Beautiful space! Delicious food! Try the calzone or ahi tuna sandwhich! Clam chowder was great too! Interesting cocktails! Friendly service from staff! ***Dog friendly!!!!*** we sat in the atrium seating with our doggie and the have a doggie menu. They were getting ready for car week and it seemed a lot was being set up, seems like the place to be next week!!!!

This is our in-laws favorite place to go so we join them when in town & are never disappointed. It’s located in the plaza of the Portola Hotel. The service is fast and friendly. We love the calamari and garlic fries. Last time we came they had cheesy skillet with dinner rolls as an appetizer that were AMAZING! We were so sad to see they are no longer on the menu. We got the bread boule instead but it wasn’t as good. It taste fine but the cheese is hard and dry and it’s difficult to pull apart and eat. BRING BACK the other appetizer!! Other than that we love the atmosphere.

+1

restaurant is great. Very clean, great atmosphere. Everybody is happy having a good time. The bar is amazing.. The food was absolutely delicious.

+2

We had a prime rib dinner tonight at Jack's. We were celebrating a special event. Our server was very attentive. The dinner was very good! We had a Wedge Salad and a cup of Clam chowder and of course, the prime rib. Initially the prime rib came out medium (we ordered MR). Izabelle, not our server, overheard us talking and came over to say she would bring us out another piece. How nice was that? She was not even our server and wanted to make our experience a good one. This never happens today...it seems that not many employees are empowered and maybe they do not care (times have changed). Then enter, Izabelle...thanks for making our night! Thanks for caring and thanks for being the reason we will come back to Jack's! We recommend you try this restaurant!

After covid, I noticed that the restaurant food and service business generally went downhill. But not Jacks Monterey. Wow! We kept coming back time and time again during our trip and left pleasantly surprised each time. Tasty and savoury food. Food presentation is very nice (as it should be). The best benedict I've had in a very long time. Everything we ordered was good. Good portions. Staff is amazing. Seating and vibes are nice. This is where I want to leave a good tip, not just because the checkout screen is forcing me to do so. Make me want to leave a good tip. Jacks is that type of dining experience. I will add that we have only been here for breakfast during all our visits. I generally don't write reviews and no one asked me too. I just had too this time. We will be back...

We found this place last minute on a Saturday night. It was sadly less than half full. The vaulted ceilings are lovely but make it a bit noisy. That being said the food was amazing. Hummus appetizer was huge and the bread warm and more than enough. The quinoa salad was GF with tons of fresh veggies, added grilled to perfection chicken. We were both hungry but couldn't get dessert because the portions were so plentiful. Definitely a hidden gem in the busy restaurant market here in Monterey Bay. We will be back for sure.

Portola’s atmosphere is great, they had jazz band playing on the lobby. I Highly recommend their craft made cocktails. Surprisingly really good for a Hotel bar and grill. Juan was a great server and was personable and efficient.

Nancy Goldrain

We had a prime rib dinner tonight at Jack's. We were celebrating a special event. Our server was very attentive. The dinner was very good! We had a Wedge Salad and a cup of Clam chowder and of course, the prime rib. Initially the prime rib came out medium (we ordered MR). Izabelle, not our server, overheard us talking and came over to say she would bring us out another piece. How nice was that? She was not even our server and wanted to make our experience a good one. This never happens today...it seems that not many employees are empowered and maybe they do not care (times have changed). Then enter, Izabelle...thanks for making our night! Thanks for caring and thanks for being the reason we will come back to Jack's! We recommend you try this restaurant!

Brandon Rocca

Portola’s atmosphere is great, they had jazz band playing on the lobby. I Highly recommend their craft made cocktails. Surprisingly really good for a Hotel bar and grill. Juan was a great server and was personable and efficient.

Kelly Malinas

We found this place last minute on a Saturday night. It was sadly less than half full. The vaulted ceilings are lovely but make it a bit noisy. That being said the food was amazing. Hummus appetizer was huge and the bread warm and more than enough. The quinoa salad was GF with tons of fresh veggies, added grilled to perfection chicken. We were both hungry but couldn't get dessert because the portions were so plentiful. Definitely a hidden gem in the busy restaurant market here in Monterey Bay. We will be back for sure.

Vlad

After covid, I noticed that the restaurant food and service business generally went downhill. But not Jacks Monterey. Wow! We kept coming back time and time again during our trip and left pleasantly surprised each time. Tasty and savoury food. Food presentation is very nice (as it should be). The best benedict I've had in a very long time. Everything we ordered was good. Good portions. Staff is amazing. Seating and vibes are nice. This is where I want to leave a good tip, not just because the checkout screen is forcing me to do so. Make me want to leave a good tip. Jacks is that type of dining experience. I will add that we have only been here for breakfast during all our visits. I generally don't write reviews and no one asked me too. I just had too this time. We will be back...

Pink Hat Gypsy

Nice restaurant, efficient, friendly service. Ordered drinks, sourdough bread, filet minon and filet minon sandwich. Great Old fashion, and Jacks Mule (their version of Moscow mule). Bread was warm and soft but a little bland. Filet steak was tender, flavorful and side great as well. Filet sandwich was a little tough.

No MSG No Garlic Foodie

It's always a hopeful sign when vegan (V) and gluten free (GF) are clearly identified. That's the reason I chose Jacks at the Portola Hotel in Old Monterey. There were more than one item I can order. We selected a salad, The Sesame Ginger Bowl without the hoisin sauce, a side of fried tofu for protein, and the Turkey Pot Pie. Both items were delicious. The server forgot about the fried tofu, but when it finally came, it was oil soaked and not very enjoyable. The salad was enjoyable. The Turkey Pot Pie came with a spoon because it was kind of soupy inside, but enough turkey and very delicious. The hotel interior was nicely designed by the ambience at our table was not as nice because it felt like a low end sports bar. If we came back to Monterey or Pacific Grove again, we would definitely dine here.

Zachary Johnson

Nice place conveniently close to the hotel/conference I'm attending. Atmosphere is very welcoming, calm and classy but still casual. The bar area has TVs, a sitting area with a very fire place to enjoy some chats and eats/drinks. The atrium area gives you an outdoor feel while being indoors. They had a good selection of spirits and beer on tap as well as a fun looking cocktail list. I enjoyed the salmon plate, good all around taste, very satisfying. They otherwise had a wide variety of appetizers, salads, meat plates, pizzas and desserts.

Good food is hard to find in Monterey. Don’t miss the fabulously addictive hand-made papusas at Jack’s Monterey in the Portola Hotel. Have the papusa on your first day in town and I promise you’ll be back each day for another.

+6

It was fun to go and enjoy their Friday night prime rib special which is happening during the month of June. The ambience was great with the fireplace and their specialty drinks.

Nice place conveniently close to the hotel/conference I'm attending. Atmosphere is very welcoming, calm and classy but still casual. The bar area has TVs, a sitting area with a very fire place to enjoy some chats and eats/drinks. The atrium area gives you an outdoor feel while being indoors. They had a good selection of spirits and beer on tap as well as a fun looking cocktail list. I enjoyed the salmon plate, good all around taste, very satisfying. They otherwise had a wide variety of appetizers, salads, meat plates, pizzas and desserts.

It's always a hopeful sign when vegan (V) and gluten free (GF) are clearly identified. That's the reason I chose Jacks at the Portola Hotel in Old Monterey. There were more than one item I can order. We selected a salad, The Sesame Ginger Bowl without the hoisin sauce, a side of fried tofu for protein, and the Turkey Pot Pie. Both items were delicious. The server forgot about the fried tofu, but when it finally came, it was oil soaked and not very enjoyable. The salad was enjoyable. The Turkey Pot Pie came with a spoon because it was kind of soupy inside, but enough turkey and very delicious. The hotel interior was nicely designed by the ambience at our table was not as nice because it felt like a low end sports bar. If we came back to Monterey or Pacific Grove again, we would definitely dine here.

Nice restaurant, efficient, friendly service. Ordered drinks, sourdough bread, filet minon and filet minon sandwich. Great Old fashion, and Jacks Mule (their version of Moscow mule). Bread was warm and soft but a little bland. Filet steak was tender, flavorful and side great as well. Filet sandwich was a little tough.

Jack's, we were disappointed in the holiday meal. It was our first time there and I was also surprised at the hotel breakfast style seating and atmosphere, for the price. My husbands (extra cost) prime rib was like roast. My halibut was dry and tasteless. The creme brule had zero brule, but a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Rude. Also not impressed you went ahead and added a $30 tip to our bill for 2, then asked for more on the merchant slip. We heard the waitress tell the table next to us they were out of 1 of 2 choices for starter and 1 of 3 on dessert choices; poor planning of disappointing overpriced meal. I have a picture of my receipt from Dec 25 2025 visit but dont see how to add it here. What we liked: our starters, sides. Dogs were allowed at tables-we saw several. Lobby was decorated beautifully for Christmas and this is also basically the dining room. Our waiteress was just right with timing. So many good choices for food in the area. We suggest trying anything else in this price range for a better dining experience.

Kelly Willmes

Jack's, we were disappointed in the holiday meal. It was our first time there and I was also surprised at the hotel breakfast style seating and atmosphere, for the price. My husbands (extra cost) prime rib was like roast. My halibut was dry and tasteless. The creme brule had zero brule, but a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Rude. Also not impressed you went ahead and added a $30 tip to our bill for 2, then asked for more on the merchant slip. We heard the waitress tell the table next to us they were out of 1 of 2 choices for starter and 1 of 3 on dessert choices; poor planning of disappointing overpriced meal. I have a picture of my receipt from Dec 25 2025 visit but dont see how to add it here. What we liked: our starters, sides. Dogs were allowed at tables-we saw several. Lobby was decorated beautifully for Christmas and this is also basically the dining room. Our waiteress was just right with timing. So many good choices for food in the area. We suggest trying anything else in this price range for a better dining experience.

Sucha N

Not friendly for infants. I would have given zero star, but the waiter was very nice to us and the food was okay. We had breakfast on Friday, Nov 28th, with our 7-month-old baby. I ordered the Egg Monterey Classic Eggs Benedict, and my husband ordered the Create Your Own Omelet. We brought our baby’s purée and simply asked if they could warm it up a little, but the manager was said, “WE DON’T ALLOW FOOD FROM OUTSIDE.” That line is still in my memory. We were confused and wanted to ask if my breast milk would also be considered “food from outside.” She was the manager, you would expect a better approach than just repeating, “We don’t allow food from outside.” The manager completely ruined my day. The response felt surprising and unreasonable, especially because it was baby food. The restaurant doesn’t even have a baby menu. If they couldn’t heat it, a polite explanation would have been greatly appreciated.

Kevin Quach

This place has to be one of the worst places me and my fiancé have been to and we will never be back! Made a reservation 2 months in advance in preparation for Valentine’s Day made a phone call in advanced that we were bringing our dog and at this time there was no mention of any type of menu change or problems. Day of turns out the they changed the menu to a pre fix menu for today only which everyone had to order and they have removed everything else including their dog menu. We didn’t make a big deal about this as it was already too late to change last minute plans. The whole night the service was horrible. It took 20 minuties to bring out our drinks in which she never brought our water even when requested once in the beginning and once during course 3 again in which water never came. Took 25+ minutes to receive course 1 salad as well. This would make more sense if the place was extremely busy but keep in mind although it wasn’t very quiet the tables were about 3/4 filled. What really got me was that they added a 20% automatic tip which I don’t mind paying normally but with such a crap service I needed to speak my mind. These servers know that they will get an automatic tip so don’t need to try to even offer decent service. Anyways to end this long review, the food was mid and the night was very disappointing ended up paying $240.

Not friendly for infants. I would have given zero star, but the waiter was very nice to us and the food was okay. We had breakfast on Friday, Nov 28th, with our 7-month-old baby. I ordered the Egg Monterey Classic Eggs Benedict, and my husband ordered the Create Your Own Omelet. We brought our baby’s purée and simply asked if they could warm it up a little, but the manager was said, “WE DON’T ALLOW FOOD FROM OUTSIDE.” That line is still in my memory. We were confused and wanted to ask if my breast milk would also be considered “food from outside.” She was the manager, you would expect a better approach than just repeating, “We don’t allow food from outside.” The manager completely ruined my day. The response felt surprising and unreasonable, especially because it was baby food. The restaurant doesn’t even have a baby menu. If they couldn’t heat it, a polite explanation would have been greatly appreciated.

To the management, please replace your manager and two waitresses who served me and did not serve me right. They don’t know what customer service is. They have no manners. I asked to move to another table and the waitress just say oh yeah and was just standing without doing anything. I was crying for what I’ve been going through, one lady asked me if I was okay. I said I’m okay (don’t worry about me). I went to the bathroom to feel better. When I got back to my table to finish my salad, the other waitress went to my table and brought my bill like asking me to pay my bill right away and wanted to kick me out from your restaurant. I asked for the manager, she went to manager right away and explained her side and told him lies. The manager is not a good manager either. You need to have a better employee orientation to all of your employees as it would impact your hotel’s reputation.

We ate at this restaurant for Thanksgiving, and we bitterly regret our choice. The price of the set menu was exorbitant, especially considering the poor quality of both the food and the service. To start, I ordered a beer and it was served in a dirty glass (with a very visible lip mark on the rim), so I had to ask for it to be replaced. Then they brought out the main course barely five minutes after the appetizer, without waiting for us to finish. And on top of that, the dish was cold. At that point we didn’t dare say anything else and just wanted to leave. The dessert was just as disappointing : the pie tasted like a frozen supermarket pie. And of course, they automatically added a 20% service charge to the bill despite the terrible experience. In the end: almost $200 for a cold, low-quality meal and truly awful service.

Would not recommend this place at all. Would give zero stars if I could. Service was not up to par and most dishes were sold out, but this wasn’t communicated before we sat down. My water remained empty, no one ever asked about another drinks. The overall vibe terrible.

Gabriella Petrossi-Baughman

Would not recommend this place at all. Would give zero stars if I could. Service was not up to par and most dishes were sold out, but this wasn’t communicated before we sat down. My water remained empty, no one ever asked about another drinks. The overall vibe terrible.

Morgane Delhoume

We ate at this restaurant for Thanksgiving, and we bitterly regret our choice. The price of the set menu was exorbitant, especially considering the poor quality of both the food and the service. To start, I ordered a beer and it was served in a dirty glass (with a very visible lip mark on the rim), so I had to ask for it to be replaced. Then they brought out the main course barely five minutes after the appetizer, without waiting for us to finish. And on top of that, the dish was cold. At that point we didn’t dare say anything else and just wanted to leave. The dessert was just as disappointing : the pie tasted like a frozen supermarket pie. And of course, they automatically added a 20% service charge to the bill despite the terrible experience. In the end: almost $200 for a cold, low-quality meal and truly awful service.

Ana Cynthia Ellis

To the management, please replace your manager and two waitresses who served me and did not serve me right. They don’t know what customer service is. They have no manners. I asked to move to another table and the waitress just say oh yeah and was just standing without doing anything. I was crying for what I’ve been going through, one lady asked me if I was okay. I said I’m okay (don’t worry about me). I went to the bathroom to feel better. When I got back to my table to finish my salad, the other waitress went to my table and brought my bill like asking me to pay my bill right away and wanted to kick me out from your restaurant. I asked for the manager, she went to manager right away and explained her side and told him lies. The manager is not a good manager either. You need to have a better employee orientation to all of your employees as it would impact your hotel’s reputation.