Fellow Eastsiders: Looking for a new hot spot? I may have found one, and just steps away from my front door! That probably doesn't mean anything to anyone but me, but I am all about easily accessible establishments.
JBay Bar & Grill, formerly known as the Juanita Bay Pub (ya know, the place on the corner of 100th with the volleyball court and dive'ish feel inside) recently opened and is in full swing! I have been admiring the transformation of this joint for months, so finally decided to bite the bullet and check it out for myself. Hints of its popularity? Well, the parking lot is always full (though that could be because there are only like 10 parking spaces), decent looking individuals coming and going, and well, the smell of a good burger as I run by with my dog was rather tempting.
So, last weekend a few of my good Eastside friends and I made an occasion to grab some drinks and dins. It literally took me like 3.5 minutes to get the place (located next to the well-known Cafe Juanita) so needless to say, I didn't worry about the multiple yummy Blue Moon beers I consumed (with a slice of orange on the side; the only way to drink a Blue Moon).
The setting is reminiscent of Joey's which for some of you, could be a turn off. Normally, that would be for me, but I decided to look past the waitresses with thigh high boots and shorty shorts (mostly because they were super nice and actually paid attention to their tables). And well, some of the male specimens that congregated had definitely just come from Gold's Gym, right before they finished their bye-weekly spray tans. Turbos I like to call them. Good people, but their biceps are usually bigger than their brains. In general, great people watching!!!
The bar also has like 8-10 plasma TV's, which was great - every direction you turn there is a TV to view your favorite sport! They also have what looked like a dance floor, though the square footage to "get down" is about as big as my office system (office system = Cubicle). They did however play great beats, a little loud, but a good play list of recent hits.
Now for the food... well... it was... mediocre at best. Their menu is very diverse, but not a lot to choose from and no rhyme or reason to their options i.e. if you asked me what kind of food they have, I wouldn't know what to tell you.
I had the pulled turkey ciabatta sandy. It was pretty good but the turkey slightly dry, ciabatta bread slightly a day old, and the fries that came on the side LOOKED good, but were a little chilly. I also had a side salad with blue cheese, which was actually really good. Let's just say my Blue Moon's made it all worth while.
Overall, I would give it a 2.5 out of a 5. They still have some decorating to complete and a menu to perfect. But, I would definitely go back. If anyone wants to join me, you ll have a place to sleep :)
Happy bar hopping!
For more information: http://www.jbaybarandgrill.com/
