Jones

Jones is dead! Hooray!
The space has been leased by the Bin 38 brethren. Huzzah!

In the stages of being SOLD to Bin 38(Please don’t make this a fru fru sports bar!!!)
I love this joint, not the best food by any means, but for a sports bar with space. Top notch in my eyes. Reminds me of a sports bar in the suburbs!
Tons of space-​big screen projector, Large HD televisions all over the place. Clean, plenty of seating, and a nice variety of seating, Great happy hours which include 50 cent wings ad 2 dollar beers. Can’t go wrong.
Service– when packed, not the best, but if you’re pro active, not bad!
I hope the best for Scott and his brother. Great owners trying to put a good sports bar on this side of the city!

I think this place is getting a tough break.
The food is good — in fact their mac and cheese has gotten better. Their turkey sliders have more flavor and overall I enjoyed everything we ordered (beet salad — more salad than beet FYI — and ahi sliders). Food is a little pricey but nothing out of the ordinary in SF/​the Marina.
Happy Hour drink deals are still good too! No food deals anymore though.
Service when we went was perfectly fine — maybe its the dining room that sucks? I highly recommend the bar area…

Not bad, but not good. They have beer and T.V.s so that’s the plus. I had fun, but that had to do with the company I was with. However, the food is a bit disappointing.
The buffalo wings, well, let’s just say that Vern Troyer’s boner has more meat on it than these chicken bones did.

I haven’t had hashbrowns since high school cafeteria days. Yeah, I am that old.
This place is great for March Madness. It has eight or nine flat panels all over the joint, plus a huge projection screen in the main seating area. Interesting how all the TVs are showing a different game. I actually thought I was losing my mind for a second, even though I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol.
Burgers were great, portions were HUGE! When I ordered, a waitress asked if we were going to split the portion. When I saw the plate, I got why she asked that.
Various side dishes is a great idea. Some people like fries, some house salad, I loved hashbrowns which I have not had for more than a decade.
The place was great, March Madness fans were not. When French fries started to fly by and over the tables, it was time for us to go.

Despite many other reviewers, I frequent Jones weekly and a lot has changed since you all must have been in there. The food is great, reasonably priced and the staff is really happy to have your business. Plus they have great happy hour prices and a different food or drink special every night of the week!
In these tough times, everyone is penny pinching. My wallet is so thin that it looks like Kate Moss. But, when I do belly up to the bar it’s usually at Jones and it’s always a good time and not too taxing on the wallet. I usually go on Monday for 50 cent chicken wings and $ 12 pitchers.
I suggest everyone that reviewed this place go back and give it another try. I’ll be the one at the bar with a pile of chicken bones in front of me.

VENTING
I am so tired of people writing bad reviews because of «Marina Douchebaggery.» Guess what people, you’re going to have douche bags wherever you go but if you’re so opposed to the Marina type then here’s a tip, DON’T GO TO THE MARINA! Writing about it makes you just as bad as the people you’re talking smack about.
VENT OVER
Jones is great for watching sports, drinking beer and eating greasy bar food. I had a great time here last weekend with a few guys and it was packed! A great scene if you’re looking for a lively game day. People are right about the service, though. You have to go in with no expectations. They seemed to be understaffed for as many people they let in. The servers were stretched pretty thin.

That’s right folks, I’ve decided to update my review because I was unfortunate enough to come back to this place last Saturday for the Texas Tech game. Some friends called me wondering if I wanted to stop by, my immediate reaction was «what the hell are you doing there, that place SUCKS!». In the end I met my friends and it proved to me that the only thing Jones has going for it is consistency, consistency at sucking that is. Now for the details:
— I ordered a pint and got a 14 oz plastic cup for more than the price of a proper pint in most other bars. Call me a beer snob but it’s just pathetic to get a plastic cup at a less than packed place that brands itself as a high-​end sports bar (and on top of that it wasn’t even a proper pint).
— I discovered that the restrooms in this place are absolutely disgusting. The floors were soaking wet and you certainly don’t feel like you’re in a high-​end sports bar.
I really hope I never end up going back to this place again. I live only a few blocks from Jones but yet I’m motivate to travel to the Haight and watch a game at Danny Coyle’s rather than going to Jones.

«I’d like a Stella please.»
«We’re out of Stella.»
«OK. How about an Amstel Light?»
«Sure.»
“And an ice cream sunday?”
«We’re out of ice cream.»
«Hm. OK. How about the crème brûlée?»
«Sure»
Crème brûlée — warm and untasty, even with the extra hair. Complained.
«Can I get you something else?»
«Um, maybe just another beer.»
And that’s why we don’t eat at Jones.

A friend of mine recently pointed out something that I’ve long thought, but have never really articulated: there is a severe lack of sports bars in San Francisco. After spending two years in Chicago, where there is practically a sports bar on every corner, it’s strange to have to pick from a very small handful. I suppose this has something to do with the fact that a) all of our sports teams kind of suck at the moment and b) there are so many other great things to do in the city that it seems like a waste to spend your weekends inside a dark bar watching sports.
That said, I am a girl who loves her football on Sundays, so I dragged a few mildly unwilling friends to Jones last weekend for the afternoon games. The place was more crowded than I’ve seen it in the past, but fortunately we were able to find a table with an okay view of most of the TVs, although strangely, about 70% seemed to be on the same channel. I also noticed that there were a disproportionately large number of east coast fans — both Giants and Redskins. I wasn’t there when the Bay Area teams played, but I hope that they had a least a few fans.
Our server was definitely on the unfriendly side. She came up almost immediately and asked what we wanted without even offering us menus. These she gave grudgingly and only after we asked. I actually thought the food was pretty good. I channeled my inner 7 year old with the grilled cheese, which came with a coup of tomato soup and a salad. My friends complained about the cost, but I thought it was pretty typical of Marina prices.
Compared to some of the other sports bars in the area (Bus Stop, Green’s) I think Jones is a pretty good option. It’s big, not overly crowded and has decent food. I do recall walking by when college football was playing and seeing people practically hanging out the windows, so it maybe it just depends on what day you go.

I admit that it was hectic the night we were in. We reserved a table earlier in the day for after the JP Morgan run and when we arrived, it seemed that a lot of other teams had the same idea. A business can only plan so much for these kinds of things, I get it. If it was just the wait that soured our experience here, it would be forgivable, but when the manager approached our table, blew smoke up our asses, and then passive aggressively offered us a bottle of wine in the tone of voice mothers reserve for whiny children after we had more than patiently waited for over an hour for our food, I was done.
Just to give you an idea of our night, I have provided a timeline:
Arrive 8:30 pm. We are seated prompty, the room is crowded with people from the race.
8:45 pm. All of us have drinks now. We order appetizers.
9:15 pm Appetizers arrive. Good, we’re starving!
9:30 pm We FINALLY get to order dinner. Yes, we have been here for an HOUR before ordering dinner. Many of our drinks have gone empty.
10 pm I get up to get our water pitcher filled from the bar. Seems none of us are getting refills. Too bad, I probably would have ordered another beer or two. A few minutes later, food we didn’t order arrives at our table. It’s the exact order we had of our appetizers, which we had already consumed. Not sure what happened there.
10:15 pm: I have just two questions: How is it that we have 2 waitpersons for our table but still no sign of dinner OR a chance to order more drinks? About half of the room has cleared out. Did the waitstaff leave too?
10:20 pm: Our waiter comes by and apologizes for the wait, explaining that they got a ton of orders all at once. There are maybe 4 other groups left. I’m starting to suspect that he is covering for the fact that somebody forgot about /​screwed up our ticket. I would much prefer honesty if that’s the case. This just makes them sound like they don’t know how to run a restaurant efficiently.
10:30 pm: The manager comes by to ask if he can order us some appetizers or get us more drinks. Swear to God. I tell him politely — but with just enough twinge of irritation to get the message across — that we have now been waiting an HOUR for our food. He apologizes and says he will deal with it immediately. There is hope in sight.
10:45 pm: STILL no food. One of the women in our party gets fed up and walks towards the kitchen to ask the Manager if we can just cancel our check because while we are all hungry, we are also all getting very tired and have to wake up early the next day. The manager comes to the table and says condescendingly, «How about I get you a bottle of wine, will that make you happy?» He tells us everyone in the restaurant ordered food and they only had two people working in the kitchen, but the food will be out in 5 minutes but he would be happy to cancel our check for us «if that’s what you really want to do.» He then stomps off to the bar, muttering under his breath «I don’t need this shit.» It is apparently now OUR fault that he doesn’t know how to manage his staff on an unusually busy night. We have all ordered burgers, which are apparently really, really difficult to make. Apparently.
10:50 pm. We finally get our food, only to discover that someone has sprinkled SUGAR ON OUR french fries. I know, by now this seems ridiculous and you’re waiting for me to tell you that a leprechaun riding a unicorn jumped out of the bartender’s ass, but no they really — honestly, swear on my wisdom teeth — put sugar on our french fries. We are resigned to eat them because we know we don’t want to hang out here any longer, but one of us can’t help it and pulls the waitress aside anyway to ask her about the fries. She seems stressed, shakes her head, and goes to the kitchen to check on the fry situation.
11 pm: The waitress comes back and tells us that the cooks told her that’s how they season their fries. She seems surprised. Our waiter comes out and says the same thing. I suspect they are covering for someone else’s screw up. I can’t imagine who would think sugar would be good on fries.
11:15 pm: We pay up and get the hell out of there. Because we are so late leaving, I arrive at the parking garage where my car is, only to discover that it has already closed. The next day, I will have to pay $ 44 to get my car out of the garage, not to mention the $ 30 my boyfriend shelled out for a taxi when I arrived at his house on the other side of the city. I have now spent almost $ 100 on the worst service (and french fries) ever.
I sincerely hope the owner of this restaurant reads his/​her reviews and cares, because this kind of service is just downright retarded. It can take 2 hours to sit down. I’ve worked in restaurants with 2 hour waits to sit, but two hours to eat after sitting? There seemed to be tons of staff running around, and while both of our waitpersons were certainly friendly, they seemed to be taking care of the whole room. It’s just bad management.

If there was a way to award ZERO stars, I would. I don’t think I have ever been to a restaurant/​bar with worse service. I recently went to Jones to meet a bunch of friends for some football — someone thought checking out Jones would be a good idea — WRONG. If you ever go, don’t plan on eating very quickly. And if you want to drink, be sure to order in large quantities, especially since it takes so long to get drinks in the first place.
Final thought — worst restaurant/​sports bar of all time.

A bar that has so much promise but always torpedoes the experience with abysmal service.
I’ve been here several times to watch games, and this is also the place where many USC alumni go to watch the Trojans play (My Alma Mater). The service has always been terribly slow; not enough bartenders and servers despite the bar consistently being packed (Read: If you are consistently full, hire more servers to match demand).
This past weekend I decided to reserve a table thinking that since they have assigned servers, I would actually be able to get food/​drinks in a reasonable amount of time. Boy, was I wrong. All of our orders either took over 30 minutes, or never came. Service was so slow, we changed our minds and decided not to eat dinner there.
Jones has many TVs to watch sports, and I like the layout, but without matching good service it is mostly for naught.

This review goes directly to management. When Colorado Buffaloes Alumni tell you that the season opener is going to bring a lot of alumni to your establishment, listen up. Waiting for an hour for pitchers of beers, having two bartenders available, and worst yet running out of beer is unacceptable. Seriously. If this is how you prepare for a sporting event and label yourself as a good place to watch sports, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone for any other reason.
Hopefully, management sits down and figures out how to host a large group of fans. They may give you another chance, only because there are not enough places that are big enough, but this time, step up and be prepared.

Food — 2/2.5 stars
Service — 1 star
Went for the $ 29 Monday night special — you only save about $ 8 – 10. The place was empty — 6 occupied tables and 2 waitresses.
Waitress #1 appeared to be surprised about the special, which was computer printed & posted on the walls throughout the place as well as mentioned on the website. When she got info about it, she told us we were able to select any steak except the Porterhouse. We requested a couple minutes to make our selections.
After waiting around for way more than a couple minutes, Waitress #2 (Returned from break? Just started shift?) showed up to take our order. No biggie but why take forever to take our order when empty & no communication about the server change? Anyway, I requested the special with a rib eye steak. Well, Waitress #2 said only the filet & NY were options. What the heck? Decided not to argue & settled for a filet.
Since I wasn’t up for a glass of «house» wine I requested to have dessert as a substitute ($ 1 price diff). The manager (doubling as the bartender) okayed the substitution — which was the only sign of decent service during this meal.
It took a while for the entrees to arrive. When they finally showed up, my friend was starving so dug right in & started cutting the steak. It was med well/​well (barely a blush of pink) — RARE was ordered.
Simultaneously, I looked at my side dish and asked «Is that the twice baked potato?» full well knowing it was mashed potatoes. Lame Waitress #2 said «yeah». NOT! I also ordered RARE & stated «I hope my steak isn’t that overcooked» referring to my friend’s steak. Waitress #2 suddenly blurts «Oh, those are for someone else» & takes the plates back. WTH?! My plate was untouched but the other steak was already cut up. Were they served to «someone else»??! Where were «ours»?
When our food appears the filet was rare & not cold, side actually a twice baked potato & some green beans. My friend’s grilled asparagus looked terrible/​over done/​dead. It all tasted ok/​good but not great or compelling. Definitely didn’t taste like «natural fed, Black Angus beef dry aged for 3 – 6 weeks» (directly from website). Bearnaise sauce was also not served with the steaks (another claim on the website).
Since water is served in a small glass (to promote bar purchases?) & service (if you can call it that) slow, I asked for water in a large glass (i.e. pint glass). Waitress #2 returns with water in a stemmed wine glass — i.e. the same sized glass volume-​wise but taller. Uh hello?
When I was barely halfway through my meal (my friend was finished), Waitress #2 drops by (surprise!) to inform us that our desserts will be out in 10 minutes. I stated the obvious — that I’m not close to finishing my meal & to hold off on starting dessert. Again, this place is vacant so turning the table is not an issue.
Well, desserts (uh, when did I state my selection??) arrived while I was still eating my meal. Again, WTH? When I asked why I had a rootbeer float, Waitress #2 responds «I thought that’s what you wanted.» Wow, she must have ESP. My response, was that I hadn’t placed an order for dessert and had only inquired about a couple selections. No apology, no inquiry as to which desset I’d prefer and no offer to correct. WTF??! (Notice the escalation in exclamation!?)
Not worth the $ even with «specials» since food only ok/​good & SERVICE STINKS! Won’t return — too many alternatives in SF.
In fact, there was another couple who sent back their burgers (I heard the guy complain «The bun is bigger than the burger!» He was offered another beer by Waitress #1 to which he responded «I don’t want another beer» so they got another appitizer instead. In the end their entire meal (2 apps, 2 small burgers, 2 replacement burgers & drinks) was comped by the manager.
Instead of wasting $$ on poorly prepared food & paying inept waitresses, Jones should spend it on a better chef & waitstaff training. Additionally make a decision to be a steak house or sports bar as the forgettable food is overpriced for a sports bar. The webmaster also needs to bring the website current. The flat screens were plentiful but not huge.

It’s not often that I make it to the Marina… and no, it’s not like I have anything against the people there (like so many seem to these days)…but moreso because the parking is horrible and I prefer to hang out in other areas of the city.
Last night I came to a fundraiser for
here. Granted, it was an event and so I can’t imagine it being as busy as it was (and this could be more negative for the event organizers) but it was crowded beyond belief. Not only that, but getting a drink was really difficult. I had no problem making it up to the bar, but trying to get one of the bartenders’ attention was really difficult. When I finally did get an eye, the person took our order, but couldn’t fill them… apparently he wasn’t a bartender so it took ages to actually get our drinks.
It also seemed strange that the interior looked much like a sports bar but that the food was trying to be something else. I saw several dishes come out and it didn’t seem to match with the interior. This place just seems confused in general — the female bartenders were dressed provocatively, the food seemed to be a bit higher class yet the interior looked like a shabby sports bar.
Based on last night’s experience I’d probably rate it a 2 star, but considering it was an event I can’t hold the place entirely responsible. Doubtful I’ll feel the need to come back, though…

Five stars for a Marina Sports Bar!
A friend and I hosted a Super Tuesday party to benefit the Bay Area chapter of the IRC (International Rescue Committee) and Bob Jones (One Industry group. which also operates Mas Sake and Impala) could not have been more accommodating or hospitable. From the moment I called to inquire about their venue for the Super Tuesday party for our political dork friends, he was on task. suggesting ideas and negotiating great deals with an open mind. He continued to be extremely responsive and professional via email throughout the entire planning process.
The night of the event, everything was so perfect we could not have asked for a better venue and/​or for better service. They accommodated every guest who donated $ 10 to the IRC with a free drink, extended the wonderful HH specials all night for out guests and assigned a very friendly and efficient server to our group all night. Additionally, Adam the bartender, was amazing.
Also, I must add that no slider I’ve had since can compete with that turkey/​Gouda/​pineapple combo… WOW!!! It needs to be entered in some kind of contest.
I strongly suggest considering Jones restaurant for any casual event where you also might desire yummy cheap food and drinks with a fun atmosphere! I don’t think a sports bar could get much prettier.

Wait… Happy Hour is all day Friday!!! And oh what a Happy Day it turned out to be. Jessica L. and I had been curious to try Jones after sampling the menu for the elite event. The tables are large and comforting (although the bar top we sat at was near the window and it was a little drafty). We thought we were the only ones in the place until we realized that whole dining area was full. I think the layout makes the place seem emptier than it is. This place should be packed because the food was fantastic, they’ve got great drink specials, and the service is always dealt with a smile.
We had the Ahi Tuna Tartar (made special for us since they typically marinate it in sesame oil — which I’m allergic to), Mac and Cheese (not the best but definitely still quite tasty), and the turkey sliders which were made of absolute heaven. The turkey sliders come with a very thin slice of BBQ pineapple on it and guacamole, the plate is decorated with a very spicy red sauce that made for quite the explosion of flavors.
All in all I will definitely be back, especially for the Happy Days! It’s a great location for the north bay to meet the SF and fairly easy parking on that side of the marina.

I’ve gotta get the bad out of the way first: do most places serve beer in glasses that are smaller than a pint, but still charge pint-​like prices? I’m honestly not sure, but for whatever reason, it struck me here and I was a ltitle peeved. Am I in the wrong or are they?
And now on to the good: I liked it. I really did. It was crowded without being obnoxiously so. I found a nice little space in a comfortable chair (woe be the sports bar that makes you sit on a backless bar stool while you watch football for 3 hours), and was able to watch Cal absolutely decimate itself against Oregon State. Godamnit… now i’m pissed again. :(

The first thing I noticed when we sat down to dinner last night at Jones Restaurant was that Led Zeppelin’s Bron-​Y-​Aur Stomp was playing on the stereo. This happens to be in my top five Zep songs, and one that I don’t ever recall hearing at a bar or restaurant, so first things first, Jones was off to a great start. It turns out that music is a big component of eating at Jones, as classics from Bob Dylan, CCR, Journey, and strangely Tim McGraw played throughout the evening, complementing our dishes.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. So our group of three is seated in this huge, enveloping booth, comfortable just like the food we’d soon try. There are a few other booths scattered about in the dining area (one very large one for large groups), while the bar side allows for a more casual experience. There are few large screens for when the big game is on, but I got the impression that wasn’t really the focus of the place. Jones is one of those places that immediately struck me as a great place to become a regular, to enjoy with good friends.
The menus — with just enough description to entice you — read like a cookbook of the American comfort food experience. You could lose yourself in it, there are so many tempting choices, and unlike some of the other Unilocal reviews I’ve read, I found the pricing to be pretty reasonable, all things considered, and especially because even the large options beg to be shared.
Want proof? I guess I’d classify Jones’ cuisine as upscale comfort food, but not with fancy truffle oil twists. All the food stays true to their American roots, offering up tasty nuances here and there, seldom overdoing it.
We ordered the chicken wings ($ 10), the Crab Corndogs ($ 12), and the Mac n’ Cheese ($ 9) as our small plates to share, then added the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup ($ 11) along with some House Cut Fries with Chili and Cheese ($ 8). That in itself proved to be a meal, but we were feeling adventurous so also ordered a couple of larger plates to split. If you’re a fan of Fried Chicken, Jones’ ($ 17) ranks up there with the best. We also tried the Capt’n Crunch Mahi Mahi ($ 20), which was spectacular and a meal in itself, served with a coconut risotto. We smartly ordered the Petite Filet Migon ($ 25) — as opposed to a larger cut — which was quickly devoured, thanks in part to the steak being served with near perfect bearnaise sauce as well as the restaurant’s own house-​made A1 sauce!
Yeah, you can tell, I’m a fan. And that’s me missing out trying out things like like their Bone-​in Cowboy Ribeye, their takes on Spaghetti and Meatballs and Baby Back Ribs, the Kobe Beef Burger… I could go on.
Our waitress Jen was quick with drink suggestions too (as were owners Bob and Adam and chef Jamaal, who also stopped in to see how we were doing). Jones’ take on the Greyhound was delicious, as was the Cucumber Basil Gimlet I also sampled, and there’s a well thought out wine list, to boot.
I’m looking forward to my next visit over to Jones, who with their other Lombard neighbors Boboquivari’s, Hime, and Zushi Puzzle, have slowly turned this tourist stretch of pavement into something worth, well, Unilocaling about.
Oh, one final small touch, and as good a place as any for me to end this review. When they bring out the checks, the bill is presented in a book from their «library» (a ramshackle selection near their pool table, perfect for starting up random conversations). Ours came in Moby Dick, and they encourage you to leave a note much like a guest book at an inn or something. Small touch, but indicative that the people behind Jones are doing something daring, bringing the Marina back.