With a reservation, we arrived a few minutes early for dinner last night. We were sent to the bar to wait a few minutes which turned into 15 minutes. We sat at the bar and were completely ignored for the entire time by the bartender. She never even greeted us. Finally she took our order but only poured one of the three drinks we ordered. She did not make the other two drinks until we were heading for our table. The place was busy but there were several empty seats at the small bar. Things got worse when we were seated in a crowded hallway space just outside the kitchen with waiters jostling my wife as they walked behind her at least three times. What's the point of having a reservation if you're seated in a hallway. The waitress was slow to refill water, clear dishes and seemed poorly trained. My entrée was the Halibut special which was very good but the service experience throughout the evening ensured we will not return. There are many other better choices in Marblehead.
Review Source:This is a very nice restaurant that will please discriminating palates. Â CAUTION: Â The restaurant is behind 126 Washington Street, down the steps. Â The place at street level is not very nice. Â We went on 4th of July before the fireworks celebration. Â Our two high school boys had the different burgers and they were excellent. Â My wife and I were both drawn to the scallops-- WOW. Â Sea scallops just browned on the outside in a bed of risotto with garlic and edamame, plus a nice salad with beautiful tomatoes and asparagus. Â Â I think we had 6-7 scallops each which was more than enough. Â The scallops were done just a bit over, but my wife said they were excellent. Â (I like my food undercooked). Â For an appetizer we shared a plate of fried clam bellies. Â These were the most tender clam bellies I have ever had, and I have had more than my share. Â I do not know how the chef makes these clams so tender-- wonderful. Â The fare was very reasonable. Â Our bill including a beer, two glasses of wine, and a rootbeer came to $92 before tip.
Review Source:Great food and ambiance without being pretentious. Cozy, yet kid friendly (went with our four month old). Amazing pizza and only $5 with special. Delicious. Would definitely return. Seafood risotto outstanding. We weren't drinking, but were both eager to try a cocktail next time we go.
Review Source:Went for the first time to surprise my Granddaughter who works there, but I will definitely go back! Â I had the chicken lettuce wrap which was a delightful mix of sweet, tart, crunchy and just a taste sensation. Â My friend had a pizza (early evening special, $5.00) which was really one of the best I've ever tasted (and I've tasted a few!) Â I'm so glad we visited this little gem!
Review Source:a couple of out of towners (with funny accents) went there on a weeknight. Â The food was ok. Â the OOTs typically complained the food was good (not excellent) and there was too much of it. Â I can't remember what I ate, probably steak tip salad, which is the foruth best steak tips I have ever had(1). Â The mac and cheese had a cheesy (not with cheese, but shmaltzy, heavy) sauce. Â The service was condescending but at least it was slow.
it is probably best done with a deep wallet and a different waitress. And, multiple times so that they think you are repeat business. Â Â Most of the restaurant's I've been to are better. But, it's close. Â If I've tried everything else, I'll be back. Â Just noting that there is a distribution of quality. Â
(1) I have had steak tips 4 times.
My wife and I just had dinner at Jack Tar after not having been there in several years. I don't know why we waited so long to go back.our meal was very good. Â We had the lobster and crab spring roll appetizer. Â It was cooked perfectly and was served with a nice asian inspired slaw. Â I had one of the specials, linguini and clams, and my wife ordered the lobster carbonara pasta from the regular menu. I thought her pasta was good but I thought they really nailed the linguini and clams. The sauce was light and had a great balance of garlic and wine. Both dishes were served piping hot. Â
The service was very good and our waitress helped us with our selections. Â I really like the beer and wine choices here. Â I started with a glass of the Gritty McDuffs Scary Good Halloween Ale and then had a glass of Albarino that the bartender suggested for my meal, very nice. Â I also thought the restaurant was a good value. Most of the entrees are priced below $20 and the beer and wine prices are below those of other restaurants of this quality. Â
My only complaint was the temperature. It was a warm and humid evening and they needed a little more A/C to keep the guests comfortable.
I was visiting Marblehead and this restaurant was recommended by the owner of the B&B I stayed at. I got the lobster pasta and it was amazing. The homemade potato chips with bleu cheese and bacon was also delicious. But personally, I thought the crab cakes were life changing. Super fresh and well made. Everything we ordered was outstanding and the service was great!
Review Source:The owner of the B&B we were staying at recommended this place so we figured it was a safe bet. Â An excellent move....we had a delicious dinner here. Â I am not a seafood consumer so I cannot speak that aspect of the menu. Â However, I went with the BBQ Duck Quesadilla. Â Have you ever eaten duck? Â It was my first time and I am so glad the waitress talked me into it. Â It was a great twist on a traditional quesadilla. Â The duck had a rich flavor which was complimented nicely by the fresh mango salsa. Â One woman I was dining with ordered the scallops and tried to tell me that it would change my mind about not eating seafood. Â Apparently, they were THAT good. Â I refused but the tastiness of my quesadilla did make me think twice about turning down more food from Jack-Tar.
Review Source:ERMAGERD!
I love everything I've eaten here!
This time I brough my little sister along as well and she agreed...delicious food and the menu has something for everyone! A little bit of this, a little bit of that - nom nom.
Lil' sis' started with the edamame (I think she ate it in a record setting time). I started with the chicken lettuce wraps. So good. I am an idiot though because the lettuce wraps are easily a meal and I had ordered the BBQ Chicken Pizza to follow...which I didn't need. I ate two very yummy slices and had to package the rest up to go.
Lil' sis' also ordered her own pizza (the roasted veggie) and we agreed that next time, we will temper our gluttonous ways and share a pizza because two was one too many!
I was looking to try a new place for dinner in the marblehead area and found Jack-Tar on YELP. Â I looked at the menu and knew right away my girlfriend and I would like this place! Â We went for drinks and appitizers saturday night and got there about 8:30. Â We sat at the bar and there were 3 other couples having appitizers and drinks too. Â We started off with an espresso martini which was REALLY really good! Then we ordered appitizers. Â The first was the lobster and crab spring rolls, which we would get these again in a minute .. so fresh and you can tell these aren't no frozen sping rolls. Â We ordered the crab cakes, the chicken lettuce wraps and the bbq chicken wings. Â The chicken lettuce wraps were my favorites !! Â even better than PF Changs .. the sauce was sooo good ! Â We'll be going back there soon to try one of the entrees. Â If you're in the marblehead area go to Jack Tar's !
Review Source:I went here with my girlfriend a few weekends ago and it was great. Usually we are cursed with bad service, horrible seating, and awkward situations. Fortunately this wasn't one of them. We went there on a Friday night at 8:30. We called about a half hour before to make reservations, but think we would o been alright without making them. The waitress was extremely nice and very attentive. They gave us a little bread before, which we had to ask for more, but it may have been because they were cooking more.
The food was VERY good. I got the BBQ Grilled Sirloin Tips with mash potatoes and broccoli, and my girlfriend got the Seafood Risotto, both which were extremely good. The tips were cooked perfectly (medium rare).
All in all, great restaurant. I am looking forward to going back.
Went to Jack Tar Saturday night. Called ahead and they were able to seat our party of 4 right away at 8 pm. I was disappointed to hear that they have stopped offering their clam chowder daily and have moved it to a special only item. I loved it last year.
Food is good and comforting. The drinks are excellent and the atmosphere is cozy. It's one of our favorite restaurants in Marblehead.
I've been here maybe once a year for the past few years, when some friends and I rent a car and get out of the city for an afternoon in the fall. Â The food has been terrific and the menu has been updated every time I go. They infuse their own booze and come up with delicious seasonal cocktails, and the owners Emily and Scott are salt of the earth people. Marblehead is such a cute New England town to visit to get away from the city, and Jack Tar is what brings us there! The outside patio is adorable, we're going to have to try to make it up in warmer weather so we can enjoy it!
Review Source:Love, love, love Jack Tar! I tend to go on weeknights when it isn't as crowded, and sit at the very cozy bar. That also gives me a chance to schmooze with the terrific bartenders: Brian, Steve and Kenny.
Owner/hostess Emily and her husband, owner/chef Scott, are super friendly and accommodating--and seem always to be in a great mood. I took my father and youngest sister to Jack Tar's when they visited from Connecticut a few months ago, and now they won't go anywhere else. My sister is over the moon about their day boat scallops and fried clam appetizer.
As for me, I'm partial to the spaghetti bolognese (best I've ever had, and a huge portion; I generally take half of it to go) and the blue cheese-balsamic vinegar-pancetta pizza. It's so different, and utterly fabulous. Oh, and the macaroni and cheese is out of this world--very light and not a big clump of noodles and cheese as it often is elsewhere.
Even better? All pizzas are only $5 between 5 and 7 pm. You can't beat that deal anywhere.
Only complaint--and it's a very small one--is that sometimes the music is either a bit too loud or not quite to my taste.
This is my favorite local restaurant. Â The food and service is always high quality. Â I have yet to be disappointed by a meal there. Â Favorites include tuna poke stack, duck quesadillas, and the scallops (oh, the scallops). Â The scallops come with a delicious risotto that is cooked to perfection. Â Marblehead is lucky to have a restaurant like Jack Tar.
Review Source:The food was fresh (tomato, avocado), taste amazing. The major push for 4 stars was the whole experience. On a busy summer day, quick, polite, friendly service and attention. Â Was not wow'd by food, but it was tasty, albeit our order was simple. Outside mixing smells of delicious meals and ocean air made this an amazing lunch.
Review Source:This is a review of Jack-Tar American Tavern' s macaroni and cheese dish.
Description: Lobster Mac & Cheese - Baked Orrichette, Five Cheese Sauce, Parmesan Crumbs. Â $20
Presentation: Â Simple white bowl with crusted parm breadcrumbs on top. Â Looks like the bowl was finished off in the oven as the cheese was still bubbling hot. Â One spoonful into the dish and you can see how deep below the sauce goes.
Consistency: Â Lots of cheese and for a lobster mac, just too much. Â With a lobster m&c it helps if the cheese is not overdone or else it overpowers the lobster. Â Also, this sauce lacks from a good cheese combination and a preparation technique that doesn't work. Â Based on some the cheese types used the sauce separates and becomes clumpy as it cools...I am assuming it also might be because the sauce was mixed at too high of a temp.
Taste: It tastes good and I ate almost the whole dish. Â It has great large lobster chunks and has a good sized portion of orrichette pasta - overall the dish is just a bit heavy handed.
Overall: Â Good mac n cheese but I won't be ordering it again. Â It is closer to a 2.5 stars but for my first east coast m&c review I am treading lightly.
This is the type of place that when you want a good meal and a nice atmosphere..and you want to stay local, you head right over. The food has never disappointed and the service is always top notch. My 75 year old neighbor loves the place and looks forward to going at least once a month. The steak tips are amazing and the burgers are flavorful and nice size.
Review Source:Went to Jack-Tar because we have a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dealsnorth.com&s=28d0d2a246e54540b81d52027962d4e0505b11775ec008427239e02ee67c062e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.dealsnorth.com</a> discount card and it is good for BOGO up to $10. My in-laws also ended up joining us. For starters, I had a Caesar salad and my in-laws each had the onion soup (which was a special). The caesar salad was fairly bland - nothing too exciting. The both said the onion soup was very good.
For entrees, my husband had the fried chicken, I had two tapas plates - the burger and the mini baked brie. My in-laws both had the ribeye special. My husband though the fried chicken was good. I thought the burger was good but the baked brie was just okay. It was quite bland and it almost felt like the took crackers out of a package and threw them on the plate. My in-laws really enjoyed the ribeye. They said it had a lot of flavor. So the fact that three out of the 4 meals were enjoyed is what got them 3 stars.
For desserts, three of us had the molten lava cake with ice cream and one had the boston creme pie dessert. We all really enjoyed the desserts. However, I got the impression they were not made on site. When we asked for a dessert menu the waitress said that they have to verbally tell us because they don't have a dessert menu. She then said that they have been focusing on improving the food so much that the desserts on the top of mind.
The price was okay. The ribeye specials were $20 each and the tapas were $4 and $5. I also had an apple pie martini (which was a bit much for me) and it was $8. It wouldn't be my first choice if I was looking to go out to eat but I'm glad we gave it a try.
Really great place to eat. extremely comfortable, service is great, and the food simply delicious.
They had an amazing Salmon special the other day- a very generous piece of grilled salmon, mango salsa, and rice and beans. it was SO GOOD!! salmon was cooked perfectly, the mango salsa added the perfect fruity sweetness to it, and the rice and beans were also flavorful, not dry, and totally complimented the dish well.
Their fish and chips is extremely fresh.
All of their pizzas are so good, random i know for a tavern to have good brick-oven personal pizzas, but they do it right here! wonderful cheeses, and they often have a pizza special. I once had their lobster pizza special- delicious! generous lobster tail, garlic, basil, so good good!
Also had their red velvet cake which was a special- so good!!!
Their cobb salad is perfect for dinner, as is their burger.
They have great tapas as well; have had the baked brie ($4/5) and it's great! comes with crackers, cranberries, and candied/sweet nuts. yum.
edamame tapas was also done well and correctly.
go for an extremely comfortable feel, warm and fuzzy inside, and get an awesome pizza, some local beer, and have a great meal with friends/family/or a casual date.
Have been there twice and both times was able to satisfy my insatiable appetite for blue cheese. On my first visit I had the blue cheese and pancetta pizza paired with their martini with blue cheese stuffed olives. If there's a blue cheese heaven, it's in Marblehead.
I went again last night and ordered the blue cheese bacon burger. A little sloppy to eat (I had to attack it with a fork and knife) but delicious nonetheless.
Also have to mention that I sat at the bar both times and Brian is an excellent bartender! :-)
3.5 stars. Jack-Tar serves reasonable basic faire, in decent portions, at popular prices, in a cozy atmosphere. Â We've been half-dozen times: steak, burgers, salad, have all been enjoyable. Â Tonight's Cabernet Savignon was tasty.
From the looks and sounds of the place on a Friday night, the patrons really go for the drinks, and the staff never tires of asking if you'd like a refill. If you like a nautical atmosphere with ropes -- um, I mean lines -- and brass, etc. check out the men's room for the ultimate multi-media faux ocean voyage experience. Â The pipe running thru the wall, to the ceiling, coincidentally emits the same sound as an ocean going motorized vessel.
They can do a quick meal or dinner for a group.
I stopped in on a Friday night - on my way to the Me And Thee Coffeehouse around the corner for a quick meal. There was another table (of ladies) who seemed to be settled in for a repast. I observed that there was no rush serving that table of six and they and the waiter seemed to be having a good time.
I was read the specials - they sounded good - and then asked the waiter what was good and quick. He recommended their pizza, the burger and I think he mentioned wraps. I settled on the pizza and he recommended three that he liked. I went with the tomato and basil and a mixed drink from the bar. True to his word the food arrived quickly, it was pretty OK for non-NY pizza, just after the drink from the bar. I was in and out in about half an hour and made the show during the opening number.
There are two rooms and I sat in a little table by the kitchen door. I think you want to get a table in the other room, for a more comfortable experience. Â I liked the atmosphere, I'd go back early and have dinner with friends should the occasion present itself.
Need catering for a group? Â Check out Jack Tar American Tavern!
Yesterday, a few friends and I hired Jack Tar to cater a bridal shower for 75 people.
Not only was the food delicious and affordable - but owners Emily & Scott were on hand helping with everything, from the obvious (cooking) to setting up a beautiful service line.
Included in our menu:
Bacon wrapped scallops
Mediterranean olives
Spinach & Artichoke dip with homemade pita triangles
Salad with two dressing choices (Balsamic vinegarette & lemon citrus vinegarette)
Chicken Penne with musrooms, peas and roasted tomatoes
Salmon served with jasmine ride and steamed veggies
Top notch service and exceptional execution made yesterday a great day! Â Give them a call if you're in the market for a wonderful (stress free catering service)
My wife and I went to Jack Tar one night when we first started dating a few years ago. Â Since then we have been back a few times and have been very happy with the food. Â We love to eat at the bar as it is really a cool room with lots of exposed stone and brick. Â Our only problem at the bar (I almost walked out one night) was the server. Â It was impossible to get a drink in a nearly empty bar! Â He was very busy chatting with some regualrs at the end of the bar and ignored us entirely.
But the food here is great. Â I love the pizzas and the Jack Tar Salad is delicious. Â As for entrees, the fried cod dinner is great and I also had the pumpkink ravioli once and that was great too. Â
They have had some cool beer tasting events too. Â These featured Ipswich Ales and really good food pairings.
went on a semi-busy friday night in April.
service was decent, waiter was friendly but either real busy with other tables or an amateur. other than that tapas and entree's were awesome !
we eat out often and I am in the business, so believe me the food value was incredible. beer and cocktail prices are sooo affordable.
in summary the food and the prices blow away the mediocre service.
casually classy is how i would describe it !
BULLY...here here
I frequent Jack-tar for about the last 6 mos. or so. I've eaten in the dining room and at the bar. The food is perfect. I've tried a lot on the menu. My favorite is the pizzas. Great hill blue cheese and pancetta pizza is my favorite. It is about the size of a dinner plate. (and on certain days they are $5.00 before 7.
Calamari appetizer is great. Burgers are great! Â
Lobster and crab cakes are great. Variety of tapas!! Have to get at least 1 whenever I go. Which is fairly often. Twice a month at least. Always leave full!
Choc. Molten cake... mmmmm...
Bartender Brian is the best ;) Owners are very personable. They are married, he is the head chef and she is always there, smiling!
Ambiance is pleasant. I agree with a previous reviewer about the music!
I have many times and each time I have come away from Jack Tar, satisfied and feeling quite romantic (must be the dim lighting and music)
When you dine at Jack Tar, you feel cozy, but at the same time it has a subtle hip vibe. Â The owners have a fabulous eclectic taste in music that makes you feel like you want to dine and romance. Â With music like Coldplay, acoustic songs by the Foo Fighters, and other music I could not recognize, but fully appreciated. Â
I think music is important when dining. Â For example chain restaurants will play the top pop 40. Â I don't want to hear, "since you've been gone" By Kelly Clarkson, when I want to unwind and dine. Â
So kudos to Jack Tar for their hip & smart music selection.
Jack Tar's food is blissful. Â Perfect portions, great selection, and the food is always made with care. Â All the food has been great each time I have been. Â My ideal meal at Jack tar would be the following:
mini lobster and crabcake tapa, clam chowder, and for the entree, the baked local cod or if i wanted to have pasta the shrimp and crab spaghetti. Â My boyfriend loves the cod tacos, and the lobster mac and cheese. Â
If you have room be sure to check out the dessert, the pear & cranberry tart dessert is quite good.
The service is always genuine and attentive. Â And the bar looks like a fun place to hang too
Check it out if you can.
I was looking for a decent place to dine in Marblehead, and I got a couple recommendations to check out Jack-Tar. Â We got there around 6 and were seated promptly. Â My only real problem with the atmosphere was the swarm of mosquitoes flying around inside. Â I got bitten five times on the arm before dinner even started. Â Even later, when I went to the bathroom, there were mosquitoes in there. Â I think that's kind of a problem.
Anyway, I ordered an iced tea and it came freshly brewed and delicious. Â They looked like they had some interested martinis too but I was so in love with the iced tea that I couldn't possibly stray. Â My dining companions ordered salads pre-meal, but their only option was the $8 salads on the appetizer menu! Â That seems like kind of a sham. Â Lots of people want salads before their meal, but no one wants to pay $8 for one. Â But hey, it's Marblehead. Â I occupied myself with some tasty marinated olives during the salad time, and I got a whole dish of 'em for two bucks. Â That was a score.
My meal arrived without much fanfare; I mean, it was one of the blandest looking dishes I've gotten in a restaurant in a loooong time. Â I ordered the butternut squash ravioli, as it was one of two vegetarian options on the menu, and it arrived in an ugly pile in a plain white bowl without any sprinklings of anything on the top or anything remotely interesting. Â And since it just had a browned butter sauce on top, it just looked like a plain white bowl of plain ravioli that I would serve at home. Â I mean, they couldn't even like sprinkle some nutmeg on the top to jazz it up a bit? Â Plus the bowl was a stupid way to serve ravioli because I couldn't cut any of them due to the contour of the bowl. Â It was frustrating. Â And they were too sweet and not worth the money.
My dining companions seemed semi-satisfied with their food.
So it was an ok experience, mainly because I had that iced tea to pacify me. Â If you want to see stereotypically-Marblehead folks, this is a good place to do it. Â It's the closest thing you get to the Nantucket original in these parts.
I went here with my bf, my sister and her husband for dinner and a couple of drinks. Â The main part of the Tavern was packed so they seated us in the front room where you walk in. Â We were the only table in that part of the building and two of us sat on an awkwardly high cushioned bench and the other two sat in normal chairs on the other side of the table. Â It felt a little weird but I'm not one to complain about that sort of thing.
Our waiter was super friendly and gave honest opinions about our questions which is awesome. Â After waitressing for a decade myself, I really appreciate it when a waitperson tells you what to try and what to steer clear of. Â He recommended a bottle of wine and we like it so much we ended up drinking two.
I started off with the French Onion Soup, which is kind of funny since I've never had it in my life. Â I love caramelized onions but I rarely order soups in restaurants. Â It was pretty good. Â Not too much cheese, the bread wasn't soggy and the onions were cut up small enough that I didn't drop half of it all over myself.
My sister ordered the Truffle oil and mushroom pizza. Â It was a super thin crust style, almost like a cracker but she seemed to like it because she ate the whole thing. Â John, my sister's husband and I all got the Aged Sirloin Steak. Â It came with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus, and was accented with a red wine glaze and mini crunchy onion strands. Â It was an enormous portion. Â Â If I'm going to eat steak, I want it to be bloody, and most of the time restaurants these days seem to overcook it. Â The steak was super tender, and cooked perfectly! Â The potatoes were butter, airy and smooth. Â For a "bar", I was really impressed. Â When were were finished, there wasn't a drop of food left on our table or a drop of wine.
Good stuff. Â I'll most likely be back.
We moved to Marblehead about a year ago and believe JTs to be the best restaurant in town. Â It's sort-of the best of both worlds-- it's friendly, cozy, and laid back but the menu has choices for all palettes (i.e. not just bar food). Â I've found all of the staff to be really friendly and the patrons to be equally as friendly. Â
We like to sit at the bar because we always find ourselves striking up a conversation with someone next to us, a server, or a bartender. Â Mo is our favorite though... and she makes one hell of a bloody mary! Â They also have outdoor seating in the warmer months.
They have great early bird specials and some fun game nights, etc. It's a great local hangout but is equally as inviting to visitors.
So I have been to Jack Tar's twice. As I used to live in Marblehead. My first visit wasn't so great, The food was mediocre and the service was slow. However, this time I had a great experience. Â The atmosphere of this is very cool, with the exposed stone foundation, small bathrooms and hardwood floors, you feel like a Boston Patriot meeting for talks of Revolution over pints. I yelled "Don't Tread on me!"as I entered. Â ;)
The best part  of my experience was it happened to be the first night of the 2007  ALCS and th Sox were playing. JT's had TVs in the dinning area, as well as really nice Plasmas in the Bar area. The Bar was packed so I sat at a table and faced a TV and enjoyed my  hearty burger, wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and Sam Adam's Octoberfest (several actually) The burger was perfect, and the service was excellent.  I decided to move to baaaaa (bar) after I finished eating, and once I got a spot, I sat down and watch the Sox defeat the Indians. I miss Boston for a lot of reasons, but the one of the primary reasons are the dedicated Sox fans. There is nothing like watching a Sox game in a Boston Bar during the playoffs, the energy is indescribable. The bartender was friendly and everyone was having a great time. I even won a t-shirt in a raffle, how about that!
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