Captain Jack’s

This bar is just creepy. I get a pirate theme for a kids restaurant but for a bar? It just seems corny. There’s pirate and ship décor on the walls, and the bar is table hight. Never seen that before.
We went in for lunch, there was only one other person there yet the whole place smelled of smoke. Should have turned around at that point, but I ordered a chicken sandwich anyway. I wish I hadn’t, as later I saw the owner or manager head to the bathroom and come out so fast there’s no way he could have washed his hands. Had I not ate yet I’d have walked then and there. The food wasn’t worth staying for either. The mountain of fries were stale and overcooked. The chicken was tough and dry. The lettuce and tomato didn’t look very fresh either. Not like you really need anymore reason to not come here. There are much better options for lunch in the area.

I walked into Captain Jack’s and thought ‘thank god I’m not here for Jon Taffer’. The name suggests a nautical theme while the dollar bill décor suggests something seedier. The bar maid was polite and the food was decent, though from a glance I could tell their spirit selection left a lot to be desired. The atmosphere is friendly enough, the crowd rough enough to be sea worthy, but no one’s walking the plank. Have a beer and relax, because you’re in Towanda, where else are you going to go?

This place is exactly as described by the other review. Drunk natural gas contractors running around like crazy. Hilarious atmosphere, worth a good laugh, and cheap drinks. The only down side is the smoking inside. You’ll smell like a chimney when you leave.

So the main perk (if you want to call it that) of this bar/​grill is that it’s the busiest bar in the area. Live DJ on weekends, dance floor, always a crowd, OK food, somewhat clean, good location. The bad is that it’s well-​known as a nuisance establishment. It has fights almost every night, numerous serious incidents (shooting, stabbing, fights with injuries), and the bar has actually been urinated and defecated in (not the bathroom). 90% of it’s patrons aren’t from the area because most locals refuse to go there. This used to be a great place a few years ago before the gas industry came to town, but now it’s completely overrun by drunk southerners who could care less what they do because they’re only in town for a short time. Their bartenders are rude and often ignore customers that don’t fit the atmosphere. Their «bouncers» are punks off the street who have zero bouncing or security training, dressed in plainclothes, don’t identify themselves, escalate harmless situations, and are paid under the table so they aren’t employed or insured by the bar. This bar caters to the out-​of-​towners, and will continue to serve them well past intoxication for bigger tips, while booting locals for looking at them wrong. The owners are typically in the bar drunk and causing problems themselves, and love the negative attention their business gets because it draws the crowd they want.
Bottom line, if you want weekend entertainment that has a good chance of putting you in the hospital, go here. If you want quality, go somewhere else.
**4/​17/​14 Update*** I’m told that there was a change in ownership several months ago. I haven’t been back in since, but from what I hear, there’s no point.