Sea Jax Tavern

I think this is probably one of the most underrated places around. The food is always good, and they have great beers. I haven’t had anything from here I haven’t liked yet (if they put a grouper reuben on the menu I’ll move in). I had one iffy server about a year ago, but the service has been really good since then.

This is my new favorite spot in Dayton! Recommended by someone else on Unilocal after eating terrible burgers elsewhere, decided to give this place a try. So worth it! The restaurant was packed, but the bartender was quick to get us drinks while we waited. We got the calamari, which I nightly recommend. A little bit small portion, but tasted so fresh. The fish sandwich was cooked great. They offer a veggie burger, which is FANTASTIC. So hard to find a restaurant with a good, homemade veggie burger, but Sea Jax nailed it. Food came out fast, drinks were strong and staff was so friendly. Even talked to the owner who was helping behind the bar. Great family owned spot!

I moved back here after some years away and the dingy, smoky bar it used to be, full of blurry-​eyed lip-​lickers turned into an awesome place. Sea Jax has an impeccable local beer selection if you’re looking to literally take in the surrounding areas. Plus, the owner is an old hand at delivering fresh seafood (no, seriously) to a landlocked, Omega-​3-​deficient region; his old seafood restaurant flourished for years until he sold it. Creative, artistic takes on classic bar food take this place to a new level. Fish tacos are the best I’ve had. Plus, their burgers are so good-​looking you want to grab their buns. Hey, check it out, though. This place is one of the best-​kept secrets in the area.

Drinks were super strong. Service was good! Food was not so great. There were 6 of us. Two people didn’t eat anything beyond first bite. They were offered free dessert but meal was still on tab. Third time here, but won’t be back.

What a great find! Great beer selection including local brews. The Cheese Logs are worth your time. Good food and a fun atmosphere!

New go-​to! Love the brand design, beer selection and food. Finally a place near Kettering with a casual environment, great food and relevant craft beer. Bonus points for letting us bring our well-​behaved dog with us when sitting on the patio. Keep hearing from others that it is a bit expensive. Good. Great food and service cost more. Bonus: this keeps the riff-​raff at other Kettering shit holes.
We have had the same server several times and always felt like VIPs. We are happy to be regulars here now. I moved to Dayton in 2011 and have struggled to find a place that offers all the intangibles of a good bar. Thanks to the folks at SeaJax.
Btw: cheese log appetizer is my vote for best appetizer being made in Dayton currently. Beer battered mozz sticks? Seriously? Yes. Every time I go.
Dry-​rubbed wings that remind me of cracklins with the crisped fatty skin. Like eating chiccarones. Bravo.
Currently, I rate their cheeseburger tied for 2^nd with Slyder’s Tavern in Belmont. Treasure Island ranks #1 for me.
Fish is real deal. Cod. No bullshit. So many places use tilapia and/​or catfish and present them as cod or grouper.
Even the veggie burger is light’s out. Quinoa fried to resemble a falafel patty. Dressed like a po-​boy. Kudos.
Always changing relevant beer list with many Ohio beers.
Much more to try. Highly recommend.

This place really has the best sea food in Dayton. It’s always busy but the servers are very attentive. Pricing is amazing. Try the fish taco’s! You will not be disappointed!

Philly steak needs a lot of work! The worst I have ever tasted. The place is cramped for its a small indoor space and for some reason the noise level is greater than what it should be for the amount of people who are present. It has potential but gosh it has a ways to go to be a solid business in this location which would seem like a fair spot with the amount of residents in the area but I think it’s the type of business that won’t do well in a location that is surrounded by apartment complexes with residents who more than likely prefer fast food and more than likely won’t have an appreciation for this style of restaurant. I wonder if this place will still be running by the summer of 2016.

They offer big plates of food for $ 20 but I opted to go with the pretzels appetizer instead. It is 2 soft pretzels with their special beer cheese sauce. The beer taste in it isn’t very strong. But the pretzels were ¾ the size of the ones you would find at Auntie Anne’s. They were $ 7.99 with the tax and sit down service fee it came to be $ 9 pus a few cents. Add a $ 1 tip and it becomes $ 10 plus a few cents. I think the pretzels weren’t worth $ 10 more like $ 5.

Love Sea Jax! Great food and service. Wonderful tap selection as well. Can’t go wrong dining at Sea Max!

Service was fantastic. The waiter got our special needs orders accurate, and offered suggestions about the menu.
The calamari strips were good, and I loved the tartar sauce.
Basic burger was perfectly cooked to the requested medium rare. The kettle chips needed salt, which is the worst thing I can say about the place.

Great tavern. I love the feel inside; very cozy. They have a great beer selection and during happy hour you get $ 1.00 off pints.
We had the spicy fried pickle chips secial feature one evening and they were very good. I love fried pickles but alot of places have a tendancy of being to salty but these were not. Some of the bites had a hint of fish and it lead me to belive they may have been fried in the same thing the fish is.
I had the fish tacos and they were really tasty and quite a big helping. I opted for the fish to not be breaded. The fish and red cabbage were great and the spicy sauce on them gave it the kick it needed.
My husband had the jambalaya and it was SO good! It was so flavorful and was like an authentic style jambalaya.
The staff is always very friendly and accomodating.

A friend and I stopped in for dinner tonight (5:00 on a Wednesday) and we had a good experience. I ordered jambalaya and he had the fish and chips.
The jambalaya was spicy enough to be interesting, a heat that lingered for minutes after I finished my bowl. I enjoyed the textures of three different meats in one dish, chicken, shrimp and sausage. The portion was fairly enormous, and I think most people would be uncomfortable if they tried to devour it all, especially after the salad and garlic bread it comes with. At $ 16.00 with only water to drink and before tip, it’s not a cheap dinner, but it’s delicious and beyond filling.
My friend said the fish and chips were superior to other restaurants’ offerings in the area.
Service was excellent. Our waiter Nick was very attentive, keeping our glasses topped off and even anticipating my friend’s desire for malt vinegar. No one made us feel rushed, and they seemed genuinely glad to have us there.
I found myself appreciating the fact that the music was subdued instead of a blasting, pervasive field that encourages you to eat and run. There were TVs in the dining area where we sat, mostly walled off from the bar, but the TVs were muted, and conversation was easy.

Dr J’s review:
Sat at the bar: excellent service from Bo
Food: The huge Chesapeake Bay oysters on the half shell were fresh and delicious. Shucked perfectly. The Ham sandwich on a pretzel bun was very tasty.
Atmosphere: Great! Felt like I was in an East Coast beach area!
Met nice people at the Bar

Have been here 6 – 7 times. Each time has been the same: great service, tasty food, good beer.
It’s great to have a seafood restaurant that consistently great on all fronts

Simple review. Food is solid 4 stars and service is a solid .5 star
Ok, the atmosphere is simple but nice.
Although I am writing this while waiting for my bill and that .5 service rating might end up a 0 before I finish.

Arrived. Busy busy place. Nice sign. Bar. Draft beer selection. Nice. Chips. Very good. Burger good. Oysters over breaded but not over cooked. Fish cooked good nice taste

Stopped in for the first time last night and was happy with the evening. I almost didn’t get in since the door handle was really hard to turn. :-0.
Girlfriend had the fish sandwich and I had the turkey Ruben. Both were more than adequate in size and served fast. Service was great and the owner stopped by twice to check if everything was ok.
Glad to see the place open again and we will be back.

Arrived at 5:30 got a table right away. good craft beer selection… raw oysters delish fresh!!! Pulled pork sandwich yummy. would love to try sticky fingers burger has bacon peanutbutter jam jalopeno cheddar sauce… intersting nice atmosphere sevice was great…

The service has been an absolute JOKE tonight. We waited over an hour for a table which we were ok with. Once we got seated we were told the kitchen was an hour behind. We waited 15 minutes for drinks and the place is half empty at this point. Very different from my first experience.
My wife ordered the eggplant and when it finally came out it was cold. My mother in law ordered the tilapia and it was a soggy mess. My father in law got the fish sandwich and said it was good. I got the Octoberfest burger. It came out five minutes after everyone else got their food and it was overcooked.
We were as understanding as anyone could possibly be. We were here for three hours. I dont ever want to go through that again.