Jake's

Jake's is a neighborhood spot in Shaw. It seems unsure what kind of place it is; The decor and the relatively expensive Cajun-themed food says "slightly upscale resto-bar", the bartenders' jerseys and the TVs say "sports bar", but the cheap combos and the slot machine in the corner say "local spot". Take this review how you will.

Why I like Jake's: The people and bartenders are cool, mostly. The combos are a nice deal (best are the "Old School" and the "CJ": Miller Lite/Grand Marnier and Miller Lite/Jameson, respectively). The food tastes good and the music is fine, mostly smooth rap. The slot machine is sick (if you're a degen like me).

Why I don't like Jake's: The food is expensive. The booze that isn't part of a combo is expensive. The patio and upstairs have not been open when I've been there. I had a poor personal experience: I asked a dude to hold my seat while I played the slot machine, with my backpack under the seat. I played for 5 minutes and my seat was taken. That means the patron and the bartender were both too unaware or too pussy to enforce general bar etiquette and hold my seat, while I was 5 feet away at the machine.

Overall: I go to Jake's decently often, and I like it. Would recommend, not strongly.