Federal Bar and Grill

This is tough for me because I LOVE their food. Unfortunately, their service is terrible. I've been there on more than one occasion with a party of two or more, and we get our orders 5 minutes apart. You never know how long you'll wait for you food, and the personalities of some of the staff are less than friendly, but when it's a family business, it's not going to change. And when you ask for extra onioins, or extra anything else, they'll charge you up the wazoo! If you want great food, go there, but you've been warned about the service. more

For a number of years I have heard and read excellent things about Jack N Grill so I was eager to go and try their chile. I went in on a weekday in the middle of the afternoon and the place was almost empty which was nice because I was seated immediately by a young man working behind the bar. Once seated I reviewed the menu and I must admit I was a little surprised at the prices. Mexican food is typically one of the cheapest and this was pretty pricey, but I thought "what the hey, I'm sure it will be worth it". I ordered a burrito and some chips and salsa. I waited and waited and waited for quite sometime for the food to arrive which I didn't mind on the burrito, but chips and salsa? Those should be brought out immediately, especially if a place is not busy, which it wasn't. The burrito was huge (a plus) but honestly the food was IMHO only average. It certainly wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. Nothing to get excited about. Also the service was a little shoddy, I had to flag down the server/bartender for refills on my drinks. Remember, the place was not busy at this time. I wouldn't make an effort to go there again. Pros: Nice ambiance, food portion was huge Cons: Service not great and food was pricey, chile was average at best more

Jack N Grill is our favorite restaurant in town. We don't eat out much, but when we do, we are willing to drive across town just to go there. The food is amazing. You get a HUGE, delicious plate of food for a great price. Most people can't finish their food, so they end up taking half of it home and have at least another meal out of the deal. For anyone that thought the service was lazy, all I can think is, if you want corporate service, go to a corporate restaurant. The family that owns Jack N Grill is incredibly friendly. If you go in during a slower part of the day, you can expect that everyone will say hello when you arrive and everyone will thank you for coming when you leave, and they will make you comfortable while you are there. The prices may have gone up recently, but that has to be expected. When gas is over $3 a gallon, that's what happens. Even with the price increase, it is still quite affordable and worth it. Go there, try it, and it is more likely than not that you will love it. Pros: Friendly, affordable, huge portions, great food, parking recently improved (park behind) more

I have died and gone to heaven... This hole in the wall churns out some high quality food. There is no other Mexican Restaurant that can match Jack-n-Grill in Colorado. I have been a customer since 2002 and and loved every minute of it. Their Burgers are HUGE and yet very tasteful and unique,such as the JAXX burger. It is a green chile cheeseburger along with guacamole and sour cream. And they recently changed their Green Chile Cheese French Fries and let me tell you, these gooey fried potatoes are the best in Denver. Yet, That's not all folks... The Mexican food is amazing and that's an (understatement). The Relleno Burrito, Enchilada plate (Chicken or Beef) and tacos are an instant favorite. I have read what other people are wrote. Like, "Bad Service" " Inconsistant" but I bet dollars to donuts they have NEVER worked in a restaurant EVER!!! Things go wrong, its just life. Being a Waiter all my life, I can say that THOSE "Dissatisfied" customers have zero tolerance, no patience, and expect to be as fast as McDonald's... Come work with me at Johnny Carinos and see how many people think of your performance. It's not easy and getting fussy for something so small is very immature. Pros: Burgers,Chile Cheese Fries, Tacos,Margaritas, "JACK Theme" Cons: Busy, Parking, more

I've been to Jack n Grill several times over the years and the food is always inconsistent, but one thing that is consisted is the lazy owners/managers the older son is a total J3RK and could less about the customer, they consently run out of food like lettuce, avacado, tomato stuff that any ordinary restaurant would always have. I asked the older son how could you run out of lettuce when there is a Safeway right next door to you. He said no one has time to run over there to get it??? What are you talking about???? The whole time I was there he was just chatting with everyone at the counter. Please don't waste your time going there!! There is much, much better mexican places in Highlands, like pazcuato is excellent and about half the price! Pros: Um? Cons: food, price, customer service more

I'd been going there for years, despite the slow service. The food usually made up for the experience. However, I recently visited the place after a 4 month hiatus and was apalled by two things. First, they jacked up their prices by like 25 percent. He just started accepting credit cards and decided to pass the costs over to his customers, with additional fees. Then, my wife and family waited 25 minutes to be seated, while there were 4 empty tables waiting to be cleaned off. Where was the wait staff? Chatting by the cash register. I've noticed that the "family" business is incredibly lazy at serving customers. The oldest son is also condescending and aloof. The owner is nice enough but it doesn't make up for the high prices and the lazy wait staff. You can find better Mexican for 25 percent less anywhere else in town. Cons: cost and customer service more

If you are tired of the chain mexican food, these guys are a must try. I love the tacos here. The quality of the meat used is exceptional. The staff is very friendly, but most of all the food is just great. If you are looking to go beyond a Qdoba or Chipotle give these guys a try. Pros: Wonderful Tacos! more

I really enjoyed ever bit of this restaurant. Starting with the staff, it was probably the finest I?ve ever encountered. Likely it is because they are all members of the family owned business, but that is what every business needs instead of the snobby college drop out wait staff that automatically expects a tip. Next, I am perplexed by the people that have commented about the prices. I would like to know where they are going to get there food. Where in this city, if not state, can you get 7 pounds of food (breakfast burrito) for only $12? Or a 20oz double burger for $8? (by the way, the burgers are a must try!) It is my belief that this restaurant is very fairly priced and has great food. Lastly, the happy hour on the porch was very rewarding. 2 for 1?s on our beers, which made it an excellent pre-game location for the Bronco?s game. Great job guys, keep up the great service. Pros: Great people and great food Cons: tight seating more

I went in for lunch to go, ordered green chili bowl with beans and cheese, was charged $8.95 for a 12oz styrofoam cup with about 4oz beans, the rest was a brothy excuse for green chili, one small chunk of pork, several strips of green chilies, and a sprinkle of cheese. The flavor of the chili was ok, not bad, not delicious either. Vinegar or maybe canned chilies was the predominant flavor. Acceptable flavor for restaurant food, I guess. If the chili bowl was full of meat, cheese and beans, the price would not have been too bad, but the price I paid for it made me really angry. I felt totally taken advantage of, would not recommend Jack and Grill to anybody, and definitely will not be going back. A couple of tablespoons of beens in warm water with a few stips of chili is hardly worth the $10.00. (paid $10.00 total tipping a nice wait person for taking my order) Pros: good atmosphere, friendly staff Cons: mediocre food, high prices, more

A friend and I went here for lunch on Thursday. First of all the food is great, secondly the service is great, why only 3 stars? The price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Give me a break lunch was $11 for 4 tacos (no rice and beans) an Iced tea was $2.50, and when we sat down they asked if we wanted chips and salsa, we said yes, and the bill said $1.50. They never mentioned that there was a charge for chips and salsa. Save yourself a trip and go to a place that charges what mexican food should cost. Pros: Good Food Cons: Expensive for lunch more

I have been to Jack-N-Grill twice and it was great both times. I sat inside the first time and the second time we were seated in the patio. The food is very good. The chips and salsa are very good. They have a full bar with great margaritas. I love the taco salad - I have the Vaquero BBQ chicken kind. They also have a 7 lb breakfast burrito! The service is great, it is a wonderful family owned resturant, with menu items named after the family members. The only con about the patio is that it is right on Federal Blvd and it can be loud, but that is bearable. more

Having lived many years in New Mexico, I had acquired a taste for red and green chile. It seems that it is rare to find the real thing outside of NM; restaurants usually substituting some other variety of pepper. To my delight, Jack-N-Grill's used real New Mexican red and green chile! I arrived mid afternoon and business was light. Chips and salsa were delivered seconds after I sat down. The menu offering was extensive and I settled on the chicken enchiladas with both red and green chile (referred to as "Christmas"!) The wait was brief. The food was the best New Mexican style fare I have found in Denver. The portions were so big that for the first time that I can remember I had to ask for a box to take home the leftovers. I am happy to have found this place and I will be back. more

We have been to Jack N Grill over a dozen times in the past year. The service is always great. I am pretty sure that every employee is also a family member. The margaritas are awesome. Our kids love the burgers and the burritos. I can't say enough about this great little restaurant. I was upset to see the previous post. Even without the avocado the food would still rock! If you are trying to impress someone take them to Morton?s; if you want great food with family service eat at Jack N Grill! Pros: Everything Cons: NOT more

I'd been to Jack and Grill before and was shocked by the treatment we received. We went for dinner on a week night, and my fiance' ordered the taco salad. whenit arrived it didn't have the avacado. She flagged the waitress down and she apologized, ran to the kitchen and came back to tell us they RAN OUT of avacado! A mexican resteraunt that ran out of avacado? The looks on our faces must have been of shock because she offered salsa and sour cream. My fiance' said I wouldn't have ordered this if I knew you didn't have avacado. She didn't eat the meal, instead picked off my plate. We asked for it to be removed from the bill. She said, no problem. The manager came over and said he took $2.00 off the bill? We said the meal was $8.00. He said that is all I can do. We said that is very poor customer service, and we wouldn't be back. He said, that's fine and it is our choice! We looked at eachother and back at him with puzzled looks on our faces. We tipped our waitress because it wasn't her fault, but will NEVER return. Pros: none Cons: very rude and poor customer service more

As a native New Mexican, the one thing that I was really unhappy about here in Denver (moved here 2 years ago) was the lack of good New Mexican food. Enter Jack N Grill. I practically wept with joy with my first bite of my 3X green chile breakfast burrito. 3X isn't a size, it's the level of heat in the chile. You can go regular (mild), 1X, 2X, 3X, or nuclear. Their red chile is awesome as well - I've had the carne adovado burrito and the carne adovado breakfast. These folks are native New Mexicans and they know how to fix the simple, filling New Mexican meals I had grown up loving. Every time I've been, the service has been polite and friendly - sometimes they are in a hurry (this place is always crowded), but they have always taken care of everyone in my group well. Now, if I could just talk them into opening sooner so that I could grab a breakfast burrito on my way to work! Pros: order your chile as hot as you want it, friendly staff, authentic New Mexican food Cons: parking is tough, bring cash more

We were at Jack-n-Grill's second location (on E. 40th), and saw some truly obnoxious behavior by an owner or manager. We saw a guy in a big white Yukon zip right up between the two empty handicapped parking spaces, and park directly on the striped area between them. It seemed that this guy was actually somebody in charge of the restaurant, either an owner or an off-duty manager, as he spent about 30 minutes chatting with the staff, going behind the bar, etc. For some reason, he left for a few minutes, came back with a couple of passengers, and parked exactly as before. Total time blocking the handicapped spaces: probably 30 minutes. The striped area is used for unloading wheelchairs, etc. Parking like that, between the two marked handicapped spaces, effectively prevented their use. Furthermore, I didn't notice, but no doubt the Yukon was also blocking the ramp area in the sidewalk. So even if someone in a wheelchair managed to park and unload somewhere else, they would have had to find another ramp, just to get to the door. We were disgusted by this behavior of a manager/owner who was too lazy to park 5, 10, 20 spaces away, and who didn't care about any handicapped patrons who might show up. more

As a Green Chili fanatic I am always on the prowl to find the "best chili" in town resturaunts. After visiting Jack -n-Grill, the experience and food were up to par+. With several heat ranges(I like my green chili hot), I was completely satisfied. I ordered a smothered breakfast burrito($5.95) and could barely walk out of the place. I ordered the hot chili and the only thing it was lacking was salt. It had very good flavor. If you dare you can try to eat their 7 Lb. burrito for $12.00, good luck! Wait staff was very friendly. This place gets packed durring peak times so try to go early, they open at 7 am. Pros: great food, friendly people Cons: bring cash, no plastic accepted more

Hello, America! As I travel around the country, I hear everyone talking about great restaurants where they have dined. Eating out has become our national fun time, second only to talking about it! When they chat about the Big-D - Denver that is - everyone says - check out the Jack N Grill. I am from New Mexico and wondered about this place. So, when I was in your city I went there and now I see why people every place are saying what they do. The J&G has fantastic and authentic New Mexican meals and other great Mexican dishes, too. The recipes and chiles come from New Mexico and the plates are freshly prepared, tasty and huge. Two thumbs up to this wonderful little family restaurant with all the heart. Don't miss it if you're in town. I'm sure going back when I get up that way again! more

After reading the reviews in Citysearch, I finally had a chance to eat at Jack-n-Grill. The best New Mexican style food in the Southwest!!! I was kind of cautious because of the review of JPL258, this had to be a disgruntled employee, because my wife ordered the combination plate and she loved every bite. I experienced the best food in Denver. The portions were HUGE and the prices were just. While dinning at this small family-owned restaurant, I noticed a wall that had many awards for best green chile. Not to mention awards for best hambergers and enchiladas. I owe it to JPL258 for their review, because you can't always believe what people write, you have to experience it for yourself. I HIGHLY recommend the calabasitas stuffed sopapilla with chicken and smothered with green chile. Pros: great green chile, stout margaritas, family environment Cons: parking more

I went to Jack and grill based on the reviews here at citysearch. What a mistake I made! I ordered a combination plate, the food was covered in watered down green chile (closer to water than chile actually), and the refried beans were nearly water as well. The chile rellano had the look and feel of being boiled, and there was a total lack of flavor. My elementary school lunch room did a better job! As a Mexican food lover I am ashamed that this place claims to be Mexican food. Finally the prices were outrageous, I spent $50 for a meal that I could have gotten for $30 elsewhere, and actually enjoyed. Stay far far away from this place if you enjoy Mexican or even Tex-Mex. Pros: The pictures of the kids and families all over the place are cute. Cons: Awful food, overpriced. more