight…read moreI'd finished work and just wasn't in the mood to cook or eat anything heavy. Now these boys have recently started to introduce classic basic burgers alongside their more inventive selection. I don't know if it was the organic sourced beef and the lack of any complicated topping allowing the flavours to shine through, but this was THE BEST MOTHER EFFING BURGER I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! Sweet baby Jesus it was 100% perfect. Perfect.

On my wander home, heading along the canal I heard the call of a piano man and so entered Badabing…read morefor the first time. I had a pleasant pint of Orchard Cider (of the standard draft ciders this is one of the better ones) and listened to some smooth tunes. The staff were professional and fairly attentive, they also make decent cocktails (as I discovered on a second visit) and the food looks good, though I haven't yet had a chance to try it. Normally open until 1am, it also offers an alternative late night option on Friday and Saturday with a 3am license and food served until 2.30. As to the entertainment it is scheduled through the night, normally the evening set starts at around 7, though that is from memory... All in all Badabing is a chilled out bar to spend a few hours in and while I'll always be a rock and metal fan, sometimes it's nice to sit back relax and sip a cocktail, so I guess I'm a fan.

Had an excellent full Scottish breakfast here (£9.50). It was hearty and kept me full for a day of…read moresightseeing and walking for miles around Edinburgh. It had it all: delicious bacon and sausage, a surprisingly good black pudding (I didn't like it the last time I had it, but this was spiced very well), Heinz beans, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and huge slices of toast. We were there fairly early on a weekday, around 9 AM, and it was pretty empty but got busier by 10 AM.

I met a friend here for dinner, and it was warm and inviting on a rainy day. I wanted steak, and…read morehad seen this place in passing, and finally got around to having dinner here. I ordered steak fajitas, because it sounded amazing, though it was 15. So what, if it's good. The problem is that it was only ok. My friend's ribs were too fatty and he only ate some of them. His burger was small, and matched with tasteless pinkish tomatoes. He said he would never go back, and so while we enjoyed the ambiance, and the company, there is little point of spending what we spent for a meal that was less than grand. The staff were amazing, cute and sweet, and checked in on us a few times. If the food were only as good.

I was here on an ITISON voucher for 2 burgers for £10…read more The first problem I encountered was trying to call to book a table. I was on hold on an automated service at queue position 3,2,1 etc for 17 minutes before I gave up and booked online for the following day ( you can't book online for the same day. The email I received advised that they had received my booking request and would be in touch by email or phone to confirm the booking, no confirmation was received, I rocked up the following day and explained and about this and they found us a seat downstairs which is ok but not as nice as upstairs. The girl who seated us said that they had been ignoring the phone which had been ringing off the hook to serve customers. So me holding on the phone for 17 minutes was a total waste of time and money (premium number) as they weren't even answering their phone! The voucher advised a veggie option was available and I was discussing this with the waiting staff. I asked how the chips were cooked and they advised that they were cooked all in with the meat and chicken etc so I advised that as a vegetarian I couldn't eat those and agreed on a side salad with my falafel burger which I thought was fine, until it arrived and was breadcrumbed and deep fried! I asked the waiting staff if this was then cooked in with the meat too and they said yes. I was somewhat hacked off at this, given that we had just had the conversation about the chips not being suitable if they were cooked with chicken etc, the guy was apologetic and took the plate away. I went through everything on the menu to see what would be suitable and agreed on fajitas as they are on a separate grill, this was good although they didn't have any guacamole for it which is pretty basic. So I sat whilst my husband ate his burger (he's not veggie) and he was finished well before my food arrived. The 2 star rating is based on my husband saying his burger was nice. As a vegetarian I really could never come back here when they give no thought to how their food is prepared. Please pull up your socks as this place could be great.

Quirky decor, filling portions and top tunes!…read more We opted for chicken nachos to share as a starter which were a great size for two and packed with plenty of chunks of chicken. However, these could have benefitted from more sour cream/guacamole. For main, I tucked into the 'dirty dog' - hot dog topped with pulled pork, cheese and bacon. I was the first time ever I'd opted for a hot dog in a restaurant (shock horror!) and really enjoyed the dish for a change. There could have been more sauce however as it did become a little dry towards the end. I added the Cajun fries as a side which were delicious - a little added spice and very crispy! We were too full to try the desserts but the menu did look very promising and we will certainly be back. Tip - At the time (April 2016), the venue did not have its alcohol licence so was operating a BYOB policy!

It's whatever here. Stopped off as there's wasn't much choice with 6 of us as getting a table…read moresomewhere PSA pretty crazy. It's basically like your local TGIF or something equivalent to it. It was busy but was busy but we were able to get a table. Menu was your usual pub food. Nothing really much cheer about. Salad wise, we did notice that A LOT of places don't offer much. It was either a Cesar salad or some other salad. Burger selection was good so that was a plus. Service was nice which also was a plus. Overall, food was ok.

was lovely! well looked after. Christmas decorations were so pretty. Would highly recommend. Food…read morewas lovely. Fast and service was very friendly! A few groups in for cocktails .

This is exactly the kind of pub I love. Not fancy. Not touristy. Great music. Great drinks. A bit…read moredivey. Dark enough to be intimate. Friendly barkeeper. Moderate prices. Old-school pub atmosphere. If I'd live in the neighbourhood, this would be my local pub to go to all the time.

Having undergone a lick of paint outside and a renovation inside the bar is now a very good choice…read moreshould you wish a quieter establishment in which to watch the football on TV or play Trivial Pursuit or just drink and talk somewhere you don't have to raise your voice in to be heard. At £3.50 for a pint of Joker IPA it's also got a more sensible pricing policy than many of its near neighbours. On visiting again the other week I saw the pub now has an arrangement with the Origano pizza takeaway further down Leith Walk. You can therefore order (from around a dozen or so different types) a pizza & have it delivered to the pub for consumption there.