The Jakewalk

I’m so angry that I forgot to use my check-​in for 20% off. People… please visit Jakewalk and use your check-​in discount!
I was early for our reservation but got to sit at the bar to wait for the boy. We knew we wanted the fondue (highly recommend for any size party) which did not disappoint at all. We were both surprised it came with lots of salami and bread. We had a great date enjoying the simplicity of the bar while sharing the meaty carnitas sandwich.

This says gowanus but its def in cobble hill /​carroll gardens area. food was ok, I would have said way better had it been cheaper, but for much you pay it was only ok, to be fair I have only been once and we split a bunch of the apps and the cheese fondue stuff. I would actually give it a 3.5, but we can’t do that on Unilocal

I wanted to write and thank Saturday night’s bartenders for such a splendid finish to the evening. My date and I had a great time and were made to feel right at home, probably too comfortable considering our PDA!, but so much fun!
And thank you for watching over my backpack, which I left at the bar inadvertently… distracted by great company, drinks and kisses… which I picked up on Sunday from Julia.
It is much appreciated and again, a huge THANK YOU!
Till next time! :)
h

Don’t walk into this bar knowing what you want to drink. Just ask. I asked for something smokey and weird, and it was as delivered. An amazing cocktail called «So a horse walked into a bar…» — mescal and magic.

Truly phenomenal cocktails and service. Good snacks and great but pricey meat and cheese board (but stay clear of the mediocre sliders).
So I won the lottery in a way when my architecture firm decided to leave Soho after 25 years and buy a building in Carroll Gardens. The 5 minute walk to work is fantastic and I get to take all my coworkers to my favorite local bars. Unfortunately, Jakewalk, despite having phenomenal cocktails and great service, was never one of them. This was due to their lack of any beers on tap. Why is this important? Because In this day and age even your tiniest dive bar has at least 8 good beers on tap, and as result any time you are taking friends out they expect to have the option of beers on draft. Plus, with the strength of the cocktails at Jakewalk, you need to switch to something other than cocktails after 2 or you are going to need a wheelbarrow to take you home. Yes, they do have bottles and cans of beer but no one wants to pay a 500% markup on bottles or cans that you can pick up at any bodega and have at home for fraction of the price.
With my no taps rant out of the way, I have come to realize that they make some of the best cocktails in Brooklyn. This came to a complete surprise to me, as I really just assumed this was a wine and cheese bar (since owners also own Smith and Vine which thankfully opened shortly after we moved to Carroll Gardens and the cheese shop Stinky). I love wine, but much like my issue with buying cans/​bottles of beer, just can’t bring myself to pay a 500 percent mark-​up on wine at a bar when can have at home. Paying that mark-​up at a restaurant is different, but its just lame at a bar.
Thankfully I finally gave in to trying Jakewalk a few weeks ago when one of my coworkers really just wanted a glass of wine. I didn’t want wine (for reasons outlined above) so ordered a cocktail expecting it to be mediocre… but then as I watched the bartender start to make, no I mean craft, my cocktail I realized I had been dead wrong about this place. Jesse (the bartender) didn’t just dump a bunch of items into a cocktail shaker but used all the proper form you usually see at the top cocktail bars in the city. I was floored when he handed me one of the best cocktails I had had in months (was a take on old fashioned but with laphroig and mezcal). It was insanely good… and insanely dangerous. Seeing my drink, my coworker ditched her plans for wine and asked Jesse for a suggestion. Rather than just pointing to a drink in menu he started asking her questions about what she wanted and ended up crafting the perfect custom cocktail for her. We ended up spending the next 4 hours there having Jesse guide us through several phenomenal cocktails.
Since then I have been hooked on hitting the happy hour at least once a week (any of their 6 rotating seasonal cocktails are $ 9 vs $ 12 – 13). Currently the 2^nd Amendment, Lilly of the Valley, and Spice of Ryan are all knock out good. Once the happy hour ends at 7 we usually let Jesse take charge with some custom «bartenders choice» cocktails. «Jesses Girl» and «Shes so Dark, Shes so Stormy» are both great.
By the way, the rest of bartenders are great here too (Julia has made some awesome cocktails for us too). We just seem to end up there on nights Jesse is working.
Finally, despite what I initially said about not being great for groups, since no taps, I did end up hosting drinks for about 12 people for a friends birthday and have to say it was a fantastic experience (especially if you can get there early enough to get people loaded on the happy hour).
I can’t recommend this place enough!

Fantastic neighborhood bar with just enough class to attract from the other boroughs. An excellent selection of scotches and whiskeys and a knowledgable, pleasant staff ensure your experience will be a memorable one. What a find!
Oh and it’s terrific for that first or fifth date.
Update: If you’re lucky enough to get Julia as your bartender, ask for the bartender’s choice. She’s a serious mixologist and won’t disappoint.

Incredible cocktails! This place offers $ 12 and $ 13 cocktails that are phenomenal.
Julia is one of the best bartenders I’ve ever been served by. If you’re in the neighborhood and looking for a good drink and tasty charcuterie try it!!!

Stopped in for happy hour drinks before dinner on a Saturday night. It was cute and quiet, and we ended up staying much longer than we had anticipated. I had wine, and he had beer. We shared the pickle & radish plate. And then the chorizo & cheese, which was a little chorizo and cheese fondue in a mini cauldron served with toasted bread, was devoured.

This is a wonderful place to come by after work and unwind. The cocktails are boozey and refreshing! The ambiance is exactly what continues to draw me to the Jake Walk. The bartenders are friendly, the vibe is easy going, and I’m always impressed by their musical selection.
I’ll continue coming back!

Great cocktails and great service! My friend and I came here for a round of drinks after dinner and we were so glad to have stumbled onto this place. The cocktails were great and our bartender was fantastic. He even ran out and made sure I didn’t forget my umbrella! A++

Great spot for groups not if u don’t eat pork thu hahha
It’s rely good cheese drinks r city prices but good lots of cheap bars near by thu this place is also on open table so that’s a plus

Really disappointed in the downward turn this place has taken. My friends and I used to frequent this place a couple of years ago and were always pleased. The drinks were incredibly well mixed and crafted, the small plates were to die for, the atmosphere was wonderful. My friend even had her engagement party here. They put on a fabulous event and it made us come back time and time again afterwards. The manger left and someone new took over and then things took a turn. The drinks are still fairly good, very boozy. The atmosphere is still nice. The food, however, is almost inedible. My friends and I ordered the cheese fondue; which had previously been a favorite. It was like drinking hot, boozy soup with a few grates of cheddar mixed in. It was practically a liquid. We also ordered a few small plates and they were just eh. None of the interesting and incredible flavor combinations that existed a few years ago. Seriously saddened by this because this place used to be something really special.

Wonderful bartenders. I’ve never been disappointed when I come visit. I love coming here because it is quiet, the drinks are great, and a lot of the customers are people who live nearby. It’s a refreshing departure from the Manhattan or Williamsburg «scene.»
I would recommend the «summer fling» and any of their mezcal based options. Jesse, the manager, is great. If he is there, ask him for recommendations or to surprise you.

Did dinner with the bf here last night, it was a mistake. This is def more of a wine and cheese/​chartrucerie spot than a full on dinner place. That being said, the overall experience wasn’t bad. We sat outside, had some wine and enjoyed our evening
Food:
— deviled eggs: the egg wasn’t bad, the bacon was too salty
— duck pâté: it was too creamy and had some sort of tangy flavor that I didn’t really like
— fondu: they give you a good amount of dipping things. The fondu was average. I would have liked it a bit thicker so it could coat the dippers better
— burrata: saving grace of the dinner. Totally delish and so was the bruschetta. I just wish it was a bigger serving
Try the chilled red wine it was great

Fun spot in Carroll Gardens/​Cobble Hill area! I’ve been a few times for drinks and dinner, and they have a great happy hour special – $ 5 glasses of wine, including a really delicious Bordeaux. Be forewarned that if you continue to get rounds after happy hour, as we did, the price goes up significantly. I’ve had a few different cheese plates and also a salad and maybe some roasted vegetables – nothing sticks out but I remember everything being pretty good, including a nice bread pudding. On a recent visit I do wish that our waitress had been more knowledgeable about the cheese and what it came with, she seemed kind of novice about our plate and wasn’t able to give much guidance. Still, we liked our selections so it didn’t really matter.

Such a bummer. We used to LOVE this place. Been going here for five or six years.
Until…
We just had the most disappointing meal ever. Not exaggerating. I just read that there’s new management or something. What a shame. Of several dishes we ordered, one was edible — and still lousy. The salmon crostini was notably, inexplicably bad. I literally spit it out. The cocktails were awful, over-​citrused, and certainly untasted. This used to be a haven for cocktails of all sorts.
With The Clover Club a few blocks away (charging the same prices or less), it’s hard to imagine why anyone would waste their time at Jakewalk at this point. We won’t be making that mistake again.
Shitty music to boot.

Unfortunately I was pretty underwhelmed by the Jakewalk. This might be because it isn’t really my type of establishment– you will rarely catch me at a place where cocktails are $ 12 – 14 and served in tiny glasses. I got the bartender’s choice with vodka, shaken. For the price, I was expecting more flavor and more pizzazz. If I hadn’t already been drinking vodka on this particular night, I may have gotten a beer. The cheapest during our visit was a $ 7 bottle of Palm. There wasn’t a real theme to the beer list and it seemed pretty disconnected.
For appetizers my party ordered the chorizo crostini and the green eggs and ham. I enjoyed both appetizers but wasn’t particularly wowed. We got the pumpkin fondue for dessert. it was nothing like a fondue, really it was just some cold whipped pumpkin with apples, marshmellow, and graham crackers to dip in it. This was pretty disappointing, something to skip for sure. I did love my mac and cheese soufflé though, and I’d say of all the food and drinks I tried here, it is the only thing worth returning for. Honestly, this restaurant is trying too hard. it seems like they spend more time on plating than on flavor. The service was pretty off as well. each person’s meal came out at very different times which was awkward. we were almost finished with our mac and cheese by the time the guest of honor’s food arrived. In addition, our waitress was nice but a little strange and didn’t seem very confident in what she was doing. she made a few weird comments and was muttering under her breath a bit.
All in all, the mac and cheese saved this review, but I probably wouldn’t return here.

Everything was superb at the Jakewalk except for my drink. But let’s get to the good stuff.
We had a living Social Deal for cheese and meat fondue which was on point. They even gave us another round for the remaining ooey gooey cheese we had left. We then went on to order mac and cheese and a seafood stew which were both delicious.
The service was top-​notch, We were seated outside on a beautiful night and they didn’t even check our Living Social voucher. Both of our servers were laid back.
The only thing I didn’t like was my cocktail. It was incredibly sweet and just not good, however the food and service made up for it.

So a few months ago I came across a deal via Living Social deal for The Jakewalk which boasted:
«Paying homage to their professional forerunners, this speakeasy-​style bar serves up fine wines, classic cocktails, craft beers, and more than 150 brown liquors — but regulars have fallen for a cheesier side of this cozy spot. Dive in with this offer:
* $ 8 ($ 16 value) for a signature winter fondue for two
* Locally sourced cheese is served with mild salami, fresh green apples, and bread
* Dinner is served every day from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
„Best cocktail bar in Carroll Gardens. By far. Great cheese plates and fondue, as well as a seasonally changing cocktail menu. Order the Mr. October!“ — Google Reviewer»
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
Upon reading this I was sucked in because cheese is one of my FAVORITE things in life EVER and so naturally I was down for «speakesy-​like» cheesy fondue night. I wrangled one of my friends to also purchase this and so the 4 of us could have a «girls eating cheese» night out.
THIS is exactly why one cannot rely on those lame-​o Google reviewers because these folks have clearly NEVER EATEN CHEESE *scoff*.
I went last night with Ingrid S. and it ended up being just the two of us as the voucher was expiring this Thursday and everyone we knew who might be interested was busy. We used one voucher and requested a refund for the other through Living Social’s iOS app and got down to business. Which was ordering our cheesy fondue and appropriate beers to go along with it.
It was literally the WORST cheese fondue I’ve EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. When it was brought out I was so excited because the sp-​called «cheese» was bubbly and steaming hot, but I dipped in my first piece of bread and was disappointed that the cheese was not the right consistency… it seemed to be VERY watery, drippy and almost as if it were diluted with water.
Flavor wise it was super bland, which is to be expected when a cheese’s consistency is WRONG. Cheese fondue should be gloopy, a little thickness, buttery, CREAMY — not drippy. My non-​drowsy DayQuil cold medication is thicker than this is! Sigh. I even turned to Ingrid S. and said I would have been happier with microwaved Cheese Whiz. She responded that she would have been happier with a melted brick of Velveeta. VELVEETA. I mean, MAN.
Upon my inquiring from the bartender what kind of «cheeses» were in the fondue, he responded with Swiss and Cheddar. Okay… I could taste a slight hint of the swiss and it was the color of cheddar… but how am I supposed to account for the powdery-​ness I was tasting on the roof of my mouth? THIS CHEESE WAS POWDERY, bland, flavorless and so overall disappointing on so many levels.
Even the proportion of dipping items was in a ratio that made no sense. Half a handful of cubed salami chunks (these were delicious — 1 Unilocal star for these!), a handful of non-​warm bread pieces and like 2 – 3 handfuls of green apple wedges, I didn’t even know that apples and cheese were A THING. I mean sure, I’ve seen apples inside grilled cheese sandwiches, but something about it just makes me stomach turn. I’m weird about sweet and savory foods meshing and as it is, I don’t even like apples so I basically only concentrated on the salami and bread.
Even my beer was a disappointment here and I ordered the Peak Organic Summer Session Ale which is a Wheat Ale beer by Peak Organic Brewing Company in Portland, Maine — it was terribly hoppy and I was misled by it being a wheat beer… this isn’t Jakewalk’s fault, but there weren’t many options either… it’s summer though and every bar usually had great beer options in the summer if they have a rotating menu as I suspect that Jakewalk might. But like with the cheese fondue, they really missed the boat on this as well.
I’m so sad at the lack of quality put into their cheese fondue because I REALLY wanted to like it. I also get it, it’s a Living Social voucher and it was only like $ 10 — you get what you pay for, sure — but do Living Social voucher users get a cup of water mixed with baking soda or corn starch tossed into the fondue, to yanno, save cheese?!
The overall ambiance and décor here is nice though and I can see this being an ideal spot to begin a romantic date night. I do think it’s a little much to describe this place as «speakeasy-​like» because it’s NOT in the least, but it is dimly lit, wallpapered nicely and chic in an unassuming cocktail bar kind of way.
I would return for an overpriced cocktail if I needed to or for a better beer selection… also if I needed to. I wouldn’t return for much else with so many better options in this fantastic part of Brooklyn.
2 Unilocal stars — 1 for the flavorful salami and 1 for playing Tom Jones throughout most of the night. I love Tom Jones… and cheese… but Jakewalk only respected one of those things last night,

Great spot! I came here last Saturday night to kill time before a dinner reservation and really enjoyed it. Nice big selection of global wines, cheese and cured meats. The small cheese and meat board we ordered was actually not small at all, and comes at a great price with a hefty pile of bread, jam chutney, mustard and marcona almonds. I love the ambiance here and the service is attentive but not overly so. I’ll be back to try the brunch and cocktails!