Jackdaw Restaurant — Restaurant in Aurora

I’m typically wary of hotel restaurants, and this visit has only reinforced that skepticism. My overall experience was moderately disappointing.

Dinner started on a positive note for me—the specialty cocktail I ordered was smoky and well-balanced. Unfortunately, my partner’s dirty martini didn’t receive the same care, coming off as poorly made.

The chicken wings were the highlight of the meal. Crispy and well-coated, they are easily the best thing on the menu.

But things quickly went downhill from there. We were excited to share the Shepherd’s Pie, but after a couple of bites, we couldn’t continue. Rarely do we send food back, but this dish was inedible. The mash potatoes on top were dry and unseasoned, the ground elk was overcooked, and the dish was overloaded with root vegetables—turnips, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and carrots. The undercooked turnips made the dish inedible, with their dense, chewy texture and unpleasant mouthfeel.

We opted to try the chicken as a replacement, but it was equally disappointing. The chicken was bland, the Guiness Stout glaze watery and sweet, and the rice was a mushy, unseasoned mess—not pilaf as advertised. The broccolini felt like a punishment for sending food back, served as mostly unappetizing stems in varying shades of green.

On a positive note, the service was excellent. Our waitress was attentive and kind throughout the meal. If you’re just stopping by for a drink and an appetizer, this spot could work, but for a full meal, I’d recommend...

I loved the inside of the Doubletree Hotel. It looks very modern and had a comfortable atmosphere that I liked. Jackdaw Irish restaurant is inside the Doubletree. The restaurant was very clean and the wait staff attentive and polite. We had awesome, huge salads. I had the blue cheese wedge salad made with a whole head of romaine, cut in half and decorated with bacon, cherry tomatoes and fried onion pieces. Then there was the blue cheese crumbles; the best I've ever had. Plus the blue cheese dressing. My friend had a Caesar salad, his fave. Let me say how huge these salads were! After we ordered our food, we decided we could have just had salad and dessert. Unfortunately, the food was a disappointment. I had fish and chips; the fish being halibut instead of cod. Not to my liking because even though I like halibut it just didn't taste right battered and deep fried. And the breading was rubbery. The chips (French fries) were good. The slaw disappointing, and such a small portion, it wasn't worth putting on the plate. My friend had the sirloin steak with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. He was also disappointed as he expected better quality. So, we will go back for the salads and dessert, but will not order any dinner. The first drinks we had were terrific but when the second round came out, they tasted watery. 😒 Three stars because the...

My husband & I came to the restaurant out of convenience - it's in the Doubletree Hilton, which we were staying in. So, we went down and there was a sign stating "seat yourself" which we did. We waited for 13-minutes from the time we began timing and no one came over to take our order. Two employees walked by us and took notice we had menus, but zoomed by us. The restaurant is not very big and it wasn't full. There were people there that went to the bar to place their order with the bartender because the wait staff wasn't doing it or wasn't efficient at it. Eventually the bartender ended up getting a pad and taking orders for guests. It seemed disorganized and we ended up leaving and going to Outback. The restaurant seemed to be clean, nice decor and the menu seemed diverse, but the staff is either under staffed or does not care to do their job well. Also, the menu prices are a little high (about $30-40 person). Not the service we expected. Would have rather ate at the hotel than to drive for food but we waited for probably 20 minutes in total before throwing in the towel and leaving. Another guest left before us I assume for the same reason considering he had no drink or plates at his table. Hopefully these issues will be worked out and customers can have...