Shakey Jakes

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  For those who love dive bars, this is your place. I was here on business and the reaction from a couple of locals was the same: dive bar in every sense of the word. With that being said, I loved this place. We went on a wednesday night around 11 and it was pretty dead but we got drinks fast and they wee pretty good.
  
  They have one of those buck hunting arcade games and a touch screen juke box on the wall along with knick-knacks and silly stuff all over the place. The bartender was friendly and the people in the bar were pretty chill.

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  Posted on 05.28.13 Julian T.

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  Horrible and unfriendly. I generally don't trash local businesses and always try to support them but in this case I'll make an exception.
  
  This place is nothing more than a glorified Gin Mill and local dive bar that caters to a local crowd.
  
  The food is pretentious, inedible and over priced, the beer selection is minimum and packaged goods are outrageously priced.
  
  Avoid at all cost, there are 4 local bar restaurants within walking distance, you'd be better off spending your time and hard earned cash at anyone of them.

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  Posted on 03.20.13 Michael D.

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  Shakey Jake's:  A real-world "Dalton's" [see Dalton's Columbia Inn review for joke]
  
  Preparing for the loss of being so close to such a wonderful establishment (Dalton's Columbia Inn), I felt it necessary to recapture the general feeling of Dalton's, in the town I'll be living in, with another Yelper, my WTB (wife-to-be for those who've not read any of my previous reviews- AND YOU SHOULD).  While waiting for her to arrive from where she works, I made my way over to SJ's.  
  
  I've read all the other reviews, hers included.  But I was there a few hours prior to her, and took more time to take things in.
  
  What I really like about the place is that, though divey (and yes, the lavs are... well...) it's quiet, cleanish, and not too far removed from Dalton's.  And yes, I'll make more comparisons, and will do so fairly.  
  
  Thier menu is simple and small.  Their cajun clams are very tasty and the bread they supply is 100% necessary to suck up every last drop of the broth left behind in the bowl in which the clams are served.  The pub menu looked tasty, and I may work my way through every item, one night at a time.
  
  Nancy could easily fit in with the staff in Columbia.  Attentive, friendly, helpful in finding you a good beer and making food recs.  Sadly, it would be quite confusing, as a Nancy already works at Dalton's.  
  
  Tap choices were ordinary, and included Stella, which I appreciated seeing.  I wager there are better thinfs in bottles in the cooler, but I did not ask, as I wanted to test the draught lines first.  She let me sample something, to see if I actually liked it.  I did not (Mich Amber).  However, I saw plaques touting Chimay and Sam Smith, so I figured it's under there somewhere.
  
  The buffalo burger (meat- not style) came out "medium" even though I asked for "still screaming from slaughterhouse" rare.  I ate it nonetheless, I was hungry.  I'll know not to order that again.  fries were coated, hot, and tasty.  
  
  As for music and sights- classic rock piped in (or should I say beamed in) through XM station.  And yes, there is a dart board, and odd arcade machines boasting golf and big-game hunting.  Odd combination if you ask me... though you didn't.  Plenty of HD tv screens set to sports channels.  I bet I can convince them to change one to Jeopardy on a slow night.  
  
  I passed on dessert- nothing thrilled me.  I almost tried their tiramisu, but thought for a minute.  I asked Nancy, and she admitted it's frozen.  Even though one of the regulars put hand to a stack of bibles about how good it is, I passed.  I'm spoiled, know what good tiramisu should be like, or both.
  
  And yes, we'll be back.  It's close to my future home, and I know I can rely on Nancy to get me a cold beer and a decent meal.  The real fun will start when we're considered regulars... anyone know if there's an application process?

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  Posted on 08.28.12 John S.

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  You gotta love that Shakey Jakes is listed under Dive Bars.
  
  I met my HTB here on Friday night after work, and it was EXACTLY what I needed.  The food was great (ok, no top coice anything, but the jerk wings were fantastic), the price was right, the drinks were generous, and nothing was over the top expensive.  I thought I'd try my luck with the carrot cake, and I was shocked it was so good.  I couldn't finish it.
  
  The waitress Nancy was fantastic.  Accomodating, friendly, and put up with us :)
  
  I agree the bathrooms are pretty terrible, and there are portions of the heating grates that are exposed.
  
  (Here comes the complement sandwich)
  
  I'd definitely go back.

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  Posted on 08.28.12 Eliz S.

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  I have been going to Shakey Jake's since 2002.  I returned the other night after a two year sabbatical and was pleasantly surprised because nothing had changed.  It's been family owned and run for at least that long, and it's a great local spot and "All American" bar.  The flag of honor hanging on the wall as you walk in will let you know that.  
  I tried the Guinness.  I was not too sure of it's quality at first and so I had another.  I still could not tell, so I had yet one more. I would say, after sampling my fith pint, that it's the best pint in NJ (and I should know, having made more visits to St. James Gate before I was 30 than most Muslims make to Mecca in a life time).   The Guinness was only $4.50 a pint - but if you want to pay $9 you can go to NYC.
  The restaurant is first class and has awesome daily specials at a great price.  Almost every meal comes with some type of cheese, and "Cheese is good".  
  I should also mention here that all the meals seem to go great with Guinness (for some reason).
  Advice:  you will want to leave before closing time, when Chuck 'unleashes the hounds'.  Seriously, a half-rabid dog named 'Jake' is set lose to eat the scraps off the floor. I don't think they feed him during the day.  He sometimes gets so worked up he starts shaking in fits and starts.  This is about the time you will want to leave....well before the scraps are gone.
  I only had a bad experience here once when some A#5hole tried to take my personal darts.
  If you happen to ride here on your ATV/quad.....don't get any bright ideas about going home on it after a drink or two!  This is considered class two felony in Stanhope and increases to a class one felony should you cross into Netcong and the local police do not have a sense of humor about such things.

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  Posted on 12.04.11 Joseph L.

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  Dropped in here to celebrate a birthday. Drink prices are pretty good, service was also very good. Bartender remembers your drink even with a full house.
  
  Parking lot is small. One odd thing is the dart boards. It is bring your own darts. Made the mistake of picking up someone personal dart. My bad.
  
  Bathrooms are pretty terrible.
  
  Decent hole in the wall place for being all the way out in the sticks.

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  Posted on 07.13.11 Brian C.

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