Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 11:34:39 AM

link
Been to Jak's Tap a number of times over the past two years. Food is OK, beer selection is pretty good (although they are usually out of a few of the offerings). Initially from the outside I was thinking sports bar, but the beer selection (variety) was much better than I anticipated. If you live in that area or find yourself over there it's not a bad place to stop by and see what they offer.

Friday 4th of June 2010 04:45:11 PM

link
Jaks is a standard West Loop pub, with an emphasis on draft micros. When I visited, they were out of 6-7 of the 40 taps available. The server was quick to mention this first thing, as to avoid any disappointment.

Many large after-work parties seemed to congregate here, making the atmosphere a bit loud when combined with the half-dozen tv's and music in the place. Service was prompt and informative, not rushed, but attentive. Maybe 200 tap handles line the walls of the booths in the dining area. It was sort of a let down seeing them, and knowing those beers weren't available from the bar. Draft seasonals from GI and Bells, including the Sparkling Ale/Tripel, combined with a well-rounded group of mainstream imports (Paulaner, Urquell, Warsteiner, Spaten, Young's) make up the selection.

The food was great, i've eaten here a few times, and it's pretty consistent. They specialize in baby back ribs, burgers, pizza, and sandwiches. Chili here is also tasty. Recommended if you are in the area...

2008: Last visit here they had Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and Caracole Ambree in it's own glassware. A slightly better selection, but overall score stays the same.

Tuesday 7th of August 2007 03:46:15 AM

link
This is a tavern & restaurant affiliated with the Village Tap in Roscoe Village [3400 N. & 2200 W.]. It was one of Chicago's first multi-tap taverns. In a prior life, it was the home of Chicago's *third* modern-era brewpub, the Tap & Growler.
It is in a very intriguing neighborhood in central Chicago (neither in the loop, nor downtown). It wraps in nicely with your transit options. The #8 Halsted quits running at 1:15 am northbound. The #60 Blue Island - 26th bus will take you back to the west and south (even into Cicero) all night long; but you're only two blocks north of the Blue Line “L” "UIC - Halsted" station [Peoria entrance | exit] which runs all the time (unless the CTA is doing track maintenance).
The beers on tap here are very good. I became very familiar with them during the two seasons when the tavern was where indoor soccer post-game parties were held. There are some macros, and some clunks, on offer here, but for me, the snag was that, probably due to the cost of the location, the beers bore higher-than-average prices. A lot of the beers are $5.50 | pint. There's a one-page sheet which shows you the beers on draft [The styles are dutifully listed; except for Stella Artois, which was described as a "Belgian Beer".], and the prices for each. Summit and Berghoff are usually the low-priced draft beers.
Jak's Tap has a preferred customer program for which you can sign up to receive a monthly coupon offering savings on a food item [usually, buy one entree, get one equally-priced entree free]. The most recent coupon promoted its renovated hamburger menu. It also presents "Humulus Lupulus", a twice-annual beer tasting event early in the evening on a Thursday; and a one-night-per-month beer special in which you buy the beer and get to keep the brewery's glass. I thought the food here was average, and the restaurant management may have felt similarly when it decided upon this recent menu enhancement.
It has installed lots of new plasma and flat-screen television sets, and signed up for a lot of sports programming packages. I also alert you to the free advertisement postcards in the rack near the front revolving door.