Campus JAX

We’ve been Jack Shrimp fans for almost 20 years… now our love affair continues with Campus Jax! Same great food with some new great new additions. We live in Idaho now but make this a must stop location when we are in town!

Love this place, I always get the Jack Rice with chicken and shrimp. It’s really, really good.

Great spot! The staff is super friendly and really cool! The food is also bomb! :D Definitely coming back!

I’m torn because this place seemed great to the regulars. It is an older crowd (mid-​40s and up). Lots of folks, respectfully, looked like they were at an AARP event. The live music was all classic rock from the 50s thru 70s. Not really the thing for my friends and me. Also, it took about 30 minutes to get our food and then it was lukewarm. My friend waited 15 minutes for ketchup. The service was ok, and our wsiter didn’t check on us. It got a bit better when we called Jack over to help us. But it wasn’t our thing. We won’t be back.

Went today for the first time because of I-​Dine
Ordered the Burger
When I walked in I was the only Customer
Took a long time for the Burger to come out
Had a Club Soda
The waitress brought me the Bill and asked if I wanted a refill which I said yes
She brought back the Completed transaction and no refill
Had to ask her for it again
Expensive for lunch so I probably won’t return as I don’t have an hour to kill
Hopefully they get busier or they won’t be around very long

We stopped here last night to grab a bite to eat. They had a live band playing. Everyone seemed to be enjoying music, drinks, and food. The waitress was super cool, she recommended the Brambleberry Martini and that was good. Glad she referred that drink. Wife had Tr tip sliders, sweet potato fries, and Stuffed shrimp avocado. I had the Shrimp and Grits. All the dishes was delicious. I had to add a little salt and pepper to my grits. Just for my taste buds… we will be back to enjoy the live music, the food and of course the Brambleberry.

So glad to have found you. Came during lunch and had the Jack Shrimp, as yummy as I remember. It’s been a while since I was at Jack’s Shrimp so I was pleased you opened a new place. I like the cool vibe and brought a co-​worker who liked it as well. Will be back and will share your new venue with others. Best of luck with the new Campus Ajax!

So glad they found a new spot and reopened. The place used to be located off PCH in Newport Beach under the name Jackshrimp. Check out the old page and you’ll see nothing but praise for the Jackshrimp. It’s so good if you are like me will only order that entrée. I can’t bring myself to try anything else. Well stop by and give it a try you’ll be glad you did. :)

We went to JackShrimp on a regular basis and were so excited to hear they would be reopening as Campus Jax. We visited Campus Jax in February, had a great experience and again in March. Went back in April for my husband’s birthday. We had a party of 8 and I did not make a reservation. We saw the disdain cross the waitresses face when we said our party number. She said she would put a table together for us. Another young waiter came over and asked to seat us and we gave him our party number and and he too, looked frazzled by it as well. They put two tables together for us and then I got a call that our party was increasing by 1. So I told them and they told us; we could just add a chair. To WHERE? THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ROOM AT THE TABLE FOR 9. But I sat there in the corner with the corner of the table poking into my stomach the entire night.
We asked if we could grab the empty table that was next to us. We were told no because they were booked up with reservations… yet the sign at the door says seat yourself and within minutes a party of 3 walked in and took that empty table. To be clear, there was no point in our evening where ALL tables were being used. There was always an empty table available that could have been added to ours!
Ironically or not, everyones food came out a full five minutes before mine. Well I at least had the corner of the table in my belly in place of the food!
I was completely taken aback by the lack of effort made towards customer service. There was no customer service. Keeping an empty table available for a yet to arrive, walk in patron, superseded my comfort. They didn’t even try. I was a huge JackShrimp Fan! This was the 3^rd time we’ve been to the new place since the opening in January. Would I go back? Sure if invited, but I won’t ever suggest it.

Our first time here! The 27^th Annual Live Crawfish, Crab and Shrimp did not disappoint! Yum! Hubby enjoyed tasting a few of the local beers, including a mango Hef which smelled great! Will definitely be back & recommend this place to friends!
Very conveniently located in OC just across from John Wayne Airport, and right off the 73. Better than trying to go down to the Peninsula, and free parking!
And, they protect the environment! They don’t use Styrofoam, reduce their use of straws, and save water and energy! They’re a certified Ocean Friendly Restaurant with #Surfrider Foundation. Go check them out!

This place is amazing. I came before when used to be buggy bar was terrible. this is my third time here
and it’s amazing. The customer service it’s beyond good assoon you come in they treat you very good
The waitress Erin is the best waitress ever she is so lovely and professional.
This place it’s gonna be the best party place in Newport Beach. Life music in the weekend

A extraordinary place to have a birthday party or dinner dancing, happy, fun, great service! Wonderful time! Thank you jax loved it!!!

I came here for lunch during NBRW with some co-​workers. My co-​workers ordered the $ 10 restaurant week special (appetizer and entrée). They both ordered the gumbo and jambalaya. Both my co-​workers liked their gumbo, but were very disappointed with the jambalaya. They said it was just a bunch of large chicken pieces with some sauce and veggies. Their dishes didn’t look very appealing and the portion sizes were small.
I went with the Salmon and Ancho Chili Bowl ($ 12) for lunch. This consisted of jackspiced salmon filet, brown rice, slaw, avocado, tomato, ancho and remoulade sauces, and sheeps milk feta. All the flavors were really good. The salmon was moist and tender and had very good seasoning. The slaw was crunchy and the avocado and tomatoes were fresh. Taste wise this was a good dish and reminded me of a similar dish that I order at one particular fast food chain restaurant out here in southern California. I was disappointed in the portion size here. It should have been about 50% bigger. Also the price point for this bowl was quite a bit higher than it should have been.
The campus jax ambiance can best be described as a large saloon with a stage in the back. I imagine they have some bands playing on the weekend and perhaps even some dancing. Service was friendly but it did take a little while for our food to come out.
Although I did like my dish, I thought it was too expensive and too small for lunch and I don’t think I would be returning.

Fabulous night! There were 25 of us, and Jack Jasper was the most dynamic and wonderful host, our dinners were all suburb, and the band tonight was exceptional. Ronnie our server was able to handle the whole party all by himself all of our dinners without any confusion or problems.
My gumbo soup was better then anything I ever tasted in New Orleans, and the jambalaya exceptional, we could have been dining in the French Quarter! The band, The Black Orchid was terrific, all 70’s & 80’s oldies songs we all knew and enjoyed dancing to. We are definitely planning on going back very soon, there was not one problem or complaint!!! Thanks Jack!
This place is a must try, you won’t be disappointed!!!

I was surprised to see the place so empty for Sunday football. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks and the chicken tenders with fries. At $ 12, I thought it was a little pricey. When it came out, I understood why. Five big tenders with a mound of fries. The tenders were decent. I slight bit overcooked but a nice crunchy coating. The fries were undercooked, starchy, and soft.
The bartenders are very friendly, knowledgeable about the food and made sure we didn’t wait for anything.
As for the ambiance, it was old style pub lighting, dark wood tables, chairs, bar and the sound of the tv blaring throughout the place. It would be great if they changed the lighting to make it more inviting and less depressing.
I might come by again for dinner since they have live music on the weekends

I tried really hard to like this place and contemplate giving three stars for A-​OK, but after experiencing, what I think to be one of the Top OC Restaurant Experiences (see review on Fukada), I know what a 5-​star maximum can be in terms of price, quality, and service.
To start off, it was a rainy day and I wanted some soup, queue the typical list-​off: 1. Ritters 2. Souplantation 3. Ramen 4. Taiwanese Noodles 5. Capital Noodle Bar.
Well, what can I say, I’m an adventurous guy, and I remembered it was Newport Beach Restaurant Week (NBRW). Campus JAX was nearby (somewhat), and I remember passing by Jack’s Shrimp, and never got to try them before it closed. I thought, what a perfect match, this place has cajun food on the NBRW menu, it’s $ 20, it’ll be something new I can add to my rainy-​day list and the Unilocal!reviews sounded like a religious following of a local-​owned place. Perfect!
I figure that this restaurant just moved, re-​branded and is trying to get more people in the door via NBRW, great idea. I get there after work about 7/7:30, and pull up to a parking lot. As I walk to the front/​back door, I see a banner that says Grand Opening for lunch, and has times for football games. I was a little confused, as it was a little empty inside and was concerned they were only soft-​opened for lunch. But this didn’t make any sense as the NBRW menu I saw clearly had a «Dinner» section.
I walk in and the place is pretty barren except for some office coworkers sitting at a bar table, and a couple or two scattered in a few booths. There’s no real hostess or anything, or podium, so me and my better half kind of scan the restaurant for some help. We’re not sure if it’s open-​seating, wait to be seated, etc.
The bartender seems to be running around from the office coworkers to the tables, and initially seems to be the only hand on deck. We meet eyes, and she lets us know we can sit anywhere that we would like… except the booths and a few tables, they’re still dirty. I assume they’re just understaffed, and it’s not an issue, so we find a nice corner half-​sofa, half-​chair dealie.
Then a few minutes one waitress emerges from the kitchen (I felt a lot better for the bartender), and hands us the menus, takes our drink order and walks away. Given it was NBRW, I assumed they’d hand it out with their one page menu, but nope. The waitress disappeared again (not on her own fault, it was one woman and 4 – 5 tables she had to take care of, with another couple just walking in). So after she emerges again, we flag her down for the NBRW menus, making sure it’s being served, and it’s the same things that we saw online. Before she could step away we order the: Deep Fried Pickes, Jalapeño Tuna Dip, JACK Rice, Jambalaya, and two Gumbos.
So, the service left something to be wanted, but I assured that the food would at least make it up. The appetizers get to us first, the Deep Fried Pickles and Jalapeño Tuna Dip. The pickles are a little on the salty side, perfectly fried though, the batter is nice and crispy, not soggy at all. Now, the Jalapeño Tuna Dip, resembled mayonnaise and tuna with maybe jalapenos, I can’t remember, the chips that came with it were pretty salty as well, so I went ahead and used the celery. Overall, I was disappointed with the first course, as stuff that could honestly be made at home.
The second course then came in, two gumbos. I don’t have much to say, but again it seemed like something that could be made at home, and even slightly resembled a canned Progresso Soup Gumbo I had a few weeks ago. Not saying they are using canned soup, but it lacked real distinct flavor, ingredients, and «umph». It was a very plain bowl of soup, called gumbo, not much flavor.
Finally, the main course came, and this is what I thought would be the meal saver, as I read on both Campus JAX and Jack’s Shrimp reviews that this is what was the ruler! My Jambalaya gets set down and my girlfriends Jack Rice gets set down. They look pretty similar, with the Jack Rice having Jack sauce in it. This is probably the meal killer for me, because I looked down at my plate and it was just cubed chicken breasts, shaved red onion and shaved bell peppers on top of wild rice in a soup base. I looked at the JACK Rice and it was essentially the same thing, but not with the peppers and onions, so it was just chicken on rice in soup. The chicken was bland, somewhat dry, and the soup bases were both a little watery, minimal, and had an average spice/​taste to them. It was really disappointing, and was definitely something I’ve made at home, as I was on a huge chicken diet for a year.
At the end of this, plus a sangria, the bill came out to $ 50ish. I’m not a person who’s cheap on food, and have paid hundreds for sushi, but a big mantra for me is, «as long as it’s worth it», and this was not. It seemed like a lot of home cooked food that could be made for $ 20 or less, with mediocre service (more of a fault of being understaffed, the service given was great).

Jack is back! I was sad to see Jack Shrimp to go, but excited that all the old favorites are back at Campus Jax! My favorite dish is the jambalaya, which is one of the best dishes I have ever had in a restaurant. Try it — you won’t be disappointed!
The interior is nicely done, and there is live music here a few times a week.
My alumni club has our game watches at Campus Jax. Jack is accommodating to our schedule and sets aside a corner of the restaurant for us to watch the games on several TV’s.
Eat some jambalaya!

JACKshrimp’s reboot fails to excite.
I have been a loyal JackSnack lover for decades so naturally I was ecstatic when I heard that the owner of JACKshrimp opened a new restaurant next door to JWA in North Irvine. Regulars will immediately recognize the art on the walls, the casual vibe from the servers and several of the old school classics on the menu that will have you recalling their long tenure in Newport Harbor. The new reincarnation of JACKshrimp includes a large and airy dining area along with huge bar area which is wonderful. Conversely, the soundstage offers live (and largely terrible) music so you are unable to hear what what your company is saying throughout the meal. It also makes ordering rather difficult.
The menu is relatively familiar with some new items that seem to get away from JACKshrimp’s Louisiana theme of yesteryear such as a French Dip and Cesar Kale Salad. The addition of taps loaded with craft beer selections are a great so Campus JAX would make for a perfectly suitable watering hole in the area when the live music isn’t blasting in your face.
On to the cuisine…
Truth be told, I fiend an order of JACKshrimp a few times a year and this was largely the reason I sought out Campus JAX in the first place. Dipping the fresh French bread in that peppery-​buttery-​savory sauce alone is is an absolute treat but the shell-​on shrimp puts the dish over the top. It can be argued that $ 19.00 is an egregious about to pay for amounts to a shrimp and sauce plate but I would be fine with it so long as kept up with JACKshrimp’s experience. Sadly, my order came out lukewarm and was cold within minutes at my table. I was very disappointed.
Mediocre quality plates and blaring lousy live music will probably keep me from returning to Campus JAX anytime soon and that is a shame since we have so few Creole and Cajun choices in Orange County.

Good food my personal fave is the Brainstorm bowl, the salmon bowl was good, but a little too «saucy» for my taste. Huge selection of beer and a *great* staff. This place has a great vibe all around. They have a good happy hour menu, the chicken tenders and fries were really good.
Live band on the weekends. Mark Wood Band was great!
**Score for no corkage fee on your first bottle of wine!!**
Really bummed that the bread/​butter basket is no longer included with your meal (it’s now an extra $ 3) :/

Loved it! I used to go to Jack Shrimp when it was on PCH and I’m so happy that they found another location.
I ordered the jack shrimp with some wild rice on the side. I don’t know what is on the sauce the use for the jack shrimp but it’s delicious. They also have some tacos that we ordered but the sauce on those was not my favorite. The service was alright, maybe because we weren’t regulars? Either way it was still a good time.