Jake's Tavern,

1006 Back River Neck Road, Essex, MD 21221

"I had dinner with friends prior to watching the lighted boat parade and was pleasantly surprised by both the service and food at Jake's! This was our first time, and our group was large. The waitpersons were friendly and really hustled to get everyone's orders and also did separate checks. The food was fantastic. Steak subs, sandwiches and other items were generous portions and served hot. The beer and drink flowed and you didn't have to wait long for them. Atmosphere is like a local bar/restaurant, but very accommodating. We live about 40 minutes away,but we will come back for a repeat."

"I live in Fallston, and our family decided to host a birthday party here in Middle River. I thought to myself, why? I had low expectations and thought Jake's would have ordinary bar food. Boy, was I wrong. First, the owner, the cooks, and the wait staff were all friendly and helpful. The food was out of this world! They have shrimp wraps that are better than the shrimp salad sandwiches I used to get from Mary Mervis at the Lexington Market. That is the bar for shrimp salad, and this was so good. Next, they serve these crab and shrimp bites that are not on the menu but taste better than the best shrimp toast you ever had. Oh, was that heavenly!! The wings were good, and their tomato, meatsauce, and pasta dish was superb. Their salads were great, and all the food they laid out was delicious. They also served pit beef and turkey sliders, and they were delicious. I was so happy they have my favorite beer, Blue Moon, on draft. This was a great experience. I look forward to going back and having some more of their delicious food. The party was during the Ravens game, yup the Cleveland game, wah, and they had plenty of tvs to catch the game throughout the bar and restaurant."

"I've never been here before, I saw it posted on Facebook for car cruises. This morning I stopped by for breakfast. The parking lot is big, the bar is clean, and not tiny inside. Very nice staff. The French toast was delicious. Worth it. Support the local businesses in Essex, MD"

"Jake's Tavern is a nice spot to go to for drinks, live music, and comfort food. It's the same crew from Sue Island Grill, but the place is smaller and no outside seating, at least, not at this point. If you want lots of Nachos to snack on as you drink - this place can't be beat for portion size and they're pretty tasty. The menu is limited but everything we've had has been good. The cheese steaks are pretty good. There's also always drink specials. If you're in the area, it's worth checking out. Update: went again and the food was delicious. Had the special of stuffed shrimp with fries - so good! Hubby had the chicken pot pie and he loved it."