Jack Black Brewing Company — Restaurant in Elfindale

I've been a big fan of Jackblack taproom over the years and never had anything but great service, but tonight was an exception. When we arrived, the waitress took ages to arrive initially, and then each time we asked a question (e.g. do you have gin?) she would disappear for 5-10 minutes. Eventually we ordered beers and burgers for the table of 4. Our burgers came quite soon after (maybe 15 minutes later) but no sign of our drinks. We finished eating our meals (a further 15 minutes later) and still no beers. One of our party asked our waitress, who was never available and had to be found each time, but still 10 minutes later, no beer. In the meantime we also had to go and ask another waitress for some utensils and serviettes. I eventually went up to the bar myself and asked where our beers were. The waitress looked a bit lost and went to the bar again. About another 10 minutes later we got our beers, but in plastic cups! I was at this point quite amazed at how poor the service was, so I went and found the manager behind the bar. To his credit, he was apologetic and responsive and offered another 2 beers on the house to compensate. He did mention that with the "Beer School" event on, things were busy, and there was a problem with the gas to the beer taps, but overall, the communication and service were abysmal. I was further disappointed when the bill came, and only the classic burger was half price. All the others were full price. Having had the burger special many times before, it used to be all burgers that were half price. I'm guessing the special has changed since we were last there, but again some communication from staff when we ordered would have been welcome. All in all, a very disappointing evening out - the place seems to have lost its spark and its mojo. I...

It brings me much disappointment to be leaving this review today. My family have long been big fans of Jack Black. And whilst service hasn’t always been the best, we’ve gladly overlooked that thanks to the atmosphere and fantastic food. As my father’s favourite brewery, we decided to go today to celebrate his birthday. They were running an external training event for staff serving Jack Black in surrounding restaurants which meant they were busy. But, to neglect paying customers while proudly announcing free beers and burgers to around 50 guests, indicates where their priorities as a company lie. My dad was the last to be served at our table and only received his meal long after the rest of us had cleared our plates. My grandpa’s fries and coffee were cold, and to top it off, our beers were flat by the time they arrived because they spent so long sitting on the bar. Our waitress neglected our table the entire afternoon and we had to get up and search for her many times. She insisted the reason for my dads late meal arrival was that it had been taken to another table and already eaten, but we were also the first table to have been served food as we arrived at 12.15 and we’d made sure to order before the large promotional table had even sat down. By the end of our lunch our glasses and plates had piled over the table as none were removed. And while we had hoped to order another round before leaving we gave up when we realised our waitress wasn’t coming back. Eventually we went looking for her so that we could pay our bill. As a frequent customer today’s service was abysmal, I would highly recommended training your staff better. And viewing your customers as valuable patrons. Disappointed...

Last Saturday I found myself in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. It was early afternoon and I was craving a craft beer and a burger. So I consulted with my trusty companion, Google-Maps. It pointed me in the direction of 10 Brigid Road, Diep River, the home of Jack Black’s tap room. I was greeted by a very friendly man at the gate and was delighted to see and feel a nice vibe going on there. The restaurant and bar is inside the brewery, so it has a no-nonsense, easy-going industrial feel to it. Cool looking light bulbs and big black metal lamp shades hang from the roof and create a nice atmosphere. A guy with a guitar was sitting on a stage in the corner singing some nice tunes. There were nine beers on tap. I was very happy with my choice of the Lumberjack Amber Ale. I just loved the intense hop flavour, the full body and the deep dark-red hue. They also have taster trays on offer and you can choose any four beers for R45. I saw the waiters serving other patrons these awesome looking burgers, so I did not even had to look at the menu to know what to order and I was not disappointed. The tap room is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 10pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. My waiter told me they have quiz and open mic nights on Thursday evenings and Food Truck Friday every last Friday of the month.

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