I really, really wanted to like this place. I think the idea of it is great--it's a townie bar, super low-key, and great if you don't want to go anywhere fancy, which is perfect for me.
We went here for a late lunch around 3:30-4 and the place was pretty dead, understandable that's a weird time to eat. We were told to seat ourselves and we sat in the lower level of the restaurant. As we had been acknowledged when we walked in we figured that sitting at a table with a somewhat obscured view wouldn't matter because the staff had seen us come in. After sitting there for 10 minutes and watching the waitress stand upstairs and joke with the bartender, the hostess finally realized we hadn't been served and hurriedly came over to apologize and take our drink orders. She was super nice and apologetic and mistakes happen, but it seemed odd and unprofessional to forget about two of the eight total people in the restaurant.
I'm surprised the food here has been so favorably reviewed because while it's far from bad, it certainly isn't anything to write home about. The potato skins we started with her tasty and the portion size is decent to split between two people. They were a little dry but otherwise really good. My boyfriend got the philly cheesesteak which looked better than my grilled cheese and he said it was great, so if you want a good philly cheesteak Jimm'y should have you covered. However, the grilled cheese I ordered (now please not this was an $8.00 grilled cheese) left a lot to be desired. It was advertised as "traditional white" bread but the bread it came on tasted old and kind of odd. The cheese also wasn't totally melted so the sandwich was fairly lackluster. The fries are good, although ours came out luke-warm so I think if they would have been served hot they would have been really tasty. They reminded me of 5 Guys fries.
One final note, if you are in a rush this is NOT the place to go. The server was very sweet but the service is SLOW.
I think Jimmy's has a lot of potential and I'd be willing to try it for a second time but after an initial take I think a 3 star review is pretty generous.
Something happened with regards to the kitchen and it's not good.
The last few times I've come my food has been much worse then in years past. Â
Yesterday I got a cheese steak and it was really really blah. Â The meat tasted like it was sitting in water and was almost flavorless but for the salt. Â There was no sign that it was cooked in a flattop and that wonderful sear that you associate with a cheese steak. Â My parents have been 2 weekends in a row for the prime rib special that they love and one time they said it was overcooked and lacking flavor and the second time it was so much fat and what little meat they received was almost completely flavorless. Â The Au Jus was described as slightly salty water by them :(
I'll come back for the Perogies and Kielbasa, but I'm going to stay away from some of my old favorites for a while
My instinct was to leave a 2 star review but I just can't, not knowing that I'm willing to give it another go... But this trip was really a disappointment.
There's still a pretty great beer selection and a great atmosphere.
Was looking for places on Yelp to eat while on business trip, but reviews had me nervous that may be too casual for group.  Really missed Beef on Weck sandwiches I had years ago in Buffalo.  By chance, had time to stop for lunch with colleague on way to Airport.  So glad we did.  Neat comfortable/casual bright dining room.  Solid service, and fantastic sandwich!!  Fresh authentic bun, thin sliced beef, very good fries.  Don't let the sign for the antique store upstairs  "Roaches in the Attic" discourage you!!  Will return when in the area.
Review Source:We flew into Dulles last weekend just to hit two restaurants in Baltimore but we decided to stop here as soon as our flight got in. I saw online that they serve wings with Anchor Bar sauce so I had to try em!
I ordered the Buffalo Platter and my gf got a BLT. The buffalo platter had wings, pierogies with kielbasa and a beef on weck sandwich. I was really looking forward to the wings but the stand outs were the other two items. The wings were not cooked long enough for me - they had no crispiness to them at all.
The service was great and the food was good. The wings were just a little bit of a let down.
This was my first time here. Â I am a western NY native, love the Bills, and love good wings. Â This place had been on my radar for awhile, and having poutine on the menu convinced me to go.
To say I was let down is an understatement, but maybe I had my hopes too high.
Pros:
The tavern is exactly that, a tavern. Â Nothing fancy, but that added character. Â The workers there were all great. Â The drinks were great. Â Plenty of seating in the back. Â Service was great.
Cons:
The wings, advertised as 'Anchor Bar' wings, were average at best. Â I LOVE Anchor Bar wings, and these reminded me more of Outback than those. Â The poutine was average at best, which is still good for NVa.
Definitely a great place to watch a Sabres game (1 was on), or if around Herndon to grab a drink. Â I wanted to give 3.5 stars, but the wings made me round down to 3...
JOTT is a great place and welcoming on any given night of the week or weekend. Â Weekends are usually better with the special events and sports. Â Awesome atmosphere if you support the Buffalo Bills and/or Sabres. Â (Let's Go Buffalo!) Granted, they do well for the Buffalo Sabres games, but I haven't been for one in some time. Â Rumor has it that JOTT stopped putting Rick Jeanneret's play-by-play over the speakers. Â If this is true, that makes me sad.
Food is great. Â Love my Chicken Wings (they're not called Buffalo Wings where I'm from) and most of the time JOTT does them right. Â I enjoy the Beef on Weck and the Buffalo Wrap. Â Things can get a little pricey, but that comes with the territory in Northern VA. Â Excellent beers on hand. Â Having Molson and Labatt Blue (and Labatt Blue Light) available is like taking me back home, and I love it.
As a little side note, if you're there for a Bills' game and you elect to try the high-five challenge after a touchdown during the Shout song, good luck. Â It's pretty difficult to do.
So today, my wife and I ventured out to Herndon, VA to Jimmy's Old Town Tavern...one of the better Bills bars in the Northern Virginia area. Â I had my #13 jersey on, and I was all set to watch the game with some mediocre "authentic" wings and some subpar beef on weck. Â When you're away from Buffalo, you'll take what you can get.
Now we've been to Jimmy's before, and we've met Jimmy, who is a South Buffalo native who is just a bit full of himself, but he loves his Bills. Â We've even been there when he had Scott Norwood as his guest, and watched the game with one of the most hated members of Bills history. Â Jimmy is a bit rough around the edges...but so are many from his neighborhood. Â
Today was different, though. Â Today, we went to Jimmy's expecting a good experience. Â Even though some idiot with an old Rob Johnson jersey took up two spots to rob me of the last of the nearby parking, I was still not deterred. Â I'd been waiting for months to see this game. Â As we walked closer to the building, I started hearing some shouting. Â My immediate thought was that someone was giving Jimmy a hard way to go in the back alley. Â Did he need help? Â Who knew? Â What we found was Jimmy yelling at someone...telling him that he needed to get off the property and that if he came back, he would be arrested for trespass. Â Was it some drunk patron with a bad attitude? Â Nope, it was a 17 year old kid, who apparently couldn't work his whole shift that day. Â Jimmy started yelling at him calling him a quitter and telling him that he wouldn't amount to anything in his life because he's a quitter.
Really, Jimmy? Â Because you're the f'ing paragon of success, running your little bar on the fringes of civilized Virginia? Â Here it is, Jimmy...your food is subpar, your service is poor, your decor is dated, and apparently, you have no class. Â I mean, honestly...did it make you feel like a big tough guy to belittle a 17 year old kid in front of would-be patrons? Â The kid was already tearing up...did you really need to keep going? Â You're a bully. Â A mid 40s cement-head from South Buffalo, proving all of the stereotypes of the neighborhood to be true. Â Today, Jimmy, you made me sad to be from Buffalo. Â You represented your neighborhood poorly. Â I really don't care what that kid did wrong. Â He's a high schooler...you're a grown assed man. Â Take the high road, don't be a moron.
Up to this point, I had busted ass to get to this place to watch the game with fellow Bills fans. Â Hell, after seeing how bad we were going to lose, I know that I would have had fellow Buffalonians to comiserate with. Â But as I saw Jimmy acting with complete and total classlessness, Â I turned to my wife and said "I don't think I need to be here." Â With that, we walked all the way back to the car and drove away...never to return to Jimmy's Old Town Tavern.
Checked this place out for the first time over the past weekend. Â Parking was a bit iffy but we went early on a Sunday before any kind of rush. Â The place is kinda old and it was freezing inside. Â But I'm ok with that.
They supposedly have some super duper great wings. Â So two orders of those would start us off. Â I also ordered the turkey BLT with fries. Â And my dad and bro got the grilled chicken sandwhich.
The wings looked good. Â And they tasted pretty dern good as well. Â They were big and juicy. Â The buffalo sauce for being mild had a really nice flavor. Â It looked also as if their might have been a little bit of rub on the wings that also added to the flavor. Â I'm not sure if this is a good thing but in a way, the seasoning reminded me of Outbacks wings. Â But they were still really good.
Our sandwiches came out pretty quickly. Â My turkey blt looked the part. Â It was big, could have rivaled cheese cake factory. Â The turkey was quality, the ingredients fresh, and the bread was awesome. Â No complaints. Â The fries were good as well but I couldn't eat many of them.
The chicken sandwiches looked pretty small compared to mine but they looked really well seasoned.
Service was really laid back, not necessarily a bad thing. Â But some people might not appreciate that.
Overall, my experience was rather pleasent. Â I think that their menu might be hit or miss however. If your in the mood for buffalo wings, I would recommend it. Â My sandwich was great but I'm not sure about the others. Â Overall, I would give this joint a 3/5
This review is only for lunch.
If you're high maintenance, this place is not for you. Â I came in a group and there was a strange smell about the place. Â Not enough to turn me off, but enough to make me aware I wasn't in a fancy joint. Â Another annoying thing: Â flies! Â House flies all over the place! Â I felt like I was eating at an outdoor picnic, staring at them landing on my coworker's hat and restraining myself from swatting at his face.
With that said, the beef on weck, like everyone says, is good. Â It's essentially a french dip, but with a salted, caraway (?) seed bun. Â The bread is good, so don't go throwing it away b/c you're trying to cut down on carbs (*shakes head*). Â Don't go out of your way to come here to eat, but don't be afraid to come in either ;)
I had never been to Herndon. Â I used Yelp to find Jimmy's Old Town Tavern and the desk clerk at the hotel said that I would love it.
Jimmy's is my kind of place - diverse crowd - cold beer - good food. Â
I had beef on weck that was done just right and a couple of pints of Yuengling. Â The servers (especially Nicole) were terrific. Â
I happened to be there on trivia night and that was a blast.
Try Jimmy's - you will not be disappointed!
Yup, I definitely saw a big girl making out with 5 different people. Â She was also giving out free motor boats to those 5 different people. Â Oh and as an added bonus, I def saw a triple kiss bt her gf and another random dude somewhere in there. Â Holy hell, where was I? Â What's going on? Â Why is this happening on a TUESDAY night? Â HA! Â This is the randomness you will witness at Jimmy's. Â I honestly didn't know whether I should have laughed or cried. Â I'm giving 4 stars for the amazing people watching and also for Beef Weck! Â It's a Buffalo staple (Jimmy's is a Buffalo Bills bar). Â I'm no expert but the au jus was fabulous! Â It was full of flavor and went so so perfectly with the slow roasted beef. Â Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
Review Source:Jimmy's continues to deliver. Â The crowd, ambiance, and service are top notch for the area, and the food/drink quality and selection are great.
In contrast to several of my fellow reviewers, I would never characterize Jimmy's as a "dive bar." Â To do so demonstrates a lack of understanding of bar hierarchy and the provincial attitude and skewed perspective of the bar-spoiled Northern Virginian. Â Jimmy's smells of quality bar food and beer, the hallmarks of a neighborhood bar, not urine and depression, the odors of the dive.
Well, after a quick ride today on the Harley, I was thinking about a chill out local bar and Jimmy's came to mind.
Beer was cold, service was friendly, and went for their wings HOT and fried a bit longer to get em good & crispy!
I ordered the Beef on Weck to top off my night and was not disappointed! Â Great food, the hockey game kept my attention but had to get back on the bike for a relaxing ride home in this great weather!!!
Jimmy's is a go-to standard for family AND bikers alike! Â See you again soon... ;)
I am writing this as I am listening to today's Mike O'Meara podcast.
The first time I was here was the Saturday after Christmas 2006. I amaze myself on random things I remember. I was a first-time homeowner semi-nearby and I was exploring my new town. I had their Saturday night prime rib special.
Memories I already have include JOTT winning the best wings of Northern Virginia last year. My vote helped the cause, by the way. Because of my winning vote, Jimmy made good on his promise of doing the chicken dance strolling the downtown Herndon streets sporting nothing much more than his white boxers. I remember it was still pretty cold outside, so mad props to Jimmy for that!
Other memories include coming in before AND after the summer Friday Night Live (free) concert series.
I have a new fun memory at JOTT. Yesterday was our first Super Bowl game and was the first time we had to make reservations. Among the local celebrities were Channel 4's Pat Collins, who was doing a story on downtrodden Redskins fans, and the Mike O'Meara podcast show. Motrya and I had those same award-winning wings ($0.50 cents each during the game) first and then during the game had the best Philly cheesesteak ($9) with green peppers ($0.50) and mushrooms (($0.50). During the game's commercials, we voted "Like" or "Dislike" on each commercial during the first quarter. The poor guy O'Meara had counting the votes couldn't keep up and quit. Nicole, our server, was absolutely wonderful!
One more note, JOTT truly honors our Veterans!
Thanks so much for the fun times so far and looking forward to more!!!
Goodness, where do I even begin.
I grew up in this area, so I know Jimmy's very well. It's been an old town landmark. However, I have personally never been there. The main reason being up until recently, you could just be driving by and overcome by the plumes of cigarette smoke coming out of the front door. And, that never appeals to me!
But, today, my co-workers decided that's where they wanted to go. And, knowing it is now non-smoking, I obliged and said what the heck, I will give it a shot.
The service left a lot to be desired. The waitress was nice and all, but was slow, and neglected to give us the specials - which we heard her tell people next to us AFTER we were done with our meals. I actually would have ordered the special if I had heard it first. When our food came out, it sat on a tray about 10 feet from our table, for a good 3-5 minutes before the waitress even came over to distribute it to our table.
When I asked for a condiment and she proceeded to go refill drinks and check on customers for the next 10 minutes. By the time I got it my food was cold.
I ordered the portabella wrap, which if I was lucky had 4-5 teenie weenie mushrooms that were NOT even portabellas. My coworker got the same thing, and I think he had even less mushrooms than I did. The rest of the wrap was lettuce and onions. That's it! It was horrible. Just horrible.
Needless to say, I will never go back there again. There are just way too many other, much better, options. If you want to sit a a dingy bar and drink beer - ok. But if you want a nice dining experience this is not the place.
I just left Jimmy's after quite a lunch and couldn't write this terrible review fast enough.
After seating myself and getting myself a menu (and witnessing the staff watch me while i navigated around with my stroller), it was not until 10 minutes later when I loudly said 'I guess i'll have to go into the kitchen and cook for myself also' that someone came over to get my order. I was never offered a high chair. Â Instead, the entire staff including the owner, watched me wrestle with my 15 month old on my lap.
The restaurant was not full - this wasn't during the lunch rush or happy hour. There is no reason to be so rude to a parent and new resident of Herndon.
Sometimes, by chance, you stumble onto something magical. Waiters wearing Munich aprons (for octoberfest), dancing/hopping around and truly excited to be there. A place so busy and happy that an older seemingly somewhat stuffy couple gladly let their waiter setup two trays over the foosball table to get a couple drinks and enjoy the atmosphere. The couple dining next to us, asking the waiter to be sat at the bar after their meal so that a pair of 20 something guys could have their dinner a little faster. I don't think I saw a single person in that tavern that didn't have a smile on their face.
We had driven from DC solely to try their poutine and it was good. A large portion (big enough for 2 as an appetizer), a very strong beef gravy, and melted curds (not the right kind, but good). Not exactly the best poutine I've ever had (see the list), but it hit the spot. The suicidal wings were hot (too hot for the GF even when sampling the sauce with her fork), but not crazy hot. Add to this a celebration of Octoberfest with a good beer selection (loved the $3.75 Paulaner!) and a killer atmosphere, and you got a place we will certainly return to even with the 30min drive.
not a long time listener and definately a late time caller! Â I stopped for lunch while running errands. Â It was a weekday since I work odd hours/days. Â I sat at a table in the bar area and had a super nice and friendly wait ladeeee. Â
I ordered the Buffalo Platter - since it I had read about it on Yelp AND happen to be Ukranian/Russian and can actually make pierogies(which is a side choice vs fries or something - all I saw was Pierogie!) Â LOL Â Not sure about the beef on weck - I would not know any different but it was very good. Â
I was disappointed with the pierogies as they were not in the saute form(as stated on the menu but were fried or something, nor were they homemade (by them or anyone else - I know Mrs T's when I see them!) Â
The kielbasa was very thinly sliced and of course I'm used to a hunka hunka. Â
I will also say that for one that has not actually eaten wings with bones in them since I was like 7 due to a trauma at a chinese place (I recall picking one up and seeing the tiny hairs on them and have not had one since - bone-in form) - I sucked it up and did not study them (so I have no idea if they have those same hairs) but they were very yummy - I only wish I had asked for them hotter - me like spicey food! Â I will next time! Â
I would also brave out on my own (I'm new to the area/state) for some of the fun nights as everyone seems very friendly, unpretentious etc - parking kinda sucks though!
I loved my experience at Jimmy's! My friends and I had just gone for a swim and came here on a whim, so we honestly weren't looking our best, but it was fine. People were mostly in jeans and teeshirts, so there was no need to impress here. Most of the clientele seemed to be in their 30's and 40's (some in their late 20's, but not many younger than that). This is a good ol' hometown-type bar. There aren't that many tables (the place isn't huge and the space is split between the bar area and the seating area), so it could be a challenge to find a place to sit.
As a Caps fan, I wasn't too pleased to see a Buffalo Sabres viewing party going on when I went (sorry!). Even so, I loved the pride they had for their hometown and I feel this would be an awesome place to hang out if you WERE a fan of any Buffalo team to watch the games with fellow fans in the DC area.
Wings are SO good. OHHH man, they were awesome. Dare I say, the best I've had in this area? They were fabulous. Seriously. Try them for yourself. I want to come back and try other things too... but those wings are so tempting. mmm.
The best thing about Jimmy's, though, is the friendly atmosphere. The staff is certainly pleasant, but Jimmy himself is AWESOME! He's a really nice guy and takes the time to come around and talk to everyone. He gets to know you and within 5 minutes, you're already feeling like a "regular". You don't get that kind of feeling from many other places in this area, which truly makes Jimmy's Old Town Tavern one-of-a-kind.
Umm. Yeah. I am starting this review with no idea how many stars I'm ending up at. In all honesty, Jimmy's is a bit like the strange girl your friends set you up with. When you first make eye contact, you are strikingly uncomfortable at just how unapologetic she is for not being like other girls. She is brash and brazen; you can't do anything but plan a way to get the hell away. You decide to stick it out and as the evening passes, it eventually starts to hit you... you might actually like this girl. In fact, the more you talk (and the more you drink), the more you come to appreciate the subtle nuances of her quirkiness. Before you know it, the night has come to a close and you allow yourself to admit that not only is she not what you thought, but that's the reason you want to see her again. You might even go so far as to use the word smitten. Funny how that happens.
I should just end my review there, but I can't. At the risk of ruining the flow, there are two things about my night at Jimmy's you should know.
1) Within 5 minutes of arriving, I was physically pushed away from the bar by a woman 15 years my senior and weighing at least as much as me. (FYI - I'm no slouch in the body mass index department.) I wasn't doing anything wrong, I was just taking up the exact spot on planet Earth she wanted to be in. I was well and truly dumbfounded.
2) I had some of the best service I've had in a very long time. We were standing at the half wall thing and our waitress, whose name I never caught, was fantastic. I'm not saying that because I'm shallow and she was all giggly and cleavagey. In fact, she was neither. Instead she was quick, efficient and had a dry sense of humor that facilitated an awesome (and unprompted) gag involving four orange slices, a cherry and my buddy who hates fruit in his beer. I tipped her 30% and actually feel like I shafted her, service was that good.
You gotta love a Buffalo-themed sports bar. Where else would you find LaBatt's AND Beef on Weck in northern Virginia? Â Jimmy's is the real deal, and blows the pretentious (and rude) "Thirsty Bernie" (the other Buffalo bar in the area) out of the water. Â Jimmy himself is usually on the premises, and if you happen to visit during a Buffalo Bills game, and the Bills are WINNING (rare, I know...), the mood is infectious.
But, where can I get a garbage plate around here (oh, that's Rochester...never mind).
Basic, delicious wings in four simple flavors (no lemon pepper or Cajun sauce here...)--CHECK. Â A sheen on the wood of the bar from decades of non stop smoking--CHECK. Â A truly diverse bunch of people sitting at the bar--CHECK. Â Jimmy's is a Herndon mainstay and is preferred over the slicker, pricier spots in Reston Town Center. Â You feel you're in a real town, and a real pub, at Jimmy's. Â But keep the kids at home, despite that fussball table near the bar.
I've been commuting to and from the Herndon area for at least 10 years and yet today was the first time I've ever set food in Jimmy's. Â I am a grade A jackass. Â However, I didn't get to see Jimmy, but I'll keep an eye out for him the next time.
I went with the Buffalo platter to have a chance to try a couple of things. Â I have no idea if the food is authentic. Â Do I plan on going to Buffalo? Â Not anytime soon. Â The Beef on Weck was good and reminded me of my beloved Roy Rogers roast beef sandwich...only this came with a cup of au jus. Â Mmm...au jus. Â The wings were the dry type, no wet sauce on them like the other wing places in the area. Â Also, the wings were the size of Buffalo Wing Factory's wings. Â I liked them although next time I'm going to have to kick it up a notch on the spice level. Â The Pierogies were very good. Â They came with a lot of sauteed onions and a decent amount of sliced kielbasa. Â I washed it all down with a half and half (half Harp and half Guinness).
Now I wasn't wowed by the food. Â It was good, but what made the place for me was the staff. Â The bartender and wait staff were incredibly welcoming. Â Those of you following my reviews know that I tend to eat alone. Â The staff at Jimmy's kept me and everyone else entertained while we ate and drank. Â Very chill establishment, the kind of place you can just walk in, sit down at the bar and have a decent lunch. Â The place itself isn't very big and there are tv's placed appropriately such that you can keep an eye on a tv from every corner of the place. Â Parking is available across Elden Street in the municipal lot.
Cliff Notes: Great food at a great value, great drinks, and an awesome atmosphere!
I am really digging the vibe of this place. It's got such a "locals" kind of feeling, but also a very friendly down-home atmosphere.
I came here for dinner around 8:00 PM on a Friday night and was sent past the bar to the dining room stairs where Jimmy took down our names. He followed that up immediately with "What are you drinkin tonight?" I opted for the half and half, but my fiancee had a harder time choosing. She is the kind of girl that needs a cocktail menu, so I asked Jimmy to whip something girly up for her. He joked that if she didn't like it, he'd rename the bar after me. Shortly after, a Hurricane was delivered mixed by Jimmy himself, and it was fantastic! The bar won't be changing it's name any time soon.
This place was completely packed, with plenty of people waiting around for a table. Eventually, we scored a table for two. We started off with the Poutine Fries. The hand-cut fries truly do make a difference in this dish. The gravy smothered on the fries was enjoyable, but it really reminded me of KFC gravy. the portion was not as large as I expected it would be, but that's also a positive since I had room for my entree.
For the main course I had the Buffalo Platter which consisted of:
-Beef on Weck: You can really tell that they truly live up to their "Fresh" decree-their sliced beef tasted extremely fresh! However, you're definitely going to need the au jus due to the nature of the sandwich.
-Buffalo Wings: I've had friends tell me that the wings at Anchor Bar are truly the best Buffalo Wing, and if this place has the most authentic wings you can find outside of Buffalo, I can see why. These wings were perfectly cooked. They came out hot, but not overcooked. The wings were very tender and easy to enjoy.
-Pierogi w/ Kielbasa Sausage: No complaints here. The stuffing in the dumpling was very moist, and the Kielbasa that accompanied it was sweet, and not overwhelming.
My fiancee ordered the Portabello Wrap. She said it lacked flavor, but I took a bite of this and can argue the complete opposite. Once again, the freshness in this really came through. The garlic herb tortilla really brought out some flavors that you never get out of a wrap.
Pamela was our server and she really hit a home-run on service. She was quick to ask my fiancee if she wanted onion rings instead of french fries with her Portabello Wrap since we were already ordering the Poutine Fries, and she even gave me a small side of Suicidal Hot Sauce with my wings because I inquired about it. We never had to ask for a thing - it's like she knew exactly what we wanted. She even was observant enough to bring us carry-out boxes before we asked. This kind of service in a full house is exemplary!
I am so glad Jimmy's is close to my house, as I will be back often!
I had the good fortune of visiting Jimmy's on the day that the Virginia indoor smoking ban went into affect, so the reviewers noting the air quality (that almost steered me away from visiting) may want to give it another shot if that was the primary gripe. Â Thankfully that's no longer a concern because Jimmy's is a great, genuine townie establishment.
I made my way through a crowd of newly-displaced smokers and through the front doors to find the place packed for the weekly pub quiz (Tuesdays at 7). Â As I hunted around for a free seat, one of the waitresses cheerfully greeted me and directed me to a small table downstairs that was obscured by the crowds and a wall.
After I was seated, the service was quick, friendly, and efficient. Â I was immediately recognized as "not from around here" by staff and patrons alike but nobody looked like they wanted to kick my ass (like I've experienced in similar establishments elsewhere) and I bet if I'd been able to stick around for more than dinner and a beer, I could have made a few friends pretty easily.
For dinner, I had the north Philly style cheesesteak with peppers and mushrooms, and upgraded the fries to a side of poutine and it was fresh and filling, if a bit on the bland side. Â The poutine was noteworthy only for the fact that it's on the menu this far south of the border, which is too bad because well-made poutine is an absolute artery-clogging delight. Â Sub-par poutine just shortens your life expectancy for no good reason.
Food aside, Jimmy's offers everything you'd expect from a good neighborhood bar - cheap drinks, neon signs, satellite TV (they show all Buffalo Bills and Sabres games), a trivia night, poker tournaments, holiday parties, open mic night, live music, et cetera. Â Definitely worth a visit if you're passing through Reston/Herndon, and I can easily see this being at least a semi-regular destination if I lived in the area.
If you are looking for a place with good sandwiches and beer then this is your place. A few coworkers and I decided to hit up Jimmy's for lunch. Â I will say this if you don't want to be around smokers then you might want to go else where. Â The bar area is the smoking section. Â If you don't want smoking you have to go to the lower level. Â The only issue is you can still smell it. Â I don't mind smokers so it didn't bother me. Â
I was really in the mood for something greasy, so what better to order but the Ruben and fries. Â This meal hit the spot just right. Â This in fact is one of the best Rubens I've ever had. Nice and greasy and tasty =) Â My coworkers got the French dip and the Jambalaya. Â Both of them had no complaints. Â The portions were generous. Â All there of us were stuffed by the time we finished. Â Our waitress was very friendly and she was always coming by to talk and check up on us. Â She made fun of us, we made fun of her. It was all good. Â
The décor inside is nothing fancy.  Just you typical bar environment.  Beer advertising all over the place and TVs.  The only down side is the parking.  If you don't find street parking you have to go across the street to the lot and hope there is a space open. Â
We will all go back again for some more greasy, I mean tasty food. Â Good fast service, friendly staff, and good food. Â How can you go wrong?
As soon as you walk into this place three important things scream at you:
1. There really is a Jimmy, and this really is his old town tavern.
2. Buffalo.
3. Back in the day, all bars used to be like this, and now too few of them are.
If the corporate chains are making you feel the breath of sadness, sit down next to Jimmy's....
Because those chains are touched by madness, sit down next to Jimmy's
Those chains should find themselves ridiculous, sit down next to Jimmy's
In love in fear in hate in tears, sit down next to Jimmy's
In love in fear in hate in tears, sit down next to Jimmy's
in love, in fear, in hate , in tears.......
****1/2 Stars out of *****
But, they don't have 1/2 stars...
I met Jimmy when he was a bartender at Sully's outside of Centreville, more years ago than I care to count.
My posse and I were not happy when he told us he was leaving Sully's. Â But, we were happy for him that he was going to open his own place in Olde Town Herndon. Â Herdon was off of our beaten path, so who knew when we would ever go there.
So sad, we were. Â Jimmy left a huge void at Sully's. Â Not long after he left, Sully's fell off of our rotation.
More than a year later, I bought a house in Herndon...within walking distance (just across the golf course path) to Old Town Herndon. Â But, Jimmy's still hadn't opened. Â Only a sign marked that it was forthcoming. Â Every day that I drove past it, I noticed the construction phases...
So, nooooooo! Â I didn't buy my house just so I could walk to my local watering hole!
When "Jimmy's" finally opened...ahhhhh....bliss!
My kinda bar, and I can stumble (or roll) down the bike path home! Â WooHoo! Â
My friends would get off work (from AOL, EDS, etc), park their cars in my drive, and we would all trek across the path together for Happy Hour! Â
If you are going there for dinner, expect great food. Â Not fast food. They take the time to do it right! Â Sit down, relax, and order the Surf and Turf the way you like it! Â You will not be disappointed!
Fun bartenders, theme nights, great times! Â Moreover, I am really impressed with all of the charity events they continue to have! Â
I am based in Los Angeles now, but when I go back East, I always go to Jimmy's! Â And I am always treated like a regular, even if they don't know my name anymore! Â
Travelers, if you are ever stuck at Dulles or anywhere in Northern Virginia, get a cab ride to Jimmy's! Â
p.s. Â I would give it 5 stars, but it is a BILLS (But I Like Losing Super Bowls) bar, and I am a Cowboys fan. Â
Eh, no one is perfect!
Damn, I forgot about the poutine fries.
I've been on the search for great fish + chips nearby. I already tried Catfish Lewie's, but Haymarket's not that convenient for me.
I had the fortune/misfortune of going to Jimmy's during the Herndown City Fair, so it was packed. There was so much energy. It was an extremely diverse crowd of overweight middle-aged white guys. :-) So I sort of stood out, but that's cool.
I went with a group of my friends, and we didn't even look at the menu. Because we intentionally came here on Friday on their famous Fish Fry night. Fried Haddock + Chips with Cream of Crab.
Our waiter was super friendly. He confused us by asking about Buffalo. We were like "We're not from Buffalo...." it wasn't until later we found out that it's a Bufallo Bills bar.
Despite the bar being completely packed, service was prompt and efficient. We all ordered the Fish and Chips. One of my friends also got the Pierogies and I forget the name, but polish sausages as well.
They all tasted great. The Cream of Crab soup was very light and smooth. I wish it had more crab meat, but it's arguably the best chowder I've had in a long time.
The fries were similar to Catfish Lewie's, in other words, similar in size, texture and flavor to Five Guys fries. The pierogies were a little crispy, which is good, and well cooked. The sausages were diced and yummy.
Now to the fish. Jimmy's adds the skin of the fish as part of the fish fry, some people like it, some people don't. I don't but my friends did. The batter is thinner than what you'd get at an Arthur Treacher's. If you've been to Catfish Lewie's, it's the exact same type of pattern. Darker brown breading. The fish itself is a little softer, a little more moist than at Catfish Lewie's. Once again, this is a personal preference. I like dryer, less delicate fish better, but Jimmy's was still very good. At first I kept comparing it to Catfish Lewies, but the more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it.
I didn't have room for dessert, but I wish I did.
I'd like to go back to Jimmy's on a less crowded night. It's a fun place to be. There's a lot of room and everyone seemed to be having so much fun. The smoke is a little annoying, but I got used to it real fast.
I think Catfish Lewie's fish and chips are a little better tasting, but Jimmy's has a much more lively atmosphere. It's a great place to go.
I went for the poutine fries. I stayed for the fantastic, one-of-a-kind people watching. I go back for the small town, upstate New York vibe.
Sure, Jimmy's may seem like a dingy dive bar compared to the mass-produced, chain restaurants we've become accustomed to here in NoVA, but that's what gives the place such character. It's laid back, inexpensive and sure beats Glory Days!!!
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