Lovely restaurant with dim lighting, high leather booths, and classic steak/seafood. Â Every staff member we encountered was friendly and welcoming. Â On your next visit you may want to consider splitting your entree, both me and my mama had so much food left on our plates it looked like we hadn't eaten anything (even though we were stuffed).
Review Source:We ended up here after walking into Luciana's down the street and promptly walking right the fuck back out of there. Jerry Seinfeld-ish "what. is. the. deal. with their douchey attitude." Anyway as we walk out and look for plan B, the nearest restaurant on the yelp app is Jack's and it is just a block away. So it is on like Donkey Kong as long as the 'tude is a little better than Luciana's. It turns out Luciana's did us quite a magnificent favor by repulsing us so thoroughly - because Jack's was definitely the culinary highlight and best restaurant-atmosphere-experience of all my time in the OC and the LA area.
Already in kind of a judgey mood walking in I initially channeled my inner-Gene Belcher and I felt like I had just stumbled into a dimly lit hive of rich white people. The first impression was that I was way underdressed with my Banana Republic sweater bought on clearance and my running shoes. The host at the front of the house didn't seem to mind, and there were two televisions on tuned to snowmobile racing, so first impressions are often wrong. Though the place is dimly lit and kind of romantic-ish but more on that later.
The water was presented for drinking as well as the bread basket for requisite snacking. The menu unfortunately had several things that caught my eye. The veal marsala, fettucine carnivale (bacon!!!,) and pescatore pizza were all contenders. The only dish that got invited to the big dance was the fish, the blue crab crusted filet of sole with a buerre blanc sauce with potato croquettes and vegetables; and it came with a caesar salad. A review of their food in two acts, with an intermission for the atmosphere.
Caesar salad: while a relatively small portion with a disproportionately large amount of croutons (btw I hate croutons) the dressing was tasty, and they put anchovies on top so yeah, if this salad was a potato then it would be a nice potato.
Atmosphere: the waitress was super nice and eager and popped in when appropriate, that's good service without being annoying. The water guy swung by when it was time for a refill, that's an important touch if you are not downing gallons of wine and too busy to notice the water cup is lacking. Also while it was somewhat of a rich white people quarters (my dish was $27 just for impartial reference, when my #FancyFriday biggest splurge when traveling was $29 at Capurro's in Fisherman's Wharf SF) it was at least an open-minded liberal group. One of the corners had an adorable old (70 yo old, not like 33 years old) gay couple as they talked and looked into each others' eyes and shared food it was basically just a SQUEE moment. That kind of thing would not have taken place at the bro shack next door in Luciana's, bro.
Crab crusted filet: this was so amazingly tasty I would fill up a bathtub with this, splash around in it, and then eat my way out of the bathtub. There is nothing I did not like about this dish. The vegetables were perfect and very hot, providing some color and less-fishy-flavor to the plate for some minor segues away from the fish. And the potato croquettes were big balls of potato. Two of them. It wasn't a knish, it wasn't a hush puppy, it wasn't a kolache. This ball shaped thing was weird. But still tasty. Lightly fried. The fish itself was a huge portion of sole, it took up the majority of a large plate. Plus the crab was not sprinkled lightly on top, Jack's made it rain with crab, and crab is so tasty. The blanc sauce was the least proportional item out of everything. I liked the sauce it was just not very present in the same way the monster filet , large pile of vegetables, huge balls of potato, or the large amounts of crab were. The whole dish was like a party in my mouth where everyone was enjoying the party and nobody had social anxiety and was off in the corner petting the cat and not talking to anyone, or even worse like usual, still at their house safely secure underneath a blanket and after taking a few drinks of scotch were blogging rather than having to interact with people. But anyway this is one of the best meals I have eaten out on the road.
Without a doubt I would tell you to bookmark this place and check it out, especially if you are participating in the yelp 100 challenge. Instead of the same old bland thing like chicken day after day, give up Starbucks a few days in a row and take someone special here - even if they aren't special, the food and the atmosphere will make it a special experience.
Even though I am sailing away from Dana Point I will still recall the Thursday night  that I came upon Jack's and they fed me. They fed me well. I would even go so far as to suggest a name change to Jack-Jack's to encapsulate the awesomeness of The Incredibles; though a popular shanty bar with dollar beer near my frat house as an undergrad (that comedian Kevin Nealon drank with us at one night) was also named Jack's and so maybe they can keep the name with all the good memories.
Food was spectacular. The sautéed mushrooms were amazing and my wife and I both had filet mignon for the main course. The quality of the beef stood out as it melted in your mouth and the flavor was so good I used the bread to clean all the sauce off my plate so it wouldn't be wasted. Overall great experience and can't wait to go back
Review Source:I ordered fish and it was drenched in an oily, cheesy, creamy sauce. Â It made me nauseous. Â My husband ordered the lamb chops, which were not too bad. Â The bread was ok, not particularly good. Â The floor was really dirty. Â We sat in a corner and there was trash, dust, and who knows what in the corner next to the seat. Â Not very appetizing to sit next to during dinner.
Review Source:We were going to the boat parade at Dana Point Harbor and had scheduled enough time to have a nice dinner before the event. We went to Jack's and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We made reservations through open table and when we arrived we were greeted by Jack who immediately seated us. Our waiter was extremely courteous and was very helpful. He explained all the specials in detail, knew the ingrediants of the meals we were interested in, and kept visiting the table to make certain we had everything we needed. I had a veal dish that was pleasantly presented, flavorful and my wife had the payaya (sp) which was delicious. I am looking forward to visiting Jack's in the near future.
Review Source:Have been going to Jacks since they opened.... couple of times a month... Â Recently went gluten free and thought I would be eating salad.. Jack's has gluten free pasta. Â Had it last night and it was great! Â They also have an individual (medium size?) pizza - crust is just okay - AND when you are gluten free, any pizza is great:) Â It's outstanding customer service to offer gluten free. Â They make a GREAT martini
Review Source:Turned the big 6-oh this past Saturday, decided to give Jack's a try after a recommendation from a friend. The last place we dined out at had great food, but the noise level made the evening uncomfortable. We headed down to Dana Point (an area I don't venture into much), and we got a bit lost finding the place (hey thanks Google Maps, but it is on the RIGHT hand side ) Arriving a bit stressed, we were graciously received by the proprietor, and seated in a nice booth in the front room. He apologized that it might be a bit noisier, what with the holiday celebrants, but it was just fine for us.
1. My Hendrick's martini - perfectly made, including the desired cucumber garnish
2. Mario, our waitperson was excellent thruout our evening.
3. The food was all prepared wonderfully, the calamari app. crisp & flavorful, the Caesar salads spot on, the duck breast & beef medallions beautifully presented & tasty.
It's quite obvious Jack's has their act together. Perhaps their menu isn't "cutting edge", but so what? It  has enough selection to please most anyone, it's a cozy place to dine, and the bar knows it's stuff.
By the time we left, I'd forgotten all about being stressed & old(er).
Thanks for a wonderful evening out.
Ok took my employee there tonight for her company anniversary. Her pick so I was happy to go somewhere she loved.
Food was good and I was super happy they had gluten free pizza (I am gluten free). I was happy with the caprese (not on  the menu but they can totally make it for you). Also  we got a small pizza as an appetizer.
My main dish is why this place got a 3/5. I ordered the crab dish and I just felt it was mushy, had a gross color, and tasted spongy. Not for me.
Good ambiance but when the main event came to pass, it couldn't pass fast enough for me.
Solid food, awesome ambience, nice friendly service. Â This was an accidental find on a lazy Saturday evening...we'd just left Javier's in Newport having gotten tired of watching the cougar scene. Â Only hungry hippo was hubby so I pulled up my trusty Yelp app and we settled on this place. Â I quickly made a reservation for 30min later so by the time we got there, we would only have to wait a few minutes. Â
One thing I appreciated that even this restaurant seems like one frequented by regulars, they never showed favoritism and honored our reservation. Â However, everyone seemed very accepting of the wait because I believe the manager did a great job and reassured his customers that seating would open up soon or he would be honest (and very apologetic) if the wait was going to be a while. Very professional.
I went with something light, a pasta with broccoli and tomatoes. Â Although it sounded very plain, it was very flavorful and delicious. Â My gal pal went with a salmon salad which she raved about. Â Hubby went with the big ticket item - rack of lamb. Â I tried a bite and noted it was perfectly cooked and seasoned, Â medium doneness. Â
Drinks were well poured - I stayed "dry" (gasp, you say lol) but gal pal ordered and old fashioned because the atmosphere called a drink of that era and hubby went with a simple Jameson and ginger. Â Both were stiff but delicious.
Great find when we weren't expecting it and definitely recommend to anyone who's in the area looking for something to eat. Â It's place is casual but elegant.
Food was ok, but the server was unsure if here was bacon or prosciutto in the pasta dish we ordered. Yes, same animal but different prep and flavor. The temperature was about 80 inside. At the end of our meal, the server asked, "is it warm in here to you?" Nice question, was it the beads of sweat on our foreheads that clued you in? Overall cozy (see too small for amount of tables) food was about a 3.5 star. Cost was too expensive for what you get.
This will be our first and last time here.
The food is phenomenal. I had 10 guests in town and I wanted a Ruth's Chris type meal, but without the steakhouse or French restaurant prices. Â It's a smaller establishment, which is nice because it holds the noise level down...making it easy to hold a conversation without yelling. Â Every person in my party raved of the quality of the food and appreciated that their salmon, lamb, or beef was cooked correctly or to their liking. Â
I would put this restaurant in my Top 5 in all of Orange or San Diego county when you consider taste, service, and price.
Jack's is phenominal food... there are a few things I would recommend... #1 is definitely the turner filet... their pastas are very yummy but I'm not a pasta eater. Â Pizza is delicious, too. And foccacia! I'm not a fan of their salads, but the filet is so good I woudln't even deduct a point for that. Â Ha. Â Also, any of their fish dishes I've had have been amazing as well. Â
And then..... there is the real secret of what makes Jack's so wonderful: SUNDAY BRUNCH. Â Their pancakes are amazing, best I've ever had. Â I'm not even exaggerating, when my boyfriend and I go, we spend the whole meal just talking about how we can't believe how good the pancakes are. Â And the italian sausage is just as good, but it doesn't have sugar so I'm not so passionate about it haha. Â They serve until 2pm I believe, which is nice because I don't usually want my bfast until noon on Sunday.
Italian oven roasted thin crust margarita pizza to perfection
Eggplant Parmesan with slices of the eggplant so thin each bite melts in your mouth
Spinach salad with fontina and pinons that I try to copy to no avail
Casual atmosphere- booths in the front face Del Prado and you can watch a few passersby as if you were in a back street in Milan. Back room with softer lighting and a patio room for large groups.
Jack is there most every day at the helm checking on every tiny detail. The kitchen is immaculate and his chin nods at his staff with a kind and caring heart. A restaurant where the staff has remained for a century says something about the boss.
Not snooty like some PCH restaurant in Laguna, you can bring children and they will seat you away from a loving couple on a date. All are welcome.
The bar is tiny- This is one of the few places where a single woman can go sit at the bar, order a great glass of wine perhaps dinner and feel at home. Let them recommend what bottle they happen to have open and enjoy.
I've never been to their happy hour that several others comment about.
Excellence, Italian, healthy, organic produce, fresh local ingredients and just a touch of Florence in the feel.
We were looking for a quick meal with 2 kids in tow and had read about Jack's happy hour.  We only ordered things from the happy hour menu and a dessert  We got exactly what we were hoping for. Good, reasonably priced drinks and food. Nothing was amazing, but it was all good.
I might have leaned towards a three star rating based on the food alone, but our service was above average. Our server watched us as we were being seated and brought water to our table less than a minute after we sat down, including 1 for our little guy in a travel cup. Â She was so pleasant and seemed genuinely happy to have us there. Â A nice change from many places these days.
This is by far one of my favorite Happy Hour places to go. You can't beat $5 Martinis, Eggplant Parmesan, and Calamari. However, the roasted mushrooms are my favorite. If you like wine, butter, and mushrooms don't pass these up. (Hint: save some bread because you're going to want to soak up the broth)
All of the employees are so friendly and service is quick. This is a great place to go to enjoy a nice glass of wine and meal without breaking the bank. Happy hour goes till 6:30, but it fills up quick. I recommend getting there closer to 5:00 for prime seating.
I used to frequent Jack's when I lived in Capistrano Beach. It had been a number of years since eating there, but I found myself back in Dana Point with an hour to kill and a severely empty stomach, so I walked in for happy hour. Â I had a couple of cocktails and an appetizer. I was glad to see that Jack's is still solid as ever. The drinks were above average, the calamari was delicious, the wait staff was exceptional, and the ambiance was stellar. The clientele seems to have migrated to the geriatric crowd, but that aside, still a solid 4.5 rating.
Review Source:I love the dark mood lighting, mellow jazz tunes buzzing through the speakers and wait staff decked in classy black and white attire with bow ties. Â The service is great with a full bar, cozy booths and grass fed and organic meats. Â
Â
My Turner Grass Fed Rack of Lamb was cooked a perfect medium rare. I ditched the accompanying sides (carrots and taters) and the waiter was glad to replace them with my requested sauteed spinach and gluten free pasta with Marinara sauce. Â I've dined here many times but on this occasion my pasta was slightly overcooked with a
gummy texture (hence the 4 star rating).
This neighborhood restaurant is a safe spot where a lone female can sit at the bar, watch baseball on the flat screen TV., order a cocktail and dinner without being harassed or otherwise.
We found ourselves in Dana Point unexpectedly on a Saturday evening, and found Jack's through Yelp. Fresh and flavorful offerings, the pleasant staff made the evening that much better. We started with the house "favorite", deep, rich eggplant appetizer, which was actually a half order of eggplant Parmesan.
Next, I had the veal saltimbocca, and my wife enjoyed one of the evening's specials, halibut with a fragrant kalamata olive sauce. The veal was tender (hard to do with the small medallion-sized pieces) and the prosciutto was just salty enough to come through the roux. The halibut was fresh, and quite moist (not overcooked as you find in too many restaurants that can't deal with a thick fish). The house caesar salad was a little bland, but still fresh and crunchy.
The pizzas looked tasty, as did the muscles (next time!).
Decent wine list, reasonably priced. Polite, but not-overly intrusive, servers.
Overall a memorable evening.
I hate giving a negative review but the food was so ordinary...Ikea serves better food!
I tried this place after reading good reviews...maybe they've changed...calamari was bland and eraser-like, caesar salad had NO flavor at all (how do you screw up a caesar?), chicken parmesan seemed processed and defrosted. This place was overpriced for food service caliber food. Service was friendly.
There are way better places for the money.
My mom and dad (especially mom) just LOVE this restaurant. If she can, she'll go here. I'm not sold on it simply because of the older clientele and, well, some other personal issues with Italian food. Also, something about Jack just makes me uncomfortable.
However . . . for New Years Eve and then for dinner on a Thursday night . . . I got a chance to eat their Turner King Salmon (aka "organic" -- why the "Turner" and not just "organic" - ya' got me). The plate is to die for. Amazingly delicious BOTH times. I was worried to get it again because I was afraid my great experience for New Years would never be lived up to -- amazingly -- it was. I'd say it was even better but it was great both times. Also, the Stone IPA went really well with it, too.
I want to give this place a 5 star review -- the Turner King Salmon gets a 5+++ review -- but, unfortunately, my bias and discomfort for the restaurant is hard to overcome. Is it fair to shade my grade? Well . . . yes, I think it is. If everything in my opinion was as fabulous as the Turner King Salmon (and the chocolate mousse I also had on New Years) - I could do it. But, I'm sorry, something, I don't know what it is, make me enjoy the food but not the service and atmosphere (maybe it's that creepy weird red Ferrari painting in the back corner or that Jack seems like he's trying to be nice but seems like he's tired of seeing another group of humans to feed).
Found Jack's through Open Table on Saturday night. Jack met us when we entered, said a table was ready but a booth would open when they finished their coffee. Less than five minutes later we were in the booth.
The service was friendly and helpful and most everything on the menu is organic, which was a surprise since that's not what we were looking for.
Everything was very good - the organic salads with a house vinaigrette, the string beans were steamed just right, the red potatoes were good but the swordfish and scallops and Turner filet mignon were wonderful.
Not a cheap meal, but very very good.
Judging by my other reviews you might extrapolate that I have no fine dining experience, but au contraire- I was once a chef of a small bistro years ago and have dined at five star establishments frequented by the likes of Beard and Child.
I make a point of going to Jack's every time I am in Orange County. I have a friend in Dana Point who introduced my late brother and I to their cuisine six years ago after the Doheny Blues festival. Â I've never been disappointed with ambiance, service, food or beverages for dinner, even on a busy Saturday night. I'm sure there are much more pricey restaurants in Orange County where trendy people go, but I love Jack's.
In "When Harry Met Sally" Bruno Kirby's character made the memorable remark that in NYC, " restaurants are to the eighties what theater was to the seventies" and twenty some years later that remark is all too true, as evidenced by the cliched recycled movies and tv shows that are the basis for most Broadway shows nowadays. Maybe that's the reason I love Jack's, just as I prefer revivals to the newest shows- a classic never goes out of style or loses panache.
I must confess, I don't commonly frequent places like this. Sitting alone in a romantic setting, such as this, while savoring a fine meal, is only a fraction as enjoyable as when you are staring wistfully into the eyes of your lover, or when surrounded by good friends and lots of conversation; at the moment, I have neither.
My social shortcomings aside, I wandered into Jack's and was completely surprised by the proper communication of the wait-staff, the comfortably low lighting, soft and pleasant music to complement the whole environment, and an intriguing menu that definitely set themselves apart from the crowd.
I would recommend Jack's Restaurant to anyone who has someone to take with them.
Been here twice for dinner. Â The place is fairly small but perfect for an intimate romantic dinner.
The caesar salad is really good, they even have anchovy  as an option, which is something I like.  I've had the lemon caper chicken and escola here.  Both were beautifully done.
Asked for Stoli Raspberry and tonic but they don't have Stoli, which was a bummer. Â Substitued raspberry flavored vodka were just OK. Â I'd stick with wine next time.
This is one of my favorite local hang outs in South Orange County. As one previous reviewer mentioned, it is easy to miss and people tend to just drive by. They have one of the best happy hours in Orange County. It only goes from 5:00-6:30 but well worth it. It has a great, casual ambiance. Typically jazz music is played, which is nice. The bar is on the small side but that is what makes this place intimate. I have taken many friends and work colleagues there and they have all absolutely loved it. They have a great wine and martini list. The appetizers are fabulous. My two favorites are the calamari and eggplant parmesan. The calamari is among the best I have ever tried anywhere. I also order off the regular menu. They have fantastic pizzas and pastas.
The owner, Jack is an absolute pleasure. Every time I go, he always stops by everyone's table to see how everything is. I recommend for everyone to give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
A French/Italian type restaurant serving good food in Dana Point
They offer large portions and have great soups, salads, pastas and entrees.
They have  great organic lamb and the steak is pretty good too
The portions are very large, and the service is ok, but be forewarned, they charge for sharing plates. Oh and they also have good pizza.
If you are in the Dana Point/ Laguna beach area its one of the better places to catch dinner!
Jack's is small and right off PCH so watch for it when you are driving by. Â I've only had their salads and pizza and both were delicious. Â The pizza was thin with lots of toppings and served piping hot.
I was warned about the sharing charge so we made sure to order...no you have been warned too! :)
Not a lot of people know about this place because you can just drive on by and miss it but boy it is not to be missed! Our coworker suggested this place to take my Bf's parents and it was soooo good! They have reallly good happy hours, i think from 5-7 and the appetizers were just to die for! My fav was the mushroom, prosciutto mozzarella saute, friend really recommended the eggplant but we got the calamari instead. That was good but not the best. The best was the Organic Lamb!!!! Maybe the best I've ever had. I love how they have organic (true Organic) choices. My friend even say the owner shopping at the best organic farm South Coast Farms! We had a really good lite, fresh, strawberry, blueberry, home made whip cream desert. All the wine (red) we got were good too! We stayed there for 4 hours!!
***oh but one warning.....if you share and you order less the people on at your table (even tho we got 3 appetizers 1 big salad and 2 entress) they will charge you about 9$ per entree for sharing. (so we were charged an extra 18$ BUCKS might as well order another dish and take it home right???) I was NOT happy about that at all and was a bit pissed. At least they should tell you. I am giving 3 stars because of that sneaky part!!!
Jack's is a great little spot in Dana Point serving continental / Italian food. The appetizers and salads are very tasty and quite large. Â Suggest you share them because if you get both you may not have room for and entree which would be a shame. Â
The main courses are all good but try the Portabella Pork Chops or the Veal Saltimbocca  Oh yeahhhhh!
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