Jax Diner — Restaurant in Portsmouth

Decided to stop here one day based on past reviews and also to support local business.

I do not know if the past reviews that people have posted are biased, as in, they know the owner, because what we experienced was nothing close to their reviews.

Waitress was friendly but definitely not attentive. Did not even ask once how the food was, just simply dropped off the check towards the end of the meal. We've had to stop another waitress to even get cream for our coffee as we were just handed black coffees with no offering of cream/sugar. (Sugar I just grabbed from an empty table) No one to swing through mid meal if we wished to have our coffees topped. What makes this even more peculiar, is that the restaurant was about 3/4 full and not completely busy to the point where staff was running around.

As for the meals.....

Wife went with the 'Berry-Licious' Cheesecake stuffed French Toast topped with strawberries. There were parts of the bread on the inside where it was not soaked completely and was just simply bread. The cream cheese completely melted out. The strawberries were definitely out of the can and was complete mush.

Son had the Tenders/Fries which were completely overdone. Some of the past reviews with french fry pictures do show them as a darker shade but these were really dark along with black spots on the chicken tenders. Only positive note was that inside the tender was still moist and not dried out. If I had to guess, they were using old oil for deep frying.

I went with the 'Cheese' Omelet with Chourico. I honestly do not know if this was chourico or not in the omelet, it was extremely thin and finely diced up. (It might have been Mello's Chourico Slices) The 'crispy' home fries were most definitely crispy to the point where half were black and inedible.

I understand that people do have bad days but to have inconsistency across the entire meal from start to finish was extremely disappointing.

The place though is small but cozy and clean.

Couple of suggestions.....

I felt there was some cost cutting factors to keep prices down which is understandable in our current inflationary economy. If you are a breakfast place, at least have fresh fruit on the menu. It would compliment the Omelet's as an option for those who are looking for a low carb options besides toast/home fries. It would of definitely been a better touch on the strawberries. Bigger Plates. Food was served on Dessert plates. All about presentation to what the customer sees.

Again, it might have simply been a bad day, the menu prices are on the cheaper side for those who wish to draw your own opinion by eating here.

Unfortunately, with the amount of competition on the Island for dine in breakfast, we will not be returning to this establishment. As for those who are reading this review, give this place a shot with an open mind and perhaps you will get a completely different experience from what...

I ordered a takeout order at 1105, website said it would be ready at 1135. I showed up at 1130 and didn't leave until 12. The "waiting area" consists of 1 bench, and if there are more than 3 people waiting, it gets extremely crowded. At 1140, one of the waitresses asked if I was there for a mobile order, I confirmed, then waited another 20 minutes to recieve the food. I never saw the chef bag the order or put it on the to-go shelf. Finally the cook asked if anyone was coming for my order, the waitress asked me again what was in my order, handed it to me and told me to have a good day. Once I finally got my food, drove 3 minutes back to my house, popped the boxes open, and my food was cold as if it had been sitting for 30+ minutes on the to-go shelf. The biscuits and gravy were quite disappointing. The biscuits were very dry, and the "sausage gravy" did not have any sausage in it, it had ground beef. It tasted exactly like beef stroganoff on crackers. The "crispy" bacon was very floppy and sad (almost like it had been sitting for 30+ minutes). The eggs were cold, the cinnamon crunch french toast was very dry on the inside and soggy on the outside somehow (and it was also cold like the rest of the order).

This place has wonderful reviews, and i don't want to turn anyone away from it just because I had a bad experience, but I don't think I can recommend take out from Jax. The staff seemed very friendly, the food I saw go to the tables looked and smelled good. I honestly think it could be a one off experience, and I may try them again in the future (dine in only). I also will never order their biscuits and "sausage"...

This restaurant brings a whole new take on breakfast ( and has a great lunch menu, too!). The food made me a breakfast lover again! The staff are friendly and professional, with the chefs putting on a show and entertaining us with their skill and charm. It is hard to recommend a particular dish, as they are all new takes on well loved staples, like the Berrylicious French toast, with a cream cheese filling and topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. There is a new St Patrick's day Irish Coffee French toast that aris out of this world! The biscuits and gravy are made in house. New specials are common and suit the season delectably! The facilities are clean and well maintained, and the staff are very concientious ( the chefs wear gloves when handling food) and wash their hands so often, that they must be painful. I have never seen anyone handle food without proper precautions, and I have spent many happy mornings enjoying the chefs show and the wonderful customers alike. If you want to feel at home and have some feel good food, Jax is the best place on the island. In the summer, there are picnic tables outside, where you can enjoy your food and bring your four legged best friend. A chef will make sure even your pup is happy and hydrated. This is the longest review I have written, but after reading others, I felt it necessary to clear up a few points. If you want a clean, friendly place with an astonishing array of talent on all counts, this place surely will not disappoint! I hope to...