Fat Jacks Deli & Pub

I tried to call in an order, they pick up the phn set it down I waited for someone to answer the phn for approx 10 min then someone just hing the phn up. Not sure Ill ever try again.

Went to fat jacks tonight to get an overstuffed sandwich, NY style. This deli/​pub came highly recommended for its Reuben and the fact that the meat to bread ratio was ridiculous. Sorry to say I was a bit disappointed.
It’s Saturday night around six. There’s a couple of tables occupied and my wife and I are told to sit wherever we want. Service is quick and friendly. We ask for waters with lemon and it comes out quickly but tastes unfiltered. I don’t mind but my wife has a thing with the Florida water.
She orders the Reuben and I look to the «overstuffed» sandwich part of the menu. Decide to get a roast beef and turkey on a sub (would had rye but it was seeded).
My wife loved her Reuben, even though it wasn’t even close to overstuffed and it didn’t have Russian/​thousand island. I tried it and it did taste good.
My «overstuffed sub»? Fougheddaboutit! Maybe 6 inches of bread with one or two slices of roast beef and 2 – 3 slices of turkey. When I got to the last inch of bread on either half I was eating bread mayo and lettuce.
The price should’ve been the giveaway. I think it was 4.89 before adding the Swiss for 69 cents. You get what you pay for.
Coming from Long Island and having been to the Carnegie deli a handful of times, I know what NY style and overstuffed is supposed to look like.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice 5 dollar sandwich, but not what it was billed to be. Sorry. I give it 2 ½ stars plus an extra half star for the nice waitress.

We are in town for spring training and one of the locals suggested this place. Very good service and food. If you get a chance get the corned beef and swiss omlet. You don’t go away hungry. Breakfast was cheap.

Never had a bad Breakfast here and will continue to go. However, I’ve not had a good lunch.

Visiting the Lakeland area. Had a hard time finding decent food. The usual chains were disappointing.
Sat at the bar and enjoyed the local company. Waitress was excellent. Cuban with fries was big and flavorful.
Hometown feel. Reasonable price.
Would recommend.

My friend was having lunch and the waitress working the counter was engaging in a bashing conversation of The First Lady. While it is okay to have your personal political views it is inappropriate when you’re’working and offending or making patrons feel uncomfortable. My friend couldn’t eat her food, she left, and we will not patronize this restaurant. This is really a management personnel issue in terms of creating a safe and inclusive environment for all and certainly not allowing employees to engage in this type of behavior.
However, they have the right to run their business anyway they wish and I have the right to complain, tell others, and spend my hard earned money in a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

I’ve been coming here for 28 years probably my kids kind of grew up here. Never had a bad meal yet. It’s inexpensive to eat here. Good solid meals.
Great staff too!

We went here after some local recommendations and seeing the good reviews on here. I had the Reuben while my other half had some breakfast. The service is excellent. The waitresses make you feel right at home. My sandwich was really good. I got fries on the side and they could have been better. Those fries, along with pretty much all of my fiancé’s breakfast, seemed like cheap ingredients that could’ve been purchased at Wal-​Mart. I would recommend this place for a one-​time try since the sandwiches seem good and the service is great but for I don’t think that I will be back. There are too many other sandwich shops in Lakeland to visit this restaurant a 2^nd time.

Lackluster small portioned food… It tastes alright but I don’t see this as anywhere I’d go back to really, but I wouldn’t protest it either. Prices are low, wait staff is friendly.
I haven’t tried breakfast so its worth trying that, I’ll give that a shot and update this review accordingly.

Great inexpensive sandwiches. Reuben is very good. My kids split a Cuban that they liked. Chili is just so-​so, but comes out quick if you’re hungry. Plus drinks came to less than $ 20. Can’t beat it. Very busy on a Sunday, but they turn the tables over quickly.

Unilocaled it before going in, had good reviews. Quickly greeted & seated. Ordered the cheeseburger & fries, probably should have gone with the waitresses recommendation of the Reuben. Cheeseburger is nothing to write home about, I have had better, but it was better than a McDonald’s burger. The fries were blah!
Restaurant is clean, bathroom is also clean. Atmosphere is nice to eat lunch, customers in & out, fast service. Might have given a ½ more star if available. Can’t complain about the price.
Service & prices were good, just that the sandwich & fries were ok but not great!
It’s possible I would come back again, if in the area but would try something else next time.

Atmosphere good for deli. The «overstuffed» pastrami was not necessarily overstuffed and was very dry, unlike the advertised New York style.

Home style cooking that won’t break the bank. I love this place. The biscuits and gravy is to die for. I’d fill a pool with there gravy and swim in it. It’s that good.
It makes me feel like I’m back home eating my grandma’s cooking.

Great meal quick! Good coffee, yummy breakfast even better lunch and daily dinner specials at a great price!

People are nice but not impressed with my lunch. Ordered a pastrami ssndwich and was very skimpy. Not sure where Fat Jacks came from. Didnt even come with chips, just a pickle. That is very lame. Had to order cup of chili because I was still hungry.

This is one my favorite greasy spoons after a night of partying when visiting Lakeland. Every time I visit I seem to always get the same thing, the three egg pastrami omelet, rye toast, home fries, coffee, and great service. The portions are very large and $ 8 for all that is a steal in my book. The place is your typical shotgun shack diner. Always busy when I come for breakfast on the weekend, it’s still fairly easy to get a table.

The service here is impeccable; plus you never know who you’re going to run in to. I am a huge fan of American diners and this is THE diner in Lakeland. You can’t beat the price and quality of their egg special. The food is typical of diner food and has a certain charm to it. I’m only awarding four stars because of the cleanliness, but I guess it adds to the charm.

Fat Jack’s is the stuff of legends. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a TV series filmed about this place. They’ve been around so long, and the history of the place is pretty epic. They’ve had weddings there, and they’ve even had someone shot & killed in there years ago trying to escape out the back door.
Fat Jack’s is the quintessential local greasy spoon that offers awesome short order cook food in a cozy, yet invitingly dirty atmosphere. You walk in and its dimly lit, with the landscape of stained glass lamps hanging over the booths, and line kitchen off to the right. There’s a bar top with standard issue floor mounted bar stools where the locals belly up for their coffee and eggs each morning. More often than not, if you’re a local, you’ll run into at least one person you know.
There isn’t a lot of seating in the place, and it is a common sight to see patrons gathered round outside waiting for a table. No one seems to mind because they know exactly what they’re going to get at Fat Jack’s. Their breakfast is legendary, and extremely affordable. $ 3 buys you a full breakfast, with eggs, sausage, bacon, a biscuit or toast and potatoes or hash browns. Unbelievable value. Their coffee is pretty darned good and the service is always punctual, because they make their money by turning over booth space — so you’re never waiting on your food long. The orders always come out correct, no matter how many little quirks your order may have like «make the bacon extra crispy» or «can I get the eggs scrambled with onions and peppers instead of cheese?»
This is a cozy place, and a true Lakeland institution.

Another family-​ran gem in my hometown, Lakeland. They have wonderful breakfast and awesome deli sandwiches. This is the place where I discovered the deliciousness that is the French dip sandwich. I still have yet to find another place that makes it better than Fat Jack’s, and their french fries that come with it are simply awesome. The breakfast they serve (all day, I believe) is inexpensive and always consistently good. They have some kind of breakfast platter thats around 3 bucks, and you get ALOT (eggs, a meat, potatoes, biscuit). The place is pretty small though, and fills up quick especially on the weekends. Ive found the best time to go is in the afternoons on weekdays. Definitely worth a try for anyone craving a good breakfast or a delicious deli sandwich.

Great selection of deli sandwiches.
I had the reuben, it was great.
Service was excellent.