Illegal Jack's

The first time I went to Jacks, me and my partner decided to pop in to get some nachos before our movie started. Was apprehensive about going because of reading various really bad reviews mixed in with the good, but we decided to give it a shot.

We had the BBQ pork nachos (pork was a special that day) and they were CRAZY GOOD, staff were friendly, restaurant had a nice atmosphere and was clean, wondered how people could ever write a bad review about the place!

Went back today and had the same nachos again, which were once again amazing, but then made the mistake of having a burrito as well...

cold, bland, congealing mass of too much sauce with small dry dessicated overly-chipotle tasting hunks of what used to be chicken.

@ Burrito Fan

Goodness, so much hate. And so little chance for me to do anything about it. And you're so sure you're right too...

Well the Arizona guy happens to be an Olympic athlete, and he lives/trains in Flagstaff. Get in touch if you don't believe me - he eats here all the time when over racing in the UK. Indeed, have lost count of the number of elite sportsmen and women we've had in here because of the nutritious nature and generous portions of our food.

Re the quality of the food, since you haven't given me a fair chance to converse when in-store all I can say is this: we're growing quickly, and people keep coming back. We welcome genuine criticism and respond as best as possible to what consumers are looking for. No busines can do more than that.

Take it easy -

Jack

I can't believe so many people have enjoyed this food, as it's absolutely tasteless and inedible. My chicken burrito was impossible to get through, with the hard tortilla, dry chicken and bland salsa. I nearly demanded a refund, but decided to just never return and warn all of my friends. It's not authentic Tex-Mex and to call it such is an insult to the cuisine! I can't believe this place is still open. The reviewer who claims to be from Arizona is clearly lying, as I'm from Texas and would never consider this good Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex has flavour, which this doesn't.
There are better burrito places in Leith, and I'll continue to take my business there.
I think the owner needs to learn to take criticism, as he's going to be getting plenty of it.

My boyfriend and I have been to IJ a couple of times and really enjoyed ourselves, so much we went back only a few days later. We really need to go again!

Both times we've been I've had tacos and he's had burritos. The burritos are huge and very filling, so much so the first time my usually perptually hungry man couldn't finish his (it was the haggis one, which I wasn't too keen on, but he liked). Being someone who can be a bit funny about meat I might normally order chicken, but I ordered the beef at IJ and was pleasantly surprised to find it tender and tasty.

My only gripe is that the first time I went I was offered rice in my tacos, but the second time I wasn't and I wish I had been. The rice acted as a useful buffer/absorbant for the juices from the meat/salsa - without it the bottom of the tacos disintegrate and make them difficult to eat. So more rice please!

We will be back though, perhaps tonight!

Evenin' Ian,

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate all of it, good and bad. That way we can learn and be better. However, hitting up several websites with the same thing seems a little determined for some reason...

Good to hear my place is hyped. The reason for that is that the customers themselves do it - as an independent owner operator I couldn't afford hype even if I wanted it. Re you food comments also, am kinda concerned - I have receipts for over 10,000 avocadoes in my office which any member of the public is welcome to see on demand, so your guacamole comment is sadly baseless. Ditto re the beef which is steak from local butchers Campbell Brothers. Will leave the public to draw their own conclusions, but with over 1500 fans on Facebook and 1700 followers on Twitter in only a year I think that more than speaks for itself. Best to all -

Jack

OMG! Talk about fails to live up to the hype. Dreadful! Who the hell gave this place 5* the owners? The stingy tortillas for the fajitas were like stiff cardboard, the guacamole had never ever seen fresh avocado, 3 of us failed to get more than halfway through our food. The fried veg had zero seasoning - and this for a "tex-Mex" fajita!! and the beef was like chewing hide. Not nice fresh ingredients! The place was seriously lacking in atmosphere and was drastically overpriced! The best you could say was it was clean and the staff were friendly and efficient. None of us will be going back.

I'm suprised by all the negative reviews for illegal jacks. I've been there a few time since it has opened and have always really enjoyed the food and the service. It seems from some of the reviews that some people had way too high expectations for this place. No, it's not the same as SW american food, but then again I've never found an italian restaurant in edinburgh that even remotely compares to restaurants in Naples, but that doesn't mean that I would dismiss all italian restaurants in edinburgh outright.

Illegal Jacks is a burrito joint, not a fine restaurant! I'm American and before moving to the UK, burrito joints were one of my favorite places to go for a quick bite. So, I have been to many burrito places all over the US (including the SW) and to be honest it does a better job than a lot of US restaurants that I have been in. There food is not spicy enough for me (I like my food hot!), but they offer Louisiana Hot sauce which goes well with their food so I can adjust everything to my desired level of spiciness.

It is a bit strange that their burritos seem to be very meat heavy instead of mainly beans, but i'm hardly going to complain about getting extra meat!! I was particularly impressed with the quality of the beef in their steak burritos and their tortilla chips are miles better than 99% of the restaurants in edinburgh. Most importantly, they offer very good value for money. I don't think you can get better in edinburgh without going to a proper restaurant and paying proper restaurant prices. So, I welcome illegal jacks as a cut-above the rest for quick, inexpensive tasty food in Edinburgh. It's a shame we don't have more places like it.

Afternoon Laura,

Was a little slow at finding this. Am sorry to hear you didn't have a good time here. We pride ourselves on our food and service as the hundreds of positive comments on Twitter for example show. Re the food itself, the meats are marinaded for 48 hours now, and customers are reporting back that they can really taste the difference. Should you be near this way again would be happy to have some food with you and show you what we're doing here. Appreciate the feedback. Best - Jack

Perhaps it was an off night but I'm unlikey to ever go again to find out.

Poor service/ missing orders (one meal was forgotten about and eventually turned up without any apology), extremely bland food served on disintegrating paper wrappings, to be eaten with plastic cutlery, does not a good meal make.

There is no reason that food has to be this flavourless, the vegetable fijitas greasy and bland and the salsa, despite being mild should still contain some flavour and a little heat. Exceptionally dissapointing and gives the impression of neither being much interested in food or in customer service.

Oh silly Mr Seeruttun.

My friends and I are regulars at Jacks, and there is a reason for it. The perfect mix of Amazingly tasty food and Very reasonable prices is to die for. We can be found there at least once a week. where we are welcomed by the superb staff, who are more than happy to help.

After sampling most of the menu, I have to disagree with the negative comments in regards to taste and the quality of the food. The meat melts in your mouth with every bite, which to me must show the time and effort that has gone into the cooking. The flavours are strong and the only problem i ever have with it is that i finish it too quickly.

Jacks is not a Friday night kebab shop, it is a place where you can literally sit for hours and enjoy the good music and amazing food with good company.

..and about your "You don't know Jack" comment. Nobody knows Jacks like I do, and it is simply perfection.

In reply to Raj Seeruttun

Sir, the main aim of a review is to provide balanced criticism. It should not be to insult the proprietor. With that in mind, along with your "I don't know jack" comment, I'll enjoy taking this opportunity to respond.

First of all, when it comes to knowing jack, if you're going to poke fun at someone you NEED to be sure of your ground. Firstly, am not "fast food". Fast food is defined as "inexpensive food which requires little preparation before being served". It is typified by hamburgers and fried chicken, and also by the inclusion of non-natural ingredients such as MSG. Therefore to label me as that is factually incorrect. My meats enjoy a 24 hours marinade, and the salsas and guacamole are made fresh daily. The Vintage chilli takes me 10 hours to make. None of this is "fast food". Wise not to confuse the speed of service with the quality of the food.

Second of all, Mexican? For someone who claims to be knowledgable about food through his review style, you're letting the side down here. Am not Mexican. My dishes are predominantly from California and Texas; at no point do I claim to be Mexican. That's why I use the name South West Grill which accurately describes where my food is from (with the exception of the Buffalo Wings, on the menu simply because I like them).

Thirdly, re guacamole. Am guessing you know about the supply problems Britain has face this winter / spring? Firstly, avacados in the winter / early spring were hit by the harsh weather in Europe. Then the ash cloud of all things made air freight supply difficult. Have tried numerous suppliers, and some days taken guacamole off the menu. Right now it tastes good (but the colour could be better; though I refuse to add colourants unlike the fast food joints you mentioned earlier).

Now maybe Jack's isn't for you - no restaurant is for everyone - but for the sake of reviews with integrity you might do well to work on your comments and knowledge base. And in the meantime the crew and I will continue to serve food which is enjoyed about almost 1000 Facebook fans and 700 followers on Twitter.

Best regards - Jack

I visited Illegal Jacks for the first time on Thursday (May 13) having read so much about it online, particularly through Twitter, and through the blogs on Social Penguin.

I have to say that I disagree completely with the negative reviews posted so far. The food was delicious, and the service was efficient and more than friendly. The focus on customer service and communication is unique in Scotland.

I had the chicken burrito which was genuinely unlike anything I had tasted before - and I loved it.

Can't see what's not to like. #justsaying

I visited last night and really enjoyed it. I had a chicken burrito with roasted salsa and black beans and cheese and it was delicious. The ingredients were so tasty. The only negative thing was it wasn't very hot, but taste wise it was great. Will definitely go back.

Avoid Illegal Jacks.

After the positive reviews my wife and I were eager to sample Jacks cuisine but we were very disappointed. Don't get me wrong, if you like fast service but tasteless bland food then Jacks if for you. My wife and I ordered the vegetable Quesadilla and the combo (beef and chicken) fajitas; the meat was bland and chewy and the vegetables were quite simply wet and tasteless. The portions of meat were substantial but when Jack serves flavourless food with only four (very) small flour tortillas you actually wish you were in one of those awful tourist traps on the Royal Mile (sorry Pancho!)

The inclusion within the List's guide to restaurants gives the impression that IJ is in fact a restaurant, it isn't; its no more than a fast food joint on Lothian Road. Don't expect good quality guacamole or salsa, what we received looked like coleslaw and swede mash, both were completely tasteless and were only saved by lashings of the hot sauce that you have to collect yourself (together with plastic cutlery, wet wipes and refillable soda) from the 'station'.

Jacks will do well with the inebriated Friday night drinker who wants an alternative to their fish supper or fiery kebab, but for the rest of us who actually want to enjoy their food and enjoy flavour with their meal then there are vastly superior more authentic Mexicans out there (e.g Coconut Grove).

IJ's strapline is "You don't know Jack"; sorry, its you that doesn't don't Jack and the fact that your 'restaurant' was completely empty apart from your staff says it all.

Thanks JxM. Appreciate the good words. Best - Jack.

Excellent food. Burritos are delicious, fresh and portions are very generous. Great customer service, staff very friendly, Wont be disappointed.

Sorry to read that. I do know what South West food is though; the buffalo wings are on the menu simply because I like them .You'll maybe no have noticed we have their origin painted on our wall also? (Buffalo, NY, 1964). Anyway, would like to take this opportunity to try our food again, on me. Just drop me a line through the website: www.illegaljacks.co.uk Will be happy to meet you. Best regards - Jack.

I thought I would give Illegal Jack's a try since I am in town for awhile and haven't found much in the way of SW American restaurant food since being here. I went with the chicken burrito and have to say, I wasn't too impressed. I really don't think these people know what SW food is - proven by the fact that there are buffalo wings on the menu (they come from Buffalo New York). Sorry Jack, but for my money, I will stick with what I can make at home.

Thanks for the feedback Scarlet. Point noted re salad, will recheck them and tell the crew to fill them properly. For sitting in we'll serve in a bowl also.

Best regards,

- Jack.

very quick service and filling food...one thing though-dont get the salad, comes in a box and not much in it!

definitely go for the burritos or fajitas.

will return for another visit

This place is just fabby! Great food, (freshly prepared in front of you), great service and a great atmosphere! Such a wee gem in the heart of the city!

The above review clearly didn't have a clue what they were talking about (the fact that he says he only looked at some of the items rather than tasting them is not a good basis for a review). I recently visited Jack's (on a trip to Scotland from Arizona - Lots of Tex Mex there!) and was more than impressed with what the owner has done with the place. First of all the decor was amazing with a very clean, fresh looking restaurant. The food was exactly was I was hoping for as there has never been decent Tex Mex in Scotland. Everything was very fresh, this I know because upon asking the owner allowed me to watch them freshly prepare the guacamole, salsa (3 great different tastes) and meats from the convenient open area that looks into the kitchen. If you don't believe, you can see for yourself! Every single item I tried was fantastic. The fact that in the 2 days I was in Edinburgh I ate there 5 times should tell you a lot. I have grown up in the food industry and know what fresh tastes like..and Jack's food does. The quesadillas, burritos and nachos were so authentic. I have lived in America for the last 5 years (Florida, Texas and Arizona - all hot beds for Tex Mex cuisine) and Tex Mex is by far my favourite type of food and I am very happy that Britain finally has a great version to visit every time I am there. The staff and owner were all very helpful with the owner was willing to ask any questions posed to him. He clearly knew what the UK was missing and he has filled a void. He has told me of how he had tried many different versions of Tex Mex around the USA and he has done very well to bring those flavours to his restaurant.
All the items were great value for money. I can't wait to come back and spend more time eating my way through the menu again.

The person that rated this establishment so highly has clearly never eaten authentic Tex Mex before. Illegal Jack's is one of the worst attempts at Tex Mex food I have tried in my 4+ years of living in the UK.
I thought I would give the place a try as I am always on the lookout for food that tastes like home, but I regretted the thought the moment I had a look at the food that was on offer, and it took just two bites of my meal to decide that I would never go back again. The owners have clearly never tried real Tex Mex and the review in their window which states "Atleast as good as Chipotle", the best Tex Mex in the States, is either a friend of the owners or was paid off to write it. The quality of the steak was so bad that I would think twice about feeding it to my pets. The salsas all looked identical and none of the ingredients looked fresh. The rice tasted as if it had been sitting on the counter for days and the guacamole was obviously not from fresh avocados.
The above review claims that the staff was friendly and helpful but my experience indicated otherwise. They had no idea what they were doing, had no concept of customer service and were completely inefficient.
As a person who grew up eating the real thing, I can say with absolute certainty that this place is NOT worth the money

Jack's is one of those places you feel lucky to know about, and as it has only recently opened there are still some people (though this number is falling by the day) that dont. If you are one of them, then its definitely worth a look and a burrito.
The whole place is very welcoming; the staff are helpful and friendly and the decor is attractive. The menu is varied, with both meat (either chicken or beef) and vegetarian options, and most stuff is available to take away, which makes it a good option for people on a lunch break. You get to see your order being prepared, which is nice as you can pick and choose what you want as you go, and it really is good food! It is so different from anything else thats on offer in the area. The marinades are delicious and the servings are generous, its sometimes dificult to finish, even when you do really want to! Both the drinks and the food are good value for money, and at lunch time there is a promo of a burrito and a drink for a fiver.
The thing about this place is it is great to eat there, but not just because of the food (though as I say, its lovely!) - thats a big part of what makes it different from places with similar set-ups, like subway. It isn't a chain, the staff are fantastic and the whole atmosphere inside makes it a nice escape from the noise of lothian road. It deserves the five stars!