What a dive bar in 2013 should be...
Very good beers, though not an amazing selection by current standards. Â But decent enough to not get bored in a sitting.
Food is hit or miss, but I have to admit, the tempeh sandwich is del-goddamned-icious. Everything else is passable, but again, it's a dive-ish bar... you're there to drink, talk, laugh and get some drinks in you. Â
Lighting that resembles a cave, it's the right mood foot-candle for a bar of this ilk. Â
Now I'm a big-time hater of TV's at bars and restaurants... but for this place, I'll give them a pass. Â Just two plasmas at either end, and the endless nostalgic punk rock pulsating out of the jukebox earns Jay's Bar a pass.
Strangely, you can always seem to get a seat at Jay's. Â As spots in LA become the darling of the neighborhood, so goes the seating. Â Not the case at Jay's. Â Perhaps it's the size or the billions of drinking options in the area, but this is a key factor in my coming back to Jay's.
Jay's is great!
I love having a bar like this 20 steps from my door. It's the only bar I feel fine going to alone. That sounded like an alcoholic thing to say. I'm definitely not. I've only gotten drunk there once. Stop judging me, yelp.
Good tap, good music, awesome staff, full bar (they actually know how to make drinks that don't have an "and" in them, too).
The menu is a tad weird but the food is good.
Figured it was about time to write a positive review on here....no better place to start than Jay's.
The good:
- Good drinks, interesting menu selection
- Good food
- Nice atmosphere
The bad:
- Looks like an abandon laundrymat from the outside
- A bit pricey
Come here and enjoy it. Â The Kitchen is across the street and this inverts its great food:alcoholic beverage ratio. Â If that's arcane, deal with it, I've been drinking moonshine all night
Met jay and crew tonight...they let me taste some of their unique beer and spirits before settling on a libation, always a plus. Â They even allowed me to try my hand at building a new drink out of a hop based vodka(I failed...but no charge!) Â Food was delicious, and the servers were happy to be a part of something on the verge of being popular. Â Price points will be going up...so get in while you can. 4+...it's a great place to start after 4 months...
Review Source:I went here on a Thursday night for happy hour with some co-workers. It's located inside a mini strip mall and honestly doesn't look that great on the outside. But once you walk in, you find yourself in a trendy bar with tables and benches. We got a pitcher of beer (wolf creek) and it was really tasty. During happy hour, it's $3 off pitchers. For food, we shared the poutine and fried turkey sandwich. The poutine was enormous! You could feed at least 4-5 people with it. The turkey sandwich was my favorite though. It had so much flavor and it was only $4 during happy hour. Overall, a really cool spot with excellent beer and snacks. Service was also good and the bathroom was clean. Don't forget to check in--there's a 25% off discount. You can park in the parking lot or on the street.
Review Source:I want to like this place, and being a new joint I know that they are having a bumpy start, but I really have to express some concern over my experience. Ive actually been here twice already, and I think that they have great potential. I just hope that they can iron out some of the problems before the place flops like so many other restaurants do in this area.
Upon my first experience, the beer I selected was out, so I was asked if I would like to try a different one. I did and it was fine. My friend and I ordered the mac and cheese, and the mushroom caps. Both were delicious, but I was really not a super huge fan of the pico de gallo in the mac and cheese. All those crunchy bits of onion weren't very pleasing and I don't think went well with the dish, but thats my taste. Im not a big fan of crunchy onions. The mushrooms were incredible and we were both super impressed with those.
Our next visit we brought a friend. On their web site there were more healthy/vegetarian options, which is why we wanted to go, because he and I both wanted something somewhat healthy with our beer (ha!). Again they were out of the different beer I ordered this time, and their menu didn't list the veggie burger or other healthier/vegetarian options that their web site listed. So our friend was kind of bummed out, but ordered the mac and cheese instead. I ordered the broccolini and carrots since that was pretty much the only vegetable item on the menu that wasn't a salad. When the food arrived, I was given a cooked kale dish instead of what I ordered. The server was very nice and apologetic (as she had been the entire evening, what with the menu items not being available and the beer), and left us the kale dish to enjoy while she brought out the correct dish, which took very little time indeed. The portion of broccolini and carrots was pretty big, I couldn't finish it, but it was definitely a little too spicy for my taste.
So like I said, the service is pretty good, but there really just needs to be a more consistent system to ensure that everything happens as it should. Improved menu items for vegetarians and health conscious people would be nice, since this is silver lake after all. An ordering station at the bar would also help people get their orders in. Once the bar fills up there is no penetrating the barrier of customers backs to place an order, like most bars. Keeping the music to background ambiance instead of bumping it would keep the noise level at a reasonable volume so order mishaps wont happen.
In any case, I wish Jay's bar the best. I'll probably come back sometime later to see if things are running more smoothly, at which point I'll update my review if needed.
I really liked this place because of its range of craft beer and the bartenders skill with drinks.
I ordered a beer and finished off the night with a few Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.
The bartender made these drinks to perfection as they were easily drinkable and provided the great punch that is required to get this body of mine inebriated.
Friend ordered some poutine and that is a must have if youve never been or had.
The place comes alive at night bringing in the hip crowd, but you will see plenty of nice looking people and just as a casual comment, the parking outside all have signs that say 30 minute parking or subject to tow, however from the information we received, it has never happened. Based off what the people we spoke to that are there daily said. However please dont quote its at your own risk.
Again very skillfull bartender...She had glasses...i'm sorry I missed the name
I love Jay's Bar! Why am I not there right now??
Their jukebox needs expanding but has GEMS. I like to play some music and then dance, before or after eating pizza that Garage delivers.
The staff is really sweet and cool. They have a good beer selection; I've ordered wine a few times and I've always been happy. I hear that their food is really good (some kind of poutine? awesome) but I've never tried because my sole focus is beer and pizza.
I am so down with Jay's. It's a real neighborhood-y type of bar and so far it's not toooooo crowded.
They only have beer/wine/sake at this point, but their chalkboard claims they will soon have a full liquor license. That's gonna be great since I live walking distance!
The beer selection is usually what I choose from. They have an edited tap list of maybe 8-10 beers at a time (they also have some beer in bottles/cans so if you're a frat boy who drinks bud light then you, too can enjoy Jay's). I think they come up with a pretty good range of offerings. Usually a few IPA's, a few lighter beers, and a few stout/lager types so they cover all their bases.
The food is also really good, and surprisingly they have a lot of vegan options. It seems weird to have a salad with beer, but mad props for great salads! They also have your more typical bar snacks like fries and burgers (my boyf loves their burger and the basic option is only $4!), and even hush puppies and poutine. If you're feeling pizza instead, don't worry! Apparently the owner of Jay's also owns Garage Pizza in the same shopping center, so you can march over there, get a slice, and bring it back to Jay's. They have a nice little list of happy hour beer and food specials so you can come out of here full and buzzed for not too much $$.
The negatives: it can be weirdly dark and really loud in there. I know there's much to be said for ambiance, but it's like...pitch black if you're there at night. The jukebox typically has stuff that I wanna hear, but the acoustics of the space are a little wonky. Other than that, it's all good.
Jay's is awesome! I love that it is never overwhelmingly crowded & is a very relaxed, mellow atmosphere. The food is really good. Plus, they are next to Garage Pizza which people bring in often. The bartenders are also always so nice & friendly. I always have a great time at Jay's. So happy they are open.
Also, they are getting a liquor license soon, so they will have even more options soon.
You like bars right? Â You like bars that have cool, normal people in them right? Â You also like nice bar food that isn't a greasy mess? Â
Well Jay's is for you. Â Simple place, no over the top thrills. Â Two TVs to get a little sports update. Â Nice bartenders. Â Great beers! Â Great food. Â Try the burger. Â
It opens early and stays open late. Â A great new addition to the neighborhood. Â This stretch of Sunset is lacking on a straightforward simple, mellow neighborhood bar. Â
Love it here.
I've been here twice since my last review. Â The amazing bartenders and tasty food have earned them 5 stars. Â Vegan chicken wrap. Â Yeah. Â You heard right. Â The vegan chicken wrap with the Green Flash Double Stout and I'm a happy man. Â This is better than any non vegan chicken wrap I've ever had and I'm not even vegan.
Love this place.
Awesome place, super friendly staff, super nice atmosphere and really great food. Â small beer selection, but all quality beers. Â Food was great and reasonably priced, but it did take a while to come out.
Check it out or read the reviews on here before you pass it over just because it looks kind of dumpy or divey on the inside. Â It is a super nice atmosphere, not fancy or elaborate, but comfortable and classy. Â Food is way better than I would expect for a place like this, and for the prices they're charging. Â They even have a $4 burger, which was not huge, and pretty basic, but delicious.
We ate: poutines (could have had a bit more gravy, but were still awesome), chicken salad (amazing), bratwurst (amazing), Jay's burger (delicious, and very reasonably priced), and the apple and bacon pot pie, which was every bit as ridiculous, over the top, and delicious as it sounds. Â This was WAY too much food for two people. Â Definitely will be back here frequently.
Ambiance is cute. Ordered the butter burger which was really good. The wings were also really flavorful. The hush puppies were okay- they were nicely fried but I'm used to southern hush puppies (that doesn't make any sense).
Beware the server with kind of suave mente hair though! Our server was a bit loopy.. He kept forgetting we were his table and it was a slow night. If it weren't for Jay and another bartender who apologized profusely and comped our drinks, I would've given this place 1 star. It's definitely a place worth checking out.
Came here for a drink and a little after meal meal. Â All i tried was the poutine fries and they were amazing. Â I would have ate more but i was already so full. Â I really want to try the Turkey roll. Â It looked amazing. Â Something for next time. Â The outside of this place doesnt look like much but the inside is a real nice relaxed area. Â Nice long bar and a good amount of seating. Â They are owned by the same people as garage pizza so you can get a pizza and bring it in.
Review Source:I was initially a little taken aback by the mini-mall location and the darkened windows - would I find a girlie bar, a real dive, or wall-to-wall bikers? Was it even open? Once inside I was relieved to find a small but cozy and clean bar filled with locals. Â The bartender was charming and attentive. I ordered a glass of wine and some of the thick french fries - only $4 bucks for a huge plate of deliciousness. They were a perfect partner for the Cinco de Mayo celebrating we were doing. Â The other food offered at the bar also looked pretty solid and they seemed to have a large selection of beer. We met the owner (Jay, of course) who was quite the gentleman, especially considering that one of my usually sweet girlfriends was not so nice after a few drinks. Sorry, Jay! Â They also have a few screens playing sports if you require game watching with your booze.
Review Source:I'm digging this place. I love strip mall bars that are hidden.
It's a gastro with a great selection of brew and good bar food with a Canadian twist (yes they have Putine).
The burger I had was the best burger I've had in awhile. A simple bacon and blue on a sesame bun. Not quite Umami status but certainly better than The Fix and other local joints.
Only bummer was that they overcharged us on the Putine. But hey with the YELP 25% off it evened out.
Tab for 2 with the incorrect charge and after YELP check in was $32 for 2 burgers, 2 beers and an order of Putine.
This place is dope as hell! 1st time here and I'll def be back...
Found out about it from a coworker, and might not have noticed the place in the shopping center location, but it's worth stopping in! Â Friendly bartenders know their craft beers and the portions are huge. Â Not LA huge, but just-moved-here-from-Chicago HUGE! Â Beer and wine only for now, but word is, there's liquor soon.
POUTINE. Enough said. For those of you who cannot make their way to French Canadian territory very often give this a shot. It's a special dish eh..
Great atmosphere and vibe combined with a tasty menu that's only getting better.
Awesome beer selection as well, I hear liquor is on the way! Â Count it down baby.
I don't give out 4 stars casually but this unassuming little place in a strip mall deserves all of them.
Great food, amazing price-point. Unique and full of flavor.
Super gracious staff. Silverlake breeds them right.
Fantastic music. Truly unique selections on the Jukebox. Crafted with care.
25% off your first check in on YELP.
Do it.
"Portland bar vibe to it. It categorizes itself as a dive bar but it's actually pretty clean and feels new.
The food is a bit heavy but great for bar fare. Kinda gourmet bar food items Bacon burger was slightly overcooked but still good. The bacon was 2 legit 2 quit.
Kale salad, also good but a little heavy on the dressing. Would still order again despite this.
People who work there are cool. Bartender was genuine. He felt like when you go to a friend's house and they don't treat you like a guest. Server was a little weird but nice anyway. He was like "were guys gonna split this burger? You need some help cutting it?" We were like, "oh yeah, we were gonna wait until we finished our sal--"
Suddenly he put his ENTIRE BARE HAND ON THE BURGER. For real. And then started sawing through the burger. Bare hand. Meanwhile he's, like, flattening the burger with the entire weight of his body. Bare hand. Entire bare hand on our burger. And then he stood up and dusts himself off all proud of himself and was like "Well, I guess that'll be it, then!" as we just stared at him.
But whatever, it's Silver Lake. I live here and am also dirty. And all sake shots are a dollar, which I'm not even sure what that means." Â -- M.B.
Good beer; decent food; welcoming atmosphere! Buds and I came in after a miserable attempt of bball at a nearby park, still drenched in sweat. Bartender promptly greeted us and asked if we wanted some samples,as he  had apparently over-poured a previous group's order, haha. Tried Eagle Rock PA for first time and now a big fan, haha. Dug the happy hour wings (chili-lime dry rub; 6 for $5 or 6), which might've been small in number, but were fortunately large in size, if that makes sense haha. Double butter burger (2 patties, chopped onions, brioche; $8) pretty good, too.
Oh, for foursquare users - 25% off entire bill for first check-in!
We went here for the first time last night around 11:30 and we had an awesome experience!! The bartender was alone, but gave us great service and was super-friendly. Â
We ordered the Malbec (only $6), a beer, and one of the best bacon burgers EVER! Â AND The hush puppies were the best I've had in Los Angeles...
So glad Jay opened this place, we'll def. be back soon!!
After a rainy bike ride to this strip mall joint, my husband and I *almost* turned around to leave without even going inside this place. Â But, we had committed, rode our bikes, and brought our computer because we read they had good beer and free wifi. Â But from the looks on the outside of the place, I just couldn't believe it.
Thankfully, we went in. Â This bar is a FAR CRY from the dullness that it looks like it will be from the outside. Â Not in a bad way, it's a hipster's paradise. Â Great craft beer on tap; rustic decor, low lighting, free wifi, and GOOD FOOD! Â We informed the bartender that we had just moved to town, and he told us they had just opened! Â We were both newbies!
**Also, you can bring a pizza over from Garage pizza! Â We'll remember that for next time!
My friend celebrated her birthday here last week and it was a great choice. Friendly staff, casual atmosphere (though not as casual as its strip-mall location would suggest...the interior is nicely appointed), and reasonable prices.
I had the chicken tomatillo salad for my main and we shared an order of fries. The salad was good, but not amazing. I'm happy they have salads and lighter bites though, as many bars only offer fried and heavy choices. Â Speaking of fried, the plate of fries was giant...it could easily serve 4+ hungry people. The fries were thick and not as crisp as I like (I'm really a shoestring fry kinda girl), but I still made a sizable dent in our table's portion. I sampled the apple bacon potpie. One bite was enough for me, but others thought it was good. The pie had plenty of bacon and apples but only a thin top pastry crust, making it a bit unbalanced. For the non-drinkers, they offer a strong ginger ale, sparkling water, and sodas.
Bar service only, though our dishes were promptly cleared and we were checked on occasionally.
The Yelp 25% check-in for first-timers was a fantastic deal. Not sure how long Jay's Bar will run the promo, so take advantage while you can and try this welcome new spot.
THE VIBE: 3 stars
Hipster but hey, what do you expect. Jay's is in a random strip mall and you'll never guess the atmosphere from the outside. They converted it well though the place is incredibly small and at the end of the night, it still just seems like a converted strip mall office space.
THE BEER: 4-5 stars
Wonderful beer selection. I'm from San Diego and I do love the SD beer scene and it's nice to know that a place like Jay's has a good selection of craft beer. No crap on tap.
THE FOOD: 2 stars
My buddy ordered the butter burger; I ordered the bacon burger. We were curious about the burgers so we ate it family style. The butter burger was pretty atrocious. First, the burger is very small. Second, the patty is very dry. The entire burger doesn't mesh well and I would avoid this if I were you. The bacon burger is your standard burger and nothing special. It comes with an untoasted sesame seed bun that is too dry and kills the burger. If you're fat and old like me, you know that you have to save your calories for burgers that taste good; take my advice and skip the burgers here.
The french fries were delish but didn't compensate for the bad burgers (that have now made my ass 3 inches wider without the burger enjoyment I was looking for).
Awesome hole-in-the-wall bar/restaurant! Very simple design, extremely helpful/polite staff, chill ambience. Â I ordered poutine fries and the chicken wings during the happy hour, and they also have a pretty diverse menu of draft beer as well. Â It's not too crowded at the moment, so I would try to take advantage of going there before it starts getting packed.
As for parking, you can park in the small plaza area or in adjacent street areas.
A non-haiku review:
2.5 stars.
I'm willing to give this place the benefit of the doubt because it's new and obviously working out some kinks, but there were several things that were just off. First, our waiter wasn't able to answer pretty basic questions about the menu. He didn't know whether the burger came with fries (it didn't), and didn't know if we could sub regular fries for the poutine fries with the turkey sandwich (we could). We ordered the fried Brie app, the burger, and the turkey sandwich. The burger came out first, and we then waited a good 15 minutes for our appetizer and turkey sandwich to come out--with no fries. Turns out the fries are ON the sandwich, and the kitchen just completely left them off. To their credit, they gave us a side of fries to make up for it, but the whole process was confusing. Anyway, the food itself was good, but they really need to get their service figured out.
I think I found my Simpsons equivalent of Moe's, only classier. It's up the street, beer galore, across the way from my laundromat, and the game is on the screen. Am I excited to come here on laundry day? Shoe betcha!
Most bars usually fall into one of three categories:
The sports bar--- Usually play the trendiest of music with the game and if you're not a follower it's hard to fit it.
The mixologist bar--- Small beer selection and bartenders have a tendency to snarl when asked what in their mind is a "stupid question".
Beer baron bars--- Similar to the mixologist in terms of "please know your stuff before you open your mouth/ I'm smarter than you" except they mostly serve beer.
Jay's is a perfect combination of the best of the three.
They currently have 15 beers on tap including a few seasonal. However, if you're in the mood for simpler beer they also have Coors and PBR.
Wanna watch the game? Just ask and someone will find the right one for you.
Want to listen to awesome music the whole time you're there without the random "WTF, who chose this stupid ass song"? They've got great selection of handpicked tunes to choose from.
Hungry? Their kitchen is open extremely late and if you crave pizza order from Garage Pizza across the way. Jay's the owner of both so he's cool if you bring it in. Adi knows his liquor and once they get their liquor license he's set. Katherine is a sweetheart and great to talk to. Eric knows his sports and is super chill. The chef(s) knows how to rock taste buds. I'm definitely going to be as regular as a "social" drinker can be. See you next laundry day!!!
***Happy Hour* 4-7 Seven days a week!***
***Order the "La Fin de Monde" that just came out on draft. GOOOODD STUFF!!***
Had a good time at this place. Reasonable prices. Good selection of craft beers. Food and portion size were both good too. Service was extra friendly. I'll def be back.
Would have been five but my concern is once word gets out this place will be packed because the space is rather small.
Jay's Bar. A bar where drinking is made easy. (Beer and wine only... for now.)
In the same plaza as its cousin, Garage Pizza, Jay's Bar is the unpretentious, unassuming blacked out window venue on the right. While the decor is simple, the bar is full of personality, from patrons to staff. I love El Prado, but Jay's feels more inviting, like you're part of their family as opposed to just another patron on the prowl for a liquid refreshment.
Not only do they have a fine selection of craft beers, they've got wine, and sake shots for $1 (don't think that will be ongoing, though). Their late night food menu rocks (until 2am on the weekends, midnight on weekdays), and apparently they're open for lunch. BLAZAM. Annnnnd, if they're not serving food or nothing strikes your fancy, get a slice from Garage and bring it over. They're totally cool with that.
Word on the street is there's a future DoLorean-like service in the works (order a pizza for delivery from Garage when you're ready to roll and they'll take you home with the pizza)! Brilliant. Just brilliant.
OH MY GOD!!!!
Let me start out by saying THIS IS EVERYTHING MOHAWK BEND SHOULD HAVE BEEN!
But it failed and thankfully Jay's Bar just open to save us! This place is amazing, its been open only for a week and I got to check it out last night for the first time. Right now they only have beer and wine (a great beer selection I might add and I don't usually care for beer but drank a lot last night) - liquor license has been approved and is coming so have no fear. And of course $1 sake shots!? CAUSE WHY THE HELL NOT.
Went here after I ate dinner which was a total mistake because all the food looked amazing, someone in front of my got the Butter Burgers - a little bigger then sliders and then cooked with a chunk of butter on top. You KNOW that can't be bad.
But the Havarti mac and cheese is was did me in. I ate dinner #2 because of that damn delicious mac and cheese! It was fantastic. And not overly cheesy either - perfect amount baked on top with tomatoes and onions mixed in.
They also have one of the electronic music players which scare me cause god you can get people looking up such shit music and playing it (IM LOOKING AT YOU 4100!) Â THANKFULLY the owner blocked the internet and hand picked 300 albums to choose from - all amazing. Bowie, The Doors, Eagles of Death Metal, Divine Fits ect..
Jay the owner (who also owns Garage Pizza across the parking lot) is amazing - super friendly fun guy.
The inside is amazing, wood and cinder block line the walls but compliment each other perfectly. So yeah the dive gastropub label totally fits.
So anyway this is my new favorite bar in Silverlake. FINALLY A BAR THAT'S NOT OVER PRICED! There is a lot of good bars around but paying $20 for a drink is kind of insane.
I will be here a lot.
I walked in to Jay's Bar for the first time looking for a burger and possibly a pint, but I walked out a regular. Â One who perhaps has his own shuttle service...
The bar is dark, rustic on the inside--despite what the photos on the website or the big warehouse lamps will lead you to believe. Â It's nice. Â They had the shutters draw to block out too much direct light outside from the sun, or say the neighbors in the strip mall. Â
The menu offer a pretty eclectic assortment of foods -- from breakfast to salads, sides and mains mostly between $9-12. Â It had two burgers a 'double butter burger' which may or may not have butter as an actual topping ($8 and still unclear as to what's on it) and a burger with bacon and blue cheese ($10). Â I opted for the latter, as it included a mention of cheese, and as much as I like butter -- cheese wins.
Above the bar is a large mirror with 15 hand-written names and numbers indicating the selection and prices of beers on tap. Â Tasteful, nice. Â Hard as hell to read. Â Someone at some point told me they were looking to add a lamp above. Â I said this wasn't a terrible idea and added also, "it could just be that my eyes are shit."
The beers on the mirror (read: on tap) are of a good selection and average $7-8 per glass and then of course there are the old go-tos of 1893's "America's Best" blue-ribbon-winning Pabst and America's gimmickiest beer Coors Light stored in fridges in the bowels of the bar. Â
The burger was good, albeit slightly overcooked. Â And kale is worthless. Â This isn't to say that their preparation of kale is bad. Â I'm not sure what good preparation of kale is. Â It's this crunchy, worthless thing I thought we were done with now that 2012 was over, but fortunately it is easy to remove. Â At least a couple of fries would be nice (but maybe I accomplish this with the recommended poutine -- the meat and cheese and fries all in one pile strategy). Â
A minor setback. Â Where the bar really shines is the staff.
It started when the bartender thanked me for handing her my dirty dishes. Â Then apologized for the slight overcookedness of the burger, which really had nothing to do her. Â She explained they were new. Â This is true. Â It probably also explains how social the bar staff can be / how not quite busy it was. Â Granted, it was also a Wednesday. Â
Still-- any place where the bartenders and owner routinely introduce themselves with a handshake is a good thing. Â Jay's Bar, don't lose this. Â
As it was, it was happy hour, with $1 off drinks, so another round. Â And then the owner offered to put the Lakers game on. Â Another round! And then the Lakers won! Another round and we were off to the races!
What a great new spot in the neighborhood! Came in on a Friday night and was served the first pitcher ever at Jay's. It was the Eagle Rock Unionist and it was awesome.
Great beer selection at reasonable prices. Not cheap but good for a Silverlake bar and the quality of beer. You can save a dollar or so at happy hour from 4-7. The food all sounded great and we tried the mac & cheese which was really good - there was basil! You can bring in Garage Pizza as well, since they are owned by the same person.
I'm excited about this new neighborhood find and I've already been back twice!