JayLa’s Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Winnie

After reading all the great reviews, we were excited to visit here for the first time. Unfortunately, our experience was not 4.7 stars but instead a 2 at best.

We arrived around 6:45p on a Saturday evening. We walked in the front doors where there were a dozen to maybe 15 people already there - at least two at every picnic table and 3-4 folks at the bar. Not knowing the set up, we stood there for about 45-60 seconds before other diners/drinkers offered us a place next to them at one of the picnic tables that had room.

There were a couple of guys behind the bar (we were told one of them was the owner, Jay). Everything looked fine.

The short version is it took a long time to be waited on - at least 15 mins before we were able to get the attention of the one waitress working. We ordered drinks and burgers and an hour+ later still didn’t have our food. This was after being told (without asking) that our order was next (after waiting patiently while listening to that night’s band) about an hour into our experience. The final straw was seeing someone walk in about 20 mins. before we left, ordering off the menu, then receiving half of their order (burgers for 2 out of the 4 people in that group).

The weird thing is it wasn’t that crowded and the orders were coming out really slow for everyone. There weren’t many people there at all and since it appeared everyone had placed their order before we got there - I mean how long does it take to make 12-15 burgers plus two more?

And in hindsight, at least 3-4 of those 15 were only drinking at the bar! So an hour+ to make 10-12 burgers? Also in hindsight, there were others who looked frustrated and I definitely saw some guy chewing on the waitress about losing his order and he walked out when we had been there about 30 mins.

It was an easy place to wait for your order - a “band” (that’s a separate review) was playing, you could get a drink or two (but would need to get your own since we only saw the waitress once when we ordered and once when she updated me about 45 mins. in but didn’t ask if I needed another drink or anything like that. I completely understand peninsula time.

Our experience was beyond just having patience. It seemed disorganized, didn’t appear anyone was really concerned even though it was pretty obvious what was going on to everyone, and just poorly done.

As I mentioned, we were looking forward based on the reviews but based on our experience, there are better places down the road to spend our time. The reviews didn’t match at all - including what a friendly...

Wow! We just found our new go-to spot on the Bolivar Peninsula! Jayla's Bar and Grill is everything you could want in a coastal eatery and more. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with huge smiles and that warm, friendly hospitality that makes you feel right at home. The atmosphere is the perfect blend of a relaxed, beachy vibe and a fun, lively grill. It's the ideal place to unwind after a day spent in the sun and sand at Crystal Beach. Now, let's talk about the food – absolutely phenomenal! I had the fried shrimp platter, and it was hands-down some of the best I've ever had. The shrimp were huge, perfectly crispy, and tasted incredibly fresh. My husband ordered one of their signature burgers and he's still raving about how juicy and flavorful it was. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and everything that came out of that kitchen looked and smelled delicious. The bar serves up ice-cold beer and some fantastic cocktails that are perfect for a warm Texas day. The service was top-notch throughout our entire meal; our server was attentive, funny, and gave us some great recommendations. If you're looking for amazing food, a wonderful atmosphere, and service that makes you feel like family, you HAVE to go to Jayla's. It’s a true local treasure, and we're already planning our next visit! Highly,...

We had a WONDERFUL time here. It might look small on the outside compared to some of the bigger places but let me tell you this, the ATMOSPHERE and PEOPLE are absolutely wonderful. The drinks are cold and fresh, and the best part DOG FRIENDLY!! we even went back to the beach house and got our dog because the owners dog Ellie was so sweet and wanted to play. They have a potty yard for the dogs as well as a wonderful view upstairs! The food was DELICIOUS we had a burger, nachos and a philly cheesesteak and everything was absolutely great! The drinks are so good, definitely try the missing or lost flipflop drink it is THE BEST!! We enjoyed meeting Laura, Kevin, jay, skip, Ellie and a dog named Lurch, and all the rest of the crew(I'm terrible with all the names I'm sorry if im forgetting anyone) . This is a place we will stop everytime we come visit from Oklahoma because the are just awesome! Give them a try, trust me! Ellie is the best...