Kickbacks Gastropub
910 King St, Jacksonville, FL, 32204
Kickbacks Gastropub Menu
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Address :
910 King St
Jacksonville, FL, 32204 - Phone (904) 388-9551
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :7:00 am - 3:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Hipster
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Jason M.
Like everyone else has said, this place is fantastic. The beer selection alone is incredible. I recommend the tangerine pale ale, but they have so many beers and they rotate so much, that my personal beer preference probably doesn't matter all that much. I think the food isn't incredible, but it's reasonable for a bar. As for ambiance, it's a pretty cool, and as a nice perk, it's one of the few places that offers Sunday Ticket and all the college games, as well. Love this place and highly recommend it!
(5)Lance S.
Had a chance to visit Kickbacks for the first time yesterday while in Jacksonville from Georgia. What a great place to enjoy some good food and some outstanding beers! Anyone who has had a chance to visit some of the great beer bars throughout the country will note that this place ranks up there among the best. It was late in the evening when we arrived so we stuck with appetizers. A total of seven in all. The Nacho's are great and the portion is significant. My favorite by far were the fried clams that were fresh and breaded in house. Our least favorite were the Egg Rolls but they were still decent. For dessert we ordered the Brie in Puff Pastry and paired it with the Cigar City Creme Brule' Stout. Damian our waiter provided seller service and he gets big props for pulling out the bottle of Allagash Hugh Malone for us to enjoy. Hope to be back to visit soon.
(5)AJ S.
Food is ok, but the reason I keep going back is the amazingly huge selection of craft beers on tap. The servers are all young, cool, and know A LOT about the beers they serve. You tell them what you're in the mood for (IPA, light beer, or even something as specific as something halfway between a wheat and double IPA), and they will have a great recommendation for you. Great NYC-style bar atmosphere with low lights, brick walls, and taps everywhere. Great little neighborhood place!!
(4)Andy Z.
average Craft beer draft is 5 bucks for a 14oz pint (shaker glass not a true pint). Food price entree wise range from 8 to 20 bucks with most around 10 dollars, but you get what you pay for. For beer selection its the best in town period. I cannot rate it higher than just OK for many reasons. First the manager is a nice guy a tad weird but nice. The actual bar part is a joke its 4 seats and all taps, you have to duck under to find a bartender. we been 4 times. The is lots of other seating. The only reason to go in is the beer. They have 60 taps and they say they are going to 80 taps, where they will put them is a big question. They have a nice bottle selection also, but beware of the prices, some can be quite a BAD deal. OK on the plus side, they are open nearly 24/7, they have trivia, and live music, I not seen a juke box you can play your own music on, but they have music during the daytime when no band is playing, lots of TVs. The bad things, well parking sucks BIG TIME. But its Riverside. The place is a tad dirty and cramped and the seats hurt. The service can be slow and lucky now days they got a big board with all the draft beer listed so you don't have to ask the clueless wait staff about a beer. Food is hit or miss mainly miss. The appetizers seem to be the best. we had the fish and chips, terrible!!! the wife had a chicken wrap that was terrible. But I had shrimp and some egg rolls that were decent. The got a retro menu also. Going to be interesting to see if they will make it here for much longer if you ask me.
(2)Jeremy R.
Excellent food! They delivered at 1030 on a Sunday night when nothing else was open besides pizza and Chinese. I am going in next time to experience their vast beer selection.
(5)Shannon B.
Came here to watch football. Called before hand to make sure they were playing the audio for the game. I was told yes. But when we got here and asked for the game we were treated like we were crazy. Or waiter was pretentious and thought he was too cool to wait on us. Was expecting a lot more. Pretty disappointed.
(2)Jenny M.
I've been here a few times and I have mixed feelings. This place is always crowded, and very loud but it seems to have a fun atmosephere and if you are a beer lover, they have an expanded menu of anything you can think of. If you come at a popular time, and expect a wait before you see a hostess, then expect a wait for a seat. Then expect to wait to see a waitress. Then expect a long wait if you order food. Generally though, they are pretty fast about refilling beers and getting drink orders in. The crowd of people that goes here is a mix between harmless hipster to the just plain sketchy. It's not my scene and I wouldn't go unless my friends chose to, but other than I have never had a bad time.
(3)Vince G.
Unique twist on classics like mac n cheese. Awesome beer selection and atmosphere. Definitely one of Jacksonville's best spots.
(4)Alex S.
TATER TOTS!!!! Also, service suffers when it's really busy. Great beer selection.
(4)Lilian O.
The beer selection here is phenomenal and the menu of beers here resemble that of an unabridged dictionary. It's almost impossible to read the beers they have on draft that's scribbled on the chalkboard. Your best bet is to tell your waiter or bartender what kind of beers you generally like and have them offer you their suggestions. I tried some beers here that I've never heard of such as the Bison Organic Honey Basil Ale from Berkeley, CA and some other ones that weren't listed on the beer menu at the suggestion of our waitress. None of them disappointed. Kickbacks Gastropub blows the other beer joints I've been to around the U.S. out of the water. Flying Saucer, The Ginger Man, The Draught House Pub, Little Woodrow's, and Winking Lizard have nothing on Kickbacks. This place is a must visit for all beer lovers.
(5)Patrick A.
Kickbacks is one of those places that you don't expect to blow you away, especially if you haven't been there before. You come inside and are immediately greeted with a familiar bar-like atmosphere, complete with plenty of flat screens, high tops and a bar. It's only after you've been there for 20 minutes or so, you start to notice things like the menu in front of you, then the immense amount of beers they have on tap at the bar and finally at the side wall where they list more than 80+ beers that they have on tap. The menu has a lot of things that you expect to find a bar, but they cleverly name themselves a "gastropub", which is a fancy way of saying "yes, we are a bar, but we also have some awesome-ass grub." From their appetizers to their soups, sandwiches and entrees, KBs has everything you could ask for in pub fare, but they do it so well that it blows your socks off. You can order up breakfast too! A friend of mine always gets the fish and chips, which are done to perfection. I always have had the sandwiches. Others get the more sophisticated entrees like the meatloaf and the cordon bleu omelette. The mac n cheese is phenomenal and so are the clam strips! And, the thing tops everything off is that you can down all their great food with any one of their many beers. Everything goes great with the right beer and their staff will definitely help you with deciding which is best for their meal. All in all, it's the best Pub in town. No doubt.
(4)steph t.
What can I say? I'm ecstatic that I moved into the delivery area of Kickbacks. They are one of my top 5 for comfort foods (and of course great beer). Our first night in our new home we had the Mushroom Dip and Bread, Meatloaf Roulade (with caesar salad, fried green beans and smashed potatoes) which we shared and peanut butter pie puck for dessert delivered. First of all, I don't expect top notch food delivered. The hold time not only in the restaurant but in the car does horrible things to most foods, so I always try to order wisely. Everything was still warm, the meatloaf was full of flavor and happily lacking of grease. The potatoes were the perfect comfort side and the green beans were still crunchy. The salad wasn't wilted and everything was packaged perfectly for transport. Even the mushroom bread appetizer thing's leftovers were fantastic right out of the fridge the next day. It was a top notch experience. Dine in when you can, but Kickback's definitely knows how to deliver their always tasty food.
(5)Jackie B.
The first thing we noticed about Kickbacks is that it was really busy for 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon, inside and out. The second thing is that it was REALLY loud. We were pretty psyched about the beer list, which was unbelievably extensive. The menu has a really wide variety. However, some of the items are just kind of "meh..." The fries tasted like they were out of a bag, and our baked brie had a weird handful of dried fruit on the plate. (OK, so maybe we shouldn't have ordered brie at a bar, but whatever...) I had a veggie panini that was delicious, but WAY too big, with some onion rings that (again) tasted frozen. My bf said that his french dip was great, though. I think that to be fair, we'll have to check it out again. Definitely check out their menu-Hamburger Helper, Ramen, and Spaghettio's? It can't be all bad!
(4)Heather Z.
As good as it gets in Jacksonville. Good food, amazing selection of beer, a laid back atmosphere and a diverse crowd. What more could you want. I wish there were more places like this here.
(5)Eric S.
Been here a several times but if it wasn't for the atmosphere I wouldn't go. The food is highly inconsistent; they must have a full staff of cooks in the kitchen that are "want to be hotshot chefs" because it seems like they want to make their mark. They are always out of something and it seems like it's the one item I want that particular time. Cherish and make use of every time you see your server... If you don't don't worry, they'll be back in 20 minutes ofter they're done talking to their freeloading non-tipping friends. The only reason as to why they get 3 stars is because they deliver until 3am with a $15 minimum perches, a price I have yet to find a menu combination in which I fall remotely close to.
(3)Ann M.
Food is good, not wonderful, but good, service on the other hand, quite bad for all three times I've been there. The first waiter we had acted like a snob because someone in my party just wanted a regular American lager (others in my party came to enjoy the craft beers). He acted like we weren't welcome if that's the type of beer we wanted. The second time we were literally there an hour longer than we should have just waiting on bad service. It was a Sunday afternoon; I would understand if it were Saturday night.
(3)Dan M.
Great place! Tons of beers with knowledgeable staff to help guide you. Food was very good as well.
(4)Honey D.
Only been going to kickbacks last year and never have I received awful service. Place was partly busy, waited for 15 minutes only to be slighted by 2 waiters. All I asked was if there was someone that could serve a party of 2. Granted, 2 parties arrived after us which received menu's a few minutes of sitting. One of the waiter eventually walked over to us w/ a menu once we started getting up. NO THANK YOU. I'm not sure if the waiters were looking at my brother and I cause we looked young or even our skin color. Regardless, bad impressions lasts for a while.
(2)Jenny G.
Kickbacks is amazing! They've always got a decent crowd, they serve food till 1am, they have great beer selection, and is the best pub in Jacksonville! Cons, service can be slow when they're slammed. Sometimes hard to find parking.
(5)Olivia T.
The beer menu is about the only reason I'd ever go back here. The food we had was pretty sub par-quesodilla and my friend got breakfast food, and we waited over 90 minutes for an order of chicken wings before cancelling them-turns out the waitress hadnt even put IN the order until ohhh, about an hour after we placed it with her. There were only about 20 people in the entire place, so it's not like they were busy, and she was kind of snippy about us cancelling the order, but after over an hour and drinking 5 more beers neither of us wanted to eat.
(2)F W.
Kickbacks is exactly what it sounds like... a place to kick back, relax, and enjoy some delicious food. The restaurant has a little bit of something for everyone. I get a different item every time I go and have continually been pleased with my dish. The portions are HUGE, but that makes it even better because you can take some home and have it later. They are open late at night and even deliver (if you live in the area). They also have a great beer selection. What more could you ask for? I guess parking...
(5)Tiffany H.
Delicious food, but horrible service
(2)Jamie M.
This place. How can it exist in Jacksonville, the world may never know. The big complain is, "The service is soooo slooooow gug gug gug!" Cheer up, dude. You're not Bobby Brown. The food and beverages take a while, but it will be there. Maybe because of the 200 people that are lining the streets to get into this place. This is a place to CHILL. Chill out, man. Order some... screw it. I'm not going to try. It doesn't matter. They have anything you can name, like some seedy diner in Union, NJ, but everything tastes like it's from the Ritz Carlton. Well, better. Best hamburger I've ever had? Here. Best sandwiches? Here. Best beer? Seriously? There are beers I have had to mail order and wait a month to get that these people have ON TAP. Saison Dupont? ON TAP. Duchess de Bourgogne? ON TAP. Witbiers. Quads. It's all here. Fresh. Clean. Come support a living legend.
(5)Kim G.
Went there yesterday with a group from work. We had a blast!! I'm not a beer drinker but the pumpkin ale with the rimmed glass was great!! Service could not have been better. Had appetizer platter and more than enough food. The Creme brûlée cheesecake was awesome! Price was reasonable. This was my 2nd time eating there in the week. Stuffed burgers and mac& cheese also great!!
(5)Shannon A.
Be prepared for just about every beer you can imagine, a long wait for a wide array amazing food, and a casual urbanish atmosphere.
(5)Matt S.
Beer Lovers rejoice! Kickbacks is here! While attending a concert at a local establishment, my girlfriend and I had a few hours to kill, and were looking for a bar to stop and have a few drinks. Thankfully, my Android comes equipped with the Yelp app, and after checking out a few different bars / clubs, I read the reviews for Kickbacks, and they led me to this awesome building of beer-drinking pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised to show up around 6 pm on a Saturday, and find the place full, but not overly packed, and we were able to grab a table. Parking was a bit of a hassle, as there are quite a few different restaurants and bars in the area, so you may have to look to the side streets to find a place to park, however it is all well worth it. Kickbacks has lots of different tables, and also a bar with a few barstools if you're by yourself. Lots of bigscreen TV's are hanging from the walls, allowing you to check out all the different sporting events, or whatever the big show on is at the moment. I noticed a lot of couples eating and drinking, but also quite a few families indulging in a big dinner while the parents had some drinks. It was a pretty fun atmosphere for everyone involved, I enjoyed the fact that I could drink a beer, eat some food, and watch the game, and it was nice for the families that there weren't a bunch of drunk idiots screaming obscenities and ruining everyone's fun. There are quite a lot of different choices as far as the food goes. Lots of great appetizers, plus the standard bar food in burgers, wings, fried goodies, and even some more off-the-wall stuff that looked pretty tasty. The beer selection is what makes Kickbacks the great place it is, though. Look towards the ceiling, and notice the hundreds of different beer taps hanging down, showering you with delicious good vibes. The beers on tap are located on a large section of the wall, and it is very impressive. They offer up lots of different samplers if you're looking to try something new. The bottled beer selection is also pretty impressive, although why you'd drink beer out of a bottle instead of a draft when you're at a place like this is beyond me! No way you can go to a place like this and not have something delicious, both beverage and food. Throw in great, friendly service, and you've got yourself one hum-dinger of a bar / restaurant / good-time emporium. Wish I lived closer to this place, I would definitely be in weekly, although I will definitely make the trip from St. Augustine every once in a while to enjoy more of Kickbacks. HOORAY BEER!
(4)Leriza P.
I've been to this place, just a handful of times. But, I can say, each time was wroth it! The last time I went, I had the "grease trucks" sandwich and the mac n' cheese. I miss Jersey! =) There was a huge portion of both, so I took home leftovers. I must say, it was still good the next day AND that mac n' cheese has GOT to be THE BEST mac n' cheese I've ever tasted. EVER. ;9 Def want to go back for more!
(4)Jeremy S.
Kickbacks is a cool place to hangout with friends and enjoy a beer you've never had before. The beer menu is tough because it's forever changing and you have to stand up to read the list. I've had the food, nothing to write home about. Smoke a cigarette, sit outside, drink a great beer and people watch! Trust me, you'll like it, even the cigarette.
(3)Burger G.
Our hunt for the best Burger in Jacksonville brought us to Kickbacks. The rating on our blog gave them a 9 out of 10 because this place has one hell of a burger. This burger was one of the tastiest burgers we reviewed so far. This is actually the second time we went there because we didn't think they could wow us again and they did. If you want one of the best burgers in Jacksonville you have to go there and try it out, you won't regret it. I know I'm going back many more times to eat their burger. Great job Kickbacks. For a more detailed review visit us at burgergeeksblogspot.com and see some of the other reviews we done here in Jacksonville.
(5)Nadia Fern C.
I suppose If I liked beer I would REALLY love this place. I just like it because of the atmosphere. Its a place where you can go chill and...kick back! Their appetizers are awesome. I went with two of my girlfriends on Friday and we shared cheesedip and chips for our appetizer. Two of us got the simple house salad which was very yum. The other girl, our quesadilla fanatic, got the chicken quesadillas and she did not shut up about them all not. She absolutely loved them. Sweet! If you like INCREDIBLE live music, my good friend John Earle plays there every Friday night. He seriously can play a cover of any song in this world. Have you ever heard an acoustic version of Lil Wayne's Lollipop sung by a skinny white dude with a gorgeous voice? No? Stop in for a free show, bring him a tip, have a beer and kick back! (:
(4)Ben C.
This was great my first time. Great place to drink, huge selection. The food however has been getting less and less impressive each time i go. I think i'll just drink there from now on.
(3)Natalie B.
A solid four stars for beer lovers! 60 or so beers on tap and the choices are always changing. The atmosphere is laid back and it truly feels like a neighborhood bar. The menu is quite diverse for a pub, hence the "gastropub" moniker. It's not the best food you'll ever have but it serves it purpose with the delicious beer! I have had one very good and one so-so experience with the service. Luckily I have always been in great company when I'm there. Quick tip--if you friend them on Facebook, you'll get updates on what new beers and food specials they offer! Also if you like poker, they have real non electronic poker games on Wednesday nights!
(4)Kyle S.
Pretty sure I could eat here like every day. Amazingly tasty food and a HUGE selection of beer, all in an awesome environment. I just wish there was even more room for more people and fun -- it can get crowded. Also, it's open all but like two hours in the day. Super helpful. Oh, and there's delivery. What more could you ask for?
(4)Jebs M.
our beers were incredible!!!..unfortunately our server (short hair gal) wasnt!!! she didnt even offer or suggested any beers to try and just had that look.. like we're from a different planet (this was our first time here). she really need to chill out and stop acting like she's got a stick up her a**. i would have given 4 stars if it wasnt for the bad service.
(3)Jett O.
I would rate Kickbacks with 5 stars, but sometimes the wait is extremely long. This is because of the amount of business they do and the size of their kitchen. I also don't like that they re-heat thier mac-n-cheese in a microwave. That is my only complaints. Everyone who works there is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about beer. Give it a try, I recomend the breakfast burrito.
(4)Charles B.
We were staying at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront in Jacksonville, and needed some late nights eats after finishing up work for the day. We called Kickbacks - amazing! They have the most eclectic menu that includes a featured "vintage" section - I'm talking sloppy joes, spaghetti o's, etc - all of your childhood favorites! The entrees were HUGE and tasty.
(4)Jamie B.
Worst Experience I have ever had in a restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will never ever ever ever be back here! I believed the hype and wanted to check it out and was more than disappointed! When we first walked in we asked if we seat ourselves and we were told to go look for the creepy guy with the suspenders and he would help us! What in the world...we should have left then! So, we didn't...we actually sat down! Our food came out wrong (had a few things on it we asked to be 86'ed and on the side). We ate a little bit but it was just horrible even without the mistake it would have been gross! We had to order something else to not leave hungry. When we received our bill the item was on there and we asked for it to be taken off...the server said (with a frightened look) that she could take off 50%and when I asked to see a manager I was told there wasn't one! She said she was the manager of her section and she had to pay for it because it was her mistake. I explained to this young girl that this was not her business and she should not have to pay for common mistakes and that is the cost of doing business. She had a terrified look on her face and begged me not to say anything. She explained that Steve the owner....was quite a force to be reckoned with. I asked the other servers and they agreed! Seems like he has quite a sham going on and his success may be due to his loophole in management! I will find out soon! Regardless we were so not impressed with the food at all! Oh and when we asked for a flight of beer (because other tables had them) we were told they really don't offer those! Again with a frightened look she talked us out of it...because she was scared that the bartenders would get made at her! Has anyone else had this type of experience there????? I seriously felt like going table to table or standing outside preaching the injustice until Steve showed up! Unreal! One of the worst dinners and experiences in a very long time or maybe ever actually! The one star is gracious because we didn't die!
(1)Leah T.
The decor is awesome. The service was incredibly slow in the beginning... so bad we almost left. The food was mediocre, we ordered fried mushrooms- nothing bad to be said, just your typical fried mushroom; french mushroom spread (I swear there wasn't a shroom to be tasted in that) it was more like a cheesy bread with an alfredo dip, not bad but didn't follow up to the name. Then we had the bacon jam fries.... INCREDIBLE!!!!! Absolutely the best dish we had. We also ordered the poutine.... we made these how we wanted it so that could be our fault but it was very blah... needed more flavor the brown gravy didn't have much flavor do maybe it's the white gravy we should have got. We got lumpia.... it had a musty taste like your grandma's closet. And lastly the fish n' chips.... no chips came with it only slaw... and we were told or food would come as it was ready but didn't realize items within the same dish would come separately. All in all go for a great beer selection and the BACON JAM FRIES!!!
(3)Elena S.
Ordered a take out order when my companions took too long getting a tattoo and piercing across the street. First, there is NO parking anywhere in this cramped little neighborhood. Then the people crammed inside and spilling out on to the sidewalks doesn't look very appetizing to me. I don't like my restaurants to look and feel like a club. I had my friend place a take out order while I drove back to pick them up. That being said, I was able to drive all the way from our hotel near JAX and THEN proceeded to wait an additional 45 minutes for my wings and a cheeseburger. The food was acceptable, but I'll never get it again if this is the normal drag a-- pace that they fill orders. It's a shame that they're the only place open other than chain restaurants like Denny's.
(2)Luke H.
One of my favorite spots to end up at 3am to get fatter and more unhealthy! No seriously this is an amazing place and with the new renovation we aren't crammed all in. Order the sampler! And don't get lost in the new upcoming basement bar!!!
(4)Peter B.
We waited for an hour, then one of us got part of our meal. A half hour later I received part of my meal, then later the other half cold. Toast was to much to ask. We also were charged for bacon we never got. The MANAGER REFUSED TO COME TO OUR TABLE. The waitress said, "he's not seeing customers." The owners better get it together! The manager should obviously be canned.
(1)Mimi R.
Place was disgusting, it smell so bad, the food was horrible, went there with my husband and my food came out first, just to eat it 20 minutes later because that's how long it took for my husbands chicken wings to come out. Bad service. Thumbs down
(1)Stephanie T.
I love this place, the food, the brews, the owner, etc. So glad they're expanding. Also open late night so you can stop by after visiting the bars around the corner.
(4)Amanda J.
I just want to start by saying I normally don't follow the suggestions of crowds but the crowds are right on this one! After perusing the menu online and finding some things we could try, we made the trek across town. Very easy to get to, parking at 3ish on a Saturday after the big games wasn't even that bad. We were seated at a little table pretty quickly, and had drinks within five minutes, which is a big plus if y'all have read any of my reviews . We were kinda shocked when a piping hot plate of our wings showed up, they were quite zaftig! Very meaty, warm as they should be and another little plus I give them credit for- fresh made not bottled ranch dressing. I grew up with fresh made, so that's a little happy button. The hubs got the fat Julian ( their version of the ru hungry grease trucks fat Darryl at Rutgers ) with Mac n cheese and I got the French dip with green bean fries. To quote him "Great combo of flavors and textures, and very much a guilty pleasure!". The Mac held its own, very creamy but firm and tastes of bacon infused throughout. Better than mom used to make. The French dip was very bready but was slightly moist. The meat wasn't incredibly impressive sadly, I wanted more of a meaty flavor and a bit more spice/herb ...but that's just me. This place is a pub, not a formal restaurant so with that being said, I'm quite impressed. I am so sad I didn't stay for funnel cake fries! Lol. I will definitely be back. Also, the price vs portion ratio is truly amazing. I think for two entrees and an app with two drinks, we stayed right T or under $40. perfecto! Thank y'all for sharing this place with us!
(4)Ed D.
Kickbacks is a victim of their own success. The service is terrible and the food was lousy. Taco salad took an hour and was old meat slapped over the lettuce and out of the beer I wanted. Breakfast plate was no better and its hard to screw up breakfast. Best to just drink there.
(2)Ernest B.
Good place to go for beer and atmosphere. They advertise a lot more beer than they really have. But overall a nice bar.
(3)Celia C.
The food and service were sub par. The beer was outstanding. The food was edible, I could've made a better sandwich at home. The service, for the first 10min we weren't really sure if we had a server. The food came out a different times. We ordered our food at different times, but as my mom and I (who have both been servers) would tell you; you wait until everyone has ordered to tell the kitchen. The beer list is written on the wall or viewed through their app "Kickbacks Gastropub". Even though that was a a bit of an inconvenience the beer was phenomenal. The server/bartender suggested great beer. Only two stars because any restaurant can open a great beer, but you go to the restaurant for the food.
(2)Mary C.
Freaking amazing! Food off the chain good. Service from Pat was superb. Always fantastic never disappointed and the bill is forever less than expected. There's no comparison in town. above and beyond yet still laid back
(5)Marty T.
Okay, for starters if your establishment has "gastropub" in the name and hundreds of beer taps hanging from the ceiling, wouldn't you think to put a beer menu together? The only way to see what beers they have is to be seated in just the right place, in line of sight to the "menu board" on the wall (with tiny dark writing". So the beverage menu (or lack there of) was a let down. And now on to the food... We told the server that it was our first time and I even asked her to recommend what they are known for and so we ordered two of the things she recommended - a bleu cheese stuffed burger with bacon and a roast beef panini. So when the food was brought out (by a food runner) the roast beef "panini" was not actually a panini at all, it was a french dip, complete with au jus. And then the (medium rare) bleu cheese stuffed burger was very dry, had no condiment on it at all, just LTO and burnt bacon. And then once I bit into it, there was one tiny piece that was mid-rare and the rest of the burger was very well done and dry. So once the server finally came by to see how our food was, we asked about the "panini" and her response was "yeah we have been using different bread this week and they aren't really pressing it". Funny, she didn't mention that when she recommended the "panini". And then I showed her the burger, she agreed that it was definitely not mid-rare so at least she did offer to get me something else (but I declined). The only saving grace was that the tater tots were pretty on-point. And finally, I guess I've come to expect that in this new culinary "foodie" society we're in now, when both meals are pretty much a failure, the server didn't bother to send a manager over to speak to us. So, needless to say, I most likely won't be back. Maybe I'll try The Blind Fig Gastropub across the street, next time...
(1)Janet C.
Best pumpkin beer, love the graham cracker and spice rim. Super packed and loud due to Sunday football games, Jacksonville Cougars playing. Beers on draft selection was not robust , seemed to be out of a lot of beers. Medium burger was almost well done. Daughter enjoyed the wings, you get more than most in an order. French dip was not impressive. Service was a bit slow, probably due to the number of people and server said the place is currently under renovation.
(3)Shelley M.
This place actually has its own app to help you navigate their awesome beer list. Over 100 beers are on tap any given night, plus bottles. As if that wasn't enough, they have great food. It's stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, like macaroni and cheese with bacon on top. I enjoy the pork tenderloin, while my husband often goes or the mahi skewers with a side of FRIED green beans. Yes, really. Love this place.
(5)David H.
Food here is excellent. Have never been disappointed with a meal. Everything from the pizza to the seafood is amazing. Also they have a very extensive menu. With that being said; service here is lousy, the place is filthy, the other customs can be rude. Wait times for food can easily exceed an hour. With all the problems this place has I recommend somewhere else. Lots of places to eat in riverside/Avondale that offer great good without the headache.
(3)Dorothy T.
So WOW this was the worst ever. We have eaten there before they did this new expansion. But last night my co-worker went and had the worst experience . Now let me tell you we work at Riverside and used to eat there for lunch. In fact we had gotten to the point of making it our friday lunch spot. But for some stupid reason when they re-open it all went down hill. My co-worker was there from 10:30 pm til around 1am. The food was cold and the drinks were AWFUL. Megan her server was a no-show most of the time. So after the food sat there and turned cold till it probably could have walked itself back to the kitchen to re-warm itself. After multiple attempts to get the manager she was told " He is busy with more important things". ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!! After that comment the bill came and again she asked for the manager. And yet again " HE IS BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS". So after a while between security and nothing be resolved the police was called. Why oh why, this just made things worst. Not only did the manager refuse to see us you thought the police would do your dirty work. Well please be informed that i nor any of my coworkers nor anyone in any of my reach will ever go here again. Don't waist your time or energy going here. YOU ARE BETTER OFF GIVING YOUR MONEY TO A BUSINESS THAT CARES!!!
(1)Jessica T.
It is true what they say the server makes the dining experience. A group of us came tonight and Chris Fedora was our server. The best server we have had. He was attentive and made sure our food came out in a timely manner. If all the servers were like him we would definitely come back more often.
(5)Chris C.
This was my first visit for more than drinks in over a year. The new addition is amazing, the big open front porch is nice also. We got there around 9:45 on a Monday eve and the whole place was pretty empty. Our server was pleasant and seated us promptly. The two stars? We ordered the Roasted Shrimp dip and a Monte Cristo with fries as the side. The server informed (warned )us that everything would come out when ready. The dip came out first, decent but lacking in flavor with tiny shrimp, not the nice spicy chunks I had with it before. The fries came out 10 minutes layer...sans Monte Cristo. Come on, thats like serving the potato before the steak. The Monte did appear before the overcooked and slightly fishy (old grease?) tasting fries were totally cold. The sandwich was roughly the size of two large eggrolls cut in half..sort of sad. It did taste good and was nice and hot. From now on we will eat elsewhere and stick to Kickbacks for beer and booze only.
(2)Mike And Tye L.
Wow. Went there for lunch wings were cold fries were over cooked. They added new doughnuts to the menu suppose to be lightly fried. Ha over fried and greesy. Server was ah average. Good vodka and beer though
(1)Anthony H.
Since I have to relocate to Jacksonville for work I have took it upon myself to sniff out the best restaurants to visit when I move. One that constantly kept coming up was Kickbacks. So when I arrived to Jacksonville it was on our to do list. Parking was a little difficult because there is no specific area for them but we found parking on a side street fairly easily. When we walked up to the restaurant there were a number of people outside laughing and drinking beer. Good company, beer flowing always make for a good time. As we walked in I was in aw of all the hanging beer taps from the ceiling. The atmosphere was very vibrant and reminds me of a restaurant back home. The huge Nirvana picture on the wall and all the beer signs kept my eyes looking for the next thing to pop out at me. From the moment the host seated us we felt as if we have been there before. I forget the waitress name but she really took care of us. I was indecisive about what I wanted to drink and she help narrow it down for me until I decided on a cigar city ipa, which was very good. I knew I wanted the Mac and cheese from others reviews, so I ordered that with the blue cheese stuffed burger. I added bacon and provolone cheese to sweeten the pot. The wife ordered the country fried steak with the Mac and cheese, cole slaw with a side salad. I have been with my wife for 8 years and never seen her order chicken fried steak anywhere or let alone step out the box with out a little push. This was very amusing when she ordered it. When the food came out my hamburger looked delicious. The bacon on my burger was crispy and it was medium just the say I like it. The thing that caught my eye was the portion sizes. They don't skimp on the amount of the sides. My wife had two large fried steaks that were made fresh. The coleslaw came out in two dishes which she was only able to finish one. She looks over at me and says" I know I am pregnant but I can't finish all of this". Needles to say the side salad and one dish of coleslaw worked her over. We joked on the way home about how we took a whole meal home with us. Overall I give this place five stars from the atmosphere to the food to the service everything was great. Only issue I had was no beer menu that I could actually hold and view. The beer board was hanging over other customers and made me feel awkward to hover people while they eat. Our waitress made up for it by knowing the selection. I now know where I am bring my out of town friends first to eat when they visit. Loyal customer.
(5)Allison M.
This place is amazing!! Such an amazing list of beers, a fun and incredibly delicious menu, and the new inside is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to come back to Florida when the new space is open. It's unlike anywhere I've ever been, and Steve is a total sweetheart.
(5)Darrin S.
Horrible service. Walked up to the host stand, the host asked how many in the party and then turned around and ignored us for 5 minutes. Finally brought to a table, then sat there for 15 minutes with no one coming by our table to acknowledge we even existed. We just finally stood up and walked out. I will never go there again and would not suggest anyone go there if they want a pleasant experience. Very unprofessional staff with no consideration for guests.
(1)Mary T.
Very chill atmosphere, very proper and diverse place. Very pleased with the food and staff but I was very sad they didn't have fried green beans for me that day.
(4)David D.
This was the first place I went to on my first night out when I moved to Jacksonville a few years ago, and since it has been my favorite place. It has only gotten better since with all the new additions. I also can not wait for the basement section to be open. Some people on here are complaining about the food...and I completely disagree. Some of the food I've had has been mediocre, but then again, there are a lot of menu items that are pretty amazing. I have even been there for breakfast and that too was pretty good. I love the beer list, and the atmosphere as a whole. I will however agree with some people that the service is definitely hit or miss. It does seem to be getting better as of late, but when they are busy, the service can be slow. However, I like to look at it like this...it is called 'Kickbacks'....i like to sit back, enjoy my beers, listen to good music, talk, and just 'kickback' with whoever I'm with. If you can go in there NOT expecting super fast service, and just enjoy your time its great. but if youre looking for a place to grab dinner and be in and out on a friday night in an hour, go somewhere else. and again, the service can be hit or miss, I've waited an hour for food, and I've waited 15 minutes. If you're able, best service for me has come from sitting at the bar. If I ever move away from Jacksonville, I will definitely miss this place.
(5)Jon H.
Kickbacks is open from breakfast to drunkness (7am-3am) 365 days a year. If I lived in Jacksonville, I could easily see myself being a regular. The first thing that will catch your eye when you walk in are the number of beer taps hanging from the ceiling joists. They immediately had me leaning toward liking this place. The atmosphere is cool, but it doesn't scream, This place will have Awesome Food, to me. It says, You will have a Great time drinking Beer here. Surprisingly though, the food is Delicious! I've had the Fat Julian and the Roast Beef Panini. Both were impressive. When I first came here, the beer selection was great. If you're into IPA's (I'm not) they seem to be continuing to keep the taps rotating. Unfortunately, on my recent visit, they were considerably lacking in the browns and ambers department which are my go-to. Apparently this beer lackness is due to less cooler space because of some construction being done to the building. Once the construction is complete, it's supposed to add additional rooms or something. The beer choices will then be back to normal or superior to normal. Here's a good article I just found that explains the current renovations: jaxbrewbitch.com/?p=4352 Kickbacks would usually be a fiver for me, but due to the current lack of beer choice it will have to stay at four until I can make it back after the construction. The food and atmosphere are still great though. Jax, please support them during the renovation. From the sounds of it, there will be great things on the horizon to reward you.
(4)Jim W.
Awesome old factory style atmosphere! Fantastic selection of beer on tap coupled with a good food menu. Subdued lighting gives it a very old-world feel.
(4)Amanda G.
They have gone downhill...the service sucks (which it always did) but the food came out in shifts...literally we all go our sides first, then 1 by 1 our sandwiches came out. One sandwich the chicken was only on 1 side...no joke.
(2)Angela W.
I have coming here for a few years now and while the food is always good, this new seating and food service "situation" is concerning. I have NEVER had to wait in a line that was forming on the sidewalk to be seated in a nearly empty place!! After placing our orders and waiting for an unusually long time (per Kickbacks' standard), the food come out in pieces. The fries came out 15 minutes before the sandwich and by the time the sandwich arrived the fries were already eaten. By the time my companion's food arrived, I was done with my meal and ready to go. I have always enjoyed the atmosphere at Kickbacks and understand that they are undergoing changes and trying new things to draw in a different clientele, however, with this type of service they will not only dissuade new customers from becoming regulars but will also drive away the faithful customers that have made them what they are today!!!
(2)Carlos C.
I've been here a ton of times before but this is my first time since I started yelping. This place is always packed to the max and finding parking can be a chore. The last few times I came here the food took exceptionally long to come out, well over an hour. There were also some times where servers have been less than acceptable, for example, not returning to our table for very long periods or even to say hey, sorry for the long wait but your food should be up soon. I was starting to give up on good ole Kickbacks but still had a glimmer of hope for them. Today was very busy due to the Playoffs being aired on the multiple TV screens. The service was pretty good despite the place being so busy. Our food came out at a reasonable time as well. I was pleasantly surprised with them all around on this visit. The food here is all pretty delicious. I've tried just about everything here. The funnel cake fries are a must get for me whenever I visit and I recommend everyone try them. So delicious!
(4)Georgette G.
Went with the family. It was great. Our waiter was great. He helped us pick out drinks and food. Food came out quickly and was delicious. We will be back soon
(5)Tyler L.
Recently tried this place for lunch just because it's something i have never tried before. The decor is something out of an imagination. Walls covered in pennies and lights that look to be from a hundred years ago and to top it off, a spiral staircase, name another restraunt with that. Ha. But the menu is endless with possibilities. I tried the French Dip sandwich (roast beef and provalone) and it was amazing. Also tried some apps; fried shrimp, mazarella sticks and lumpia, they were all amazing. Prices are pretty decent, better than expected. Food comes out in order of whatever is dine first. So your mashed potatoes could come last while your sandwich came first. In order to keep the food hot, it doesn't sound like a half bad idea. The patio had a fire place with over-head dual heaters, and dogs are allowed on the patio. I didn't check out the bar but rumor has it that it's great as well. Only complaint is that the menu is too amazing to choose just one thing to eat! Riverside does not disappoint. 5 stars.
(5)Heather P.
I love Kickbacks! I've been a few times and it's on the list of places to take friends and family when they come to visit - mostly if they enjoy a wide array of beers and interesting atmospheres. I've had a few different things on the menu - shrimp skewers, creamed corn nuggets (I crave these all the time) and even their monte cristo - which I'm ALWAYS trying to find a place that makes them since they're SUPER messy to make at home ;) It's a little dark inside, which is no problem for us young folks, but it did make our in-laws pull out the flashlights on their phones just to read the menu. You also have to take a look at the ceiling - TONS of bar taps hanging which is clever. It can be a little packed at times and due to how the tables are set up it can be a little tricky trying to move around. They're currently undergoing construction, so pardon their limited bottle selection - I can't wait to see what they'll look like once the expansion is finished. They also have an app on your phone that lists all the beers on tap, bottled beers and I think events too.
(5)Anna H.
Lunch here yesterday. First and last time. I really get the pub concept and if my quest had been to try a massive selwction of beer this would have been the place, perhaps. I was greeted by one of the several servers who aske where I wanted to sit, i would have like a seat where one of the many Television had the volume below 9. I prefer table or booth. Many of the booths had cushions so warn the crumbling foam was well exposed. Next choice a table looking into the kitchen. No no I have worked I way too many restaurants to want to see behind that curtain. By the 4 table the server was like WTF? but I was content. I ordered a glass of white wine their top choice Kendall Jackson, I was afraid to ask what the house wine was. When my friend arrived she asked to change seats again. So off we go to a 4 top. Everyone happy and ready to order. My friend had Wings and French Fries. Huge portion of fries but tasted pre cut. No comment on the wings but she left quite a few. Nothing on the menu spoke to me so I took the stuffed burger Blue Cheese stuffing and Sweet Potato fries. Med. My normal is med rare but I did have that brief peek into that kitchen. Small over cooked lump of meat huge, bun. I decided to pass on the bread and cracked open the pattie not a hint of anything inside. Then I gave the fries a chance. Sprinkled with what Powered Sugar? Gross. The few I could find without the sugar were fine. The only bright spot in this experience was the service. I would give them 5 Stars. There is some new expansion taking place so many people must love this place, I am not one of them
(2)Amber R.
The bar is swarming with fruit flies. My shoes were sticking to the floor. The place smelled like vomit. I couldn't see the bar tender due to all the beer tabs across the bar. Don't even bother ordering food unless you have nothing else to do for the rest of the day. A plate of chicken wings takes 45 minutes and that's at 11:00 in the morning. I can't imagine how long they would take if the place was busy.
(1)Jo El S.
Mention the name "Kickbacks" and people's faces light up like they're reminiscing their favorite Christmas memory. People LOVE Kickbacks! My favorite part of Kickbacks Gastropub is the hundreds of beer taps from around the world hanging from the ceiling like little painted bats. One feels as if they're falling down the rabbit hole of a beer tap hoarder with an O.C.D. problem. It's fun to see how many beers you can recognize! A massive chalkboard proclaiming a hefty list of all available beers hangs over a dinner booth. The best part is standing next to booth while reading the board and having the occupying dinner party there poke fun of you for your indecisiveness! It's a little awkward but it's also part of Kickbacks charm. It fosters conversation between beer loving patrons and also gives you helpful recommendations. The most talked about beer is the "Pumpking." It's a Pumpkin Ale with a rim of crushed Gingerbread along the glass (like salt for a Margarita.) Patrons compare it to drinking a cold, frothy Pumpkin Pie. The best part of Kickbacks Gastropub is how they single-handedly eradicated crime in the area surrounding of the King Street District. If you don't believe me, read this amazing article! metrojacksonville.com/ar… Vast beer selection, eclectic wooden decor, and vanquisher of crime make Kickbacks Gastropub the crown jewel of King Street!
(4)John S.
Really good food. 70 beers on tap. Can't go enough because I live on the other side of town, but it is a favorite.
(5)Cocobe L.
First thing I noticed is my shoes were sticking to the floor when we came in...okay it was Sunday afternoon, I guess that is okay, right? ...Terrible service but the food is prettty awesome (which is what most fried food is) when and if the waitress will bring it to you, it was Sunday afternoon, they were not slamming or even that busy.... the ambiance is spot on for grunge steam pubs but we got the worst waitress, great retro look but terrible server, they have food runners and she was in the weeds, or just a bad waitress, never saw her after orders, no refills, everyone okays?!!! Will go back but ask for a different server or after reading other reviews go ask for it yourself. The place is amazing for Jaxs, really awesome new area that is so steampunk. BEER BEER BEER and more beer, like a beer dream garden... This is a must go, breakfast all day with BEER or no Beer...bring patience and ask for double triple condiments when you order cause waitress may never return, except to give you the check. Maybe because we were not drinking beer, wait hubby had a rolling rock and he had to beg for that to be brought to him.... The jalapeno poppers were very tasty and the plum sauce is delicious ask for two when you order waitress may ignore your request for more. I had the vegggie panni, asked for no mushrooms, OF COURSE she forgot to write that down. Not sure what hubby had but he ate it and licked the dish, my friends had to grab someone else to get their requested dressings for the house salad which looked decent. All in all great idea but with service that sucks great ideas FAIL miserably... get some professional wait staff and lose the dead ones. This place will be awesome when these guys lose their asses due to horrible service and someone who knows how to run a resturant takes it off their hands....WAKE UP DUDES and hire an awesome wait staff! Your food is pretty darn good but not so fantastic that it makes up for an incompetent staff.
(2)Christina M.
Being from Fort Lauderdale we do not have many gastropups, some here and there nor none like Kickbacks Gastropub. We came here and although parking was a little bit of a pain, it was well worth it. We came on a Friday night and we were taken aback at the decor, it's definitely one of a kind. The atmosphere is extremely laid back with loud music and several televisions. I only wish we would've sat at the bar. Our waitress was good, very attentive to our needs and I never had an empty cup. We got chicken wings as an appetizer, and they were good. Not great. Our food was good, too. I don't remember anything spectacular about the food but we certainly enjoyed ourselves. This is a staple of Jacksonville and a must see if you are in the area. I will definitely without a doubt be coming back to Kickbacks.
(5)Mick C.
"You will get your food as it's ready" the waitress says. My fries came 10 minutes before the burger showed up. So I had no fries to eat with my burger. My girlfriend ordered a pasta dish. When she received it, it looked like a bowl of soup, it was missing the pasta completely. The new remodel is really cool but every aspect of the service quality sucks.
(1)Eileen B.
Was here last night. Draft beers were warm. Staff was rude, frequently heard saying "Move" and "Get out of the way" to patrons who were standing by tables. No "Excuse me", no "I'm sorry you can't stand there". Sandwich and order of fries took 1 1/4 hours to be served and when asked about the long wait, server was dismissive..."normally, it's at least an hour"...an hour for bar food and warm beer?How is this place still in business? Maybe when the expansion is complete, the beer will be cold and the food will be delivered more rapidly, but the staff will still be rude.
(1)Yelp E.
I have been to Kickbacks, probably a total of 3 times now. The first two times I had been drinking at the bars on King Street, and had come in and got drunk munchy food. The days after those two times I had been really sick, but I blamed it on all that alcohol. I ate here last night, without getting any drinks beforehand. I have never been more sick that I am today. I will never eat at kickbacks again.
(1)Ellen K.
This place has good southwest egg rolls and the smothered chicken is amazing. I love that they deliver and it is a great place to go after a night at the bars because it is open so late. The beer selection is not as good as dahlia's pourhouse but they do have local beers available. The nachos are horrible and the tempeh burger has no flavor so I would definitely recommend avoiding these two items on the menu but overall the menu has a good selection.
(3)Dale B.
I went at lunch and I had a great mean. The menu items are served as they are done being made. They do that on purpose im told. So I had my Mac and cheese which, to my surprise had BACCON. And shortly after I got my "MONTY CRISTO". That was my only reason for going and I enjoyed my food. 4 stars for the seating and time to be seated in a pretty much half empty place.
(4)jill b.
I used to be a fan of Kickbacks. Everything from the service to the food to the longtime bartender made this establishment stand above the rest. I do agree that the place needs some revamping and renovations. Sometimes the bathroom was a little scary in the old place, but that's what made it cool. Hometown grunge was part of its character. You don't have to worry about creepy crawlers in the bathroom or a broken chair at your table anymore. There's a new Kickbacks in town and it's beautiful! The owner, local artists, and staff did an amazing job with the decor. It's downright fantastic. Too bad the decor is the only positive thing I can share in this review. The wait staff (in the new bar/dining area) is rude and unprofessional. Our waitress (had her twice) was a complete bee-atch. She did not want to be there and could have cared less about her guests. Our food came out in 30 minute intervals and tasted terrible. It was so disappointing. It was a Sat night and they were not even busy (old part of the bar was, but not the new dining room). So, we walked out and went across the street to The Blind Rabbit. We all agreed we should have went there first. The wait staff was amazing and even when our server took a break, another young man stopped by to let us know he would be taking over for her for a bit. The "B" at Kickbacks disappeared for quite awhile, forgetting our drink order, and appetizer. It was cold when she finally brought it. When we asked her about the beer selection, her reply was, "We have over 400, I can't possibly tell you them all." Duh, "B", we didn't expect you too! Give us your favs or recommendations, or ask what type we typically like?! My advice to anyone thinking about trying the "new" Kickbacks is to eat in the old portion of the place if you can. Or better yet, go to The Blind Rabbit instead!
(2)Patricia M.
I've been going to Kickbacks for years and always enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, since the addition has been completed, they serve all their food separately. If you order fish and chips you will finish the fish before the fries even make it to the table. Same with a burger and fries. Other parties at your table will receive their food in the same manner. No two items come out together. The wait staff doesn't know which table ordered what, so on top of having to make many trips to serve the food, they're running around like crazy trying to figure out where it goes. It's really quite sad, this used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I gave the 'new' Kickbacks three chances, at least there are plenty of other options in that area now. My friends and I will really miss this place.
(1)Jason C.
You know besides the food taking 45 minutes this is a good little place to visit. Food is good. Server was personable. They are getting ready to expand with over 200 beers on tap. I am not a beer drinker but sounds like options.
(4)Andrew F.
Its alright. great selection of beer !
(3)Zin Z.
Dirty, Dirty,Dirty. Horrible Service. Food below average. many people smoking outside near front door, so you have to walk through smoke to get in. Will Never go back.
(1)Cat D.
This place has gone completely down hill. Prior to the renovation it was my local go to. Food was always amazing. Now the food is horrible, and it comes out at all different times. Tonight my Philly cheesesteak came out 10mins before my friends' orders. It was room temp, flavorless and without the fries I ordered. I had to ask 5x for my side of sweet potato fries and when fries finally came 30 mins later, they were the regular ones, not sweet potato like I ordered. I told the waitress to forget it, my sandwich was gone and my friends were done eating too. I then said to take them off the bill. For all that All I got was a savings of $2. Seriously?! We also had a crappy server. She was so bad we asked for the manager...never came. My friend had to go into the bar and wait until one FINALLY came to her. We asked 2 different staff members to get the manager. The staff members said "what's the problem?" and both listened to our complaints and then never got the manager. We saw one go right back to the server and tell her what we said. The l staff also complains about each other to the guests. Previously mentioned staff member told us he didn't like the server we had complaints about. And our server complained about the bar runners. Keep your opinions about your coworkers to yourselves. Customers don't want to hear about it. Now back to the food...On my last visit, one of my friends ordered the vegetable panini, on my recommendation. It used to be my favorite thing on the menu. It came out on a piece of crap white bread, untoasted flavorless roll. It wasn't even pressed; although it's still called a panini. The menu said it was made on the herbed focaccia. When I questioned the waiter he said they no longer make the focaccia and don't have a panini press. Then why call the sandwich a panini, I ask? We had to practically beg for them to take it back and press it on the flat top. When I went tonight, the menu still reads with herbed focaccia and it's still called a panini. Also based on tonight's experience, that flat top is also the only way they have to "grill" their wings now. I don't care what they say, those grilled wings my friend ordered were deep fried. Now to the beer. For having 84 beers on tap, I must like all the popular ones because 3 out of the 4 I asked for were "out." Never had that happen before. Servers should also learn if some one says, "I don't normally drink beer and when I do I only drink X" bring the customer "X" especially when you know you have it on tap. Don't say "well then I'll bring you Y." I know the owners spent a boatload on that renovation. (I'll give them this, that new inside bar is pretty.) In reading some of the more recent reviews and now having my own experiences, however, I have a feeling they will be having to work at the BK next door to pay off the loan because their business is going to close if this crap food, lack of beer and poor service continue. Truly a shame. It used to be THE PLACE to dine on King St. Now it's becoming the place to avoid.
(1)Fearless F.
OK, it's not hard to turn things around as long as you're willing to step it up..! Was at KB this past weekend and they have opened up their new section, had their beers on tap and chilled, so basically all is once again well with the world. I did not eat, but heard the new sections has a new menu so I look forward to giving it a go...! Come on KB, you've got the right stuff so don't get lazy ever again.
(3)Christina E.
I had Kickbacks for the first time yesterday at a friends request and had the shrimp scampi with Mac and Cheese and Broccoli and the down side was the scampi was very lemony which was a turn off so I thought to myself hey I'll give them another chance and ordered the Mahi Mahi entree with broccoli and rice. It was dry, broccoli was excellent like the day before and the rice was generic like what to get at Duffy's. the entrees also come with a salad which looked fresh but as I got into it there were brown leaves and some that were mushy heck even my cherry tomato was all pruny, sad to say I had to stop eating it. There are pluses to this place as well as a few minuses.
(3)Amythest B.
Steven was absolutely amazing! Provided great recommendations and was fun to talk to. Gave us a tour of the expansion and definitely gained regular customers. Food and drinks were the best yet (new to the Jacksonville area). Will definitely recommend kickbacks and send people to see Steven.
(5)Carole Z.
New place needs to work out the kinks a bit ... Good atmosphere though ... But for Pete's sake ... Take the "boba cacio e Pepe's" off the menu ... That may be the worst food I've ever encountered ... It looks like deer scat with eggs on top .. And tastes horrible ( well no taste to the black ball things ... And very salty eggs )
(3)Alex M.
This is probably one of my favorite places in Jax. Great atmosphere, huge and excellent selection of beers, and the food is very good. I had the cajun pasta one of my previous times. It was delicious. Didn't really care for the Mac and Cheese though. I'd been there a couple times on Thursday night. They had an organ and guitarist duo playing jazz. The previous time they had a trumpet player and organ duo also playing jazz. Real cool. Kind of a unique treat here in Jax especially with a stagnant music scene.
(5)Jessica S.
Funnel cake fries....nuff said.
(4)Kristin K.
Very cool Gastropub !! Tons of beers in tap! Meatloaf is good and the Mac and cheese has bacon which is always yummy! Great service and knowledgeable staff on beer selection! Not a place for kids even tho there were quite a few tables of them parking is a slight challenge.
(4)Erin K.
They keep 90+ beers on tap everyday and they have amazing food. They are constantly busy, and it may take a while to get a table, they have a lack of servers, but they stay attentive and are friendly. They play good music and the overall vibe is great. It is a go to hangout spot for my friends and I!
(5)Connie K.
great place for good food and a beer with friends!! service can be a little slow but it's a good place to hang out with friends. would recommend sweet potato fries as a must have, but I have yet to try a food item here that hasn't been good! amazing beer selection for beer lovers
(4)Jessica R.
Came in for lunch with the bestie during vacay. Lots to look at on the menu. Ordered a jax cheese steak with onion petals. I was not a big fan of the sandwich. Service was good. Seats could be reupholstered. Loved the beer taps on wall. This is definately a drinking establishment.
(3)DeeDee H.
I am in LOVE with this place! We came on a Friday evening, probably before the Friday night rush. We were seated right away, no waiting! It's kind of dark, but not in a bad way. They have beer taps hanging from the ceiling, which I thought was pretty neat. TV's everywhere for those of us that like to watch a good football game. Or you can play a game with other patrons. The staff was very friendly, even though our waiter seemed to get distracted easily. They have tons of beer choices, wish I could learn to love different beers, but I am a Mich Ultra kinda girl! I like my beer in a bottle and ICE cold, I got the bottle but it was not ICE cold to my liking. I'm kind of hard to please in that area, sorry! Got the stuffed shrimp jalapeño poppers, they were yummy. I think they may have been frozen, but still tasty. I ordered the blackened fish wrap, and that my friend was deliciouso!!! My side was onion pedals, which seemed to be frozen as well, but still good. He got the feta cheeseburger, it was okay. I didn't get any of the feta, which I am sure is what actually makes that burger tasty. Will for sure be back!
(5)Antonie S.
I give this place zero stars. Ordered grilled wings and majority of them came out burned. The manager refused to take the food back or offer properly cooked wings. Instead the manager offered to take 25% off the price of the wings but enforced a 20% gratuity on my bill. An off duty officer is called in to write me a citation if I did not pay for the wings. He checks the wings and agree they are clearly burned. This restaurant still wanted to enforce me to pay for the wings because I ate 1 wing and noticed on the second wing that a majority were burnt and turned over so you couldn't tell they were burnt. I agree with some of the other post, this place has poor customer service and no one cares.
(1)Matt M.
I worked in this area for three years and I avoided it like the plague. I guess I was put off by the people drinking beer at 7:00 am on the patio area as I headed to work. I should not have been so critical. The food is good, the clientele eclectic and service is fantastic. If you go, try one of the following: BLT Pizza Breakfast #1 Monte Cristo Sandwich (just like Bennigans) Creme Brûlée Beer Great place inside, kind of rough looking outside.
(4)Nathan S.
Cool place, great atmosphere! Really, really, REALLY need to get drink menus though. As a college kid, I'd like to know how much I'm spending on a bomb, shot, or beer. Awesome music. The area around the bar is very seedy, but the place is safe. There's a section of the menu with "vintage food." Basically stuff that costs less than $.50 is hiked up 6x that, but whatever!
(4)Adrian G.
Was looking for a good place to eat in Jacksonville and on Christmas Day there are not many places open but a few ppl around town recommended the gastropub. Let me tell you that the place looks amazing. The architecture and design of the place is top notch. It has a rocker hipster medieval look going on and it's very impressive. All this attention to detail one would think the food is very good right? I ordered the New York strip and I'm normally very skeptical ordering a steak from a restaurant that isn't a steakhouse but it was very good. I was with a big group and was able to try a variety of different plates as this restaurant has a very diverse and extremely unique menu(just look up the Thor lol) I recommend sticking with burgers and the steak as it was the best I've tried out of everything we ordered in the group. One odd thing is that since it's technically a pub they do not have heating lamps. So they bring the sides and everyone else food as soon as it's ready not really a big deal for me. I read a lot of reviews and people were complaining about the type of people that work there. I did not experience "disgusting trashy looking people" in fact the waiter was well groomed tall and professional. Sure the people who work there have tattoo sleeves and piercings all over but that just adds to the charm of this place. As a bar this pub deserves 5 stars as a restaurant it's more 3 and a half but I enjoyed and would definitely go back.
(4)Monica C.
The food is good - but the wait times are the worst. I'm not even talking about when they are slammed busy. It was during Sunday brunch and they were pretty empty. I understand they are a cool/hip place (i.e., Gastropub) - however I want to a place that is cool, hip and good.
(2)Liz G.
On my latest trip to Kickbacks (12/31/14) the hostess was absolutely annoyed that we asked to be seated. After we were seated, we were once again treated to outrageously bad service. This is not something I can overlook anymore. Like other reviewers have pointed out, the food comes out as soon as its ready, regardless of whether its an appetizer or main course. Some of my party refused to eat (based on manners that were drilled in to them over a lifetime) until everyone had been served. Food was cold by the time everything arrived. Kickbacks needs to get real. This isn't LA - no movie stars or celebrities frequent your establishment. You can't be mean to your customers and serve cold food and expect people to return.
(2)Aleema A.
I was recently in Jacksonville for a friend's wedding when he suggested we go here. I only got to stay for one frothy brew but I would definitely go back if I had the chance. One very cool thing about this place is the ceiling. The have glasses and bottles all hanging down and it was definitely a cool touch. They have a ridiculous amount of beers so anyone who enjoys any kind of beer can have a drink at this place.
(4)Erik V.
I'm a Jacksonville native who now lives out of town, and I always try to hit up Kickbacks when I'm here. I love this place -- awesome vibe, crazy drink selection, cool new space, delicious food at great prices, etc. I hate to say it, but my visit last Friday was pretty lousy. The place was lively but not packed yet... just criminally under-staffed. Our group of 5 ordered two beer flights, nachos, and a glass of wine, but after 45 minutes, the flights never arrived. Our server (who had to cover half the restaurant, the poor guy) looked embarrassed and then actively avoided our table. We eventually were able to flag him down, asking to cancel the flights and just pay for the wine & nachos and leave. 10 minutes later he returned with three flight glasses of random beers on the house, apologizing, with the excuses of the place being slammed, the beers we ordered were out, and the bar was out of flight glasses. (All of which is totally understandable... if only he had told us an hour earlier.) We waited another 15 minutes for him to bring us the check, but he disappeared, so we left $20 on the table and took off, feeling thirsty and betrayed. I'll probably return to Kickbacks in the future, just because my good experiences here have outnumbered this bad one. But a warning: if you wander in and see one server covering half the restaurant, don't waste your time. Kickbacks has a beautiful new space... the management just needs to bring more servers on board to maintain it. At least, during the dinner rush on Friday nights. You done messed up, Kickbacks! Get it together! See you next time. :)
(2)Angelica G.
I am highly disappointed in what kickbacks has become. I was super excited about the updates and the new addition but I am not excited about the quality of food and service. The food use to be amazing... Not anymore and I gave it more than one try and they failed me both times. They now bring out the food as it is prepared which is a joke. My fries came out before my sandwich and my sandwich did not come out until 15 min later. The waitress even told us that is how it is now, which I do not agree with at all!!! Not to mention the waitress when I asked for more water proceeded to pick up my cup and tell me that I already have water. I honestly hope they get their ish together because this use to be one of my favorite places.
(1)Colby S.
This place has an outstanding selection of beer. If you appreciate craft beers, this place is solid. Also, they have surprisingly good food. I wouldn't have expected this from a place like this, but it is tasty and of high quality. They also serve weird stuff like Ramen, Spaghettio's, grilled cheese sandwhiches and other cheapo college food. If that's what you are craving, they've got it...
(5)Kendall N.
If you don't want to delivery late. Don't advertise that you do. If you do not want to make a delivery. Just say we are not making deliveries instead of putting people on hold for more than 10 mins.
(1)Erikka N.
84 beers on tap, need I say more!
(5)Twinkle W.
So I read about this place on movoto.com's review of Jacksonville restaurants to eat at. I will by and large agree that the food here is tasty, but I have a few complaints to go alongside the quality of the food. First of all, I ordered a dry gin martini and it came to me sweet as sugar. Thankfully this was remedied, quickly. Second of all, about two bites into our meal a medium sized cockroach ran across our table!!!! OMFG GROSS! We immediately called our waiter over and told him " a cockroach just ran across our table" and he responded with "oh, I believe it" with out any hint of shock, disbelief or disgust. Because the restaurant was undergoing construction and the cockroach hadn't touched our food we agreed to be moved to a high top table. Third of all, in light of the cockroach incident, not even one item of our bill was comped. One of the diners was a long term waitress and commented that at least one item should've been comped. Last of all, the service was mediocre at best. Our waiter seemed aloof and uninterested in leaving us with a strong impression. Considering it was a Tuesday night, this seems highly unacceptable. I won't be going here ever again, obviously, but if you're bold enough you should probably wait until construction is through to avoid cockroaches.
(2)Jen B.
The menu is so large it is very hard to choose but since I went at 11:30 am I decided on breakfast. For $8 I got a ton of food, eggs, sausage, toast, potatoes, a waffle. The waffle was the best part. Least favorite were the eggs but, to be honest, eggs were never my favorite anyway...these lacked fluff. In past visits I've also had the veggie panini and it was pretty good. Other pluses: they have over 100 beers on tap, breakfast all day, tons of sports on tvs. Kind of Minuses: it's small and a bit crowded....but I hear they are expanding so they will be one of Jax's largest bars! I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative but they also have Ramen, Spaghettios and PB&J on the menu. (: Tips: I think it's a great place to go and hang out....get there early if there is a big game on, don't park where it says parking for a particular business only, and it's seat yourself!
(4)T R.
Great beer, friendly servers, and reeeeeally good Food! Lot of vegetarian choices also. We sat outside around 11pm & the whole area just seemed kind of cool. Was a good atmosphere. Food took a while to receive, but thats what beer is for!
(4)Sabrina B.
Blue cheese stuff cheeseburger is amazing! Tons of beer choices. Great place to chill with friends! Only one negative: Luck of the draw with the servers. Have had two great and one terrible.
(5)Linda B.
The good is great. I had the fish wrap which was really tasty. I loved the sweet potato fries. Honey has eaten here a few times, this was my 1st visit. The service was good, maybe not the fastest, but timely. Don't go in here starving. Like Honey says, you want fast food, go to McDonalds. When you go to a sit down food establishment you have to give them time to cook stuff.
(4)Jennifer F.
Very likable place. The atmosphere is very sports bar like. The food is amazing, I've yet to try anything on the menu that I didn't like, and because they've both eat-in, carry-out, and delivery with-in a two mile radius of the restaurant, it makes it extremely easy to decided whether you want to enjoy a sit down or just a stay at home meal. From spaghetti-O's, French Mushroom Spread, The Fat Julian, Fluffer Nutters, and make your own pasta, pizza, or omelette, there's always something for everyone, and every mood. The whole menu is served at all times which makes eating pancakes, french toast, or waffles acceptable at 11 o'clock at night. Being open from 7AM to 3AM is also a huge plus. When everything else is closed and there's that one night where you get off work way too late to cook something that isn't "fast food", Kickback's makes it easy. The staff is amazing, and the customer service is awesome for the amount of business they do. Be it slammed or super slow, the staff seem to always be at their best. Kickback's Gastropub is definitely one of Jacksonville's best gems.
(5)Deepan M.
Large selection of beers. You will get confused trying to figure out what you want. The more confused you get, the more you drink, the better the night gets!
(3)Howaida M.
Great atmosphere, fun place and good food.
(5)Anthony Y.
This place is terrible they messed up my order first. Order a chicken parmesan. They person who took my order wrote down the wrong thing. I call and advised her of it and it appeared not to be a big deal for her. I also waited for almost 2 hrs for my order to be delivered. And IT WAS WRONG. I called to talk to the manager he was not helpful at all. He advised he would call me back to let me know. I am still waiting tic tic tic
(1)HeaLa N.
UGH - food poisoning from the green beans... Both my boyfriend and I ate their fried green beans and we became very ill with staph food poisoning. It is a bummer because it was our first time there. I did let the staff know by calling the next day, but their response was tepid at best. The beer was great. :) Too bad I will not be going back.
(1)Miriam L.
We were looking for a restaurant in between Tallahassee and Savannah to meet my daughter and her FSU friends for dinner. We wanted something relaxed and fun with great food. After reading the reviews we decided to give Kickbacks a try. What a stroke of luck! It was perfect. We had so much fun - the food was amazing and our waiter Stephen was absolutely the best. Chet, the host was so welcoming and very entertaining. We loved him! We will return if we are ever town again. You must have the French mushroom appetizer!!! Stephen recommended it and we are soooooo grateful he did. It was just the vibe we were looking for. It made our day!
(5)Erika D.
The last 3 times I have gone to Kickbacks, since they have opened the new addition, has been sad and leaving me hate the fact I just spent money there. I have been there all around the same time, between 5-8pm on a Sunday. Three hours long for food and service is not my idea of 'kicking back', especially if I can't have my drink (a coke) till midway through my meal. My friend was able to get his beer 20 minutes after ordering it, which was nice. Sub par service, food, and drinks for the price. They have a new system in place where they always come back and tell you what you order isn't in their kitchen and your sides come out without your entree leaving you to eat cold fries or devouring them without a 'well' cooked burger (please note: I ordered a medium rare, but was too hungry to wait for them to recook another burger) You can't even have a manager come to you after a vagrant dispute of waiting for 40 minutes for a drink order. Kickbacks use to be the place to eat when you wanted to impress friends. Now it's this decadent overpriced slothy ship mess that I tell people to avoid.
(1)Brian H.
Delicious! I loved this place. We got there around 730 on a Friday night and was seated right away. We ordered some beers and they came out rather quickly. For an appetizer we got the shrimp stuffed jalapeno poppers. I'll admit they seemed like a frozen appetizer, but they were very very good. I ordered a feta stuffed cheeseburger with a side of broccoli. It was cooked perfectly and very tasty. My hot mama got a blackened fish wrap. She was very happy with it, I took a bite of it and kind a wish I ordered it to!!! The beer selection is phenomenal! The atmosphere and overall feel of the place was right up my alley! We will definitely be return visitors of this fine establishment.
(5)David F.
Stopped in for a pint or two and a Monte Cristo sammich..... The bartender who took great care of me poured me a pint of the Left Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale and it was like liquid crack. Ordered the Monte Cristo Sammich from him, too, and it was on point. Powdered sugar and jelly to dip it in, deep fried to the right amount. My mouth is watering, again, from thinking about it. Recommended!
(5)Stacy C.
I absolutely love this place! I recently moved to Jacksonville and a friend re commended kickbacks for late night grub. The food was great!! ...Cheap and the proportions are HUGE! Kickbacks has an extensive (as if that's even a suitable word for it) beer menu. The atmosphere was very cool and super chill. Staff was friendly and attentive. Loved it!
(5)Amanda C.
I don't write reviews as a rule. I understand that everyone has good days and not so good days. After arriving home from our afternoon out and hearing about what happened when we left the restaurant, I feel obligated to create an account and write this review. Bottom line up front: Your servers need to treat every customer with respect regardless of who they are. Here is our story...We have been to Kickbacks several times since our daughter started working there a few months ago. We usually go when she isn't working, so we don't distract her and give the expectation of special treatment. Today was no different...Raven introduced herself as our server and went to get me a water while we were looking at the beer app. A few minutes later Rainy came back with my water and let us know that she would be our server ...explaining that she and Raven get their tables mixed up--not a problem, we don't usually have a preference for servers. We ordered the corn nuggets and then the same thing we always do...Beer cheese soup and the garlic bulb. Rainy, mentioned that you had recently changed the recipe and for an xtra dollar we could get the soup in a bread bowl. I told my husband not to get the bread bowl; we would just get the bread service that comes with the garlic bulb and use that to dip in the soup. Rainy acknowledged our order and left. When the garlic bulb came out, there were 6 pieces of what appeared to be French bread ends/crusts on the end of the platter. That would have been fine except they were rock hard all the way through--definitely not what I expected or had been served in the past. After a few minutes we were able to get Rainy's attention and asked for silverware, and showed her the rock hard bead and asked for the bread service. She said they were not allowed to give the bread service during the day and I again showed her the rock hard bread. Her attitude changed from barely welcoming to confrontational as she said she could bring some toast, and reiterated that they could not so the bread service during the day (never mind the menu that says ask about our bread service, or the Description of the Garlic bulb that says specifically "enjoy with our bread service our simply pop in your mout"h--or the 3 times we have come in during the day and ordered exactly the same thing and were offered the bread service). I agreed to the toast. A few minutes later she came back out and said the kitchen was working on some bread for me. When it came out, what I got was 2 slices of thick crusty bread, cut in half--so 4 pieces--it smelled amazing, but unfortunately, it was a little rubbery--I assumed from the microwave. In the meantime, I texted my daughter and asked when the bread service was stopped during the day. She was unaware of the change and recommended that we speak to the manager on duty. I chose not to do this because when Rainy came back to our table to check on the beer (as I think about it, she never asked about the food), her attitude had changed. She was cheerful and polite as she brought us more bread--this time even more rubbery than the first. Still, I didn't want to say anything to the manager, everyone has a bad day and I assumed that someone had said something to her. We had several more beers and wings, Rainy was great, laughing and joking with us as if nothing happened. After I paid the bill as we were preparing to leave, she came back and thanked me for her tip (slightly more than 20%) I later found out that the reason her attitude changed is that as she was complaining about me to another server, she was told who we were and when our daughter came into work, Rainy promptly told her that I was a "F-ing Bi^&*" After this experience, I am not in any hurry to return to Kickbacks and when we do return, If Rainy is our server, we will leave--maybe making all kinds of ridiculous demands and leave without tipping would be a better idea. Asking for bread that is edible doesn't make me a bad customer, but failing to provide it makes you a bad server..
(2)Linda S.
If you are going strictly for the beer selection, Kickbacks is the place to go. They have walls dedicated to craft beers. My only complaint is that they don't have a menu so you have to walk up to the wall to really see all that they have to offer. On the flip side, their food is mediocre at best. Do not go to Kickbacks for a meal (unless you just want drunk food). It's convenient because of the location near the on King Street, but other than that it does not have much to offer food wise.
(4)Amber K.
So, we went back. More than once. And we are definitely over it and it's mainly due to the lame staff. Went back with my mom and we both got the amazing veggie panini. But then I went back with my husband, and the panini was just on a sub roll. I'm not sure if they realize that a panini is a GRILLED sandwich, but they should have said something if they are out of the normal bread it's on since the only reason I get it is because I'm obsessed with grilled sandwiches. I would've gotten something else. OR they could wise up and just grill the stupid roll they put it on... Anyway, we had a different server this time. I think she was German. Same story as before. She just seemed like she didn't care. Dropped off our drinks and then walked away before asking what we wanted to eat even though our menus were closed in front of us and we looked at her waiting for her to take our order. If the reason she walked off was because she was swamped with customers, then fine. But she went to the table next to us, leaned on it and was chit chatting with some dude. I had to sort of look at her with raised eyebrows to get her to come take our order. Sheesh. Hey Kickbacks! Get your shit together with your staff! It's not that freaking hard to have servers that aren't bitchy!
(2)Whitt Y.
This place has a great menu and awesome hours for downtown Jacksonville. I was excited to have a gastropub deliver at midnight, and I still am. Because my food still hasn't come and it's 10 am. But according to the spineless work that works the "3 hours before we close" shift, the driver just left and should be here in ten minutes. I cancelled the order but I don't expect that pathetic excuse for an adult knew how to not make me pay for no goods or services other than the thrill of waiting for food for 2 hours. Other than that a great restaurant if you don't mind dimwitted, weak staff and you know, not actually eating. Two Stars, I was pumped about midnight egg rolls, didn't happen though.
(2)Carey H.
Kickbacks started the comeback revolution on King Street in Riverside, and it keeps getting better. At least a half dozen different restaurants began and ended in the same location over the past 20 years, but Kickbacks has lasted the test of time. Fabulous beers (100+ on tap) and good food, but the real secret is the blend of Riverside people - all kinds, and everyone gets along.
(5)Dawn N.
Mac n cheese !!
(5)Tonya P.
I love this place. Excellent drink selection. I love cider and they usually have an excellent selection to choose from. The food is great and the atmosphere is fun.
(4)Abby V.
My sister, daughters and I went here after Art Walk, and for a Wednesday, I was surprised at how busy it was. My brother had told me about this place, and since we were in the area, I wanted to check it out. First, let me say, I am not much of a beer drinker. I actually prefer cocktails over beer, but I figure, with all the beer they had on tap, not to mention their bottled beers, I was confident that I would find one. I had gotten Lindeman's Framboise, a Belgian beer that has a very rich raspberry undertone. It is more on the tart side rather than the sweet, which didn't bother me since my go-to drink is usually a margaritta. But this lambic beer was nice and fresh, and paired up with my fish and chips, it was pretty good. I will definitely be ordering this again on my return visit! As for food, they were all very generous in serving size. My sister had the Country Fried Steak dinner with a side of broccoli and fries, and it also came with an order of Caesar (or side) salad ($11.79). One of my girls had the Stuffed Burgers ($8.79)-she asked for feta, though you can ask for blue cheese if that is your preference-and the other had The Burger ($7.79). Both burgers came with a side of fries, while I had the Fish and Chips. I will be honest, while to food was pretty good, especially at their prices, the "star" of the meals were the fries! Oh my goodness!! They were lightly battered and crispy-not a soggy one in the bunch. As I said, the helpings were very generous, so we each brought home food that we were not able to eat. Not bad food for a pub, is what I say! Now, we were too stuffed to eat desserts. But I have heard amazing things about the Funnel Cake Fries. I would go back alone for a taste of those babies! We will definitely be back, that's for sure!
(5)Ryan H.
Absolutely love this place. I know a few of the waiters and they are great. The food and atmosphere of this place rocks. Definitely is always packed, but worth the wait for everything. I don't think I've ever waited over 30 minutes for a seat. The food does take sometime to come out, but the food is great. Go there with a group of friends, get some drinks, and order great food. To the people that bitch about the culture there (hipsters), get over it. That area is an artsy area where the majority of that scene hangs out.
(5)Seven A.
Cool atmosphere, unique beers, edible but not stand out food/menu. Waiter messed up our order and was slightly unpleasant to deal with.the band ended early.it's great that they're open late, even on a Thursday! Less than TEN seats at the bar! wth? This is a gastrobub! Not in a rush to go back
(3)David M.
Today, a co-worker and I went in for lunch at around 1pm. We ordered and had to wait nearly an hour and a half before our sandwiches were served and there were only about 10 customers in the entire restaurant. Kitchen staff seemed to joke around the bar area and wait staff seemed to go in the back for long breaks. My co-workers food was cold and made with minimal ingredients and it had to be re-heated at which point it became too hot to eat. I'd like to think the service during lunch would resemble the service at night (which is usually awesome), but I see that's not the case.
(2)Nick G.
You had me at Gastropub. Say no more. 84 outstanding and well-selected beers on draft. The "Bud Light" in the middle of the board looked out of place, but I'm glad they'll cater to any crowd. I would not miss this place if I were you. I'm not exactly sure how to describe the atmosphere besides FUN. The place is a mixture of Irish Pub and a dive bar. Random music, good lighting. eclectic decor, and more tap handles hanging from the ceiling than you would believe. My burger was cooked medium rare, stuffed with blue cheese and topped with pepperjack and bacon. And somehow this monstrosity stayed together, not a single piece hitting the plate. To me this is a sign of a well thought out burger - the bread matches the ingredients and doesn't get too soggy, but also doesn't overpower the flavor of the burger itself. One of the best burgers I've had, and very happy I took the waiters recommendation. Service wasn't bad, but I really wasn't there for the service anyhow. I wanted to get away from my hotel down on the river and have a conversation with my fellow guests, which a non-pushy waiter helped us do. He made sure my food was hot and my drinks were cold.
(5)Mark M.
Kinda cramped inside but the food was really good and cheap. The service was normal, nothing special
(4)Samantha S.
I was in Jacksonville on business and was trying to find dinner in the immediate area of my hotel for some of my co-workers. I used yelp, and didn't really read the reviews, only the types of places ( i didn't have a lot of choices). I emailed the names to my peeps, and they said.. "To the Gastropub". Now, I can't tell you if its a good area or not, but it seemed OK to me. We had to park on the side street ( I didn't see any bar parking), and the only reason why that SUCKED was because it was rainy and humid. YUCK. The dark exterior of this place matches the dark interior... my kind of place. I love places that have the darker color scheme, it just seems 'cooler' to me. We sat down and upon looking around there are tons of the Draft Caps ( i don't know what the real term is for the things you pull on to get the beer from the keg... THOSE!!)... hanging from the ceiling... showing a bunch of different beer labels. One on wall against the brick were shelves of different beer bottles, and then a big board listing all of the 70-- or 80 bear selections. I am not a beer drinker( plain jane bud light girl)... but the guys at the table love this kind of stuff. I swear they tried about 4 or 5 different kinds, and loved each one. The server really seemed to know her brew-skies !!! The guys kept complimenting the selection. So to me, I think that says a lot!! The food... was GREAT. Everything we tried we liked and we even split a few desserts!! Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had a steak, which isn't like a Ruth Chris' steak.... but still pretty good for where I was. Great atmosphere! Good for groups! I would go again!
(4)Kurtis A.
This place is easily my favorite place in Jacksonville, it's not really fair though given that I'm a sucker for good beer. I don't think I can honestly do this justice with my review, but hey I can always give it a try. After spending 20 minutes with my wife trying to find the place (our fault for coming here the first time on a motorcycle), we were not in a good mood and this place had almost no chance impressing me. This place not only impressed me, it made me want to introduce it to my parents,and ask it to move in with me. I guess that's why its called almost. Walking in my wife and I were seated at a high top table directly in front the beer board. I've seen beer list like this before so I wasn't that impressed; until I started to read the list. That's when I knew I had hit the jackpot; this places beer selection was amazing. Scratch that it was unbelievable, that when it kicked in that this was just the draft list. So when our very quiet voiced waitress came over ( I'll get to that), I politely asked her if I could see the beer list. What she brought me was a list like the Holy Grail of beers, it made me wish I could have them all.I do wish they had had the Dogfish Head 120min in stock, but who ever does these days. Speaking of the staff (see I said we'd get there), our waitress was very attentive to our needs, expertly knowledgeable of the beer, and very helpful to my wife and I on what we should order. The only downfall was that it was a little noisy in there, and she had the voice of a field mouse, I had to really concentrate on hearing and read her lips to understand what she was saying, and my wife couldn't hear her at all. doesn't effect my opinion of her skills as a waitress at all. my apologies, the whole reason your still reading this is you thinking "god man, get to the food" So the food, what can i say about the food? It was amazing, I had a stuffed burger with blue cheese inside the burger. It was the best burger I've had since being here in Jacksonville, and one of the best I've had period for that matter. My wife had the country fried steak sandwich, and all I could think when I took a bite of it was, home (Kansas). I guess if I had to make a point here it would be that this place is one of my favorite places of all time. My wife and I will be coming back here all the time, and if you haven't given this place a shot yet, you need to get down here now. Seriously go now. Why are you still sitting here reading this and not in your car on your way down to Kickbacks? Sorry couldn't"t resist, but if your in the mood for good vibes, great food, and some of the best beer you'll ever have, give Kickbacks a try at some point.
(5)Matthew B.
Great on tap beer selection.. Very tasty bar food at more than reasonable prices.. My favorite riverside spot now
(5)Mandie M.
The menu is a smorgasbord ranging from wings and burgers to spaghetti-o's and waffles. Our server said that they are open 20 hrs a day and usually work a 12 hr shift with no break, but that they all love where they work. When it came to choosing a beer, the wait staff is very knowledgeable about all the fare they carry (84 on tap and over 100 bottled) to recommend the perfect brew. The food was excellent, and despite how crowded they were on a Saturday night, we got our food in a timely manner. Prepare for large portions! All in all, I loved the atmosphere, the food, and the beer. I'll definitely be going back to Kickbacks.
(5)Dylan D.
I recently had the worst restaurant experience I can remember. I went in with one friend on the night of January first. We decided to order drinks while we waited for two more friends. After asking is they offered beer "flights" (samplers) the response from our server was "We do but we are trying to avoid them right now". Sort of an odd response. It would have been better to just lie and say "No". Then our queso blanco (aka white velveeta, with about 6 bits of tomato) came out just barely warm. It was very dense and clearly not hot. A different server took it back to have it heated up but it immediately returned in the hands of our waiter who said directly to me "hold out your hand". I obliged and he placed the bowl in my hand and said "That's not hot?" I could barely believe he said it. Not wanting to make a scene I replied "We'll give it another try." We continued to receive the same kind of service throughout the meal: not enough cutlery for the whole table, no napkins, no drink refills.. etc. I suppose I can leave one star because my burger was ok. The rest of the food was disappointing and didn't even come out together. Everything came out about 3 minutes apart. Even my burger came out a different time than my fries. Normally I would have spoken to a manager but didn't bother because I won't go back. Nor will the other three guests. I hope the owner reads this and addresses the issues. We sat upstairs and our server had a beard and wore a red t-shirt.
(1)Trevor W.
First time in Jacksonville attending the Gator Bowl and of course I pulled up Yelp to find where the best gastropub was. Simply awesome! An intimate mix of highbacks and booths with a trendy crowd in what appears to be an artsy / eclectic part of town. Service was impeccable and so many positive things to say about the menu. First off you rarely find a large menu with everything done well, goes against the typical rules of a restaurant.... but not here! You can literally get anything from breakfast to gourmet entrees with unique dips and artisan dinners. We literally had to sample a bit of everything and it was all mouthwateringly delicious! Of course a Gastropub isnt complete without a beer selection, so turn your head to the handwritten chalkboard for an impressive selection of 80+ beers including those lovely Belgian, German, and Russian delights that are hard to find. I would HIGHLY recommend this location for its atmosphere, people, crowd, and of course food / drink. Well done Kickbacks!
(5)Dustin J.
Good food with large portions. Great atmosphere.
(4)William M.
The restaurant is seems small because it is always packed and for good reason! They have a huge, like 400+, bottle beers to chose from and something like 80 beers on tap! The food is excellent and is extremely affordable! Friendly and knowledgeable staff, a must see if you are in Jacksonville!!
(5)Garry B.
Very good selection of beers. Not sure about the cleanliness, it was very dark and dreary inside. Also, too loud. Our waiter seemed like he was between heroin fixes and the steak I had was only so-so. Three years later, I have not been back, though I love beer and live only two miles away. A place I can do without, but with good beer.
(2)S A.
In order to truly appreciate Kickbacks, you have to recognize what Kickbacks is. This is not fine dining, and it's not a strict bar. It serves the neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale well, and I think that perhaps people from other parts of the city don't quite get Kickbacks. Kickbacks is open 20 hours a day, and at first blush, looks like it might have some seedy characters inside. Sure, a requirement for hiring at Kickbacks is multiple tattoos, and yes, there are patrons who show up on unicycles, but on any Sunday morning, you'll also find families straight out of a Vineyard Vines catalog. Everyone there is nice. You may not get the speediest service, but all of the servers are very knowledgeable about the vast menu of food and beverage. And if you don't like what you have ordered, they're quick to fix it. I won't even bother commenting on the beers, except to say that they baby their beer lines and the list more than a sushi chef babies his yellowtail. It's ever-changing, and the best way to find out what's on tap is to check the facebook page or sign up for their e-mail list. Their appetizers are all wonderful, and Kickbacks specializes in fried....everything. However, one particular stand out of the non-fried variety is the French Mushroom Spread. Hot, cheesy, garlicky toasts and a delicious, creamy, mushroom dip. Mmmmm....it is the best. Their sandwiches are delicious, especially the paninis. Where else can you get corndogs on a regular menu? Their salads are huge, but I'll admit, a bit uninspired. Their pizzas are delicious too. But if you're going for a full meal...the Jake and Bake pasta, undoubtedly the creation of a chef who maybe indulged in some herbal refreshment, is cajuny, creamy, and delicious, all at once. The breakfast menu is also available at all hours, for those craving a humongous waffle at 2 AM. The breakfast burrito is delicious, and their omlettes are big and fluffy. The best part about Kickbacks? They reserve tables using mannequin heads.
(4)John N.
Incredible place. If you like beer and are Jacksonville and do not go here, you are wrong. They had 84 beers on tap, and according to their app, 68 pages worth of beers in bottles. Food was good, bar food, but a step above what you would normally expect out of a bar. But who goes to a place like this for food? Service was good, our server Jody was helpful and gave us a lot of tips as to which beers we should look for. If you are in the area, definitely a place worth checking out.
(5)Amanda R.
Chill spot with great beer selection and good food. Ribs were great..Mac and cheese not so much.
(3)Emily P.
NEVER GO HERE! After an hour we still didn't have any food. Our waiter didn't care and told me it would be another 10 -15 minutes for our food because they ran out of kaiser rolls for my sandwich. Super funny cause it wasn't supposed to be on a roll in the 1st place. It was a Monday evening and there were only a few tables full. We left!
(1)Utpal D.
Food is plentiful and decent. Went there for the beers which you can't beat.
(3)Moki C.
The beer list is a work of art...and they have a handy little free app that you can download to see everything they have on tap. The ambiance was cool, taps hanging from the ceiling, kinda dark...a few beards, piercings, lots of ink and a couple of soccer moms on first dates in the crowd. The staff was all really friendly. We ordered chicken nachos and there was enough for 5 people. The chicken was really flavorful...the salsa was too sweet and totally distracted from the meat...it was the canned hyper yellow cheese (which I secretly love)...and unfortunately, we got a bunch of really stale chips. I got too full on the chicken and my Shipyard Pumpkinhead (in June...YAY!!!!) to order dinner, but my +1 got the meatloaf roulade ($13.95 with two sides and a salad)...this meatloaf was really delicious and not traditional at all covered in a white cheesey sauce. Fried green beans and fries on the side...we were stuffed! I'll go back for sure...I won't order the nachos, but I'm sure they can make a great burger.
(3)Sharon M.
I was referred to here by my hotel front desk because they deliver up until 3am. Originally we were going to eat at the Landing, but every where was closed and being that we're not from the J'Ville area, didn't feel like driving all over the place in the middle of the night. I ordered the food at 2 am and paid by credit card over the phone. They were at the room by 2:45am. Food was still hot. Their menu was extensive and I had the southwest wrap with side salad. The wrap was tasty and the salad was salad.
(3)Sarah H.
It's not a secret that Kickbacks is a local favorite. I, myself, have been dining here even before I knew it was the "cool" place to go. So, of course, when I came of legal age, this was one of the first places I wanted to go to! The focus of this joint is beer. The selection does not disappoint, with 84 rotating taps. I take advantage of the free app, since the only beer menu is posted on the wall in not-so-legible handwriting. In short, Kickbacks is one of my favorite places to go when I want to, well, kick back! So why only 4 stars? While KG is a local attraction, it is still a greasy, old bar. I guess that's some of the appeal, which I can definitely appreciate. But the restrooms are hardly ever clean, smokers by the dozens hoard the outside seating, and the waitstaff can sometimes be less-than professional. The food is pretty average. If you're looking for gourmet burgers or exquisite dishes, look elsewhere. Like I said, this is just a bar! Your best bet is going with a sandwich (although I often choose from their throwback menu; the Fluffernutter sandwich is probably my favorite, or the Hamburger Helper). It seems like every time I go there, the food is hit-or-miss. But I'm not usually there to be wow-ed by the food, so it's not like I'm ever getting my hopes too high. If you're in the area and you're a beer snob like I am, give Kickbacks a shot. The beer menu is awesome, and I definitely recommend downloading the app before entering (or ask your waiter for a good suggestion; they're usually pretty good about finding something you'll like). Side note: If you have kids, please don't bring them after 5pm on the weekend! I've gone on a Friday night, and there will be kids at the table right next to us. Why drag young children to a bar? Bring them for breakfast or lunch.
(4)Frederick J.
Food is good, but the customer service is awful. Don't put in a to-go order; you'll immediately be put on hold for 5 minutes.
(3)Khristopher B.
If you live in Jacksonville, it's hip and cool to say that you go to Kickbacks. But secretly, in our minds, we all know that there's nothing favorable about eating there. Let's begin with how loud the music is inside the restaurant. Kickbacks is situated on a side of town (Springfield) where there's a procession of bars and nightclubs. Kickbacks' music, combined with all the music from local spots, makes one wonder why the Kickbacks staff would turn on the television when they know no one can hear anything. And because it's so loud in there, you have to scream in the waiters ear to place your order. Pray to whoever your higher being is that the order comes out right. Also pray to that higher being for a Zen-like amount of patience because, whether it's just you, or everyone from NAS JAX, your food will take 4-6 business years to arrive. And when it arrives, it will taste fine enough, but it will look incredibly unappealing, as if someone DID make a wonderful dish at first, but then decided to throw it against the wall. Your meal, my friend, is the remaining food that they scraped off the wall. Enjoy Kickbacks.
(2)Gigi S.
Probably not the place to go while dieting. The first time I grubbed here I had the shrimp cocktail which was absolutely forgettable. The second, my entire party ordered great things off the menu and I asked for eggs n chili on top of taters. Everything was great and I'm liking it more than the first time around. The burgers taste flame-grilled!!! I can safely say not one food item disappointed. Can't wait to try so much moar!
(4)Amanda C.
For being a bar, Kickbacks has some seriously good food!! Their wraps are delicious and fresh, their pasta dishes have HUGE flavor and the taco salad is gigantic. Those are just a few examples of their wonderful food. They also have soo many different kinds of beer it would take years to try them all, especially since they seasonally change some up. It is a fun atmosphere for all and a great jewel in the Riverside area of Jax. I would recommend for everyone.. Right now they are actually in the process of expanding so there will be more seating and parking! Improvements to an already awesome establishment.
(5)Ryan K.
IT MUST BE A FLUKE! or CUZ I CAME IN DURING THE WEEK. Sat down at the bar at 2330 and ordered a Ruben Sandwich and it came out quicker than a McDonald's drive-thru, about 5 mins. Fastest service ever experienced since the numerous times if been here.
(4)Sarah L.
I could cry about how good this place is. They offer their full gigantic menu at all times & have the best drunk food around. The menu is extensive--burgers, sandwiches, pasta, vegetarian/vegan options, breakfast foods...and if it's not on the menu they will probably make it for you! Service has continuously been enjoyable and quick.
(5)Nicole M.
i had a horrible experience here, and would rather sleep on an empty stomach than come back. the food was barely edible. i ordered a chicken sandwich that came with bread that was partially toasty and partially soggy in all the wrong ways. i think the sogginess came from the three limp pickle slices sitting in a puddle of their own juices right next to the sandwich. the mozzerella cheese was too much, too soft and lacked flavor for my tastes. then 20 minutes after my sandwich arrived, my mixed veggies came looking like they'd fished a serving for Smufette out of yesterday's garbage. and they were cool to the touch. the beer was nasty to me although my husband drank most of it, so maybe there's hope there. And we never saw the waiter at our table between the the time he took the order and the time he presented the bill. i also was very unimpressed with the quality of the food, including the bread (that in addition to sogginess tasted like cheap grocery store buns), cheese and red peppers that were said to be fire roasted and tasted like they'd been poached. not worth anymore words. sorry.
(1)DJ S.
The King Street District is full of night life, and a good time. Plenty of bars in the area to enjoy, and no shortage of people. So what about when you're done drinking and need some grub to finish off the evening? Kickbacks offers a great environment and an amazing menu to choose from. This is a true gastropub with great prices and generally great service. I've been around the US and haven't found a place that fits the "I'm drunk and I need food" mood quite like Kickbacks. Don't expect the best meal of your life, but definitely expect to leave feeling satisfied.
(4)Will M.
BEER, BEER, BEER! Biggest beer selection in the city, normally 80 plus on tap, and then even more in bottled options. Best deal is the sampler (flight) if you love beer. You can get four different types of beer at once. One of my favorite things is the way they serve the Pumpkin Ales. They take glass rim dipped in crushed graham crackers!!! The food is super good too. They have everything from bacon wrapped scallops to spaghetti-o's. It is alway busy and full of people, so you might have to wait, and it does take a while to get the food most of the time, but thats what the beer and friends are for, am I right? There is live music some times as well as free triva. I hear they are expanding, so thats good news. This is a place that anyone will enjoy and a great place for a night with friends.
(5)Allison F.
I am in love with this place. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is terrific, the beer is fantastic. The best part, I can walk. That way I don't have to worry about parking or driving after a couple of beers. Sunday Monday or Tuesday are the best nights to go. As those are the least busy nights.
(5)Dan M.
If you appreciate passion in spite of punctuality and hold good beer above all else, you will allow Kickback's to consume way too much of your time while you consume way too much of their beer. The owner is ALL ABOUT craft beers, and lovingly updates a menu board of (currently 84!) beers on tap with just about every limited edition keg put into the rotation. He also does this on a smart phone app, so you are not left to crowd and squint at the one master list (Today's notification let me know there is a 2009 Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti now on tap). The staff are all trained on the beers and can usually answer even the dumbest question ("is that like a Blue Moon?") with intelligence and passion. They will zero in on your new favorite beer, even if it takes a couple tries. And for your whiny friend's girlfriend who only drinks cranberry vodkas, there is a full liquor bar too, so tell her to quit her yammering! There is a menu item called meatloaf remoulade that is ridiculously good. It's almost a religious experience. Like most of their menu, it is gut-busting and not very good for you, but god damn. It is meatloaf wrapped in bacon, with some creamy remoulade spinach sauce drizzled all over it. It also comes with a giant salad. For sides I recommend fried green beans with their delicious homemade ranch and the mac and cheese. If I am ever on a health kick, I will gladly get off the boat because the siren that is meatloaf crashed me into the rocks of a diabetic coma. So the place has a great beer selection and some great menu items. Any downsides? Jesus God yes. Maybe because of the good beer list and kitschy menu, this place is usually packed around dinner time. This place gets so packed, you often have to snake some weird path through the tables just to get to the bathroom, and then your return trip will be completely different because the amorphous mass of people has shifted into some other shape. These guys have the weirdest, most counter-intuitive table arrangements. Some tables only face one way, some have no room to pull your chair out, some involve making 6 people, sometimes strangers, get up in order to get out. Basically if you are claustrophobic you are only a short drive to Riverside away from a full on panic attack! I hear they are trying to expand and that cannot come soon enough... And if you do get lucky and find a table that can actually hold a plate, you might be waiting for hours until you get your food ordered and to your table. No joke, 1.5+ hours sometimes from the time you sit to the time you get your main dish. One time it took 45 minutes just to bring out the side salad. It's the kitchen that gets comically backed up though, you can continue to get beer after beer after beer after beer while you wait. I don't always mind that, but I am never going there again already hungry. Maybe go right after lunch with the plan to eventually eat dinner there.
(3)Mary S.
I love this place. Beer, full bar and great grub despite the HUGE food menu. You will love this place however do NOT be in a hurry. If you are, Burger King is a block away.
(4)Anna M.
The beer selection is amazing. Anything you can think of, they have. Seating is sometimes difficult to get. Since the place is a great hangout, it is usually crowded. The food is excellent as well. Great place for brunch before a Jag's game.
(4)Rachel M.
Oh man, I usually don't eat stuff like this, but the corn nuggets were sooooo good. My salad hit the spot, too. Fresh leafies and tangy dressing without a ton of shitty sugar. We ate at the bar, because the dining room was pretty packed due to renovations. The bartender was really funny without being invasive -- I legitimately cracked up at one point when he pulled a face over something silly -- and we both liked his recommendations on beer, wine and food. Friendly guy sitting next to my boyfriend at the bar struck up a little happy-hour convo, but knew when to leave us alone, too. Just really nice people, welcoming vibe and solid bar/pub food all around at this spot.
(4)Michael W.
Awesome late night hang out! They feature a gigantic beer selection on tap(84 beers to be exact)! I tried out a tangerine infused beer last time I was there and I honestly felt like I just got my daily serving of fruit for the day (felt is the key word). Their food is amazing as well! They have a very interesting menu with great items such as their Monte Christo (my fave) and I always get the sweet potato fries as my side. I tried their mac and cheese, and although it was delicious, it can't match up to their sweet potato fries! Their stuffed burger is delicious as well, reminds me of a "juicy lucy" because they offer either bleu cheese or feta to be stuffed into the 1/2 lb burger like a thanksgiving turkey. Every time I am in the dirty Duval, I have to drop by here and indulge on some awesome fatty foods and delicious thirst quenching beer! Love this place!
(5)Lizzy C.
Went here for dinner & drinks last night. Impressive beer selection with 84 on tap, including seasonal ales. Servers were very knowledgable on drinks & had great recommendations. For dinner, we shared a friend green bean appetizer & I had a chicken panini with sweet potato fries. Food was hot & tasty! Overall, cool atmosphere, good service, great food! Will go again
(5)Ella G.
I wish I could give Kickbacks an award for being so awesome, but a great review will suffice, I guess. I love LOVE Kickbacks. There really aren't enough words to express it. The Food: awesome. I haven't had anything here that wasn't delicious. The Sante Fe wrap, The loaded Nachos, The Burgers, even the salads are amazing. Breakfast all day and night! Spaghetti-Os!! Ramen noodles??! And, did I mention their Macaroni and Cheese is topped with BACON?! C'mon, you can't tell me that doesn't sound delicious. The portions are huge, I usually have to take half my meal home, except the mac and cheese, which we usually devour. BEER!! This place has so much beer, the beer menu has to be written in super small handwriting to fit them all on one board. The best part is, the servers are so knowledgeable about the best ones to try based on your preferences, that you can usually just have them pick one out for you, and chances are, you'll love it. They are open early, and stay open late. Open until 3 AM, which is amazing when you are out late and really want something delicious. Perfect for Midnight Munchies! Please, if you haven't been, do yourself a favor, and GO. It's awesome. :)
(5)Kathi K.
Kickbacks used to be my go-to Sat late-nite hangout back when I was single. Me & my equally single guy BFF nearly always had a great time hanging out, meeting new people, playing Buzztime trivia and enjoying pretty good food to boot. Three months into couple-dom, me and my new beau found ourselves in need of some late-night grub. I figure it's a good time to check out my old haunt w/my new guy. Eager to get some eats on the table, we ordered the nachos w/ground beef. The tri-color tortillas certainly looked familiar, but gone were the light, crispy warm, chips I had recalled from a few months ago. These triangles were crunchy, and not stale, but screamed "just poured from bag!". The ground beef, cheese sauce & shredded cheddar were all lukewarm to room temperature, making for an underwhelming re-introduction to a previous favorite. For entrees, my guy ordered the Harpoons (fish skewers) w/house salad, mac n cheese & fries as his sides. I was in an Asian food mood, and ordered the Stir Fry w/shrimp & Caesar salad for my meal. Even in the dim light of our surroundings, and under a mountain of parmesan sprinkles, I could make out several brown-edged, limp pieces of lettuce in my salad as I picked through it. Since it barely tasted of Caesar dressing, I asked for more on the side - but it didn't help. I left the salad bowl 2/3 full. My "Stir Fry" was even more of a disappointment. The rice was mushy like a serving of boil-in-bag pilaf. I, addition to being watery itself, it was swimming in some kind of thin, ginger-teriyaki like combination of sauce that was okay - but not great or something I wanted to keep eating. The one saving grace was the large shrimp which were not overcooked. My suggestion, if they aren't going to bother to learn how to make a decent fried rice, is to remove this dish from the menu, or rename it w/a new description that clearly spells out that it's more like rice pilaf w/your choice of protein w/an Asian inspired sauce - than any kind of stir fry you might be expecting. Still hungry, but no longer interested in my own meal, I sneaked a few of my man's fries, which, honestly, were the best thing I had all night. They were lightly coated, and super-crisp on the outside with a nice potato flavor. My guy's fish skewers were slightly overcooked, but lacking in flavor. The pieces were also way too large to be bite-sized. I've already covered the tasty fries, so we'll move onto the mac-n-cheese. It's a gooey mass of cheese & macaroni that has obviously been cooked & turned out from another bowl/ramekin, and topped with a few bacon pieces. You'd think w/all the cheese, it'd be awesome - but it seemed more greasy than satisfyingly cheesy. Perhaps a little seasoning would help? At the end of our dining experience, including the 2 sodas we ordered, we shelled out nearly $50. Whoa!!! Not quite the "affordable" or enjoyable Kickbacks that I remembered. We took the leftovers home to the dog.... who enjoyed the nachos & fish, but also, btw, refused the poor excuse for "Stir Fry". Oh, Kickbacks, I wanted to come home again... but more than the faces have changed. :-(
(2)Caron S.
Kickbacks is one of my absolute fav spots in Jacksonville! I promise that you won't find its expansive menu (there's even a vintage section with throwback offerings like Fluffernutter sandwiches, Spaghetti-Os, PB&J, mac 'n cheese, tots), a ridiculously lengthy beer list (it changes often), 50+ beers on tap, fantastic people watching, and a knowledgeable staff anywhere else in town with the personality and pizazz that Kickbacks exudes. This place is it! Besides the awesome beer selection, the sweet potato fries with warm cinnamon butter are drool-worthy (as are the funnel cake fries), and the ooey mac 'n cheese topped with bacon, the jalapeno poppers stuffed with warm cream cheese and served with a raspberry jam, the french toast, and the tater tots (yes, tots!) are all personal favorites. The portions are plentiful and the prices reasonable. Beer prices are a bit pricey, but the selection makes up for it. A large brick wall, emblazoned with empty beer bottles and a sprawling handwritten beer menu, makes for a great backdrop. Hundreds of beer taps hang from the ceiling, and random mannequin heads are scattered throughout the restaurant. Sometimes there's live music to listen to, or football games being shown on the many screens. It's fun to play trivia too. (they'll bring the box to your table if you ask). Kickbacks also hosts beer dinners, complete with a local "celebrity" chef, which often sell out, bringing 165 patrons at full capacity.
(4)Gia C.
How do I love Kickbacks? Oh let me count the ways... 1. Food is awesome. My personal favorite things to order are the clam strips appetizer & a side of sweet potato fries. WARNING: Side portions are HUGE, but if you're me, you end up being really stoked about how many fries are in front of you. 2. Open late, so when drunkards stumble in from the other outstanding bars on the block, they can eat & share in Kickbacks delicious goodness, too. 3. SO MUCH BEER. If you're a beer drinker, this is your place. They are always getting new things on tap (there's even an iPhone app to keep track of it... not kidding) & for people who don't like beer (read: me), they have pretty fantastic cider & wine choices, too! I could go on forever, but really I love the vibe at Kickbacks. I LOVE KICKBACKS PERIOD. Everyone needs to at least try this place once.
(5)Rachel B.
Is it possible to say this place sucks so bad that I give it a negative 2 stars? The first time I went, I ordered my lunch to go. It was decent, I ordered the Monte Cristo with Sweet Potato fries... They spaced giving me the dipping sauce and the food was room temp when I got it. Whatever, it tasted decent and maybe the cook was having an off day. Took my GF and my son for take out lunch about two weeks later to find that my same Monte Cristo was almost burnt (and again sans dipping sauce) and my same Sweet Potato fries were almost frozen. My GF had the Jax Philly that she describes as "Disappointingly bland and dry" with the loaded mashed potatoes that were over cooked and dry as well. There was nothing good about the second go 'round. So I called.... and the single rudest woman answered. When I asked to speak to a manager she informed me that "managers don't handle customers" and when I pressed again to speak to a manager, she informed me that he was not available.. So I waited, and called the next day... When I was able to speak to a manager.. they assured me that the situation would be "Looked in to" and asked for my number with a promise to call me back with a resolution. Over a week later - No call.... Definitely not worth a revisit.
(1)Jennifer B.
I would have really loved this place had the service been way better. (I would also love to know how many people haven't left a terrible review because they don't want to waste even more time on this place.) Anywho, our group of 5 got there on a Sunday at about 2 in the afternoon. We were sat in the newer part of the restaurant. The bar side was busy due to NFL games going on but the rest of the place wasn't busy at all. Which led to my confusion on why our food took over an hour and why everything came out separately in 10 minute increments. We never received two of our sides or an appetizer and some of the food we did receive was inedible. We were moved from one table to another (forcing half of us to look at a wall) so they could seat a larger party. Our waiter apologized. We asked the manager to come over to our table once the rest of our food came out and he never showed his face. This place is so so so cool and it's mind boggling why they wouldn't match the atmosphere with great service. It could be the best place but unfortunately I think it's going to ruin itself sooner than later.
(1)Mary G.
An old college friend came in to town to have dinner with me. I was very excited, and wanted to show her the best Jacksonville had to offer. We were brainstorming ideas, and came up with Kickbacks, as she had recently read an article rating Kickbacks as one of the best restaurants in Jacksonville. Upon arrival, I was shocked to see how rundown the place was. The flooring seemed to be missing, all of the booths had big rips in the upholstery, and the place just seemed cruddy. We sat down at a corner booth, and I had to kick all kinds of weird trash out from under my feet. We asked our server for some beer recommendations, and he either wasn't interested in offering any recommendations or really didn't know what he had available. He just pointed to a sign on the wall and told us to pick something. The beer came to us warm, and my friend's martini was made wrong. We ordered food, which was ok at best. The food was basic, greasy bar food. I guess this type of food serves a purpose, but seeing how we weren't drunk and it wasn't late night, I could of gone for something with a little more culinary inventiveness and some fresh ingredients. Then, to really set the mood, A COCKROACH RAN ACROSS OUR TABLE AND DISAPPEARED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MY PLATE AND THE BOOTH!!!! We were horrified and let our server know what happened. He was pretty dismissive about it, and told us we could move tables if he wanted. He didn't ask us if we wanted to stay, didn't send a manager over to check on us, and didn't offer to buy us a round of drinks or dessert. Nothing. I know cockroaches happen in restaurants, but the lack of worry from the waiter makes me think cockroaches are a huge problem at Kickbacks. I'm not really surprised, given the place seemed dirty. After we moved tables, the server completely disappeared. We spent long periods of time with nothing to drink, and had to actually hunt our server down to ask for a dessert menu. Now that I'm home, my tummy is pretty upset from all the grease in my meal, I feel like I seriously need a shower after sitting in that dirty restaurant, and I'm pretty disappointed I wasted a fun night out on such a dud of a place. I won't be back, and I really don't understand how anyone gives this place good reviews. Maybe I just caught the place on a bad night, but there's no excuse for the complacency in the cleanliness of the restaurant and the quality of service. I guess I understand now how the place got so many health code violations . . . . .
(1)Kerry C.
We came here yesterday as a treat for my oldest son's 18th birthday. He considers himself a burger fanatic and we knew he'd be treated right here. LOL! My poor husband went to order a beer and when he saw the list of what is on tap, well, let's just say he was shocked. I'm too short to see the whole list on the wall, but I know there were more than 85 beers. I ordered for him one of my faves: Bold City Brewery's Duke's Cold Nose Brown Ale. It was delish and he was very happy with the choice. I think next time, I'm just going to pick a number at random. My sons both had a stuffed burger and were very, very pleased with them. One prefers his well-done, the other medium-rare, and they both got perfectly cooked burgers just to their liking. Daughter had the popcorn shrimp (rather ordinary) but the mac & cheese side dish was super! She insisted everyone have a taste and we agreed that is was very good. Hubby & I deviated from our burger routine and he had the Jax Cheese Steak and I had the Chicken Ceasar Salad wrap. Sounds like I wussed out considering the awesome looking choices I could have had, but I had a bad head cold and this hit the spot. Very fresh. Next time, I'm having what hubby had - he let me have a taste and it was awesome. The place had been rearranged a bit since the last time I was inside (hubby usually picks up take out when we eat here) and all of us had a great time looking at all the taps hanging from the ceiling. The new (to us) layout is a lot more comfortable to sit in and open and I can see how they can get a lot of people inside without it being too cramped. The bathrooms were clean. Now I will say it took a bit of time to get our food to us. The waitress kept in touch, made sure we were doing well and were not neglected. This is NOT fast food and I did not expect it to be served fast. We all agreed it was definitely worth the wait.
(5)Donald M.
A little disappointed this time. Beers on tap were limited because of work on a cooler. The burger stuffed with blue cheese was missing the stuffing. Service girl appeared to be more interested in talking with her friends than in service.
(3)VVally V.
Decent beer selection, good food, but service really dings em hard. Most wait staff appear indifferent and forget the basics--silverware, napkins for example. Jacksonville is very weak in regards to places with craft beer selections so I'll probably endure the service for another visit or two before giving up.
(2)Ryan D.
A great place to kickback and enjoy beer with friends. They have an extensive amount of beer in their menu, and they are all decently priced. Food here, they are great! Never had any doubts or problems with the quality of food from Kickbacks. They have a great selection of food. Place is usually crowded in the early evenings, however on weekends they are crowded at all hours of the evening since they are open late. Place makes a good hangout spot afterwork, or after a nights out.
(4)Jerry W.
Kickbacks is an affordable southern gastropub. They have most of the standard pub fare. They offer lots of sandwich options, all of which are pretty good. They offer lots of fried items which are exactly what you'd expect of fried pub food. They're tasty but nothing special. There a couple specific things that Kickbacks gets major points for offering all of the foods you loved as a kid: PBJ, spaghetti o's and hamburger helper. On my visit I ordered the hamburger helper since I'm a sucker for kids foods. The amount of food I was served was amazing. I think they must have served me the whole box of hamburger helper. Maybe two boxes! It also had an absurd amount of hamburger in it. It was definitly more than I could eat and not be sick. The space is cool as well with the entire ceiling covered in beer taps. The only negative I have for this one is the service is very very slow since they started construction. Hopefully that will improve once they finish.
(3)Kelly C.
Love this place. They have a Beer Bible here. It's a list of all their beers... and needless to say, it's a lot. And a lot of them are on tap. And I don't even really like beer. But it's impressive. =) And check out their ceiling! Their menu is awesome... they have everything. Seriously. Crazy burgers and sandwiches, pastas, meats, comfort food, and all-day breakfast (pancakes, omelettes)... if you have someone who's a picky eater in your party, come to Kickbacks. The only thing is that it's a tad too loud for me... but it's a pub and I get that. Oh, there's this one sandwich I got that was deep fried and was a heart attack waiting to happen. I'll never order it again because I don't wanna die but it's pretty tasty. Highly recommend coming here!
(5)Diana M.
This is a great bar with a huge beer selection. I would classify it under "hipster" and I think the crowd would agree. I haven't tried the food here, although I want to. We stopped in for drinks several times while on that side of town and it is always been very crowded. They also have trivia via TV if you like to play. If not, there is lots of people watching to take part in!!
(5)Josh B.
Pretty laid back place, very chill. Ordered our appetizer and it came out fast, and was pretty good. But our meal took 30 minutes for a burger and sandwich. The burger was ok but the Reuben was dry. Decent prices but not for the quality of food and the length of time to get it
(2)Michelle F.
As I live in the neighborhood, am a frequent patron of Kickbacks and do actually love their food (once I get it), unfortunately their service time is getting really bad :( Went in on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch, not expecting the kind of wait you'd anticipate on a Friday/Saturday night, but we ordered off the appetizer menu and waited for an HOUR AND A HALF. Apparently, they were down a fryer in the kitchen, but as there's no manager, there's no one around to correct situations such as this. I'm not sure how they're going to be able to handle the increase in food orders once they open the new space with the same kitchen capacity.
(1)Emily A.
Really, any place with 84 beers on draft is OK in my book. They have a wide range of beers (obviously) and the place is ALWAYS packed! They're constantly changing the draft selection so it's always fresh and new. Don't miss the giant board on the wall with all 84 drafts listed including the alcohol content, price, size, and name of each beer. If you have a smartphone, download the Kickbacks app and you can see the list of drafts. The ambience is casual and fun, with keg taps hanging from the ceiling and loud music playing. There is a wide range of people who frequent Kickbacks, but mostly 20's-30's locals looking for a good time, great beer & a cheap bite to eat. There are plenty of big tables for groups. But be warned - if you're there with a group and they're busy, the service can move at a glacial speed. The menu is pretty big, but not overwhelming, and it is all pretty well priced. The food is decent but I probably wouldn't go there just for the food (hint: I go there for the beer!).
(4)Katie C.
Beer, beer, and more beer! Kickbacks was the original brew bar when I moved here over three years ago, and even with all the new breweries and hotspots popping up around King St, it still hasn't lost its appeal. Inside, you'll find an almost seizure-inducing decor made up of thousands of beer taps of every color imaginable. For this reason, I prefer to sit outside. You can people-watch and enjoy the night air far away from the crowded congested atmosphere indoors. Last time I was there, I had an absolutely delicious strawberry beer topped with Guinness, and it was one of my favorite combos ever. The menu is stacked with giant heapings of classics like meatloaf, mac n cheese, and a delicious chicken cheesy dip that is always winning post 2am. That's another great thing about Kickbacks, they're open til 3 so you can hang out and absorb your alcohol for an extra hour after the bars close. Woo hoo!
(4)Jeff B.
great beer selections ( there is an app you can down load for beer list) awesome food.
(4)Bryson R.
Two words.... Monte Cristo!!!
(5)LaTiece R.
I most def will be coming back here! The service was quick as was the customer service and the food is great, although the Mac and cheese might've been given too much credit. The portions are huge and you get your money's worth, $15 should get you a big, fat entree and the appearance was pretty nice. I saw that this place offers over 70 different kinds of beers now I am not a beer drinking but I was impressed an will give it a try there! Don't let the location fool you the area is nice, try to avoid taking the Stockton exit to get there lol
(3)patty h.
My brother has repeatedly mentioned kickbacks and the awesomeness of the place at about 3am. I asked him if he had ever been there during daylight and he replied, "no". I decided to gather up friends on a baby free Sunday and made a reservation for 8. My brother scoffed that I made reservations but I absolutely hate waiting for a table especially on a baby free Sunday. We arrived early and the place was not very crowded (which I liked). Our server greeted us and took us to our table. Our server asked what we wanted to drink. Obviously, I said "beer". He pointed to the massive list on the wall that needed a super high powered magnifying glass to read. He asked what I liked (although he looked at me kind of stupidly) and brought me over a cold, delicious beer. Friends arrived and we ordered our food. I chose the epic monte cristo. That sandwich was PERFECT. I dream of this sandwich. The only thing I would change is the powdered sugar on top. Instead of the mac and cheese, I should have gotten the fried green beans (so good). I still can't get over as to HOW delicious this sandwich was. Our server seemed to be in better spirits later on in the day and was very patient with us when we wandered outside and never returned inside. Sunday funday does that to you. I highly recommend the monte cristo. I would not recommend the burger stuffed with blue cheese. There was a small amount of cheese in about a two inch pocket. I would rather have had blue cheese crumbles on top. I commend Kickbacks in putting up with my screaming daughter and helping me entertain her without giving me the evil eye. Can't wait to get my hands on that monte cristo. The sandwich is what dreams are made of. The beers are plentiful. Great place for friends!
(4)Rob M.
Went here with my wife and 18 month old daughter. Wouldn't recommend bringing a small child, but it wasn't too bad. We ordered the shrimp poppers as an appetizer, which was excellent. My wife ordered a chicken orzo risotto. I was not terribly impressed by the texture of the risotto or the flavor. It was just ok. It was only $12 on the menu so I'm not going to be terribly critical. I ordered a simple hamburger and sweet potato fries. The burger was subpar for sure. It tasted like they used Worcestershire Sauce in the mixture. Also, the texture was bad. Our server was fantastic. She really knew the menu front and back and we got a kick out of how she called us "darling". I would definitely go back, but with lower expectations for the food next time. Gotta love all the beers on tap though.
(3)Diane G.
Awesome!! BLT was mostly B which is OK by me. Deep fried green beans were delicious. Waiter made good beer recommendations with my only guidance being "I don't like IPAs". I will absolutely go back whenever in Jacksonville.
(5)Kristen M.
Food is pretty good. Isn't that great if you have to fight to park your car or wait for table. Above average for pub food, though. If you get a table, the place is fun, lively and colorful and the waiters funny and attitudinal.
(3)Jeffrey B.
Love kickbacks. The quality of the food and drink is always above par. Service can sometimes be a pain but it's worth the wait. I had the blackened mahi mahi sandwhich this afternoon. It was light and flavorful and set me off in a great mood for the rest of the day. My server Heather was super helpful and I was impressed by her knowledge of the menu and her ability to relay information about the food, specials, amd future of kb without making me feel like I was being marketed to. It's great to have a server who is proud of the establishment at which they're employed. As for the future expansion of kb, please don't sacrifice the quality of the food . It's an all too often mistake restauranteurs make.
(5)Gerardo G.
I enjoy the place. Food was good and good selection of beers. Breakfast was really good too. Waiter were kind of busy but was not hard to get their attention.
(5)Wendy G.
Kickbacks is definately a great "Local's " place to go.. I remember coming here 6-7 years ago when it first opened and there not being much, this place has grown substantially and has probably more beer on tap than any other place The atmosphere is very hipster and laid back, It is fun to go with friends and throw a few beers back The place does get very crowded and it can be difficult to get a seat outside especially The service is very good - they actually messed up my order but the waitress was very apologetic and made up for the mistake - A- ok in my book and I will be back here soon!
(4)Jason C.
Well if you don't like beer do not come here. I personally love this place, everytime im in town I come here. Over 80 beers on tap and 600 bottle. The wait staff is very helpful. Food is great, I hate meatloaf but there version is delicious.
(4)Lindsay L.
Come here for the beer - not the food or the service. $5 for stale chips and salsa from a jar, even though the menu said homemade. So if it is homemade, I don't know who's home they mean. I find better in a jar for much less. The atmosphere, beer selection, eclectic menu options, and the location are fun. Waiting a long time for crappy food is not.
(2)Sam Z.
This is hands down my all time favorite hang out spot in jacksonville. If you like beer then this is your place. The list seems endless and the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable. The food is great and they have something for everyone. I'm a huge fan of their meatloaf, burgers, and wings. The atmosphere is the best in the city. It's usually crowded but I can still carry a conversation without having to yell. If you want to escape the crowds of unruly drunks that wander the streets of JAX beach then this place is right up your alley. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here was that the people were very rude, and segregated either by race or some stigma of social class, but I don't get that at all when I'm anywhere in the Riverside area. Here people are people and everyone is friendly.
(5)Lexie L.
The foods there is great, sadly the service-not so much.
(3)Sean C.
I've tried this place several times, and my conclusion is that it is simply not as good as people say it is. Whenever people bring up this place they bring up the beer selection and how good it is. However there is NO beer menu available, and every time I go most severs seem to have a very limited idea of what they have beyond the usual bar beers. The staff here is friendly through, and a few severs do seem to know their beers. As others have stated you can tell them what you are looking for in a beer and they will recommend what they have to you. However this has been hit or miss for me. If you don't know the exact name of the beer you want, you only have two choices. Download their "APP" using a smart phone, or walk up to a huge chalkboard that is located right behind a table. The "APP" is pretty useless as it doesn't show the whole selection, and the few times I've had a friend who's tried it out a bunch of the beers we selected weren't available, so who knows how often its updated. This leaves you to the chalkboard. Its huge, and the writing on it is so small, that it is pretty useless. Plus if there are people eating at the table in front of it (there always are) it is hugely awkward (I really can't emphasis this enough) to be trying to stare at the board which is RIGHT behind somebody eating (think teacher standing in front of a chalkboard). Its like your staring at a group of people trying to eat. So if you don't have a smartphone (I don't) your pretty much screwed at trying to pick a beer that you don't already know of. This takes out the fun of trying to experiment and try new beers. Whats the point of having this "great" selection if you don't even know what they have? The food here is just average too. Nothing really sticks out, and the wait time is pretty long. I don't really mind either of those two negatives since the point of the place is to hang out and enjoy time with friends, not trying to rush to grab a bite to eat during a lunch break. I have brought friends from out of town here on numerous occasions in a attempt to showcase a supposedly awesome local hangout, and every time my guests have been disappointed or straight up commented on how the place sucked (too crowded, noisy, plain food, non-existent drink menu). I've tried going on different days, lunch or dinner or late night, and always get the same experience. I recently tried World of Beer down in Orlando, and kick backs could take a few hints from them. They have a ton more beers than kickbacks (hundreds) and yet they seem to be able to not only have drink menus, but actually have info on the beer such as its location origin. I seem to be the in the minority in regards to this place through, so I guess I'm just weird or something.
(2)Joseph E.
This place is a dive . But that is a good thing. The food was excellent . Hug portions . The waitresses are great. Beer selection is endless . Will I go again , Hell yah.
(5)Charles S.
Really a very unique place. This is a great place to go and try some new, higher end beers or drink a bunch of your old standbys. Either way, save room for food. You will find items on the menu similar to other pubs in the Riverside/Avondale/downtown area, but you will probably not find them to be as good in my opinion. I'll admit, at first, it may not look like your crowd, but give it a chance. The food and beer are great and it is a lot of fun.
(5)Joe S.
700+ beers on the menu -do you need to know much else?! The food is amazingly good for a place that screams dingy hipster-pub. The servers are extremely knowledgeable and there will be something on the menu for even the most staunch beer critics. The only downside, and the reason for 4/5 stars is the crowds and the parking. Apparently everyone else likes this place as much as I do. So forget about trying to find a seat on any weekend night, but if you have a little patience, the experience is priceless.
(4)Rohil S.
I give this place 3 stars only because their music is quite loud which makes it hard to carry on a normal conversation at a table. It can also get quite packed in there. However their beer list is very expansive and for that, I give props!
(3)Michelle S.
It just doesn't get better.....gosh I wish more places had my favorite ciders. Actually had to get up and get my own food. After 20 minutes of waiting......for a salad! Go to Tom and betty for food first, then stop by kickbacks for a drink after. Just put your patience hat on......and if a waiter comes out and says hey...it's my favorite f******s.....he's fibbing......Cuz that's what he calls me!
(1)Mike S.
Thanks to Steve, Ed, Linda and the entire staff at Kickbacks/ Goozlepipe and Guttyworks for hosting the 2015 CTO Conference dinner. From the moment our party of 36 arrived we were treated with great service and accommodations. Starting with the appetizers and all the way to the last drink we were well taken care of. Linda's help planning the event made sure we stayed on budget and having Ed as our tour guide around the one-of-kind Steampunk themed restaurant was icing on the cake. I can't wait until the basement opens. I received numerous thank you's from the attendees and it was a tough crowd! Thank you again for helping to make the conference a complete success We will definitely be back, Mike Smith CTO Fourth Judicial Circuit, Florida
(5)Melissa H.
There was a group of 15 of us for a going away dinner. We were waited on by Zoe and our service was fantastic! We were not the easiest table as we all trickled in at different times, took forever to order and sat for a while after we were done. For any server our table was a nightmare. Zoe handled our table gracefully and made sure everyone was taken care of. She went above and beyond to make sure out experience was great! My husband and I will definitely be back and will be requesting Zoe!
(5)Latisha C.
One of my favorite places in town. I love the food and the laid back atmosphere. Their food and beer menu is huge. I've never been disappointed with anything that came out of the kitchen.
(5)Dale S.
We came to watch Duke win the championship, get a few good beers and some grub. The service was really attentive. We are just passing through jax, and didn't research beforhand so didn't know what to expect. But we had probably three or four employees swing by the table through the evening, plus our personable waiter. Not hovering, just really chill and fun. Just to indicate the staff was really in tune with their customers, how about this...the hostess somehow noticed an interior light on in our car, put 2 and 2 together (nc plate, Duke game), and came and let us know! The tap lineup was the largest I have ever seen. Flying saucer, yardhouse, world of beer, none of those come close to the number of taps here. And another pleasant surprise, our server seemed very well versed in beers, styles, and specifics. We got an app and split an entre and about couldnt finish...so plenty of food. And quite tasty. I'm trying to think of something "bad" cuz nothing is perfect...I guess that would be that the google machine routed us through what appeared to be a pretty rough part of town going to and from the place. The location itself was well lit and plenty of patrons around. Thats just an out of towners perspective.
(5)Mitch M.
Worst of Everything!!! I won't waste more of my time on this dump...suffice to say the service, the food, the (lack of) ambiance ALL SUCK. Staff is completely inattentive and unconcerned and the short-order cook is clueless. I guess "out of home-fries" translates to: the cook can't cube a potato or dice an onion. According to day manager Paul: "owners unique concept" is "send out whatever might be hot" even if that literally means dropping tater-tots on your table 10 minutes before your omelets are hot and another 5 minutes for toast. We all know how difficult it must be to coordinate hot wheat toast with any breakfast! We should have known there was a problem when less than 20% of the tables were occupied on a SUNDAY at NOON while every other establishment within a mile had a 10-30 minute wait!!! So sad the owner and staff are demonstrably uncaring about customer satisfaction. Spend your money on a place that cares about it.
(1)Buddy T.
This gastropub is a must stop if you are ever in Jacksonville area. Located in the Riverside area across fro downtown they offer great food and hundreds of craft beers. They just expanded and have hundred of beers on tap. The even have a basement which stores the beers. Recommend the burgers, wings and craft beers. You have to see it to understand how good it is really.
(4)Amy S.
I would like to start off by saying I've yet to eat here. I do understand from my many Yeeps that the food here is pretty good. But I was only in to drink and relax. With that being said.... I really like Kickbacks. It's definitely an awesome place if you really want to just "kickback" like I did. I was stressed, had a bad day, was in a bad mood, needed some me time, yada, yada, yada. So, I wandered into Kickbacks. I found a table and was immediately comfortable, even though I was by my lonesome. I had a wonderful server, jacob, who talked to me and checked on me often. It was really nice to just be able to drink, de-stress, and get my thoughts together. I walked in a pretty unhappy chick, but when I left (and no, I wasn't drunk by any means), I was once again a happy, relaxed girl! In the future, this will definitely be my place to go if I'm ever needing some of that "me" time again. And one of these days, I'll try the food and make sure to do an updated review when I do.
(4)Courtney Z.
Great atmosphere to get a drink. I love the room with the penny covered walls, it's just so cool. They have a huge beer selection, I looked at the draft list and anybody could find something they enjoyed. They also have liquor if you aren't a big beer drinker. We only went for a drink, so I'm hoping to go back and try the food. This is just a really cool place to grab a drink and hangout with friends.
(4)Mateo M.
Five stars because they played The Cult. That rules, as does the epic beer selection. The only thing I'd change is to add the location of the brewery to the menu. It would be nice to know which ones are local. Also, apparently they have food here. I came to drink and that's what I did. Terrapin Rye3 for the winz!
(5)Keely K.
I have been a regular here for awhile. I love the staff, they're always great and super friendly. They have changed the way food comes out after it's ordered, which wasn't my favorite... but every time I eat the food it's absolutely delicious and still one of my go to places! I have NEVER had anything bad from Kickbacks or had a bad experience here. Not to mention, have you seen their beer selection?! INSANE!
(5)Leah M.
Neat place! Good beer and food !
(5)l b.
I was hosting some college friends for the weekend of One Spark. We came here afterward in the late afternoon for some beer. We ended up slitting a few appetizers. I recommend the shrimp queso dip!! The hummus had a great amount of garlic which I loved. My Brie pastry was good as well. Our server was attentive and helpful in helping us choose our beers. Each of us enjoys craft beer and we were all looking to try something outside of our normal beer tastes. I absolutely love the amount of selection they offer. My friends all commented on the newer side of the restaurant with its very cool decor. This is my favorite bar in Jax, hands down!
(5)Eric M.
Hadthe pork belly banh mi sandwich and was ready to leave my wife for it. This place has a great vibe and good selection of beer. I will make the 1.5 hour drive again and again.
(5)Taylor B.
GREAT BEER SELECTION. I would have loved to give this place a better rating but the service was horrid and they messed up 4 out of 4 orders of food. I understand if one order is wrong but EVERYTHING that could've gone wrong went wrong. My father's burger, which asked for to be cooked medium, was as hard as a hockey puck, my mother ordered her sweet potato fries without powdered sugar and we had to send them back when they came out with it. My boyfriend ordered the bangers and mash NOT EVEN CLOSE. He asked for home fries instead of eggs and they brought him French fries. In addition, she also argued with him when he told her that there was supposed to be gravy on top (duh) and he had to show the waitress and the cooks the menu where it indicated that it came with gravy. They finally realized, and brought out something that resembled gravy. He then asked if he could have his home fries instead of French fries because hats what he asked for, the waitress said she wood bring him some shortly, which she never did... Ok. My meal was probably he worst of everything. I am vegan, and this restaurant actually had listed many vegan it's on their menu - yay! So I order the tempeh burger. HORRIBLE. They barely cooked the tempeh, which can actually be a health risk!!! Tempeh is fermented soybeans. If you do not cook it thoroughly (hopefully with some seasoning like you would any hamburger??) then it can be a risk. When we brought the manager over to tell him of everything hat went wrong. He said "well we do t really know how to cook it because we're all meat eaters. It just comes precooked and we hurt serve it." If you admit to not knowing how to cook something then why would you ever put it on your menu. It's clear that the vegan meals weren't the only items they didn't know how to cook.... French fries and beer were good though.
(1)Angeli D.
So I was visiting Jax my hometown and after going to the Loft and getting pretty saucy my friends suggested we get some grub from Kickbacks. In my all years of living in Jax before I moved I had actually never been to kickbacks before but have heard about the place numerous times. I was excited to see how decorated and unique this gastropub was with all the old large bicycles displayed and esp the beer taps all lined up on the ceiling. I definitely thought that was pretty cool. The food was a bit if a wait considering we went on a Saturday night June 7 and it was the night there was a major soccer game at Everbank field so it was pretty busy. What made up for it was that our waiter was pretty chill and keep updating us on the status of our food and was very personable and accommodating. None of us in my group actually ordered any alcohol since we had came from already drinking so we only ordered food great for sharing in a large group. We ordered corn nuggets which were pretty awesome probably one of the best corn nuggets I've ever had and such a great southern comfort food that's hard to find out west. We also ordered the nachos and fried mushrooms. The funnel cake fries were very unique and a great twist on funnel cake and that cinnamon honey spread that goes with it is to die for. Although the food was delicious it was a long wait but like i said we lucked out that our server was very good at checking on us and updating us. I give the place 4stars because although the food is delicious , the place itself didn't look amazingly clean. The menu was kinda sticky and we were seated really close to the computer station for all the servers to input orders and it was a little bit tight squeeze for us since we were a group of 10-12. But overall I really enjoyed the food at this place. Definitely a good place for After Drinking Grub if you're going in a group to share.
(4)Jess H.
Hands down the absolute best place if you are looking for great beer, food, and people. Everyone is pretty rad and they know their stuff. If Erica is behind the bar you are gonna get taken care of! The atmosphere is super chill and really just a perfect example of how the people in that area of Jacksonville are. A little kooky but amazing. It's my go to hang out I love it and everyone there dearly. :).
(5)sig s.
Great beer bar just out outside the city. GastroHeaven, just had pierogies, Scottish eggs, and a local cheese,chareuterie plate. If your vintage retro, try the spaghetti o.s, Tater tots, and ramen noodles, with a fluffer nutter for dessert. Over 200 taps to wash it down. BTW, they're open for breakfast, try a bowl of grits and a palate wrecker to get your started off on the wrong foot. CHEERS!!!
(4)Samantha M.
I reeaaaallly want to like this place. The new bar is super cool-I love the decor. The bar is spacious. The outdoor seating is roomy-if I smoked, I could totally see myself lighting one up out there. Aesthetically, there is so much damn potential!!! It's hip and sexy and all the pennies on the wall are just super funky, sooooooo......Why doesn't the food taste as good as the establishment looks??? Whyyyy??? There is so much going on with the menu! Pasta? It's there! Reuben sandwich? You got it. Fish and chips? Donut burgers? I've been in super large parties and I've been with only one other person and every time I go, regardless of whether it's crowded to the max or dead, the food is just....ugh. The menus I've been handed are sticky and gross and dirty-and it's so dim in there, you wonder if everything is as dirty as the menus. Nobody would ever know if it was.... I hope they can focus their menu and make better food. Quality over quantity-it works. I am giving a star for the beer and a star for the ambiance...one of these days I'll hopefully be able to go back and not be handed a menu covered with who knows what all over it. If dimly-lit establishments that serve questionable food is your thing, you're gonna love it. Otherwise, I would just go for the beer.
(2)Tiffany I.
If I could give a negative star, I would. This place is grimey, always slammed, and the owner's a giant douche. The neighborhood is worse off because of this hole. The delivery is the worst. They take an hour, sometimes longer to come 5 minutes down the street, only to forget items and give you cold food. Go ahead, spend $40 on two overcooked, soggy burgers with wet fries. I won't ever again.
(1)Abdul Wahab H.
If you're looking for real american fried food then that's your place. They have a lot and a lot of beer choices. P.S, if you're a healthy geek, DO NOT go there.
(4)Jessica J.
This place was a great find for a huge selection of craft beer on tap. The food was awesome, huge menu to choose from. Great music playing and cozy atmosphere. Very cool place. We will be back.
(4)Stephen N.
I'm not even sure where to start with this place. I have sat down and ordered here a couple times and ordered to go food here a few times, and the experience is always terrible. If it's not waiting 30 minutes on a lukewarm, old tasting beer, it's the cold obviously previously frozen food. Not to mention the service here is absolutely terrible, had one of the servers hand the iPad they take orders with and tell us to type in what we wanted. I'm really surprised that kickbacks has gotten this good of a review. The ambiance is really spectacular and the beer list is impressive, bummer they aren't able to train their staff to get food and drinks out quickly and efficiently, I guess being in a bar district they expect everyone to be too drunk to notice, it really amazes me that this place has stayed open so long.
(1)Alan P.
OH my Goodness! I was looking for a place to have Sunday brunch and landed here! The waitress Madi helped me decide on getting the Firebird omelette! I am so glad I did. It was prepared with fried Jalapeños With a healthy portion of pulled chicken breast and cheese topped off with salsa. Toast and potatoes on the side!! Yum Yum
(5)Yolanda G.
I gave this place 2 stars for the beer but I would never ever eat in such a place that allows their workers to walk around like something out of Halloween Horror nights. These people need to shower and clean their clothes once in a while. If you like dirty creepy servers then this is the place for you.
(2)Alexia C.
My boyfriend and I are SO pleased with our dining experience tonight. We were waited on by Colin, who served us the best suggestions and beer pairings along with the best service we've ever had. His presence was appreciated at our table. Our food was amazing; we had the shepherd's pie and the crest your own pasta with linguine, Cajun Alfredo, and shrimp, and for our appetizer, we had the mushroom spread. My boyfriend had the creme brûlée beer which was exquisite. We would have probably never known such a great place was here since we're only stopping in for a sleep in between long drives, but Kickbacks was suggested by some locals we are staying with. We will most definitely be back!
(5)Stephanie L.
Ever since the new addition food has been amazing! Atmosphere is great and staff is always improving!
(4)Frank L.
Really, this place is just pretty good. It has a nice vibe, decent food and a bunch of beers on tap. My main concern is the service. I sat at the bar, ordered the chicken Panini, which is not really a Panini, it is basically a somewhat pressed chicken sandwich, and sweet potato fries. The food came out pretty fast, less than 15 minutes, I think. While it was tasty, the chicken to bread ratio was all off. The sweet potato fries were good, but a bit hard for my liking. Maybe it was because I was sitting at the bar, but I asked for a draught beer list and the server pointed to the wall. Really? You can't give me brake down of what you have? Same was true for the bottle beers. He was like we only have like 10 left. So I just wound up ordering one beer and leaving. It really is to bad, I would have definitely had one or two more, but I just can't deal with that kind of service.
(3)Ken M.
Very disappointed on the delivery of food. When I order my food I want my sides and main course to come all at the same time. Ordered burger and fries and they tasted great but my fries came 20 minutes before the burger came. Others ordered brickyard as there side
(2)Lori G.
If your looking for an unique place to eat and drink Goozlepipe & Guttyworks is it. Part of the old Kickbacks it a steampunks dream. The design and decor are awesome. Penny walls, copper top tables are all very cool now we need the waitstaff to dress the part. But the food and drinks are what keeps you coming back. The wait staff is very knowledgeable of what's on tap and can recommend drinks as well as foods. Being a vegetarian its good to see a variety of food for us. All and all a trifecta of decore, food and drink. The parkings a challenge but if you look on the side roads you can usually find a spot. And outside seating is a must in Florida! And they came threw with a large patio.
(5)Jan B.
Love the new addition. We had a beef stew like dish that was absolutely amazing. Their mushroom fondue appetizer equally as yummy. Beer selection fantastic - Tucher on tap makes me a happy girl. Gyro marginal - meat good, but definitely not a gyro. If you want a gyro see the guy at RAM on Saturdays - it's genuine.
(4)Jeff F.
11pm no Lumpia, service (if you can call it that) disgraceful even by South Georgia standards. The "egg rolls" the passed off were so fucking over fried. It will be a cold day in Hell before I come back. Ok I ask for the check. The kitchen is sooo slow. I have to work in the morning. Do they give a fuck? This is the last time ever. The waitress comes over, "do I want a box", it will be right up. I work in Banking honey and I can see BS a mile away
(1)Ashley L.
I have not been since they opened the new side, but my impression has always been slow service mediocre food, but excellent beer selection. I am willing to try again since their expansion
(3)James M.
After not going into this place for Multiple years due to the horrible service and stories from ex cooks that have worked at this place. I figured I would give an open mind and go for a revisit since they have upgraded the facility. So went sort of late night. I ordered and Appetizer and a Sandwich with a side. Let me premisses this conversation with it was not busy and maybe 5 people sitting around the bar. So first here comes my side and I kinda of question that since I did not receive my appetizer yet. Than my sandwich comes, so i ask if he just forgot to bring my appetizer. His reply is the kitchen just makes it when they want to. My retort is that if you are aware of that than wouldn't you hold the meal until the appetizer comes out. Than tells me pretty much SOL. So when the Appetizer finally comes I refuse it. I than ask the belligerent bartender to talk to a manger he than informs me he is. Than he has the balls to bring me my check while I am eating and demands I pay for it right than and brings me a to go box. I can honestly say as many restaurants that I visit all across the country this place has the worst service I have ever encountered. I will never step foot back in this place
(1)Bill F.
I'm not a local, but I was dragged into this place last night by my sister, claiming I absolutely had to try it. I can't say I've had worse service from any other place, ever. Server seemed intoxicated and over our table the moment we ordered drinks. 20 minutes after receiving them, she came back and asked if we wanted anything else. Uh, yes, please. How about our dinner order? And maybe another drink since you disappeared and we're ready for another round. All of our food came out separately, which is something I have never experienced at any restaurant. After watching my friend eat their meal for 20 minutes, I gave in and decided to eat some of his. Finally my food arrived and appeared to have been sitting in the window for much too long, so I decided to take most of it to-go, considering we had already spent nearly 2 hours here, drinkless, foodless, and never once being visited by our server to see how we were doing. To top it off, we paid $57 for this experience. For 2 people. I'd rather get subpar food and better service from a chain restaurant for a cheaper price than ever waste another dime at this establishment. 2 thumbs down, all around.
(1)Michelle M.
I usually end up at kickbacks because it's open way past the time all the other restaurants are shuttered. When you don't want to go home yet and you need something greasy to probiotic the liquor out of you system, this is the place. Usually the chili cheese fries with bacon and sour cream does the trick. I wouldn't come here specifically for the food or service since most times, both are just mediocre. The fries though....I'll stand by those every morning after when I'm not nursing a hangover I would be having were it not for the greasy goodness of their fries. Come for the beer and the late hours but not necessarily for the food.
(3)Nyla S.
They stay open really late, and serve good food, and in jacksonville that's a super plus! The unique atmosphere will have you looking around while you're sipping your wine, chugging your beer and trying not to dance to the live band. I ordered a few Moscstos, fried mushrooms and the Mediterranean pizza. It took awhile to come out due to the fact that the place was packed, but it was worth the wait. Oh yeah: friendly waiters as well!
(5)Tess B.
Went here with a few friends after a nearby event last weekend. They didn't seem to have as much on tap as I was expecting, but I was told they're doing renovations so things are a little wacky right now. Both the hubby and I were still able to find something we liked, and when we saw that they had southwestern eggrolls, we knew we had to give them a shot. These things blow Chili's (our previous favorite) out of the water. I'm salivating now just thinking about them. If you're a wuss with heat, proceed with caution, but if you like a little spice in your life... order up and dig in! I love the vibe of this place, they offer 'drunk people food' such as spaghetti-os, ramen, and the like, and screw all their old taps into the ceiling. It's really dark, and really wooden. Everything one would hope for when combining the words 'gastro' and 'pub'. A++
(5)Jason L.
This place is one of my favorite late night stops for beer and late night eats. The atmosphere is amazing and the people working here are super friendly. The steam punk theme is pretty cool too !!
(5)Mark B.
Here we go again an again. I should have read the reviews but wait I have been reading the new reviews. Why did we go in. The wife said so that's why! We used to come here for like 4-5 months, ever Sunday like clock work. Jill (our favorite server girl) would almost have our coffee and diet soda on the table waiting for us. We have seen the remodeling going on for maybe a years now. I being a builder myself I know something is up when you take this long to build anything. What it is I don't know but I could have built the damn thing myself by now. We did get to peek inside a while back and it's pretty cool. But, what the hell is a Goozlepipe and guttyworks???? Got me by the nuggies. Ok today we went in and the place had a few people sitting around mostly staff. We got seated right away and then the wait started. Our drinks took about 10 minutes. Then we just about finished that round when it was time to order. The new not on the menu menu looked pretty intriguing. We decided to go with the stuffed quahogs and the Scottish eggs (I have made theses before) and followed it up with the bangers and mash. I am a sucker for meat in tube form. Well i got some more drink but the wife never got her re fill. Our food arrived. It looked lets say, a little over. I'll start with the bangers they were way over cooked. They were just glorious hotdogs that you needed a knife to cut. The mash had a good flavor to them but the egg which I ordered over easy. Was just that over easy, on the floor, and then onto the plate. It also stopped by crustyville before it hit our plate. Thankfully you could cut that one with a fork. Then the Scottish eggs they were a chorizo wrapped already hard boiled egg and then deep fried. They chorizo was dry and the egg was wowwy over. A twice cooked hard boiled egg. The stuffed quahogs-clams could have been called many things. Crab stuffing, conch fritters, because they didn't taste anything like clams. I know quahogs and have eaten them many dozens on our trips to the great north. Theses were not quahogs but, stupid here thought you know maybe. Yep maybe I was really wrong for this one. But, in general Steve (and you know who you are) wake up and make some coffee. There is something bad going on here and if you want to finally open up the goozzlewhatever you better fix it.
(1)Christopher R.
I got to sit ups overlooking the whole room getting to take in the whole experience the service was amazing the extensive beer menu was absolutely amazing the whole experience itself was extremely amazing must come back many more times to try all the food
(4)Caitlyn F.
Be prepared to take awhile when ordering - the draft menu and food menus are extensive and you can't help but want to order a little bit of everything. This is easily one of my favorite bars in Jacksonville thanks to the great craft beer selection and food menu that ranges from stuffed burgers to deep fried Monte Cristos to Spaghetti-Os. It's loud, laidback and a great spot for catching live music or just hanging out with friends before/after visiting the bars on King Street. The experience is not to be missed, but be prepared for a wait when it comes to getting a table or your food - they stay busy!
(4)Leighton D.
This spot used to be my goto spot in Jax. I mean, FULL MENU from 7am to closing. What's not to love about that? But unfortunately the food isn't as great as it was and now the final straw. While Kickbacks is great for the food, let's face it; many go for the BEER!!!! So imagine my dismay when I ordered a premium import draft that I have had many times before overseas and it tasted stale like a bad line. What was worst was that i only took one sip and ordered another beer after telling the server about the bad beer. When i got the bill, the one sip beer was still on it. He offered a manager and then told me he left for the evening already and no one was in charge. At that point I paid the bill, but it will be my last one at kickbacks.
(2)Riece H.
So great I went twice in one week. I love the unique decor and how quickly the food comes out. It is also in a really cool part of town. I like that they have food for anyone's taste, anything from American to Mexican to German to Greek. Will definitely be going back!
(5)Kim W.
REALLY AMAZING food. Long wait..............................................Â......... long wait for everything.
(4)Samuel C.
Now one of my favorite places, love how they opened the other side up, great selection of beer. The wall full of pennies is just amazing, recommend it to anyone I know that loves beer.
(5)Allie A.
Kickbacks will always hold a special place in my heart... for many, many reasons. When I first moved to Riverside, I was amazed to find such a vast beer selection... and shut the front door... the food is really great too! I love their fish and chips, chicken fried steak, breakfast options, but who am I kidding, we go for the beer. :) Yes, service can be the best you've ever had or the absolute worst. I think it's been a struggle with the rise of the popularity of the place. I do know, if we are planning on meeting friends for dinner, we ALWAYS make a reservation, so getting seated has never been an issue. (Just a tip.) While some servers are more knowledgeable than others, we make due. I was sold on one of my first visits, while drinking a fantastic craft selection I noticed a broody Eddie Vedder staring at me from his poster spot on the wall. (I love me some PJ!) And a few more words of advice to those that head that way. They are currently under construction to make the place even better than before... so the draft selection is limited... but patience pets. It will get there. I also met Mr. Yelp at a mutual friend's birthday dinner here. What a better place for two craft beer lovers to meet, eh? One more tip: THEY DELIVER. So if we are feeling lazy and hungry, we have a great option to enjoy one of our favorite places without getting out of our jammies. A Jacksonville classic, the place to go to enjoy a brew, chat with friends or watch a game.
(4)Tiffany L.
If you are just going for drinks, run with it. If you even THINK you might want food, RUN. There was a small group of 5 of us and literally EVERY dish came out separate (as in my mom got her side of mashed potatoes, 5 mins later my brother got his wrap & his friend got his sandwich, 5 mins after that I got my sandwich and my mom got her fish, ANOTHER 10 mins later I got my fries and my other brother got his pizza. My French Dip was disgusting so I swapped for a burger. I'm not sure what was more greasy, my burger or the outside of my bun (I didn't even know that could happen!). 4 bites and I gave in. I just couldn't do it. We left to watch my football game at another bar. End of story, don't eat here.
(1)Rachel H.
This place is gross. I ordered a cheeseburger and got so sick from It the next day. It is dark, dingy and smells bad.
(1)Jessica F.
This is a hard review to write because the current temporary iteration of kickbacks is not really a good reflection of its past or near-future. Kickbacks will always be that neighborhood bar that has decent food and a great beer list. Since it is so popular, the wait times can be very long, but I can honestly say that I've never actually had a problem with it. I enjoy people watching there and seeing what kind of random conversations and interactions happen. It's a fun place. I do not recommend going there with a large group of people, especially on the weekend. You will have trouble getting a table and the staff may not be the most attentive to you. Small groups are best. Even though the inevitable backlash against Kickbacks has definitely occurred, I can't help it. I still love them!
(4)Cathrine C.
This sweet spot in Riverside is awesome! I had the chicken tenders meal with a side of fries and a sweet tea and it was pretty good. 80% of the time all I eat are chicken tenders when I go out to eat. Our food wasn't cold and didn't taste like it had been sitting out for a while, so kudos for that. The decor inside is so neat! They have beer taps covering the ceiling giving a cool ambiance inside. Our waitress was VERY friendly and kept checking on us. She also made sure our drinks were filled! Definitely on my list to go back to again to try something new this time (maybe.)
(4)Daisy S.
This place is so good, but sometimes it's just too busy. (Good thing and bad thing). Seriously has some amazing food and a great beer selection. Corn nuggets are so good here. I love the random things you can get. I've tried beers here that I normally wouldn't, too. The ambiance is definitely different and I like it! Don't get too creeped out by the doll heads...
(4)Anthony J.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a brewery, and it's open on Sunday with outside seating. the brew menu menu is outstanding great selection of craft beers and other. But the food is justice as competitive as the beer menu , great food
(5)Aimee B.
If I could I would give them more stars than 5! Our evening was made epic by this place and I would drive more than 6 hours just for this place alone. Giovanni (server) was quite possibly the most helpful, generous, kind-hearted person I've ever met in the restaurant industry and after 10 years in it myself, that is saying something! The food was delicious, some of it is a little heavy though. The beer selection was to die for. Between the two of us we tried 6 different beers and not one was less than 5 stars as well. We also purchased an engraved lock for their love lock wall (reminiscent of the lock bridge in Europe) and the server not only paid for it out of his pocket because we didn't have cash but also helped us secure it in a spot no one else ever had put one. We paid him back with our tip and even then he was way too sweet telling us we had left him too much! 10/10 would come here again, and before we head back home Sunday we plan to. Thank you Giovanni, if you ever see this, you truly are a drop of optimism and hope in a sea of despair. Before you consider going elsewhere, stop being stupid and go here.
(5)Armando M.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. The last few times going to this wretched place were awful, as outlined in my previous review. But, friends successfully convinced me to give it one last try, in an effort to rekindle the love I used to have for this place. BIG MISTAKE. Again, our food took entirely too long to be served. How long is "too long"? An hour, which is how long we waited. The place wasn't even near capacity, so the "this place is always busy" excuse is out the window. But, the most infuriating part of what will be my last ever experience at this horrible place was just how inept our server, Jo-D, was. After our initial drink order, she walked by our table at least a half a dozen times without so much as a "How's everyone doing? Can I get you anything?" I could've chalked it up to her being extremely busy, if the place was actually busy, or if I didn't look over and see her relaxing at the bar and drinking beer instead of checking on us. I wanted to love this place again. I wanted to be able to say that the staff here is no longer so full of themselves that they think they can just give terrible service without consequence. But Kickbacks is not giving me a choice, and honestly, I really don't think they care.
(1)Sam B.
Huge menu and always good food. If your looking at the yelp menu please be advised that prices are less than listed. I found out when I called in a delivery order and the country fried steak dinner was $12 not $16.
(4)Lauren H.
I absolutely LOVE Kickbacks. I have been coming here for years and the experience is great every time I visit. I have become friends with the owner/main bartender Jimmy. He's awesome!!! They just recently renovated their space and it is unbelievable. Such a classic bar look. They are also in the process of adding new menu items, and they have reopened a lot of the beers on tap. I like to get "Jax-crack" when I come here. It's not on the menu, but it's basically their hamburger helper mixed with their famous macaroni & cheese with some spicy sauce. It's so good and only 6 bucks! I'm a sucker when it comes to craft beer, and this place doesn't lack in that area one bit. Check out their app to see their hundreds of beers :-)
(5)Kimberly P.
To call this a gastropub is a bit of a stretch. The food was mostly bar food quality, and the salad (for which the menu description sounded like a more elevated taste) was overdressed and small. Half of the extensive selection of beers were unavailable due to a problem with the lines. Service was slow but that was understandable due to the large size of our party. A much better choice is The Blind Rabbit across the street.
(3)Josh B.
I've tried. Twice. First really bad experience was a Saturday night. They were trying to work around some major renovations and it was kinda busy but not slammed by any means. It was a complete chore to get service. Had to try to look around, over, under the beer tap tower and once I finally did get bartender's attention he was less than enthusiastic about serving me. When I had finally had enough, getting and paying my tab was even worse. Gave guy a debit card and he acted liked I had handed him a severed human head. Fed up I just threw down way too much cash and walked out vowing never to return. But everybody has an off day right? And as a former longtime member of the F&B community, I'm sympathetic to the struggle. So I returned to get brunch on a Sunday thinking that was about as different from a Saturday night as it gets. Walked in, stood there for a good 4-5 minutes while at least 3 people that worked there walked by without acknowledging me...not even a "hey sit wherever you want"...nada. One server even peered at me over the POS screen which was quite uncomfortable. At this point, I just walked out vowing never to return again. This time I'll stick to that pledge.
(1)Andrew H.
I went again, but this time for a late lunch. WOW! The service was wonderful. I told our server Fauna, I wanted to try new beers, so I told her what I liked and asked her to surprise me. I also told her what I ordered and she went from there. Her pick was ON POINT. I told her I lied Yuengling and she picked a Wychwood Hobgoblin. This beer paired my Reuben sandwich perfectly! The two together were a match made in heaven... by a waitress who knew what paired well. My buddy also greatly enjoyed his meatloaf, and stated it was the best meatloaf he had ever had. It was so good in fact, he did not give me a bite :( I'll definitely be back, and I'll be sure to bring others here on their visit to my hometown!
(5)Derrick S.
Kickbacks what a joke
(1)Zola B.
One of the few places that still allows ordering and delivers at 2:30am. I love their south western rolls, they are delicious and so is their funnel cake fries. This place is so convenient when working the night shift. Wish there delivery times were a little bit faster but other than that, love them
(4)Dap Z.
I hate to do this but I've been coming to kickbacks for several years and since the renovations I've tried to give them the benefit of the doubt but it's failed every time.. Even before them service has been pretty subpar. But anyways, lately, every time I come in my sides come out way before my entree and I'm finished with that before my entree.. Which is annoying.. And then my friends have received their food way before I do, or they're done before mine even comes out .. Super annoying..I love kickbacks but everything has changed and service has gone downhill.. Bring meals and sides out at once!! This is not a tapas bar!
(1)Eldred M.
"Oh it's better now that they renovated it." I knew it was too good to be true. No matter how much I give Kickbacks a chance, it will always disappoint me. Even with the new addition, which looks incredible, their staff is terrible and the food is mediocre and overpriced. Nothing has changed. My friend ordered the beignets which is on the new menu, and upon seeing them she thought that they were chocolate pieces. The beignets were so burnt that she thought they were chocolates. And then the staff would have the audacity to sprinkle it with powdered sugar as if nothing was out of the ordinary and serve it. Who even was my server? I couldn't differentiate the woman taking our order, the other woman asking us how we were doing (but refused to get anything for us), the guy checking on our table repeatedly, and another woman giving us our checks. I've said it before and I will continue to say it, there is nothing about this place other than the appearance of the new addition that's worth paying for.
(1)Amanda N.
Ok they have redeemed themselves. The guy host looks like the kid from josh and drake and is very friendly. Our blue haired waitress was wonderful and attentive. The sampler has many varieties. The southwest egg rolls were by far the best on our plate. I had the stuffed feta burger medium w pepper jack and bacon on top. Soooo good. I love saucey food but I didn't add anything to it. The flavors of the rich feta, spice of the pepper jack and the smokey bacon all came together nicely. My friend got dessert for dinner and got the funnel fries. They r a cardiac arrest waiting to happen but you'll die happy.
(4)Princess F.
Absolutely delicious but no health food in sight! Come for the flavor and plan to sleep the afternoon off! Try the deep fried Monte Cristo!
(5)John R.
Great atmosphere, mediocre food. I've tried this place three times, and each time it's missed the mark. Don't get me wrong, the location is great, and the new facility is awesome. The food, however is just so so. Don't come here looking for any culinary experience. Just consider it a great place to enjoy a drink with friends, with some average bar food. The menu has some unique items, but so far they have disappointed me when I tried to eat them. Example: I ordered the salmon burger, with carmelized onions, and received a charred hockey puck. I sent it back and asked for the sloppy joe sandwich, which I haven't had in maybe 20 years, and I got basically a mess if ground beef and ketchup. Pretty place, nice people, average bar food.
(2)David M.
There is so many great things to say!!!!! The food is delicious and they always have my beer!!!! The staff are friendly and finally a fireplace. Kickbacks is a great plave to meet up and start your night. Ask for Maddie, Daniel, Mike, or if you go during the daytime ask for bree, or jimmie.
(5)Richard R.
We have been going to Kickbacks since they opened. Initially we were blown away by the food and variety of beers...and many people must have agreed because they have done quite well, added on, and have become very popular. The unique decor is really great, but this is where the good stuff ends. Their service has become a joke. If you choose to eat there you must know that their strategy for delivering food is to just do it once something is ready. On the surface this seems like a good idea, but in practice this means that your entree may be delivered before your appetizer, and unless you're eating alone it means that nobody will get their food at the same time. The strange thing is that the food is often cold. .go figure. Forget trying to ask the person who delivered your food for anything...it's simply not in their job description. They will just say "I will tell your server". The quality of the food has plummeted. The great food used to be the biggest surprise about Kickbacks now it's the biggest disappointment. The menu is ridiculously huge. ..it makes the menu at a Fridays look like a pamphlet. I imagine if I worked in this kitchen and had to prepare to cook 200 plus items I may struggle to execute them as well. The bottom line is that Kickbacks is great for the beer enthusiast,but do yourself a favor and just enjoy a pint. I really think if they picked 15-20 great things to cook, reestablished an emphasis on service they could return to being a dining surprise.
(2)ZM H.
Go to the Blind Rabbit instead!!! Kickbacks has gone even more downhill since the expansion. The hostess, the manager and the waiter all seemed unable to handle a Saturday crowd. After an hour at Kickbacks we finally were able to hear from the waiter that it will take even longer for food. He said there was a private beer dinner for 90 people affecting the service of over 400. I've been a strong supporter of Steve and Kickbacks since the start. But obviously the expansion has done nothing to improve service. The new kitchen was supposed to solve these issues but it was too ambitious.
(1)Kat D.
Taps on the ceiling. I must've stared up for the longest. It's so pretty. 0_0 Flew out to Jax to visit last week, and this is the first place she took me to. OMG. Yum. I love bar food. I've been to plenty of spots. But this queso..is pretty freakin' amazing. We ordered shrimp alfredo, too. BOMB. It being a gastropub and all, I was expecting high-quality food, and I wasn't disappointed. Service was great. Our server was fast and attentive. I tried an IPA that he recommended because I've been into IPAs lately. He knew his stuff. It was such a great experience! Woo. Go check it out.
(5)Mark H.
My first visit to Kickback's was one year ago. We stopped in for beers last time, but today we went to grub, and boy did we! Because the burgers are flame grilled, I decided to give it a shot. Of course, I added bacon because that's how I roll. La Chica made a custom order of home fries, eggs and chili. My boy Swan got the club and La Chica's sis got the Jake 'n bake. While we waited for the kitchen artists to whip up our grub, we snacked on the cheesy shrimp appetizer and drank some delicious Franziskaner on tap! Burger = very good. Got the Mac n cheese as a side, and holy freakin' wow. Probably the best Mac n cheese I've ever had from a restaurant. Why? Because they didn't dick around with the recipe by adding off-the-wall cheeses and other odd ingredients. It was just straight up Mac 'n cheese, but topped with bacon. The side dish most certainly out shinned the burger for me. Two thumbs up! Other food at the table wasn't mine, but I had a bite of each and everything was great, especially the Jake 'n bake. Very cheesy, and plentiful as hell. Definitely a meal made for two. I'm not sure if there is a gastropub with better food offerings out there, so I'm updating my review to a 5 star.
(5)Amanda G.
this place is an awesome hang out and have dinner with your friends. they just opened up the 2nd part of the bar and its super cool in there. they have a very large menu but the cheese fries and great. the Lumpia is authentic!
(4)Vero P.
You couldn't beat the customer service. Super hipster bar and I was in my mom-jeans and still got stellar service. Sensory overload sitting at the bar. It's lower than the taps and I couldn't see the bartenders. Really loud with bright TVs in yo face. We moved to the patio. Aaaah, delight! Spacious, severs, nice/humid/hot jax weather. I really enjoyed it. They have fans. Will be back to try the food. It looked like everyone was getting their grub on.
(5)Samantha C.
I plan to update this review when we decide to dine in. last night was the 2nd night we had ordered delivery as you cant find a lot of places that will deliver. i placed the order at 7:38 and at almost 9pm they showed up after letting me know it would only be 45 min. Of course everything was cold but cant really complain about that. The service is just not good, even on the phone. when you call it sounds like you are bothering them, not to mention i was put on hold without knowing several times. the food is ok. they of course forgot the gravy for the fried steak sandwich
(2)Sally K.
Looking forward to their remodel, as most of our visits to Kickbacks have been mediocre, with staff that doesn't seem to like being there, some are just plain rude, and food that is too expensive and overcooked. Good beer selection, and a great place to go if you just want bar food.
(2)Jim V.
First, the waiter was very attentive. That's where the good stuff ends. I was there with my wife and another couple. We ordered the David Ponsler Thor burger because we grew up with David and thought it would be nostalgic. Anyway, the burger comes with a half pound beef patty and half pound bacon patty. The waiter said they were out of bacon patties but could substitute bacon strips. We agreed. . . big mistake!! When the burger came, it had TWO strips of bacon (not close to a half pound). We complained and he brought us 6 strips of bacon (for two burgers). We complained again and the manager knocked 20% off the bill. Bottom line: the waiter should not have even offered the burger unless all the key ingredients were in stock and we should not have accepted his offer. Two bad decisions. I may give this place another chance.
(3)Matt B.
I've been here on a few Occasions and the food is ok. It didn't wow me nor was it terrible. The place has a smokey bar room feel to it and the service is very friendly but the food can take a while to come out at times. I'll probably go back and may change my review if they can wow me. A lot of people really love this place.
(3)Jennifer M.
Serious beer selection, quantity & quality. The new addition feels like you are eating in an art gallery and has much aesthetic appeal. In fact, one of my friends was brought to tears by the beauty and creativity present in the new space. The menu has tons of yummy items such that it is always difficult to narrow down options. Luckily my friends and I enjoy sharing. They added new items when they opened the new side, too--a favorite is their Sammy Smith strawberry milkshake with white chocolate mousse. Love it here!
(5)Adam R.
Hey Kickbacks Gastropub, are you a steak because WELL DONE. Kickbacks has a special place in my heart, it is where it I met the love of my life Mrs.Yelp, Its my Cheers but without a creepy Norm. I've been wanting to write this review for weeks now. My writing isn't written like it's writing written by a writing expert. I hope I do them a service. The New York Strip with the peppercorn sauce is so good, it probably has its own memoir. The Mac N' Cheese is one of the best in the city. Unlike instant, this mac n' cheese will love you back. The owner of Kickbacks, one, Steve is a consummate beer guy and his establishment his a testament to this facts with the capacity for some sixty beers on tap though currently this is down to ten or so due to the future expansion plans of the Belgium Tap Room... yay. Anyone who gives Kickbacks a chance is won over to the Gospel of Steve for it is said, "On the Eighth day, God created Beer and it was Good." Bring some friends and go for the beer, stay for the food and leave with the memories.
(5)AJ R.
After reading the reviews, I had high hopes for this restaurant and wanted to taste some foods that maybe had a slight twist to them. We sat down and it took no joke over 25 minutes for them to take our order and bring the drinks. The food came not all the same time but in different stages and each time we were unimpressed. The fries were cold, the macaroni and cheese had zero cheese flavor and the main dishes were not much better. Perhaps it was a bad day for them but what I had to eat there was not an all impressive and was akin to microwavable food.
(1)Suzanne S.
Cool setting and the food would have been great if not cold. The service was unapologetically and amazingly horrible. Mike, the manager's response was "what do you want me to do about it". Shame. I would have loved this place.
(2)Jasmine S.
The food here is perfect when you're drunk & are craving. Lots of variety in selection of beers (draft & bottle). service is a tiny bit slow, but I'm sure it's just because it is really crowded whenever I go. Only place I know of that is open until 3 am in riverside so that's also a plus.
(3)Colleen B.
The lovely Katie C hosted me here after an awesome Elite Event for some late night grub. It's a very busy pub/bar that has an eclectic array of customers. We went in and grabbed a high top but were not approached or greeted until about 10min after we sat down. Tons of employees walked by us too, it's not like we were hidden in a corner. So that was a little offsetting. After we saw an outside table become available we moved out there since it was a gorgeous evening. However, smokers are outside, so that was a little icky. Our server ended up being pretty cool so that was a plus. I ordered a cider and it arrived warm in my glass. I had to request ice to actually drink it. Overall it was okay though. I went with the BLT and side of their infamous mac and cheese. I have to tell you, when the mac and cheese arrived in a unappealing cut block of baked elbow noodles, I was not impressed. However, after my first bite it was love. I am pretty sure I got an arm ache from shoveling this cheesy goodness in my mouth. The BLT was unimpressive with overcooked bacon. I should have just gotten a large block of the mac and cheese and I would have been set. Overall, it's a typical bar so don't expect the best service but their food seems like it would satisfy tons of cravings. Give it a shot.
(3)Daisy D.
Have made it back to Kickbacks multiple times since my initial review and every time it knocks it out of the park. The menu has a little bit of everything - even spaghetti-o's! - so every one can find something they like. Their tap selection is minimal lately due to the expansion going on outside/next door, but it won't stop me from going. The nachos are huge. The Monte Cristo is ridonkulous. And the staff is great. You give them a beer you like and most of them can recommend a great one to try. Haven't made it in for brunch just yet, but seeing some of the pictures from some fellow yelpers and knowing the dedication some have to not missing a Sunday, I'm looking forward to trying it soon.
(4)C B.
Went for appetizers. Great menu of bar food. The Brie appetizer was too large for just two people. Great place for a group.
(4)Liz C.
This place is like a second home to me. I always feel comfortable there and get good service. The staff is awesome and down to earth. They don't get mad at me when I drink too much and say stupid things. This place is like the place I go and feel like I'm at my house and that's pretty special. The restaurant is busy, that means there is a WAIT. There is also a WAIT for food. That is how restaurants work people! ALSO, When you sit down at a table and the restaurant is on a wait, the host/hostess has every right to ask you to move out of courtesy to other guests that have been waiting! If that isn't logical to you, please get help! LOVE To KB's woooot!
(5)Lara F.
If you have had your Hepatitis shot then feel free. This is a trendy spot for the grunge factor. The servers look physically dirty and one guy had open sores on his face. Open wounds. ..plural. Servers walked by a booth that apparently was there for their use and would grab food off a plate, eat while they walked and then grab you some eating utensils. I dont understand why artsy and dirty seem to be synonymous but in this place it is. Also, I know this area can be pretentious but I was shocked to see a lack of give a crap by the staff in this place...I mean...why? They served us a burnt meal and when we asked to have it remade, it was inedible, it took 40 minutes and then came raw. Sarcasm much? So my husband didnt eat and I wished I hadn't as in prayed to the intestinal gods to smile down on me. Go drink beer because apparently thats super cool to have a bunch of draft beer, but for the love of all cleanliness dont eat food...and if you do, dont accidentally look in the kitchen afterwards.
(1)Josh A.
Being a craft brew lover, thus was on my list. It was Jacksonville Craft week, so I figured this was the place to go, especially seeing that it's had 80 on tap. Not this time. I think there were around 15 on tap, with ZERO FL brews. What's up with that? Server was nice, but the lack of selection was just too little for me.
(2)Megan G.
I would show you a photo of the poutine I just ate, except I inhaled it upon sight. It's in my lungs now. If I wake up dead tomorrow, it will be worth it. I want to actually kiss whoever made this.
(5)Alex V.
Before we lived in Jacksonville, my parents always brought us to Kickbacks while visiting. If you like craft beer, good vibes, and a creative and fun menu, Kickbacks is a great spot! In the fall, they serve Southern Tier's Pumpking Pumpkin Ale straight off the tap in a glass with soft pie crust blessing the rim with it's presence. It is truly a combination to die for! But even more than that, the staff here really knows there stuff when it comes to brews. The creative chalk-board tap list shows the beer name, brand, style, and alcohol content - very informative. The staff is great at recommended food parings and really seems to care about a great customer service. Highly recommend to the craft beer snob and enthusiast as well as the average Joe looking to try something they've never had before. Enjoy!
(5)Carolyn M.
I have LOVED Kickbacks in the past, but the "new and improved" leaves me no choice but to speak to the lack of service, both for drinks...and more so for food. I posted a note to their FB page on how I was disappointed in the charcuterie and cheese (offered by the ounce), which was nothing more than honey and Ritz crackers with some mounds of cheese I wasn't sure of. Kickbacks deleted my post on FB- which I can understand. Who likes negative feedback? The thing that stinks is that I really like the place and I'd love to visit more and recommend it, but it seems they are more interested in sweeping their serving and food issues under the rug.
(1)Jenn A.
Steve, you need to get it together. Your staff will close you down. This isnt just my review, its all of my friend's collective conversation. I moved away for a couple years and I longed for Kickbacks. I even raved on and on in Washington DC, where there are many places similar of how great Kickbacks is. Much to my dismay, I came home to the crap that has become Kickbacks. It no longer has the same laid back vibe. We knew coming in years ago that the wait would be long. We didnt care. It was that good. The service was the same every time, because we knew the people. We came here every week, if not more. This "tapas style" crap you have going doesnt fly. Why? Because youre not a tapas restaurant. Even if it doa take an hour for food, it should all come out at the same time. ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST. Your staff is rude and pretentious. All of them. We just dont come here anymore. I live 3 blocks away. Please bring it back to its former glory so I can brag on you again.
(1)Alex V.
Ordered delivery got the wrong food for one fries were gross mac and cheese was dry sausage hoagie tasted like unseasoned ground beef. Delivery took an hour+ I'm so disappointed because kickbacks used to have such amazing food and now I wouldn't feed it to my dog.
(1)La K.
This place is very nice, great beer selection, good food... Recommend the roast beef panini it was delicious. Today being Christmas we had good service and the food was amazing. This was our first time coming here and definitely not the last!
(4)Spencer L.
The beer list is World class. I would give it a 5 star rating but the service is always horrible. The food all comes out of deep fryer but if you're into that that's cool. I keep coming back every time I'm in JAX but only for the beers. I've learnt not to eat and not to expect prompt or good service. The staff don't seam to care and clearly don't receive any training
(2)Jay L.
Had to update. I've now been to KB a couple times and I still think it's great. It's just as everyone describes, casual, fun and a good time. You can wear what you want. You can look how you look. You can get a lot of good beers... I guess the only thing weird is that if you are towards the front of the bar, your face gets blocked by the beer taps. It's a great neighborhood spot and I wish I lived closer.
(4)GT W.
Short: The premiere beer bar in Jacksonville open nearly 24 hours that has its own Android and iPhone app Long: Kickback's has a divey atmosphere with a good mix of clientele from biker gangs and chain smokers to craft beer cuddling hipsters. Tap list here is absolutely massive, but a real beer nerd will quickly be able to sift through 90% BS on 80-100 offerings and narrow it down to about 10 local, special beers worth drinking. Look for Aardwolf, Intuition, Bold City, Engine 15, Green Room, Cigar City, 7venth Sun, Peg's/Cycle, Funky Buddha. Food menu is large and the quality is upgraded Applebee's. Spinach artichoke dip, hot wings, etc. Staff are friendly but sometimes hard to track down. They have an Android/iPhone app that will show you their tap list in real time that is actually easier to use than having to squint at their size 8 font board on the wall. Good For: Late night craft beer drinking Bad For: Nice dinner with your wine and liquor loving friends
(4)Mike Y.
Went to this place for the first time. It was a Sunday during lunch. It didn't seem too busy. But, the kitchen was apparently backed up and a few of us got our food late. Traditionally parties eat "together" instead of taking turns. Out of a party of five, three people received their entrees 15-20 minutes after their sides. I'll be back to try this place again. But, my first impression is disappointment. The only reason why I'm giving them 2 stars is because of our waitress. She was nice and very accommodating.
(2)Arlene H.
I paid for the ambiance not the food or service. My over 100.00 bill for my family of 4 was extreme. We were a party of 10 and were told the food would come out when ready which was fine but when my meal didn't come out until all others had theirs boxed up -too extreme. I told them I didn't want it anymore but they brought it anyway and wouldn't remove from the bill. Unfortunate, the place has an interesting and unique menu and the ambiance as I said was great. I don't think we will return.
(2)Greg S.
They did a great job with the renovation. The expanded menu adds some variety to their already large menu. Service continues to be a weak spot. Food comes out of the kitchen in pieces and I've regularly been charged for things that I haven't gotten. Waitstaff seems friendly but is lacking on quality of service. 3 hours to get out of there and had to constantly chase staff for refills and check. I wouldn't recommend for parties of 6 or more because gratuity is automatically added to bill.
(1)Ari W.
Love this place, I am visiting from Dallas TX... and I have been going different places to eat and have few drinks with my friends... This gem of a place is a perfect place to enjoy a verity of excellent beers, superb client service and fantastic food this literally is "finger licking good" try the personal pizzas and or the zesty, crispy and spicy Jalapeños which is one of the many delicious items from the appetizers. PS if you ever get the opportunity to get Lee as your server then you are really in for an excellent service and knowledge of the beer and food variety. So now get up and head to KICKBACKS!
(5)Greg D.
Awesome food. Tons of beer choices.
(5)Sara B.
Let me start off by saying, I created a Yelp account just to write a review about this place. I have now been to the renovated Kickbacks 3 times now. Two times visiting being as Kickbacks is one of the only places open late that serves food. The only positive things I have to say about this place is the decor is creative, innovative, and spectacular, and the beer list is phenomenal. Also the live entertainment was not too bad. The food and service, worst I have experienced ever! And that was all three times. This past experience, I started by ordering a house Riesling. The waiter came back with the smallest Pinot Grigio I have ever seen. I drank it anyway without saying anything. Later on my tab I noticed it was over $6! For a house wine! That was not even what I ordered. Way too expensive. If you cannot get a simple wine correct, just offer red or white. Here's a tip- The whole ordeal with the tablets instead of a server pad, train your staff to use them. If you are going to go the high tech route, have the staff to back it up. I'm not saying the staff has no idea how to use them, everyone just seems to have technical issues keying in orders. Maybe it is the tablets? The two servers I remember having seemed to have other things going on that made their customer service lackluster. The bus boy/food runner was a better waiter than the actual server. He would ask us if we needed anything after dropping off the food, ask how everything was, and come back with whatever was requested. The waiter did not check on us after the food was dropped off by the food runner for at least a good 15 to 20 minutes. By then we were almost finished. Thank goodness for the food runner. In a nutshell, the waiter had no personality, very "what do you want to order, how do you want that cooked, "basic b****" sh**. All the server does is bring you drinks and take your order, if you need refills, or condiments, napkins, you are SOL. I had to rip my napkin in half and share it with my Bf. We even asked for mayo while ordering, in order to save a trip for the server, no mayo came out. We had to ask twice to get it. After trying apps, main courses, and desserts, none of them were good. Everything seems frozen or microwaved. The pretzel-frozen. The beer cheese that came with it was chunky, lukewarm, and nasty. The queso is extremely thick and pasty. Also lukewarm. The chips that came with it were stale or just not fried correctly. The creme brule cheescake had chocolate sauce all over it. Way too much that counteracted the creme brule of it. The cheesecake also tasted frozen. I had two bites of it and did not finish it. My bf had a lamb gyro. It was by far the most disgusting thing. It tasted like it had gone bad. Also had a funny smell to it. Needless to say, we both went to bed with bad tummy aches. If I return to kickbacks, it will be to only order drinks, minus wine.
(2)Vanessa T.
I really wanted to like it here, I know it gets great reviews but maybe I ordered the wrong thing, it was just average bar food... nothing special
(3)Katy S.
If you have read any of my reviews, you know that three big things I like are an interesting drink menu, hearty food, and a laid back atmosphere. This place has it all. When you walk in, you will see beer taps decorating the entire ceiling. They have a HUGE beer menu. If you download their app, it is the easiest way to browse through. I did a sampling of Christmas Ales. They were all very good and I was feelin' pretty good by the time we left. I went for the roast beef panini for my meal...with bomb diggety sweet potato fries. My fiance' got the meatloaf with the mac n cheese and veggies. I was definitely jealous of the mac n cheese as they serve you a BRICK. Oh and I must mention - the mac n cheese is topped with BACON. We ended up staying here for hours and, although it was very crowded, our waitress was totally fine with us hanging around and taking our time. I definitely want to come back to Kickbacks next time I'm in Jacksonville. I really enjoyed the laid back pub feel and I can't wait to try more of their beers!
(5)Michael J.
Food is great just takes a really long time for orders to come out.... Mac n cheese is amazing....skip the turkey leg I didn't really care for it.
(4)Carmelo M.
Great beer selection, and tasty food. the beer and food compliment each other. My friend and I had a great time there. The atmosphere was good and the waiter was helpful and knowledgeable of the beers. I will be definitively back there again.
(4)Kelley D.
We have been there multiple times because we support local. However service is sketchy, kitchen timing is horrible, Service has no knowledge of what they're doing, Will not return:((((((
(1)Sarah P.
I am so impressed with the renovations on this building, and they have the best beer selection in town. I have tried two things from their new menu, and both were good but not as good as I have had at other gastropubs. That said, this is a really fun place to go out. They have a beer for everyone, and they have a lot of stuff on the menu. Also, I haven't ever had trouble getting a seat there, even on crowded nights.
(4)Kristen A.
We have been to kickbacks in the past and it was great. Since they have built on and changed the kitchen around ... It is horrible. Food comes out at all different stages. I received the 2 sides for my entree, then our appetizer, then my entree, then my husbands entree... He never got his sides. We asked for a manager and he wouldn't come out just told the server to comp the side of fries. We won't be returning. Very sad this was a neat place.
(2)Bingle W.
Despite going to college, I never developed the taste for beer. As a result of going to college, my body now rejects vodka and most other hard liquor. So I can't really gush about the variety of libations offered at Kickbacks since I really don't care. I know they have a lot of beer (any place whose main decor style is beer paraphernalia better be prepared to bring it). For a bar/pub, the food was prettily decorated, but wasn't mind-blowing. We started off with the beef quesadillas. The GF had the hot dogs and was mildly freaked that the dogs were longer than the bun, that they had that casing *snap* when you bit into them, that the restaurant had no relish, and that the coleslaw side was not the sweet kind. I was delighted for all the same reasons. I ordered the chicken bistro sandwich which would've been boring had it not been for the french onion and mushroom spread. I think they serve that stuff separately as an appetizer which is what I'll be ordering next time. I also had the banana bread pudding and it lacked the sweetness that makes dessert worth ordering. I think I had the same waitress as Ed L. It seemed that it took a few seconds for things to register for her. Let's see, if Ed's theory is correct and she was "new to the job" in mid-March, she should be relatively experienced by now, so I'm just going to say she's just generally spacey. So why did I give this place 4 stars considering that they specialize in something I don't particularly like, their food is only slightly better than okay, and their waitstaff floats around in the stratosphere? Because their sweet potato fries are served with powdered sugar and cinnamon butter. That's f-ing brilliant.
(4)Radin P.
I have only been here twice but will never go back. I recently went here to grab some food and drinks late with friends. It is a popular place, especially with no competition late at night, so we were lucky to get a table. After waiting 45 minutes for the chips and salsa we ordered and being ignored by the waiter with hardly refills for another 30 minutes with our main meals nowhere in sight, we left money on the table and left. We had tried repeatedly to get our server's attention with him obviously avoiding us, even looking away when eye contact was made. Of course he found the time to talk to us as he saw us make our way out. We told him we paid for our items and could not stay. He proceeded to follow us into the street screaming and cursing at us. I have heard if you are a regular and know the wait staff or are just there for beer, it is a good place, but I have never been treated so horribly and will not return.
(1)Laurie D.
Kickbacks has an amazing beer selection. Over 60 beers on draft and it seems like hundreds on bottle. They also occasionally have aged beers, which really does change the flavor of beer. I love their menu, because it actually has something for everyone. It ranges from burgers to creme brulee to ramen noodles! You can even get spaghettio's if that is what you need at 2 am. The staff has always been super attentive and friendly each time I have gone there. I also love that they have computer trivia, so you never have to be bored. Also, on Wednesday nights they host two poker tournaments.
(5)Ed L.
This is a solid three star place. It would be on the verge of 5 if not for it's diviness. Went there with my Grandson last week just to hang, chat and grab some grub. I had my heart set on a Reuben sammie and the GS got a BLT. Even with the unending list of 240 bottled and 60 draft beers to choose from, I ordered a New Castle without batting an eye, a no brainier. But it wasn't easy. Our server was (I shouldn't write what I'm thinking) 'well lets just say', new on the job. I asked what beers they have, just to be a smart ass and she said "your guess is as good as mine." She reminded me of Phoebe aka Lisa Kudrow on 'Friends'. aka Ursula on Mad About You. The girl is just a little...different? She had that look on her face that she was deep in thought about something other than the Gastropub. So, I went to work on her. Me - You don't know the beers? Her - there's so many of them. Me - how many? Her - is this a test? Me - No, I'm a customer. I'm thirsty . . . Her - So, who knows? Me - New Castle please Her - OH!! we have that. Me - Good! Her - we also have 200 some odd bottled ones. Me - Oh!, what are they? Her - they're all beers Me - I mean what kind? Her - Ooooh, there's so many. Me - a staring gaze Her - Okay, Bud, Amber Bock and Bud light. . . . Me - Stop, I'll have a New Castle draft Her - oh!, we have that Me - is this a test? Her - for? Me - you're wanting me to give up and shit up, right? Her - Smiling, I'll get you your beer sweetie. She brings the beer. She reaches down in her apron and pulls out a list of all the beers. Her - Would you like to see this? Me- naaa, New Castle if my favorite. Her - Well, maybe next time, do you know what you'd like? Me - I've never eaten here. Between the Reuben and the roast beef, which is better. Have you had either? Her - Didn't you like the Reuben last time? Me - I've never had it. Her - Well, you'll probably not like it. Me - do you like it? Her - it has sauerkraut on it Me - and Her - yea! I like it Me - does it come on rye Her - you mean bread? Me- yes, what bread do I get? Her - white or wheat Me - No Rye? Her - I could go check Me- Wheat will be fine Her - On a Reuben? Would that be good? Me - I'll take a Reuben on wheat. Her - I'll see if we have rye Me - no, no, no, that's fine She drifted away. . . The sammie and my beer was great but the entertainment was sitcom worthy. I wonder who writes her material? Genius, simple genius
(4)Jessica P.
This place is such a gem in the Riverside/Avondale area of Jax where everything seems to close at 10 pm. I love going here for the beer and the food-which is served until very late. The Mac and Cheese is the best but everything I've had so far is delicious and large portions which I usually split with someone else-and they will split the meal for you without charging extra. The only downside is the seating is a free for all-there has never been a hostess there when I've gone-and there really isn't a convenient place to wait for a table. Also, they have tons of beers and an ever changing selection, but the beer menu is written up on the wall on a chalkboard in tiny writing so it's basically impossible to read unless you go right up to it. But otherwise they have a full liquor bar and make their drinks strong!
(5)Nick V.
Victory on tap and a stuffed blue cheese burger, yum. A must stop in Jacksonville.
(4)Sharon Y. C.
Stunning list of beers. Yummy food. Love the battered French fries and brownie bites. I'd heard service was dreadful...but it was definitely very good tonight. Although the place was packed, our waiter was attentive and all the food delivered was steaming hot and delicious.
(4)Eric H.
One of the coolest bars I've ever been to. This place was made for cool people. Every beer you could ask for on tap, and the best bar menu ever. I have to say that the monte cristo is also a fave of mine, as is the mac and cheese. Where else can you get tater tots with your beer? Did I mention beer? You couldn't fit another tap handle on the bar. They are actually turned at an angle so they won't hit each other. If I didn't live 5 hours away, I would be here every night. I'm jealous of the people who live close by.
(5)King L.
This is one of the best beer bars in Florida, in fact the combination of great bar food and a huge rotating variety (I think 60 or more) drafts is rare in deed. For example, Orlando or Tampa has nothing that compares to this. The food is very good with numerous offerings on the menu. I had a kick ass Salmon Burger. They have a good number of televisions so you can also catch some sports. The only problem I had with the place is that the people that work there are kind of creepy unless you are going through the I am rebelling because daddy didn't give me enough love at home phase by piercing everywhere and tattooing my body. As repulsive as that look is the people are still nice and that is not what bothered me. What bothered me was that one of these so called dudes was allowed to smoke in a non smoking bar. He was smoking out of one of those new inventions some kind of electric smoker that puts out far less smoke than a cigarette but fools nobody. The staff was all chummy this guy so I think he might have been a staff member who wasn't working. Any kind of indoor smoke is lethal. Don't present yourself as non smoking and allow trash smokers and expect return visits from those that breath in that crap. To me it made the place seem dirty and I got a bad vibe. What a tradgedy if that is the norm because the place has the workings of something special.
(4)Rob G.
Hands down the best Gastropub in town. With a wide selection of beers on tap (over 80) and some of the best pub grubs you'll find anywhere in the city. Kickbacks is always a great choice if you want good food and good grub. I always bring my friends from out of town to KBs.
(5)Andy L.
As you can see, I went from 4 stars down to 3 stars. Keep in mind, for me, that still means I will go back and recommend Kickbacks to my friends. But.....the quality of the food has taken a nose dive. This places still rocks if you want to drink beer. Best selection and high quality.
(3)Britt G.
The beer selection is off the charts, the food is diverse and its all delicious, and the atmosphere and service are great! If you're ever in Jax, you have to try this place out!
(5)Grace D.
I don't get to frequent this place as much as I might like, but my experience has always been a good one (even despite the a/c not working on my first visit). Beer, beer, and more beer! If you're in the mood to try a unique beer, this is the place. There are typically over 60 beers on tap (the selection changes daily) and then a few hundred bottled beers to choose from. I tried a smoked beer which wasn't bad, but I don't know if I'd ever order it again. The environment is super casual and the crowd is diverse enough to be comfortable walking in even if you're not from around the Riverside area . The food is pretty damn good, too! I enjoyed my order of the BBQ pizza (all the pizzas come on focaccia bread) and tater tots (off the "vintage" section of their menu which also features spaghetti-o's and hamburger helper...how awesome is that?!). Also, I was lucky enough to be with friends who don't mind sharing. Mike was actually super-excited to share his salmon burger...yes, it was that good. As were the sweet potato fries sprinkled with powdered sugar and side of cinammon butter he ordered with it. I didn't get to try Tony's veggie omelet, but it was a good size and looked pretty delicious - how can you go wrong with breakfast, right?! I think the best thing about it is that you can order anything from the food menu until 3am! Their website is fickle, so if you want more detail straight from the horse's mouth I would go to their facebook page ( facebook.com/pages/Jacks… ). It's worth the trip, so go check this place out!!
(4)Ryan W.
Great place! Food is great doesn't taste like its prepared at a packaging facility somewhere. Best selection of beers in town, also a pretty professional staff who are know their beers well. Great atmosphere. If you do drink a few craft brews with dinner your wallet will feel it, their been prices are competitive though.
(5)Nick S.
Best bar in Jax that is not at the beach.
(5)Jennifer P.
30 mins for a side salad with blackened chicken... I kid you not... and no they were not busy. This was at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and there were maybe a dozen tables combined between 3 or 4 servers... all in different stages of their meals/drinking... This kitchen is SERIOUSLY SLOW. Kickbacks=Great for Drinking, Slow for Food.
(3)Josh W.
Great beer. Good food. Get rid of all the hipsters and you get a 5. Oh and print a damn beer menu no one can read that crap on the wall!
(4)Tony M.
First visit and glad we did. Pub atmosphere with great food and 100's of beers. I had the Jake n Bake pasta & wife has the Chicken parm. Both dishes were cooked properly and great tasting. We will be back
(4)R B.
Found this place after not being able to do the tour at Bold City brewery - and it totally made up for it. Super friendly service, great food,and good size portions for sharing. We went in just to get a bite, but ended up staying for almost two hours tasting the different beers and playing the trivia. We will definitely be back.
(4)Hecate D.
It's doesn't get much better for a beer lover. 84 beers on tap and hundreds in the bottle. Full menu all day, including breakfast.
(5)Ted F.
I'd spend a lot of time here if I lived in Jacksonville but I'll definitely be back on future visits. Something like 80 taps plus good bar food, onion peels and jalapeno buttons were the choice de jour. Lots of neat stuff on the walls and a bunch of taps on the ceiling. Music wasn't too loud and was of decent quality. Only bad thing was the menu was on the wall and you have to stand there like an idiot trying to read it; kind of awkward for the tables under the menu.
(5)Taylor M.
A great place to go and kick back. There I said it. The sweet potato fries are covered in powered sugar and have a cinnamon dipping spread. Mmmm. Did I mention the beer variety? But please, stop running out of Duke's Bold City.
(4)Meliisa C.
Good atmosphere (one time I caught live music that was really good), good food (I'm a fan of the quesadilla dipped in queso), good service. Haven't been since I turned 21 so I can't speak to the drinks but they have a huge selection. It's kind of a walk to your car but it's pretty well lit. My friend that brought me is a vegetarian and there is a lot for her to eat here too. A MUCH better choice than your other late night choices in Jacksonville.
(4)Chris C.
I like the food and there is a really good beer selection but the service is the worst every time I go. Not "oh my server forgot to refill my coke" or "the food was a bit slow coming to the table" (although both of those happen regularly), more like server drops off menus and disappears/avoids table for 33 minutes, server takes beer order forgets to bring it twice (at which point I say "forget it") and then see that it was charged to my bill. I realize that the restaurant is big but there is no excuse for such crappy service.
(1)Ape B.
Great beer selection! Hipster bar.
(4)kathryn h.
This place is a great joint to meet up with friends and share a few drinks, listen to some tunes on the jukebox and have some ok food. The beers on tap are endless, and you are allowed to sample, and mix and match the beers if you would like. The also have a wide variety of bottle beers and also make mixed drinks if you should those as well. The food can be hit or miss at kickbacks. I have had the spicy chicken wrap and it is good, and my husband always opts for the hotdogs and he loves them! However, my friends dont always make out the same way. The mac-n-cheese can be dry and crusty, and the queso cheese dip is not great, however the salsa is fantastic. FYI the menu is huge and I only had the pleasure of eating there 2 or so, so my knowledge of the rest of the food is limited, however I will ok back often for the great service and friendly environment.
(4)Jason H.
I would not normally go into a place that looked like Kickbacks but man am I glad I finally did. The entrees are HUGE. There sandwich section might be the best I have seen in a while. I would go with the Jax cheese steak or the meatball sub. I think they do most of their business at night but they are a great lunch spot.
(4)Big Hombre H.
Great beer selection, good mix of local and unique beers on tap. Mushroom spread on garlic toast with Alfredo sauce was the best thing I've tasted ever, except for maybe the Mac n cheese which was ungodly! The fried chicken sandwich was disappointing. Everything there appeared to be homemade except for the chicken patty. The Monty Christo sandwich rocked! All in all, I'd drive another 5 hours just to eat and drink there again. Wonderful experience.
(5)Lorine W.
Always a good time, get there early to get a seat!
(4)Mikey K.
I went to this place to watch a football game (which they specifically guaranteed me would be showing) but when I got there they were clueless and then acted rude when I asked about it. This happened again the following week. Same rude manager. It's a rip-off anyway.
(1)Sterling C.
Kickbacks is weird. It's a sports bar I think, but they call it a gastropub which is, you know, kind of uptown-y. But then their food is good. That's what I heard and I ate there once and just remember that it was good. But it's crazy, they have over 80 beers on tap. Like a legitimate place that's all about beer will pride themselves on 40 taps. So all I'm saying is that it's weird. You know those Skinner dairy buildings? Why doesn't someone just put 80 taps in one of those and put a bunch picnic tables and a bike rack outside? That was my aunt's idea.
(4)Kafi B.
If I could would not give it any stars. The staff is rude and antagonistic and there is no management plus their treatment of black paying customers is just down right uncalled for. I don't drink beer so I don't find any need to go back.
(1)Jeanne S.
WOW! The menu is extensive. I really wasn't expecting so many choices. Great atmosphere, great staff, excellent food. We had the Fish and chips and couldn't believe the size of the entree as well as how yummy it was. Definitely a top choice of where to eat in the neighborhood!
(4)S K.
To Whom It May Concern- I want to make a formal complaint on KickBacks Gastropub 910 King Street Jacksonville FL 32205 regarding the EXTREME level of unprofessionalism and service that has been received. There have been multiple occasions but 4/15/2011 and 4/16/2011 were the straw that broke the camels back. On 4/15/2011 at 8:22pm we placed an order for delivery with Lauren that took 5 minutes and 6 sec and she told me that the food would be delivered in 30-45 minutes. We asked if that was an accurate time as we have been told this information before and it actually took an hour and a half upwards of 2 hours to receive our food and we needed to be somewhere and just need to know an accurate time for our planning. Lauren assured us the food would be here in the time frame promised. As I was ending the call I could hear Lauren telling another person there that we were difficult. We called back at 9:22pm after the promised delivery time and Lauren said that the drive was now on there way. The same thing happened again with Lauren making a comment about us as we ended the phone call. The food did not arrive for ANOTHER 30 minutes after we spoke with Lauren. On 4/16/2011 an order was placed at 10:08pm with again Lauren and she said that it would take no more than 1 hour for the food to be delivered. At 11:15pm a called was placed again to find out the ETA. Lauren said that it would not be more than 20 minutes. At midnight Marcus called back to find out where the food was. Lauren said that they were busy and she was sorry. We said that this was unacceptable. We then asked to speak with a manager. Lauren said that the manager had stepped out. Lauren proceeded to argue with us and state that we were wrong. We said that if the food showed up cold he was not going to pay for it and take it back. Lauren continued to argue with us and stated that the kitchen was slow and began putting the kitchen staff down. We asked for the owners name. Steve Flores came to the phone and id himself as owner. We told Steve the issues with the service. Steve said that they are busy and refused to acknowledge the extremely poor service and the rude employee and the way she spoke with us. Steve said the reason the food was taking so long was because he was building a 3 story building across the street. We asked what that had to do with the situation. Steve continued to argue with us. The delivery driver Brian finally showed up. We told him the situation and he showed us the ticket and stated that the order wasn't placed until 10:42pm. When Brian was leaving he flipped us off. We asked how that was professional and he said he didn't care. We told him that we would complain to management and Brian said that management would believe him and not us and he wasn't worried about it. When Brian walked out the door he gave the sign language sign for f you and came back to the door and flipped us off AGAIN. Our apartment building has camera's and we have it on recording. When we told Steve that his driver flipped us off he wasn't concerned nor did he apologize or believe us. Steve then proceeded to say that he wasn't worried who we complained to because he wasn't corporate and wasn't worried about word of mouth. At that point we terminated the call because we couldn't believe everything that just happened. We want to bring this to the public attention because with the current state of the economy people should appreciate money spent and not act in such an unprofessional manner and for the owner to tell us that they don't care about our business and nothing is going to happen..Shame on him! Is this fair when the business was in the wrong and then treated us like we were the problem??
(1)Kayla K.
My husband and I went on a Sunday night (normally when restaurants are not that busy). It was almost 15 minutes before a server greeted us to take our drink order. Then we ended up waiting about 10 more minutes before we even got those drinks. Our server sat them down and walked away without even offering to take our food order. We assumed he would be back shortly but it ended up taking him another 10-20 minutes to even take our food order. We of course waited forever for this as well and when the food finally came out, my food was all wrong. I ordered a three-meat sandwich and ended up getting an all veggies sandwich. I order onion strings but got fries and our waiter came back half way through the meal to see how things were. When I informed him that my order was wrong he questioned it and then brought me out a different sandwich by the time my husband and completely finished his entire meal. I never even saw the onion strings. I asked to speak to a manager but was informed that the waiters were their own managers so I asked that my meal be deducted from the bill. My waiter explained that this could not be done and that the food cost still needed to be paid for (despite that fact that I had hardly eaten anything). Then he told me that had he known that I wanted onion strings instead of fries (which he did because that is what I told him when I ordered my meal) that he would have corrected that as well. After arguing with us the waiter grabbed the check and stormed off. Once we finally got the order corrected and my meal deducted from the check, we get it back to see a 20% gratuity added! Once again I went up to a group of waiters and complained about the service and our situation and they argued but finally deducted the gratuity from the bill. Needless to say, we didn't tip well and when we left our waiter and two other employees chased after us when we left. Insanely horrible service...We will not be back!
(1)Jerry J.
The food is not terrible, but don't expect great service. I've eaten here a few times in the past and the food was tasty. However, on my most recent (and cosequently, finaI) visit, I waited for 45 minutes after i placed my order for the food. That is, at 45 minutes in, I left cash on the table for my drinks and left. Poor, poor service, in my opinion.
(2)Jeff P.
yum yum yum in my tum tum tum
(5)Jenn S.
kickbacks. what can i say? ive been here once & i just want to go back. i LOVE their gigantic beer selection & their chicken tenders are AH-MAZE-ZING.
(5)Keith H.
What a cool place! It has a steampunk feel and you could walk around this place for a while taking it all in. They opened a new section recently and the walls are covered in shiny, heads up pennies(1,000,000+ our server told us). They have a wall where you can pay $10 to buy a lock, engrave it, and put it up on the wall. Our server was super chill and attentive, and even gave us a tour of the place. She even showed us their keg fridge where they keep some of their 200+ beers. Their beer selection is expansive and always changing--one room has all the old taps attached to the ceiling and it looks like they have room for 1,000's more. We ordered some appetizers that didn't impress us, but the atmosphere, beer selection, and quirky server made up for it. If you visit Jacksonville be sure to check this place out.
(4)Eryn S.
I'm sick of this place. I've given it too many chances and it's continually disappointed me. The beer is the only thing worth going there for. When I first started going to Kickbacks it was slow and small and loud but the food was good and so was the service. It continually got worse every time I went back. Due to that pattern I've spaced out my visits very far apart. I tried the delivery option. You pay way too much for food that comes burnt to a crisp and tastes like crap. I waited till after the construction was done hoping that once the kitchen was bigger or they'd maybe changed cooks it would be better. It's not. I gave it another (and final) chance. It was complete garbage. The service was great but the food was horrible. So much so that it made my boyfriend sick. I barely ate because the beer cheese soup I had was completely broken and basically tasted like melted Velveeta. We ordered the app sampler as well. Everything was warm and mushy. I'm never eating there again. I doubt I'll even go for drinks. I'm so disgusted with it. The flash of the nice new steampunk side can't make up for the absolute sewage served there.
(1)Jackie U.
I've been going here for a while. The food is usually great and lately staff has gotten 100% better. If I was writing this review 6 month's ago I'd be giving them 1 star. They have improved tremendously. But they advertise lumpia on the menu, I'm Filipino and don't have a lot of restaurant options when I'm craving home cooking that I don't actually want to cook. Well it's fake. Its lumpia wrappers stuffed with pancit noodles. I also notice no matter how attentive the wait staff is there always seems to be at least one thing wrong with the order.
(3)Taylor M.
My colleagues and I were in town and several people enjoined us to check out this place if we loved beer and good food. There was also mention of the interesting atmosphere of the place. Well, that's all the invitation we needed. The next evening, we traveled there for drinks and dinner. When you enter, you are immediately grabbed by the fascinating steam punk vibes. All the copper, brass, and mechanical decor is visually stunning, The bar is a work of art in itself. The walls are covered in pennies. I'm now thinking this is going to be awesome.... Well, I was wrong... In a place like this, I usually prefer to sit at the bar where I can survey all the beers on offer, and perhaps get some interesting suggestions from the bartender. Unfortunately, my colleagues were more interested in a meal, and asked to sit at a table. They put us at an upstairs booth overlooking the bar down below. I rolled my eyes seeing the remote location of the table and all the stairs separating us from the beer. It took a while for our server to arrive. She was barely functional in the role. We each ordered a beer, and that was the last we saw her for nearly twenty minutes. A bartender schlepped everybody's beer but mine up the stairs while I continued to wait. The server finally returned, and stated they were out of my beer. Of course, they have over 200 beers on tap, and I manage to pick one that's now unavailable.... I chose another, and again, off she went. My mates were almost done with their drinks and were looking for refills. She finally returns WITHOUT MY BEER, and says they located the original beer I had ordered. She explained it was a computer glitch (heh - "computer glitch") and that someone would be up with my original choice shortly. My buddies ordered another round for themselves. A short while later, a bartender ascends the spiral staircase with my single beer in-hand. Finally. We decided we'd better order dinner or the place would be closed before we could eat. The menu was a confusing mess. It had multiple pages with food listed willy-nilly with no sense of order or logic. It also had a two-page paper insert with even more entrees listed. She said they were in the process of changing the menu. I asked if they were paring it down. She said, oh no, they were ADDING all these new meal options to the several dozen they already offered. That surprised me. We started with appetizers, and these were of the mediocre deep-fried bar appetizer variety. My table mates were OK with that, but personally, I prefer fresher and less fatty options. We each ordered an entree. It took quite a while for dinner to arrive despite the fact was mostly empty on this weekday evening. As with the beer, everyone at the table was served at a different time, and my meal arrived dead last while everyone else was mopping up their plates. My food was almost cold and unappetizing. I ordered the mofongo diablo. The plate contained a glob of cool, mushy plantains surrounded by cold, tasteless sauteed shrimp. Blech. This place obviously has the "Cheesecake Factory Syndrome": a gigantic menu of intriguingly named dishes that's a bridge too far for the kitchen staff. What astounded me was learning they had plans to expand the menu even farther. If you've watched any of the restaurant rescue reality shows with that fanatic English chef, you'll know that the first thing he recommends is reducing the menu to a manageable number of plates. I'd rather eat at a place that serves six delicious meals well, than a place with dozens of items the kitchen can't execute with any consistency. The latter was the problem with Kickbacks. I gave my review two stars simply for their concept and decor. Perhaps you can drop in for a beer and the vibes at the bar. Don't bother trying to have a meal.
(2)Susan P.
Still love this place, the decor is just crazy and the staff is wonderful . That said, the beer cheese soup is really thick and really beery, tastes like a dip not soup. Their presentation of Mofongo is not even close, which is a shame because I love that. The bacon jam fries are awesome. The fried pierogi appetizer is somewhat tasteless and could definitely use some seasoning. The fried green beans are super tasty. Pickles are pretty good but I kind a like it better with dill pickles. The back corner booth on the left in the new part is super loud. (Under the disco ball).
(5)Susan S.
Dear Kickbacks..thank you ever so much for creating the breakfast pizza..it kind of changed my life..this gal works 12 hour nights for JSO and I yall for delivering such delicious food!!!!!!!!
(5)Leah A.
I'm going to begin and end with one thought or "rule of thumb" in this case: Guests should receive their beverage(s) within three minutes of ordering them. My first experience at Kickbacks: All drink, no food for me. Both drink and food service was painfully slow for those in our party who did order food that night. Then the following year, my sis and I both drank and ate. Still the service was way too slow for not being busy and the food was just OK. We're never in a rush, but I'm very aware when something is taking too long. Drinks shouldn't be one of them especially at a gastropub. Fast forward three years to the present: Brand new patio area and larger space inside from recent renovation. We were seated right away, orders taken: COLD BEER, PLEASE? OK, remember....it's summer and we're in Florida AND this place was not busy at all. Do you see a pattern here? I only go when I know it's not suppose to be busy. So we're waiting.....and waiting....and waiting.....and waiting...and waiting...and while waiting, I decide to look on Yelp. Oh, I guess I should have read Mark B's review before coming here. :( About 10 minutes later, my brother-in-law's not-so-cold beer comes out and there's a problem with mine so I was given a water just to wait again. Almost 20 minutes for one beer for me now. Wow. Finally. Yay. My lukewarm beer comes out with about a quarter of head. Seriously? Not Yay. I'm giving them an extra star for the new patio area that's smoker friendly and the million plus penny walls, but the wait time just seems unacceptable for drinks. When we order beers, sodas, or water, it should always come out pretty quickly. I mean, this isn't Starbucks. You're not making a latte. So I leave you with this.... Guests should receive their beverage(s) within three minutes of ordering them.
(2)Amanda Y.
Not worthy of your time, no one will get their food at the same time or do they care if everyone even gets their food. Also look at your bill was not wright and would not fix it. We have been here a few time this will be our last. Its sad because they have a large beer list and good food, but the staffing just doesn't care about the people.
(1)Elizabeth M.
I gotta say that I really miss the old kickbacks. This place used to be my go to for any late night eating. However the past few times that I have been here were such a disappointment that I would rather starve at home than make the drive to go here late at night. First off, the service was always kinda spotty before but was forgivable, now the service is just awful, no drink refills, food that's unpalatable cant be sent back because there is no server around to make it known to. I used to really love the steaks here but now they have replaced them with a much smaller cut, higher price and worst part is, is that every time i get it, its charred on the outside making it dry on the inside. The steak has absolutely no flavor and I always have to send it back 90% of the time, leaving me to eat alone after everyone is done or taking it home to eat alone. The mac and cheese is still the same awesomeness that it has been, but mac and cheese wont get me back into this place. Not for a good while. I hope they can figure out a better menu revamp but until then, I wont be returning anytime soon.
(2)Ashley B.
Great beer selection. Menu is huge now that they've expanded. On a busy night it can take 5-10 minutes to get the drink you ordered. Food comes out relatively quick. I don't recommend the meat ball sub, was a little dry when we got it. Sweet potato fries are delicious!
(4)Shaun N.
I live this bar! They have a selection of over 100 beers to chose from. The service is great and the staff is very knowledgable. The menu is cool and they have breakfast food! I love the lemon pepper and Thai sauce wings. If you are looking for a nice spot to chill and be around people, this is the place for you.
(5)Jeremy K.
Prior to the renovation and expansion I considered this to be a greasy dark place with a large beer selection and an unusually large beer selection. Now it is a large place with a really cool atmosphere, large beer selection, and some pretty good food (albeit almost too large of a menu). Check it out!
(4)Marie L.
This place has a great selection of beer and the staff is always really nice. Unfortunately, there's just something about this place - it just doesn't make us feel comfortable. Although the staff is really friendly service is aggravatingly slow. The decor is kinda cool. Instead of wallpaper, pennies cover everything. Might be worth visiting just to see that. The food is ok, we've only had sandwiches or appetizers and they were good but not really above average. It's definitely worth a visit just to say you've been there and you need to experience it yourself because it might be that you love it.
(3)Aidyn Q.
Food is overrated and the staff is unprofessional. It's not the same as it once was. The quality has definitely gone down. Dropped $75 dollars on drinks alone and was basically treated like shit. Never again. I will take my money elsewhere
(1)Jaye T.
If it's not clear from my reviews, I'm way more interested in the "total package" experience of a restaurant, rather than just one singular aspect. Kickbacks has this amazing reputation as having the best food and frankly? I don't get it. ---------- Seating/Ambience - Who the hell can even fit here? 0/5, then 3/5 ---------- A group of six of us visited and we were seated at a high-top table absolutely wedged in literally the smallest possible space. I was seated by the window and getting up to go to the restroom would have required moving at least two people (the two people next to me at my table, so we could hop from chair to chair like we were playing chinese checkers) and possibly the people at the table behind me, because "pulling out" the chairs was a mutually exclusive proposition: they could or we could, but not both at the same time. We asked the manager to move and were accommodated, but for real, seating like that shouldn't exist. ---------- Food - Seriously? 2/5 ---------- After moving to a much quieter table on the more open patio, we started to receive our food. (More on that later.) Some of what we received was cooked but cold, or both cold and uncooked. My "steamed broccoli" was literally just "raw broccoli" and chilly to the touch. My medium burger was rare. The eggs my friend ordered were runny and cold. Note to the kitchen: it's a two-step process: remove from fridge; then cook. What was received as ordered was okay at best. I've had better burgers at home, at Seven Bridges, even at Candy Apple! The "breakfast for dinner" that a friend ordered wouldn't have been out of place at Denny's and would have been better at Cracker Barrel. Honestly, for a place that styles itself a gastropub, the watchword here is more like gastroenteritis. ---------- Food service - Wait, what? 0/5 ---------- One entree here, one side dish there... One of the six of us dining that night got all of their food at the same time. The rest receive our food in dribs and drabs (and as noted, some of it, when received wasn't as ordered). So allegedly, the service is bringing out the dishes as they're ready... but if that's the case, why is the food cold? I don't (in theory) have much of an issue with the "bringing the food out as it's cooked" style of dining, even if I do find it a little odd. Here are my issues with why Hawkers does it right and Kickbacks doesn't: 1) Hawkers waitstaff tell you BEFORE YOU ORDER what to expect. The dining style is made very clear, so when it happens, it's not a surprise. Kickbacks waitstaff tells you ... after you ask why your under-cooked burger didn't come out with your not-steamed broccoli. 2) Hawkers brings the food out quickly. At Kickbacks, I waited what would have been a standard time for a full entree, to get only a side. 3) Hawkers' menu is oriented toward small-plate-ordering. Each dish serves one small item and is less expensive than you'd expect of a full entree with sides. Kickbacks' menu looks like a standard restaurant menu. I didn't order a burger and (separately) a side dish: I ordered a burger "served with your choice of any side item." Note the SERVED WITH. The natural inclination, then, is to believe all the pieces and parts are going to be, you know, served together. If there were some explanation that this weren't the case, I'd still be baffled, but I wouldn't have been baffled, surprised, and hungry. Not a good combo. ---------- Service - Meh. 3/5 ---------- The service wasn't fantastic, but honestly, the food and food service was so terrible, I can't remember much that stood out.
(2)Morgan H.
I was recently in Riverside hitting up a bunch of my favorite go-to spots when some friends suggested we check out the new addition to Kickbacks. If you've read my previous review you can probably guess that it wasn't really where I was planning on stopping by while on that side of town, but my friends said I would not be disappointed....they were right! I LOVE what they did with the new side of Kickbacks. It feels like you're in a completely different place. The walls are covered in pennies and there's exposed brick and cool art and this great industrial feel going on too. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The bartender that night (Mike) was also awesome. He was sociable and friendly as well as informative about drinks and knowledgeable about all the renovations that had been done and were still going on. Did you know they are going to have a basement beer bar? Yep, a basement in Florida! Yeah I didn't believe him either until we were lucky enough to get a underground tour of it all (it's still being finished) and let me just say that it is going to feel like a private club down there. The genius brain behind this new portion of Kickbacks deserves an award (I heard the owner came up with it all) because for an area of Jacksonville that is already know for having unique places to go, Kickbacks really upped the bar with there new and improved section. I am now a FAN!
(4)Berthina M.
I must say....they have a super duper huge menu...I came for brunch but I am sure this would have been a better experience had I came for a football game...Seems like I would have enjoyed it more. This restaurant has a decent size patio area...just in case you want to sit and take in some breeze. THE MENU: There is a foldable menu as well as a three page paper insert....OMG..talk about overwhelmed....They have everything from hamburger helper to salmon....for realllll........no jokes...I liked the fact they had these options however there was no way in the world I would pay $8 for hamburger helper and I can get 8 boxes for that price.. however, I thought it was cool. I ended up getting the greek salad with blackened shrimp....It was a good size...i almost went overboard trying to eat it all. My friend had a burger with sweet potato fries...I liked the fact that they gave a huge basket of fries as opposed to trying to slide them on the side of the plate and you get about six fries..... The waiter/bartender was extremely personable; he actually sat down at our table to take our order...this has happened to me before; however, this felt weird...but he was cool. I requested a refreshing drink with cucumber and boy oh boy...it was delicious....I was told it was suggested by the manager...."go manager ...awesome sauce". If you want to watch sports or people watch...this place is a win...if you are coming for brunch...ehhhhh...unless you dont know what you want to eat...if that is the case....im sure they have it...ONE Stop shop.
(2)Natalie D.
Had the Poutine and it was just as good as if I had it from somewhere in Canada. They have a great extensive selection of craft beer on draft. And the actual place just looks cool and has a lot of space. Looks like a bar you'd find somewhere in NYC
(5)Federico L.
I love this place and enjoying eating here on the weekends. Last night, I went there and enjoyed everything this restaurant has to offer. The restaurant has a website and they announce it as "the go to spot in Jacksonville, FL area for your favorite American dishes in a sport bar setting". What I really like about this place is how full of life is. This is one of the most lively beer bar and restaurants in Jacksonville. Lots of people, many TVs, menus on the wall, etc. I would say that it is a combination of a sports bar and an English pub. I visited this restaurant on Saturday night, around 8:30pm. Every single table was taken, but I did the best to find me a table. I told the waitress that I wanted that table, and she helped me to get it, otherwise I would have to wait longer. This place lists 84 different beers on a list that is on the wall. There were so many, that I asked the waitress for her recommendation. I don't remember what kind of IPA I had, but it was not great. Then, I asked her if they had Lagunitas IPA, and they had it! The waitress quickly found it by using the tablet that they carry while attending customers. This is what I had: Monte Cristo sandwich and Cole slaw 3 layer sandwich with smoked ham, smoked turkey & Swiss cheese dipped in batter, deep fried & served with strawberry sauce topped with powdered sugar I have ordered this before and is always great. Not recommended for those who are avoiding calories. The Cole slaw...I have to say that is the best Cole slaw that I have ever tried. This restaurant really know how to make it. I enjoyed my time here. One time it took 30 minutes to have my meal served, but this time it did not take 10 minutes. Every employee was helpful and were always nice.
(4)Deborah G.
Let me apologize to the hipster who showed us to our table- I'm sorry we actually made you have to do something- like seat customers- your terrible attitude spoke volumes, so did your silence and flat non smiling pierced face. The appetizer sampler seemed to just be deep fried frozen food- so greasy the potato skins actually dripped. Luckily we had two very flimsy napkins that lasted a couple hand wipes before disintegrating. One would think the hour it took to get a Nutella strawberry banana sandwich would mean it would be amazing. Nope. The hour it took to receive it was just the time they left it on the stove, as illustrated by the black, burnt bread. There's a Burger King down the street. Go there. Probably better food and service.
(1)Chelsea S.
Pretty awesome bar! Over a hundred beers on tap. Always a great experience ask for their "other menu"
(4)Patrick S.
Came here on a recomendation. Great selection of beer but unfortunately the place smelled of stale beer and was fairly dirty. Service was okay but not great.
(3)Marie F.
Beer on Riverside ... 4 stars It's the go to spot when you don't know where you want to go. Just come to Kickbacks. You've found parking and they have outdoor seating, might as well take a seat and wait on others to park. A waiter will appear (hopefully) ask for a drink order... you might as well grab a beer and scroll over the menu. Your doomed to see something that you were thinking of trying. (Monte Cristo sandwich with a side of veggies - it's a fake out to your system. Probably terrible for you but it tastes delicious!) Take in a good Sunday after in the new patio area. It encourages smoking, but the breeze is great and ideal people watching spot. But I love the penny room. Makes me think of a Time Machine. No clue if the room has a name, but the pennies on the wall...aka penny room. All shiny and brass, great for that late night vibe when it's just to sunny for your liking. Food and drinks are great but service is a hit or miss. The weekends can get crazy very quickly so be prepared for the wait. Actually, now that I've thought about it - I've never had quick / timely service here. This is not a first date spot - more second or third when you know you have enough to talk about to suck up the time.
(4)Lacey H.
I really wanted to like Kickbacks from all the things I've heard about this place. However, it's crammed inside and out. First time I went the tap system was down which was really disappointing. Food was average nothing to die for and the waitress was just okay. I've been twice and neither times have I been super impressed but it's a nice place to stop and get a beer if you want to wait 30 minutes.....
(3)Sophia M.
Getting better.... Yes, Kickbacks has beena dive with notoriously poor service and slow food for a long time, but it's improving. The new addition is worth checking out simply for the artistry of the work that went into all the detail. How ever, the menu is now so expansive that it's even tougher to decide on what to eat, and it can be a touch hit or miss. Still, they're open 7:00 am -3:00 am and its one of the few places you can get a beer that early or food that late. Kickbacks was the first of many "gastro pubs" and played a big part in the king st revitalization, with large micro brew selections and a fun atmosphere. Whether they stay relevant or rest on being old timers, time will tell.
(3)Kathy S.
This place is the bomb diggity and my absolute favorite! Their beer list is huge and is written on a chalkboard on the wall. The wait staff is extremely friendly and gives great suggestions for beers to try. They do need to get their beer app up and working. Their food is great and unique. From the brie platter appetizer to the Monte cristo sandwich, its all yummy and the portions are perfect. With the new addition opened, they expanded their menu to even more unique food... Like the Lincoln log lumpias to jackfruit tacos. Every time I go I always something new and never disappointed.
(5)Brittany P.
Great, extensive beer list. Menu is equally as extensive with a standard menu and a rotating menu. Prices are reasonable. Service is decent. Our server was nice...just a little bit in outer space. Atmosphere is fun...like a "put together hole in the wall". Right now, Slightly Stoopid is playing in the background and March Madness is on the many tv screens. This is a gastropub...so, food comes out when it's done. If you want to eat somewhere where all the food comes out at the same time--don't come here. I got the fluffernutter with a side of sweet potato fries and a glass of milk. Just as yummy as my Nana used to make it for me! My sidekick got the hot italian sausage sandwich with regular fries..it was very good but should be noted that it came as crumbled sausage instead of a link. Caught us off guard, but it still tasted delicious. I would come here again for late night dinner/grabbing drinks.
(4)Jerry B.
Best beer selection in all of Jacksonville with awesome food to go with it.
(5)Larry W.
While out during a nice sunny Saturday, we met some friends here for Lunch. This was our first time here and the place did not disappoint. We both ordered Burgers and fries. The burgers were well done and juicy, we also had onion pedals which were tasty as well. I had an IPA @ 9.5% ABV. The scenery was nice and friendly. We will be back.
(3)Jim D.
We went here while I was trying watch my weight, and that was a horrible idea. Their menu contains everything from Carrot Dogs to a Thor burger. It is a different experience that I highly recommend if you are in town. Come hungry and ready to explore.
(5)Riley B.
I hope to see this improve to a 4 or a 5 in the neat future. Kickbacks obviously has a great beer selection, I won't deny that. A server there introduced me to Green Flash's Palate Wrecker which was a game changer for me. So why only a 3? Two reasons - one, the beer is pretty damn expensive. I'm new to Riverside so maybe I don't know about a happy hour they have, but it seems like even the most upscale places in the area have plenty of specials that keep you from breaking the bank too much, although Kickbacks does not seem to be in that group. Second, the only time I've eaten there, I split an appetizer platter with my girlfriend that seemed pretty obviously to be all frozen stuff. Now I am not strongly against frozen stuff - homemade food is always better, but there is certainly a time and a place for quick frozen chicken tenders. However, at the menu prices, homemade would have been more fitting. I'll definitely be back, and hopefully I'll find something on the menu that can't really be served in frozen form.
(3)Jenny Z.
This was my first time here as well as my first time in king street. Not safe for kids, haha. The beer was watered down a lot, like the pitcher had been sitting there for a while before we even got there. The cocktails are definitely not pretty. The food is amazing though! Just not my kind of place, I guess.
(2)Renda H.
Fantastic unique atmosphere! A steam punk dream,two levels of awesome and pennies as wallpaper! This was my first visit since the remodel/expansion...The menu is huge, eclectic and diverse...we had chips/queso,chipotle barbeque and thai chicken wings, fried green beans, Lincoln log lumpia, salmon burger and chili- and lots of different kinds of beer all were great! Next time I want to try the strawberry,banana nutella panini!! Our server named Sim was super awesome he checked on us many times,made lots of good suggestions and knew us all by name before the meal was over! This place is one of a kind...
(5)Leticia C.
Three stars is for the food. I had the stuffed burger with feta cheese with extra cheese on top with sweet potato fries. It was great however the service is slow and no cocktail drink menu only beer.
(3)Ashwin N.
Excellent food -especially considering how late it was. I went Thursday (8/13/15) around 1030pm. My companion ordered the Smothered Chicken which was excellent! I ordered the Stuffed Poblano Peppers which was also very good. I picked Fried String Beans for a side -very tasty and unusual (at least for me). I will definitely be back to try more items (their menu is extensive and varied) or get my own Smothered Chicken!
(4)April S.
I wanted to like this place but it failed to impress me. The server was very proud of the beer selection, and his beer knowledge. I was sitting at a table with 6 other people, all of them beer drinkers. I don't drink beer. When I asked for an icepick (vodka and iced tea), the server tried to talk me into ordering beer instead. When I declined, he tried again. Then, he told me that it would take a while to get the drink to me. He was right. First, he brought me some iced tea in a short glass and informed me that the vodka would come later. Really?? About 10 mins later he brought me a shot of vodka so that I could add it to the tea... This is not acceptable.
(2)Steven J.
Wow, the atmosphere and food are great, but the service can be a bit slow. This may be a bar/pub, but as a restaurant they get 5 stars. This is a must experience restaurant for anyone living or visiting Jacksonville.
(5)Christina B.
Our group had the grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich- it was dry Turkey sandwich- dry Chicken strip-out of a box Fried chicken wings with honey BBQ sauce-if the sauce wasn't on it they would have been very dry Grilled Reuben- wasn't worth a poo; didn't put the dressing on it that offsets the sauerkraut. Charged $.99 for extra sauerkraut. Food wasn't brought out together. Fries were brought out after our meal was almost gone. One person didn't even get there food until everyone else was done eating. I had to ask for it. Waiter brought a tea pitcher and sat it down on the next table to us, for us to serve ourselves and he didn't have to come back and wait on us. Extremely dark inside, had to use the light on my phone just to see the menu. Ranch dressing was watered down. Wait staff was too busy watching tv than to wait on tables. Bad thing is you could see them sitting down watching it. I litterly yelled for help and was ignored. A waiter looked at me and kept walking. The sweet tea was pretty good.
(1)Ape L.
First time visitor: awesome artistic interior design & decor, alcohol & food menu selection, atmosphere variety, drinkers, non drinkers, vegetarians, meat lovers, fun times. Okay, let me start by saying firstly this place has a seriously extensive beer and food menu. I dined with a large party and everyone liked their food! Food: The order of pancakes were larger than a human head & tasty, sweet potatoes fri side with powdered sugar was not too sweet and just right, chorizo tortas (mexican sandwich) and bahn mi (spicy Vietnamese sub) are as good as you're are going to get outside of going directly to Mexico and Vietnam (minus the cilantro), the Shepard's pie was filling but still a hit, hamburger was ordered for a second time and enjoyable again. Menu suggestions: The biggest suggestion I have for Kickbacks is to re-organize the menu into Mexican, Italian, American classics, fried, sweets sections, etc & modify the appetizer section (I would have ordered the beignet if it was an appetizer without ice cream or/& a dessert option with ice cream option) to decrease stimuli overload. Also, maybe even make a chef selection recommendation &/or eliminate food/ drink items to make selecting easier. All of the food we happened to have ordered we ordered because we were told were good by someone else. Honestly the server wasn't much help with narrowing down the most popular food items for us as she just suggested the most expensive items on the menu instead. Atmosphere: The dang owner put in many man hours and blood, sweat & tears into this place & it shows. Kickback is akin to a quirky restaurant in Portland and offers many different environments that will never leave you bored. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, after hours, early hours & brunch options round the clock. Half outdoor seating, bars, indoor restaurant for food lovers, non-drinkers, drinkers, sports enthusiasts, a cool stage, a penny wall, unique art, uniquely detailed with items like watches, clocks, cool fans, secret rooms, and the list goes on and on. I gave this 5 stars because: Let me just say the details & thought put into this place is awe inspiring & the food, seating & beer selections will never leave you bored. I will definitely be coming back and using Kickbacks as a solid go to place to bring our guests to brag about how much better Jacksonville is compared to "Borelando" / Disney world. Thanks again for the tour! :)
(5)John S.
I know that many of my Yelptastic friends absolutely loooooooovvvvveee Kickbacks... Well... I don't... A huge problem for me is the service... Yes, I know they are constantly busy, so the wait times may vary... But when a party of three orders cheese fries and onion petals, you'd think the order would arrive quicker than forty five minutes from when the order was placed... I mean come on... The cheese came out of a can!!! Or at least it tasted that way! I tried one of Jennifer's onion petal things and I just wasn't very impressed... The only other time I've eaten here was after the Gate river run... Amy and I shared a burger... It was okay.... But I've had way better! During our wait we noticed that we weren't the only ones receiving subpar service... A group of people seated near us waited a long time before finally leaving... The funny thing is their food arrived shortly thereafter! Instead of throwing out the food the waiter walked to a couple of tables and asked if they'd like to have the meals... At the first table I heard a guy ask... Is it free??? Of course upon hearing they wanted half price the guy turned down the food. I have no intention of ever eating here again, although if I'd like to have some drinks... I'll probably stop in again for that!!
(2)Court G.
I ordered the wings - half hot and honey barbecue. Really good wings! Nice crunch on the outside and I ordered all flats yummmm. I'll be back. Nice kickback atmosphere with a young vibe. Waiter was super nice on a late Friday night.
(5)Gerald R.
Its a bit rough when you come in but the food was good..it feels more like a bar then anything else...best thing about this place is you can order ToGo & they're open until 3am.
(3)Jeffrey O.
Hang on to your horses. The food flys out like you have never seen before. The food that arrived at the table was great, but when you have to acclimate your self to the high speed service and the final meal never arrives there is a problem. The server laughed at me Over my reaction of the wild pace and the crazy service. I asked for a manager to explain my concerns and he addressed everything right away. He even gave me my meal and a dessert. I just have a problem when my server laughs at me and thinks it's funny that this pace is completely not normal. Oh and they have a great beer selection.
(2)Glenda S.
Everytime we go the food is just awesome!!!
(4)Ted F.
I'd spend a lot of time here if I lived in Jacksonville but I'll definitely be back on future visits. Something like 80 taps plus good bar food, onion peels and jalapeno buttons were the choice de jour. Lots of neat stuff on the walls and a bunch of taps on the ceiling. Music wasn't too loud and was of decent quality. Only bad thing was the menu was on the wall and you have to stand there like an idiot trying to read it; kind of awkward for the tables under the menu.
(5)Taylor M.
A great place to go and kick back. There I said it. The sweet potato fries are covered in powered sugar and have a cinnamon dipping spread. Mmmm. Did I mention the beer variety? But please, stop running out of Duke's Bold City.
(4)Meliisa C.
Good atmosphere (one time I caught live music that was really good), good food (I'm a fan of the quesadilla dipped in queso), good service. Haven't been since I turned 21 so I can't speak to the drinks but they have a huge selection. It's kind of a walk to your car but it's pretty well lit. My friend that brought me is a vegetarian and there is a lot for her to eat here too. A MUCH better choice than your other late night choices in Jacksonville.
(4)Chris C.
I like the food and there is a really good beer selection but the service is the worst every time I go. Not "oh my server forgot to refill my coke" or "the food was a bit slow coming to the table" (although both of those happen regularly), more like server drops off menus and disappears/avoids table for 33 minutes, server takes beer order forgets to bring it twice (at which point I say "forget it") and then see that it was charged to my bill. I realize that the restaurant is big but there is no excuse for such crappy service.
(1)Ape B.
Great beer selection! Hipster bar.
(4)kathryn h.
This place is a great joint to meet up with friends and share a few drinks, listen to some tunes on the jukebox and have some ok food. The beers on tap are endless, and you are allowed to sample, and mix and match the beers if you would like. The also have a wide variety of bottle beers and also make mixed drinks if you should those as well. The food can be hit or miss at kickbacks. I have had the spicy chicken wrap and it is good, and my husband always opts for the hotdogs and he loves them! However, my friends dont always make out the same way. The mac-n-cheese can be dry and crusty, and the queso cheese dip is not great, however the salsa is fantastic. FYI the menu is huge and I only had the pleasure of eating there 2 or so, so my knowledge of the rest of the food is limited, however I will ok back often for the great service and friendly environment.
(4)Jason H.
I would not normally go into a place that looked like Kickbacks but man am I glad I finally did. The entrees are HUGE. There sandwich section might be the best I have seen in a while. I would go with the Jax cheese steak or the meatball sub. I think they do most of their business at night but they are a great lunch spot.
(4)Big Hombre H.
Great beer selection, good mix of local and unique beers on tap. Mushroom spread on garlic toast with Alfredo sauce was the best thing I've tasted ever, except for maybe the Mac n cheese which was ungodly! The fried chicken sandwich was disappointing. Everything there appeared to be homemade except for the chicken patty. The Monty Christo sandwich rocked! All in all, I'd drive another 5 hours just to eat and drink there again. Wonderful experience.
(5)Lorine W.
Always a good time, get there early to get a seat!
(4)Mikey K.
I went to this place to watch a football game (which they specifically guaranteed me would be showing) but when I got there they were clueless and then acted rude when I asked about it. This happened again the following week. Same rude manager. It's a rip-off anyway.
(1)Sterling C.
Kickbacks is weird. It's a sports bar I think, but they call it a gastropub which is, you know, kind of uptown-y. But then their food is good. That's what I heard and I ate there once and just remember that it was good. But it's crazy, they have over 80 beers on tap. Like a legitimate place that's all about beer will pride themselves on 40 taps. So all I'm saying is that it's weird. You know those Skinner dairy buildings? Why doesn't someone just put 80 taps in one of those and put a bunch picnic tables and a bike rack outside? That was my aunt's idea.
(4)Kafi B.
If I could would not give it any stars. The staff is rude and antagonistic and there is no management plus their treatment of black paying customers is just down right uncalled for. I don't drink beer so I don't find any need to go back.
(1)Jeanne S.
WOW! The menu is extensive. I really wasn't expecting so many choices. Great atmosphere, great staff, excellent food. We had the Fish and chips and couldn't believe the size of the entree as well as how yummy it was. Definitely a top choice of where to eat in the neighborhood!
(4)S K.
To Whom It May Concern- I want to make a formal complaint on KickBacks Gastropub 910 King Street Jacksonville FL 32205 regarding the EXTREME level of unprofessionalism and service that has been received. There have been multiple occasions but 4/15/2011 and 4/16/2011 were the straw that broke the camels back. On 4/15/2011 at 8:22pm we placed an order for delivery with Lauren that took 5 minutes and 6 sec and she told me that the food would be delivered in 30-45 minutes. We asked if that was an accurate time as we have been told this information before and it actually took an hour and a half upwards of 2 hours to receive our food and we needed to be somewhere and just need to know an accurate time for our planning. Lauren assured us the food would be here in the time frame promised. As I was ending the call I could hear Lauren telling another person there that we were difficult. We called back at 9:22pm after the promised delivery time and Lauren said that the drive was now on there way. The same thing happened again with Lauren making a comment about us as we ended the phone call. The food did not arrive for ANOTHER 30 minutes after we spoke with Lauren. On 4/16/2011 an order was placed at 10:08pm with again Lauren and she said that it would take no more than 1 hour for the food to be delivered. At 11:15pm a called was placed again to find out the ETA. Lauren said that it would not be more than 20 minutes. At midnight Marcus called back to find out where the food was. Lauren said that they were busy and she was sorry. We said that this was unacceptable. We then asked to speak with a manager. Lauren said that the manager had stepped out. Lauren proceeded to argue with us and state that we were wrong. We said that if the food showed up cold he was not going to pay for it and take it back. Lauren continued to argue with us and stated that the kitchen was slow and began putting the kitchen staff down. We asked for the owners name. Steve Flores came to the phone and id himself as owner. We told Steve the issues with the service. Steve said that they are busy and refused to acknowledge the extremely poor service and the rude employee and the way she spoke with us. Steve said the reason the food was taking so long was because he was building a 3 story building across the street. We asked what that had to do with the situation. Steve continued to argue with us. The delivery driver Brian finally showed up. We told him the situation and he showed us the ticket and stated that the order wasn't placed until 10:42pm. When Brian was leaving he flipped us off. We asked how that was professional and he said he didn't care. We told him that we would complain to management and Brian said that management would believe him and not us and he wasn't worried about it. When Brian walked out the door he gave the sign language sign for f you and came back to the door and flipped us off AGAIN. Our apartment building has camera's and we have it on recording. When we told Steve that his driver flipped us off he wasn't concerned nor did he apologize or believe us. Steve then proceeded to say that he wasn't worried who we complained to because he wasn't corporate and wasn't worried about word of mouth. At that point we terminated the call because we couldn't believe everything that just happened. We want to bring this to the public attention because with the current state of the economy people should appreciate money spent and not act in such an unprofessional manner and for the owner to tell us that they don't care about our business and nothing is going to happen..Shame on him! Is this fair when the business was in the wrong and then treated us like we were the problem??
(1)Kayla K.
My husband and I went on a Sunday night (normally when restaurants are not that busy). It was almost 15 minutes before a server greeted us to take our drink order. Then we ended up waiting about 10 more minutes before we even got those drinks. Our server sat them down and walked away without even offering to take our food order. We assumed he would be back shortly but it ended up taking him another 10-20 minutes to even take our food order. We of course waited forever for this as well and when the food finally came out, my food was all wrong. I ordered a three-meat sandwich and ended up getting an all veggies sandwich. I order onion strings but got fries and our waiter came back half way through the meal to see how things were. When I informed him that my order was wrong he questioned it and then brought me out a different sandwich by the time my husband and completely finished his entire meal. I never even saw the onion strings. I asked to speak to a manager but was informed that the waiters were their own managers so I asked that my meal be deducted from the bill. My waiter explained that this could not be done and that the food cost still needed to be paid for (despite that fact that I had hardly eaten anything). Then he told me that had he known that I wanted onion strings instead of fries (which he did because that is what I told him when I ordered my meal) that he would have corrected that as well. After arguing with us the waiter grabbed the check and stormed off. Once we finally got the order corrected and my meal deducted from the check, we get it back to see a 20% gratuity added! Once again I went up to a group of waiters and complained about the service and our situation and they argued but finally deducted the gratuity from the bill. Needless to say, we didn't tip well and when we left our waiter and two other employees chased after us when we left. Insanely horrible service...We will not be back!
(1)Jerry J.
The food is not terrible, but don't expect great service. I've eaten here a few times in the past and the food was tasty. However, on my most recent (and cosequently, finaI) visit, I waited for 45 minutes after i placed my order for the food. That is, at 45 minutes in, I left cash on the table for my drinks and left. Poor, poor service, in my opinion.
(2)Jeff P.
yum yum yum in my tum tum tum
(5)Jenn S.
kickbacks. what can i say? ive been here once & i just want to go back. i LOVE their gigantic beer selection & their chicken tenders are AH-MAZE-ZING.
(5)Jennifer B.
I would have really loved this place had the service been way better. (I would also love to know how many people haven't left a terrible review because they don't want to waste even more time on this place.) Anywho, our group of 5 got there on a Sunday at about 2 in the afternoon. We were sat in the newer part of the restaurant. The bar side was busy due to NFL games going on but the rest of the place wasn't busy at all. Which led to my confusion on why our food took over an hour and why everything came out separately in 10 minute increments. We never received two of our sides or an appetizer and some of the food we did receive was inedible. We were moved from one table to another (forcing half of us to look at a wall) so they could seat a larger party. Our waiter apologized. We asked the manager to come over to our table once the rest of our food came out and he never showed his face. This place is so so so cool and it's mind boggling why they wouldn't match the atmosphere with great service. It could be the best place but unfortunately I think it's going to ruin itself sooner than later.
(1)Mary G.
An old college friend came in to town to have dinner with me. I was very excited, and wanted to show her the best Jacksonville had to offer. We were brainstorming ideas, and came up with Kickbacks, as she had recently read an article rating Kickbacks as one of the best restaurants in Jacksonville. Upon arrival, I was shocked to see how rundown the place was. The flooring seemed to be missing, all of the booths had big rips in the upholstery, and the place just seemed cruddy. We sat down at a corner booth, and I had to kick all kinds of weird trash out from under my feet. We asked our server for some beer recommendations, and he either wasn't interested in offering any recommendations or really didn't know what he had available. He just pointed to a sign on the wall and told us to pick something. The beer came to us warm, and my friend's martini was made wrong. We ordered food, which was ok at best. The food was basic, greasy bar food. I guess this type of food serves a purpose, but seeing how we weren't drunk and it wasn't late night, I could of gone for something with a little more culinary inventiveness and some fresh ingredients. Then, to really set the mood, A COCKROACH RAN ACROSS OUR TABLE AND DISAPPEARED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MY PLATE AND THE BOOTH!!!! We were horrified and let our server know what happened. He was pretty dismissive about it, and told us we could move tables if he wanted. He didn't ask us if we wanted to stay, didn't send a manager over to check on us, and didn't offer to buy us a round of drinks or dessert. Nothing. I know cockroaches happen in restaurants, but the lack of worry from the waiter makes me think cockroaches are a huge problem at Kickbacks. I'm not really surprised, given the place seemed dirty. After we moved tables, the server completely disappeared. We spent long periods of time with nothing to drink, and had to actually hunt our server down to ask for a dessert menu. Now that I'm home, my tummy is pretty upset from all the grease in my meal, I feel like I seriously need a shower after sitting in that dirty restaurant, and I'm pretty disappointed I wasted a fun night out on such a dud of a place. I won't be back, and I really don't understand how anyone gives this place good reviews. Maybe I just caught the place on a bad night, but there's no excuse for the complacency in the cleanliness of the restaurant and the quality of service. I guess I understand now how the place got so many health code violations . . . . .
(1)Kerry C.
We came here yesterday as a treat for my oldest son's 18th birthday. He considers himself a burger fanatic and we knew he'd be treated right here. LOL! My poor husband went to order a beer and when he saw the list of what is on tap, well, let's just say he was shocked. I'm too short to see the whole list on the wall, but I know there were more than 85 beers. I ordered for him one of my faves: Bold City Brewery's Duke's Cold Nose Brown Ale. It was delish and he was very happy with the choice. I think next time, I'm just going to pick a number at random. My sons both had a stuffed burger and were very, very pleased with them. One prefers his well-done, the other medium-rare, and they both got perfectly cooked burgers just to their liking. Daughter had the popcorn shrimp (rather ordinary) but the mac & cheese side dish was super! She insisted everyone have a taste and we agreed that is was very good. Hubby & I deviated from our burger routine and he had the Jax Cheese Steak and I had the Chicken Ceasar Salad wrap. Sounds like I wussed out considering the awesome looking choices I could have had, but I had a bad head cold and this hit the spot. Very fresh. Next time, I'm having what hubby had - he let me have a taste and it was awesome. The place had been rearranged a bit since the last time I was inside (hubby usually picks up take out when we eat here) and all of us had a great time looking at all the taps hanging from the ceiling. The new (to us) layout is a lot more comfortable to sit in and open and I can see how they can get a lot of people inside without it being too cramped. The bathrooms were clean. Now I will say it took a bit of time to get our food to us. The waitress kept in touch, made sure we were doing well and were not neglected. This is NOT fast food and I did not expect it to be served fast. We all agreed it was definitely worth the wait.
(5)Donald M.
A little disappointed this time. Beers on tap were limited because of work on a cooler. The burger stuffed with blue cheese was missing the stuffing. Service girl appeared to be more interested in talking with her friends than in service.
(3)VVally V.
Decent beer selection, good food, but service really dings em hard. Most wait staff appear indifferent and forget the basics--silverware, napkins for example. Jacksonville is very weak in regards to places with craft beer selections so I'll probably endure the service for another visit or two before giving up.
(2)Ryan D.
A great place to kickback and enjoy beer with friends. They have an extensive amount of beer in their menu, and they are all decently priced. Food here, they are great! Never had any doubts or problems with the quality of food from Kickbacks. They have a great selection of food. Place is usually crowded in the early evenings, however on weekends they are crowded at all hours of the evening since they are open late. Place makes a good hangout spot afterwork, or after a nights out.
(4)Jerry W.
Kickbacks is an affordable southern gastropub. They have most of the standard pub fare. They offer lots of sandwich options, all of which are pretty good. They offer lots of fried items which are exactly what you'd expect of fried pub food. They're tasty but nothing special. There a couple specific things that Kickbacks gets major points for offering all of the foods you loved as a kid: PBJ, spaghetti o's and hamburger helper. On my visit I ordered the hamburger helper since I'm a sucker for kids foods. The amount of food I was served was amazing. I think they must have served me the whole box of hamburger helper. Maybe two boxes! It also had an absurd amount of hamburger in it. It was definitly more than I could eat and not be sick. The space is cool as well with the entire ceiling covered in beer taps. The only negative I have for this one is the service is very very slow since they started construction. Hopefully that will improve once they finish.
(3)Kelly C.
Love this place. They have a Beer Bible here. It's a list of all their beers... and needless to say, it's a lot. And a lot of them are on tap. And I don't even really like beer. But it's impressive. =) And check out their ceiling! Their menu is awesome... they have everything. Seriously. Crazy burgers and sandwiches, pastas, meats, comfort food, and all-day breakfast (pancakes, omelettes)... if you have someone who's a picky eater in your party, come to Kickbacks. The only thing is that it's a tad too loud for me... but it's a pub and I get that. Oh, there's this one sandwich I got that was deep fried and was a heart attack waiting to happen. I'll never order it again because I don't wanna die but it's pretty tasty. Highly recommend coming here!
(5)Diana M.
This is a great bar with a huge beer selection. I would classify it under "hipster" and I think the crowd would agree. I haven't tried the food here, although I want to. We stopped in for drinks several times while on that side of town and it is always been very crowded. They also have trivia via TV if you like to play. If not, there is lots of people watching to take part in!!
(5)Josh B.
Pretty laid back place, very chill. Ordered our appetizer and it came out fast, and was pretty good. But our meal took 30 minutes for a burger and sandwich. The burger was ok but the Reuben was dry. Decent prices but not for the quality of food and the length of time to get it
(2)Michelle F.
As I live in the neighborhood, am a frequent patron of Kickbacks and do actually love their food (once I get it), unfortunately their service time is getting really bad :( Went in on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch, not expecting the kind of wait you'd anticipate on a Friday/Saturday night, but we ordered off the appetizer menu and waited for an HOUR AND A HALF. Apparently, they were down a fryer in the kitchen, but as there's no manager, there's no one around to correct situations such as this. I'm not sure how they're going to be able to handle the increase in food orders once they open the new space with the same kitchen capacity.
(1)Emily A.
Really, any place with 84 beers on draft is OK in my book. They have a wide range of beers (obviously) and the place is ALWAYS packed! They're constantly changing the draft selection so it's always fresh and new. Don't miss the giant board on the wall with all 84 drafts listed including the alcohol content, price, size, and name of each beer. If you have a smartphone, download the Kickbacks app and you can see the list of drafts. The ambience is casual and fun, with keg taps hanging from the ceiling and loud music playing. There is a wide range of people who frequent Kickbacks, but mostly 20's-30's locals looking for a good time, great beer & a cheap bite to eat. There are plenty of big tables for groups. But be warned - if you're there with a group and they're busy, the service can move at a glacial speed. The menu is pretty big, but not overwhelming, and it is all pretty well priced. The food is decent but I probably wouldn't go there just for the food (hint: I go there for the beer!).
(4)Katie C.
Beer, beer, and more beer! Kickbacks was the original brew bar when I moved here over three years ago, and even with all the new breweries and hotspots popping up around King St, it still hasn't lost its appeal. Inside, you'll find an almost seizure-inducing decor made up of thousands of beer taps of every color imaginable. For this reason, I prefer to sit outside. You can people-watch and enjoy the night air far away from the crowded congested atmosphere indoors. Last time I was there, I had an absolutely delicious strawberry beer topped with Guinness, and it was one of my favorite combos ever. The menu is stacked with giant heapings of classics like meatloaf, mac n cheese, and a delicious chicken cheesy dip that is always winning post 2am. That's another great thing about Kickbacks, they're open til 3 so you can hang out and absorb your alcohol for an extra hour after the bars close. Woo hoo!
(4)Jeff B.
great beer selections ( there is an app you can down load for beer list) awesome food.
(4)Bryson R.
Two words.... Monte Cristo!!!
(5)LaTiece R.
I most def will be coming back here! The service was quick as was the customer service and the food is great, although the Mac and cheese might've been given too much credit. The portions are huge and you get your money's worth, $15 should get you a big, fat entree and the appearance was pretty nice. I saw that this place offers over 70 different kinds of beers now I am not a beer drinking but I was impressed an will give it a try there! Don't let the location fool you the area is nice, try to avoid taking the Stockton exit to get there lol
(3)patty h.
My brother has repeatedly mentioned kickbacks and the awesomeness of the place at about 3am. I asked him if he had ever been there during daylight and he replied, "no". I decided to gather up friends on a baby free Sunday and made a reservation for 8. My brother scoffed that I made reservations but I absolutely hate waiting for a table especially on a baby free Sunday. We arrived early and the place was not very crowded (which I liked). Our server greeted us and took us to our table. Our server asked what we wanted to drink. Obviously, I said "beer". He pointed to the massive list on the wall that needed a super high powered magnifying glass to read. He asked what I liked (although he looked at me kind of stupidly) and brought me over a cold, delicious beer. Friends arrived and we ordered our food. I chose the epic monte cristo. That sandwich was PERFECT. I dream of this sandwich. The only thing I would change is the powdered sugar on top. Instead of the mac and cheese, I should have gotten the fried green beans (so good). I still can't get over as to HOW delicious this sandwich was. Our server seemed to be in better spirits later on in the day and was very patient with us when we wandered outside and never returned inside. Sunday funday does that to you. I highly recommend the monte cristo. I would not recommend the burger stuffed with blue cheese. There was a small amount of cheese in about a two inch pocket. I would rather have had blue cheese crumbles on top. I commend Kickbacks in putting up with my screaming daughter and helping me entertain her without giving me the evil eye. Can't wait to get my hands on that monte cristo. The sandwich is what dreams are made of. The beers are plentiful. Great place for friends!
(4)Rob M.
Went here with my wife and 18 month old daughter. Wouldn't recommend bringing a small child, but it wasn't too bad. We ordered the shrimp poppers as an appetizer, which was excellent. My wife ordered a chicken orzo risotto. I was not terribly impressed by the texture of the risotto or the flavor. It was just ok. It was only $12 on the menu so I'm not going to be terribly critical. I ordered a simple hamburger and sweet potato fries. The burger was subpar for sure. It tasted like they used Worcestershire Sauce in the mixture. Also, the texture was bad. Our server was fantastic. She really knew the menu front and back and we got a kick out of how she called us "darling". I would definitely go back, but with lower expectations for the food next time. Gotta love all the beers on tap though.
(3)Diane G.
Awesome!! BLT was mostly B which is OK by me. Deep fried green beans were delicious. Waiter made good beer recommendations with my only guidance being "I don't like IPAs". I will absolutely go back whenever in Jacksonville.
(5)Kristen M.
Food is pretty good. Isn't that great if you have to fight to park your car or wait for table. Above average for pub food, though. If you get a table, the place is fun, lively and colorful and the waiters funny and attitudinal.
(3)David M.
Today, a co-worker and I went in for lunch at around 1pm. We ordered and had to wait nearly an hour and a half before our sandwiches were served and there were only about 10 customers in the entire restaurant. Kitchen staff seemed to joke around the bar area and wait staff seemed to go in the back for long breaks. My co-workers food was cold and made with minimal ingredients and it had to be re-heated at which point it became too hot to eat. I'd like to think the service during lunch would resemble the service at night (which is usually awesome), but I see that's not the case.
(2)Jeffrey B.
Love kickbacks. The quality of the food and drink is always above par. Service can sometimes be a pain but it's worth the wait. I had the blackened mahi mahi sandwhich this afternoon. It was light and flavorful and set me off in a great mood for the rest of the day. My server Heather was super helpful and I was impressed by her knowledge of the menu and her ability to relay information about the food, specials, amd future of kb without making me feel like I was being marketed to. It's great to have a server who is proud of the establishment at which they're employed. As for the future expansion of kb, please don't sacrifice the quality of the food . It's an all too often mistake restauranteurs make.
(5)Gerardo G.
I enjoy the place. Food was good and good selection of beers. Breakfast was really good too. Waiter were kind of busy but was not hard to get their attention.
(5)Wendy G.
Kickbacks is definately a great "Local's " place to go.. I remember coming here 6-7 years ago when it first opened and there not being much, this place has grown substantially and has probably more beer on tap than any other place The atmosphere is very hipster and laid back, It is fun to go with friends and throw a few beers back The place does get very crowded and it can be difficult to get a seat outside especially The service is very good - they actually messed up my order but the waitress was very apologetic and made up for the mistake - A- ok in my book and I will be back here soon!
(4)AJ S.
Food is ok, but the reason I keep going back is the amazingly huge selection of craft beers on tap. The servers are all young, cool, and know A LOT about the beers they serve. You tell them what you're in the mood for (IPA, light beer, or even something as specific as something halfway between a wheat and double IPA), and they will have a great recommendation for you. Great NYC-style bar atmosphere with low lights, brick walls, and taps everywhere. Great little neighborhood place!!
(4)Sean C.
I've tried this place several times, and my conclusion is that it is simply not as good as people say it is. Whenever people bring up this place they bring up the beer selection and how good it is. However there is NO beer menu available, and every time I go most severs seem to have a very limited idea of what they have beyond the usual bar beers. The staff here is friendly through, and a few severs do seem to know their beers. As others have stated you can tell them what you are looking for in a beer and they will recommend what they have to you. However this has been hit or miss for me. If you don't know the exact name of the beer you want, you only have two choices. Download their "APP" using a smart phone, or walk up to a huge chalkboard that is located right behind a table. The "APP" is pretty useless as it doesn't show the whole selection, and the few times I've had a friend who's tried it out a bunch of the beers we selected weren't available, so who knows how often its updated. This leaves you to the chalkboard. Its huge, and the writing on it is so small, that it is pretty useless. Plus if there are people eating at the table in front of it (there always are) it is hugely awkward (I really can't emphasis this enough) to be trying to stare at the board which is RIGHT behind somebody eating (think teacher standing in front of a chalkboard). Its like your staring at a group of people trying to eat. So if you don't have a smartphone (I don't) your pretty much screwed at trying to pick a beer that you don't already know of. This takes out the fun of trying to experiment and try new beers. Whats the point of having this "great" selection if you don't even know what they have? The food here is just average too. Nothing really sticks out, and the wait time is pretty long. I don't really mind either of those two negatives since the point of the place is to hang out and enjoy time with friends, not trying to rush to grab a bite to eat during a lunch break. I have brought friends from out of town here on numerous occasions in a attempt to showcase a supposedly awesome local hangout, and every time my guests have been disappointed or straight up commented on how the place sucked (too crowded, noisy, plain food, non-existent drink menu). I've tried going on different days, lunch or dinner or late night, and always get the same experience. I recently tried World of Beer down in Orlando, and kick backs could take a few hints from them. They have a ton more beers than kickbacks (hundreds) and yet they seem to be able to not only have drink menus, but actually have info on the beer such as its location origin. I seem to be the in the minority in regards to this place through, so I guess I'm just weird or something.
(2)Garry B.
Very good selection of beers. Not sure about the cleanliness, it was very dark and dreary inside. Also, too loud. Our waiter seemed like he was between heroin fixes and the steak I had was only so-so. Three years later, I have not been back, though I love beer and live only two miles away. A place I can do without, but with good beer.
(2)Sabrina B.
Blue cheese stuff cheeseburger is amazing! Tons of beer choices. Great place to chill with friends! Only one negative: Luck of the draw with the servers. Have had two great and one terrible.
(5)S A.
In order to truly appreciate Kickbacks, you have to recognize what Kickbacks is. This is not fine dining, and it's not a strict bar. It serves the neighborhoods of Riverside and Avondale well, and I think that perhaps people from other parts of the city don't quite get Kickbacks. Kickbacks is open 20 hours a day, and at first blush, looks like it might have some seedy characters inside. Sure, a requirement for hiring at Kickbacks is multiple tattoos, and yes, there are patrons who show up on unicycles, but on any Sunday morning, you'll also find families straight out of a Vineyard Vines catalog. Everyone there is nice. You may not get the speediest service, but all of the servers are very knowledgeable about the vast menu of food and beverage. And if you don't like what you have ordered, they're quick to fix it. I won't even bother commenting on the beers, except to say that they baby their beer lines and the list more than a sushi chef babies his yellowtail. It's ever-changing, and the best way to find out what's on tap is to check the facebook page or sign up for their e-mail list. Their appetizers are all wonderful, and Kickbacks specializes in fried....everything. However, one particular stand out of the non-fried variety is the French Mushroom Spread. Hot, cheesy, garlicky toasts and a delicious, creamy, mushroom dip. Mmmmm....it is the best. Their sandwiches are delicious, especially the paninis. Where else can you get corndogs on a regular menu? Their salads are huge, but I'll admit, a bit uninspired. Their pizzas are delicious too. But if you're going for a full meal...the Jake and Bake pasta, undoubtedly the creation of a chef who maybe indulged in some herbal refreshment, is cajuny, creamy, and delicious, all at once. The breakfast menu is also available at all hours, for those craving a humongous waffle at 2 AM. The breakfast burrito is delicious, and their omlettes are big and fluffy. The best part about Kickbacks? They reserve tables using mannequin heads.
(4)John N.
Incredible place. If you like beer and are Jacksonville and do not go here, you are wrong. They had 84 beers on tap, and according to their app, 68 pages worth of beers in bottles. Food was good, bar food, but a step above what you would normally expect out of a bar. But who goes to a place like this for food? Service was good, our server Jody was helpful and gave us a lot of tips as to which beers we should look for. If you are in the area, definitely a place worth checking out.
(5)Amanda R.
Chill spot with great beer selection and good food. Ribs were great..Mac and cheese not so much.
(3)Emily P.
NEVER GO HERE! After an hour we still didn't have any food. Our waiter didn't care and told me it would be another 10 -15 minutes for our food because they ran out of kaiser rolls for my sandwich. Super funny cause it wasn't supposed to be on a roll in the 1st place. It was a Monday evening and there were only a few tables full. We left!
(1)Utpal D.
Food is plentiful and decent. Went there for the beers which you can't beat.
(3)Moki C.
The beer list is a work of art...and they have a handy little free app that you can download to see everything they have on tap. The ambiance was cool, taps hanging from the ceiling, kinda dark...a few beards, piercings, lots of ink and a couple of soccer moms on first dates in the crowd. The staff was all really friendly. We ordered chicken nachos and there was enough for 5 people. The chicken was really flavorful...the salsa was too sweet and totally distracted from the meat...it was the canned hyper yellow cheese (which I secretly love)...and unfortunately, we got a bunch of really stale chips. I got too full on the chicken and my Shipyard Pumpkinhead (in June...YAY!!!!) to order dinner, but my +1 got the meatloaf roulade ($13.95 with two sides and a salad)...this meatloaf was really delicious and not traditional at all covered in a white cheesey sauce. Fried green beans and fries on the side...we were stuffed! I'll go back for sure...I won't order the nachos, but I'm sure they can make a great burger.
(3)Sharon M.
I was referred to here by my hotel front desk because they deliver up until 3am. Originally we were going to eat at the Landing, but every where was closed and being that we're not from the J'Ville area, didn't feel like driving all over the place in the middle of the night. I ordered the food at 2 am and paid by credit card over the phone. They were at the room by 2:45am. Food was still hot. Their menu was extensive and I had the southwest wrap with side salad. The wrap was tasty and the salad was salad.
(3)Sarah H.
It's not a secret that Kickbacks is a local favorite. I, myself, have been dining here even before I knew it was the "cool" place to go. So, of course, when I came of legal age, this was one of the first places I wanted to go to! The focus of this joint is beer. The selection does not disappoint, with 84 rotating taps. I take advantage of the free app, since the only beer menu is posted on the wall in not-so-legible handwriting. In short, Kickbacks is one of my favorite places to go when I want to, well, kick back! So why only 4 stars? While KG is a local attraction, it is still a greasy, old bar. I guess that's some of the appeal, which I can definitely appreciate. But the restrooms are hardly ever clean, smokers by the dozens hoard the outside seating, and the waitstaff can sometimes be less-than professional. The food is pretty average. If you're looking for gourmet burgers or exquisite dishes, look elsewhere. Like I said, this is just a bar! Your best bet is going with a sandwich (although I often choose from their throwback menu; the Fluffernutter sandwich is probably my favorite, or the Hamburger Helper). It seems like every time I go there, the food is hit-or-miss. But I'm not usually there to be wow-ed by the food, so it's not like I'm ever getting my hopes too high. If you're in the area and you're a beer snob like I am, give Kickbacks a shot. The beer menu is awesome, and I definitely recommend downloading the app before entering (or ask your waiter for a good suggestion; they're usually pretty good about finding something you'll like). Side note: If you have kids, please don't bring them after 5pm on the weekend! I've gone on a Friday night, and there will be kids at the table right next to us. Why drag young children to a bar? Bring them for breakfast or lunch.
(4)Sam Z.
This is hands down my all time favorite hang out spot in jacksonville. If you like beer then this is your place. The list seems endless and the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable. The food is great and they have something for everyone. I'm a huge fan of their meatloaf, burgers, and wings. The atmosphere is the best in the city. It's usually crowded but I can still carry a conversation without having to yell. If you want to escape the crowds of unruly drunks that wander the streets of JAX beach then this place is right up your alley. One of the first things I noticed when I moved here was that the people were very rude, and segregated either by race or some stigma of social class, but I don't get that at all when I'm anywhere in the Riverside area. Here people are people and everyone is friendly.
(5)Lexie L.
The foods there is great, sadly the service-not so much.
(3)Joe S.
700+ beers on the menu -do you need to know much else?! The food is amazingly good for a place that screams dingy hipster-pub. The servers are extremely knowledgeable and there will be something on the menu for even the most staunch beer critics. The only downside, and the reason for 4/5 stars is the crowds and the parking. Apparently everyone else likes this place as much as I do. So forget about trying to find a seat on any weekend night, but if you have a little patience, the experience is priceless.
(4)Rohil S.
I give this place 3 stars only because their music is quite loud which makes it hard to carry on a normal conversation at a table. It can also get quite packed in there. However their beer list is very expansive and for that, I give props!
(3)Jason M.
Like everyone else has said, this place is fantastic. The beer selection alone is incredible. I recommend the tangerine pale ale, but they have so many beers and they rotate so much, that my personal beer preference probably doesn't matter all that much. I think the food isn't incredible, but it's reasonable for a bar. As for ambiance, it's a pretty cool, and as a nice perk, it's one of the few places that offers Sunday Ticket and all the college games, as well. Love this place and highly recommend it!
(5)Lance S.
Had a chance to visit Kickbacks for the first time yesterday while in Jacksonville from Georgia. What a great place to enjoy some good food and some outstanding beers! Anyone who has had a chance to visit some of the great beer bars throughout the country will note that this place ranks up there among the best. It was late in the evening when we arrived so we stuck with appetizers. A total of seven in all. The Nacho's are great and the portion is significant. My favorite by far were the fried clams that were fresh and breaded in house. Our least favorite were the Egg Rolls but they were still decent. For dessert we ordered the Brie in Puff Pastry and paired it with the Cigar City Creme Brule' Stout. Damian our waiter provided seller service and he gets big props for pulling out the bottle of Allagash Hugh Malone for us to enjoy. Hope to be back to visit soon.
(5)Andy Z.
average Craft beer draft is 5 bucks for a 14oz pint (shaker glass not a true pint). Food price entree wise range from 8 to 20 bucks with most around 10 dollars, but you get what you pay for. For beer selection its the best in town period. I cannot rate it higher than just OK for many reasons. First the manager is a nice guy a tad weird but nice. The actual bar part is a joke its 4 seats and all taps, you have to duck under to find a bartender. we been 4 times. The is lots of other seating. The only reason to go in is the beer. They have 60 taps and they say they are going to 80 taps, where they will put them is a big question. They have a nice bottle selection also, but beware of the prices, some can be quite a BAD deal. OK on the plus side, they are open nearly 24/7, they have trivia, and live music, I not seen a juke box you can play your own music on, but they have music during the daytime when no band is playing, lots of TVs. The bad things, well parking sucks BIG TIME. But its Riverside. The place is a tad dirty and cramped and the seats hurt. The service can be slow and lucky now days they got a big board with all the draft beer listed so you don't have to ask the clueless wait staff about a beer. Food is hit or miss mainly miss. The appetizers seem to be the best. we had the fish and chips, terrible!!! the wife had a chicken wrap that was terrible. But I had shrimp and some egg rolls that were decent. The got a retro menu also. Going to be interesting to see if they will make it here for much longer if you ask me.
(2)Jeremy R.
Excellent food! They delivered at 1030 on a Sunday night when nothing else was open besides pizza and Chinese. I am going in next time to experience their vast beer selection.
(5)Shannon B.
Came here to watch football. Called before hand to make sure they were playing the audio for the game. I was told yes. But when we got here and asked for the game we were treated like we were crazy. Or waiter was pretentious and thought he was too cool to wait on us. Was expecting a lot more. Pretty disappointed.
(2)Jenny M.
I've been here a few times and I have mixed feelings. This place is always crowded, and very loud but it seems to have a fun atmosephere and if you are a beer lover, they have an expanded menu of anything you can think of. If you come at a popular time, and expect a wait before you see a hostess, then expect a wait for a seat. Then expect to wait to see a waitress. Then expect a long wait if you order food. Generally though, they are pretty fast about refilling beers and getting drink orders in. The crowd of people that goes here is a mix between harmless hipster to the just plain sketchy. It's not my scene and I wouldn't go unless my friends chose to, but other than I have never had a bad time.
(3)Vince G.
Unique twist on classics like mac n cheese. Awesome beer selection and atmosphere. Definitely one of Jacksonville's best spots.
(4)Alex S.
TATER TOTS!!!! Also, service suffers when it's really busy. Great beer selection.
(4)Lilian O.
The beer selection here is phenomenal and the menu of beers here resemble that of an unabridged dictionary. It's almost impossible to read the beers they have on draft that's scribbled on the chalkboard. Your best bet is to tell your waiter or bartender what kind of beers you generally like and have them offer you their suggestions. I tried some beers here that I've never heard of such as the Bison Organic Honey Basil Ale from Berkeley, CA and some other ones that weren't listed on the beer menu at the suggestion of our waitress. None of them disappointed. Kickbacks Gastropub blows the other beer joints I've been to around the U.S. out of the water. Flying Saucer, The Ginger Man, The Draught House Pub, Little Woodrow's, and Winking Lizard have nothing on Kickbacks. This place is a must visit for all beer lovers.
(5)Patrick A.
Kickbacks is one of those places that you don't expect to blow you away, especially if you haven't been there before. You come inside and are immediately greeted with a familiar bar-like atmosphere, complete with plenty of flat screens, high tops and a bar. It's only after you've been there for 20 minutes or so, you start to notice things like the menu in front of you, then the immense amount of beers they have on tap at the bar and finally at the side wall where they list more than 80+ beers that they have on tap. The menu has a lot of things that you expect to find a bar, but they cleverly name themselves a "gastropub", which is a fancy way of saying "yes, we are a bar, but we also have some awesome-ass grub." From their appetizers to their soups, sandwiches and entrees, KBs has everything you could ask for in pub fare, but they do it so well that it blows your socks off. You can order up breakfast too! A friend of mine always gets the fish and chips, which are done to perfection. I always have had the sandwiches. Others get the more sophisticated entrees like the meatloaf and the cordon bleu omelette. The mac n cheese is phenomenal and so are the clam strips! And, the thing tops everything off is that you can down all their great food with any one of their many beers. Everything goes great with the right beer and their staff will definitely help you with deciding which is best for their meal. All in all, it's the best Pub in town. No doubt.
(4)steph t.
What can I say? I'm ecstatic that I moved into the delivery area of Kickbacks. They are one of my top 5 for comfort foods (and of course great beer). Our first night in our new home we had the Mushroom Dip and Bread, Meatloaf Roulade (with caesar salad, fried green beans and smashed potatoes) which we shared and peanut butter pie puck for dessert delivered. First of all, I don't expect top notch food delivered. The hold time not only in the restaurant but in the car does horrible things to most foods, so I always try to order wisely. Everything was still warm, the meatloaf was full of flavor and happily lacking of grease. The potatoes were the perfect comfort side and the green beans were still crunchy. The salad wasn't wilted and everything was packaged perfectly for transport. Even the mushroom bread appetizer thing's leftovers were fantastic right out of the fridge the next day. It was a top notch experience. Dine in when you can, but Kickback's definitely knows how to deliver their always tasty food.
(5)Jackie B.
The first thing we noticed about Kickbacks is that it was really busy for 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon, inside and out. The second thing is that it was REALLY loud. We were pretty psyched about the beer list, which was unbelievably extensive. The menu has a really wide variety. However, some of the items are just kind of "meh..." The fries tasted like they were out of a bag, and our baked brie had a weird handful of dried fruit on the plate. (OK, so maybe we shouldn't have ordered brie at a bar, but whatever...) I had a veggie panini that was delicious, but WAY too big, with some onion rings that (again) tasted frozen. My bf said that his french dip was great, though. I think that to be fair, we'll have to check it out again. Definitely check out their menu-Hamburger Helper, Ramen, and Spaghettio's? It can't be all bad!
(4)Heather Z.
As good as it gets in Jacksonville. Good food, amazing selection of beer, a laid back atmosphere and a diverse crowd. What more could you want. I wish there were more places like this here.
(5)Eric S.
Been here a several times but if it wasn't for the atmosphere I wouldn't go. The food is highly inconsistent; they must have a full staff of cooks in the kitchen that are "want to be hotshot chefs" because it seems like they want to make their mark. They are always out of something and it seems like it's the one item I want that particular time. Cherish and make use of every time you see your server... If you don't don't worry, they'll be back in 20 minutes ofter they're done talking to their freeloading non-tipping friends. The only reason as to why they get 3 stars is because they deliver until 3am with a $15 minimum perches, a price I have yet to find a menu combination in which I fall remotely close to.
(3)Ann M.
Food is good, not wonderful, but good, service on the other hand, quite bad for all three times I've been there. The first waiter we had acted like a snob because someone in my party just wanted a regular American lager (others in my party came to enjoy the craft beers). He acted like we weren't welcome if that's the type of beer we wanted. The second time we were literally there an hour longer than we should have just waiting on bad service. It was a Sunday afternoon; I would understand if it were Saturday night.
(3)Dan M.
Great place! Tons of beers with knowledgeable staff to help guide you. Food was very good as well.
(4)Honey D.
Only been going to kickbacks last year and never have I received awful service. Place was partly busy, waited for 15 minutes only to be slighted by 2 waiters. All I asked was if there was someone that could serve a party of 2. Granted, 2 parties arrived after us which received menu's a few minutes of sitting. One of the waiter eventually walked over to us w/ a menu once we started getting up. NO THANK YOU. I'm not sure if the waiters were looking at my brother and I cause we looked young or even our skin color. Regardless, bad impressions lasts for a while.
(2)Jenny G.
Kickbacks is amazing! They've always got a decent crowd, they serve food till 1am, they have great beer selection, and is the best pub in Jacksonville! Cons, service can be slow when they're slammed. Sometimes hard to find parking.
(5)Olivia T.
The beer menu is about the only reason I'd ever go back here. The food we had was pretty sub par-quesodilla and my friend got breakfast food, and we waited over 90 minutes for an order of chicken wings before cancelling them-turns out the waitress hadnt even put IN the order until ohhh, about an hour after we placed it with her. There were only about 20 people in the entire place, so it's not like they were busy, and she was kind of snippy about us cancelling the order, but after over an hour and drinking 5 more beers neither of us wanted to eat.
(2)F W.
Kickbacks is exactly what it sounds like... a place to kick back, relax, and enjoy some delicious food. The restaurant has a little bit of something for everyone. I get a different item every time I go and have continually been pleased with my dish. The portions are HUGE, but that makes it even better because you can take some home and have it later. They are open late at night and even deliver (if you live in the area). They also have a great beer selection. What more could you ask for? I guess parking...
(5)Tiffany H.
Delicious food, but horrible service
(2)Jamie M.
This place. How can it exist in Jacksonville, the world may never know. The big complain is, "The service is soooo slooooow gug gug gug!" Cheer up, dude. You're not Bobby Brown. The food and beverages take a while, but it will be there. Maybe because of the 200 people that are lining the streets to get into this place. This is a place to CHILL. Chill out, man. Order some... screw it. I'm not going to try. It doesn't matter. They have anything you can name, like some seedy diner in Union, NJ, but everything tastes like it's from the Ritz Carlton. Well, better. Best hamburger I've ever had? Here. Best sandwiches? Here. Best beer? Seriously? There are beers I have had to mail order and wait a month to get that these people have ON TAP. Saison Dupont? ON TAP. Duchess de Bourgogne? ON TAP. Witbiers. Quads. It's all here. Fresh. Clean. Come support a living legend.
(5)Kim G.
Went there yesterday with a group from work. We had a blast!! I'm not a beer drinker but the pumpkin ale with the rimmed glass was great!! Service could not have been better. Had appetizer platter and more than enough food. The Creme brûlée cheesecake was awesome! Price was reasonable. This was my 2nd time eating there in the week. Stuffed burgers and mac& cheese also great!!
(5)Shannon A.
Be prepared for just about every beer you can imagine, a long wait for a wide array amazing food, and a casual urbanish atmosphere.
(5)Matt S.
Beer Lovers rejoice! Kickbacks is here! While attending a concert at a local establishment, my girlfriend and I had a few hours to kill, and were looking for a bar to stop and have a few drinks. Thankfully, my Android comes equipped with the Yelp app, and after checking out a few different bars / clubs, I read the reviews for Kickbacks, and they led me to this awesome building of beer-drinking pleasure. I was pleasantly surprised to show up around 6 pm on a Saturday, and find the place full, but not overly packed, and we were able to grab a table. Parking was a bit of a hassle, as there are quite a few different restaurants and bars in the area, so you may have to look to the side streets to find a place to park, however it is all well worth it. Kickbacks has lots of different tables, and also a bar with a few barstools if you're by yourself. Lots of bigscreen TV's are hanging from the walls, allowing you to check out all the different sporting events, or whatever the big show on is at the moment. I noticed a lot of couples eating and drinking, but also quite a few families indulging in a big dinner while the parents had some drinks. It was a pretty fun atmosphere for everyone involved, I enjoyed the fact that I could drink a beer, eat some food, and watch the game, and it was nice for the families that there weren't a bunch of drunk idiots screaming obscenities and ruining everyone's fun. There are quite a lot of different choices as far as the food goes. Lots of great appetizers, plus the standard bar food in burgers, wings, fried goodies, and even some more off-the-wall stuff that looked pretty tasty. The beer selection is what makes Kickbacks the great place it is, though. Look towards the ceiling, and notice the hundreds of different beer taps hanging down, showering you with delicious good vibes. The beers on tap are located on a large section of the wall, and it is very impressive. They offer up lots of different samplers if you're looking to try something new. The bottled beer selection is also pretty impressive, although why you'd drink beer out of a bottle instead of a draft when you're at a place like this is beyond me! No way you can go to a place like this and not have something delicious, both beverage and food. Throw in great, friendly service, and you've got yourself one hum-dinger of a bar / restaurant / good-time emporium. Wish I lived closer to this place, I would definitely be in weekly, although I will definitely make the trip from St. Augustine every once in a while to enjoy more of Kickbacks. HOORAY BEER!
(4)Leriza P.
I've been to this place, just a handful of times. But, I can say, each time was wroth it! The last time I went, I had the "grease trucks" sandwich and the mac n' cheese. I miss Jersey! =) There was a huge portion of both, so I took home leftovers. I must say, it was still good the next day AND that mac n' cheese has GOT to be THE BEST mac n' cheese I've ever tasted. EVER. ;9 Def want to go back for more!
(4)Greg D.
Awesome food. Tons of beer choices.
(5)Rob G.
Hands down the best Gastropub in town. With a wide selection of beers on tap (over 80) and some of the best pub grubs you'll find anywhere in the city. Kickbacks is always a great choice if you want good food and good grub. I always bring my friends from out of town to KBs.
(5)Jeremy S.
Kickbacks is a cool place to hangout with friends and enjoy a beer you've never had before. The beer menu is tough because it's forever changing and you have to stand up to read the list. I've had the food, nothing to write home about. Smoke a cigarette, sit outside, drink a great beer and people watch! Trust me, you'll like it, even the cigarette.
(3)Burger G.
Our hunt for the best Burger in Jacksonville brought us to Kickbacks. The rating on our blog gave them a 9 out of 10 because this place has one hell of a burger. This burger was one of the tastiest burgers we reviewed so far. This is actually the second time we went there because we didn't think they could wow us again and they did. If you want one of the best burgers in Jacksonville you have to go there and try it out, you won't regret it. I know I'm going back many more times to eat their burger. Great job Kickbacks. For a more detailed review visit us at burgergeeksblogspot.com and see some of the other reviews we done here in Jacksonville.
(5)Nadia Fern C.
I suppose If I liked beer I would REALLY love this place. I just like it because of the atmosphere. Its a place where you can go chill and...kick back! Their appetizers are awesome. I went with two of my girlfriends on Friday and we shared cheesedip and chips for our appetizer. Two of us got the simple house salad which was very yum. The other girl, our quesadilla fanatic, got the chicken quesadillas and she did not shut up about them all not. She absolutely loved them. Sweet! If you like INCREDIBLE live music, my good friend John Earle plays there every Friday night. He seriously can play a cover of any song in this world. Have you ever heard an acoustic version of Lil Wayne's Lollipop sung by a skinny white dude with a gorgeous voice? No? Stop in for a free show, bring him a tip, have a beer and kick back! (:
(4)Ben C.
This was great my first time. Great place to drink, huge selection. The food however has been getting less and less impressive each time i go. I think i'll just drink there from now on.
(3)Natalie B.
A solid four stars for beer lovers! 60 or so beers on tap and the choices are always changing. The atmosphere is laid back and it truly feels like a neighborhood bar. The menu is quite diverse for a pub, hence the "gastropub" moniker. It's not the best food you'll ever have but it serves it purpose with the delicious beer! I have had one very good and one so-so experience with the service. Luckily I have always been in great company when I'm there. Quick tip--if you friend them on Facebook, you'll get updates on what new beers and food specials they offer! Also if you like poker, they have real non electronic poker games on Wednesday nights!
(4)Kyle S.
Pretty sure I could eat here like every day. Amazingly tasty food and a HUGE selection of beer, all in an awesome environment. I just wish there was even more room for more people and fun -- it can get crowded. Also, it's open all but like two hours in the day. Super helpful. Oh, and there's delivery. What more could you ask for?
(4)Jebs M.
our beers were incredible!!!..unfortunately our server (short hair gal) wasnt!!! she didnt even offer or suggested any beers to try and just had that look.. like we're from a different planet (this was our first time here). she really need to chill out and stop acting like she's got a stick up her a**. i would have given 4 stars if it wasnt for the bad service.
(3)Jett O.
I would rate Kickbacks with 5 stars, but sometimes the wait is extremely long. This is because of the amount of business they do and the size of their kitchen. I also don't like that they re-heat thier mac-n-cheese in a microwave. That is my only complaints. Everyone who works there is extremely friendly and knowledgeable about beer. Give it a try, I recomend the breakfast burrito.
(4)Charles B.
We were staying at the Crowne Plaza Riverfront in Jacksonville, and needed some late nights eats after finishing up work for the day. We called Kickbacks - amazing! They have the most eclectic menu that includes a featured "vintage" section - I'm talking sloppy joes, spaghetti o's, etc - all of your childhood favorites! The entrees were HUGE and tasty.
(4)Joseph E.
This place is a dive . But that is a good thing. The food was excellent . Hug portions . The waitresses are great. Beer selection is endless . Will I go again , Hell yah.
(5)Charles S.
Really a very unique place. This is a great place to go and try some new, higher end beers or drink a bunch of your old standbys. Either way, save room for food. You will find items on the menu similar to other pubs in the Riverside/Avondale/downtown area, but you will probably not find them to be as good in my opinion. I'll admit, at first, it may not look like your crowd, but give it a chance. The food and beer are great and it is a lot of fun.
(5)Jason C.
Well if you don't like beer do not come here. I personally love this place, everytime im in town I come here. Over 80 beers on tap and 600 bottle. The wait staff is very helpful. Food is great, I hate meatloaf but there version is delicious.
(4)Lindsay L.
Come here for the beer - not the food or the service. $5 for stale chips and salsa from a jar, even though the menu said homemade. So if it is homemade, I don't know who's home they mean. I find better in a jar for much less. The atmosphere, beer selection, eclectic menu options, and the location are fun. Waiting a long time for crappy food is not.
(2)Jay L.
Had to update. I've now been to KB a couple times and I still think it's great. It's just as everyone describes, casual, fun and a good time. You can wear what you want. You can look how you look. You can get a lot of good beers... I guess the only thing weird is that if you are towards the front of the bar, your face gets blocked by the beer taps. It's a great neighborhood spot and I wish I lived closer.
(4)Bingle W.
Despite going to college, I never developed the taste for beer. As a result of going to college, my body now rejects vodka and most other hard liquor. So I can't really gush about the variety of libations offered at Kickbacks since I really don't care. I know they have a lot of beer (any place whose main decor style is beer paraphernalia better be prepared to bring it). For a bar/pub, the food was prettily decorated, but wasn't mind-blowing. We started off with the beef quesadillas. The GF had the hot dogs and was mildly freaked that the dogs were longer than the bun, that they had that casing *snap* when you bit into them, that the restaurant had no relish, and that the coleslaw side was not the sweet kind. I was delighted for all the same reasons. I ordered the chicken bistro sandwich which would've been boring had it not been for the french onion and mushroom spread. I think they serve that stuff separately as an appetizer which is what I'll be ordering next time. I also had the banana bread pudding and it lacked the sweetness that makes dessert worth ordering. I think I had the same waitress as Ed L. It seemed that it took a few seconds for things to register for her. Let's see, if Ed's theory is correct and she was "new to the job" in mid-March, she should be relatively experienced by now, so I'm just going to say she's just generally spacey. So why did I give this place 4 stars considering that they specialize in something I don't particularly like, their food is only slightly better than okay, and their waitstaff floats around in the stratosphere? Because their sweet potato fries are served with powdered sugar and cinnamon butter. That's f-ing brilliant.
(4)Radin P.
I have only been here twice but will never go back. I recently went here to grab some food and drinks late with friends. It is a popular place, especially with no competition late at night, so we were lucky to get a table. After waiting 45 minutes for the chips and salsa we ordered and being ignored by the waiter with hardly refills for another 30 minutes with our main meals nowhere in sight, we left money on the table and left. We had tried repeatedly to get our server's attention with him obviously avoiding us, even looking away when eye contact was made. Of course he found the time to talk to us as he saw us make our way out. We told him we paid for our items and could not stay. He proceeded to follow us into the street screaming and cursing at us. I have heard if you are a regular and know the wait staff or are just there for beer, it is a good place, but I have never been treated so horribly and will not return.
(1)Laurie D.
Kickbacks has an amazing beer selection. Over 60 beers on draft and it seems like hundreds on bottle. They also occasionally have aged beers, which really does change the flavor of beer. I love their menu, because it actually has something for everyone. It ranges from burgers to creme brulee to ramen noodles! You can even get spaghettio's if that is what you need at 2 am. The staff has always been super attentive and friendly each time I have gone there. I also love that they have computer trivia, so you never have to be bored. Also, on Wednesday nights they host two poker tournaments.
(5)Ed L.
This is a solid three star place. It would be on the verge of 5 if not for it's diviness. Went there with my Grandson last week just to hang, chat and grab some grub. I had my heart set on a Reuben sammie and the GS got a BLT. Even with the unending list of 240 bottled and 60 draft beers to choose from, I ordered a New Castle without batting an eye, a no brainier. But it wasn't easy. Our server was (I shouldn't write what I'm thinking) 'well lets just say', new on the job. I asked what beers they have, just to be a smart ass and she said "your guess is as good as mine." She reminded me of Phoebe aka Lisa Kudrow on 'Friends'. aka Ursula on Mad About You. The girl is just a little...different? She had that look on her face that she was deep in thought about something other than the Gastropub. So, I went to work on her. Me - You don't know the beers? Her - there's so many of them. Me - how many? Her - is this a test? Me - No, I'm a customer. I'm thirsty . . . Her - So, who knows? Me - New Castle please Her - OH!! we have that. Me - Good! Her - we also have 200 some odd bottled ones. Me - Oh!, what are they? Her - they're all beers Me - I mean what kind? Her - Ooooh, there's so many. Me - a staring gaze Her - Okay, Bud, Amber Bock and Bud light. . . . Me - Stop, I'll have a New Castle draft Her - oh!, we have that Me - is this a test? Her - for? Me - you're wanting me to give up and shit up, right? Her - Smiling, I'll get you your beer sweetie. She brings the beer. She reaches down in her apron and pulls out a list of all the beers. Her - Would you like to see this? Me- naaa, New Castle if my favorite. Her - Well, maybe next time, do you know what you'd like? Me - I've never eaten here. Between the Reuben and the roast beef, which is better. Have you had either? Her - Didn't you like the Reuben last time? Me - I've never had it. Her - Well, you'll probably not like it. Me - do you like it? Her - it has sauerkraut on it Me - and Her - yea! I like it Me - does it come on rye Her - you mean bread? Me- yes, what bread do I get? Her - white or wheat Me - No Rye? Her - I could go check Me- Wheat will be fine Her - On a Reuben? Would that be good? Me - I'll take a Reuben on wheat. Her - I'll see if we have rye Me - no, no, no, that's fine She drifted away. . . The sammie and my beer was great but the entertainment was sitcom worthy. I wonder who writes her material? Genius, simple genius
(4)Jessica P.
This place is such a gem in the Riverside/Avondale area of Jax where everything seems to close at 10 pm. I love going here for the beer and the food-which is served until very late. The Mac and Cheese is the best but everything I've had so far is delicious and large portions which I usually split with someone else-and they will split the meal for you without charging extra. The only downside is the seating is a free for all-there has never been a hostess there when I've gone-and there really isn't a convenient place to wait for a table. Also, they have tons of beers and an ever changing selection, but the beer menu is written up on the wall on a chalkboard in tiny writing so it's basically impossible to read unless you go right up to it. But otherwise they have a full liquor bar and make their drinks strong!
(5)Nick V.
Victory on tap and a stuffed blue cheese burger, yum. A must stop in Jacksonville.
(4)Sharon Y. C.
Stunning list of beers. Yummy food. Love the battered French fries and brownie bites. I'd heard service was dreadful...but it was definitely very good tonight. Although the place was packed, our waiter was attentive and all the food delivered was steaming hot and delicious.
(4)Eric H.
One of the coolest bars I've ever been to. This place was made for cool people. Every beer you could ask for on tap, and the best bar menu ever. I have to say that the monte cristo is also a fave of mine, as is the mac and cheese. Where else can you get tater tots with your beer? Did I mention beer? You couldn't fit another tap handle on the bar. They are actually turned at an angle so they won't hit each other. If I didn't live 5 hours away, I would be here every night. I'm jealous of the people who live close by.
(5)King L.
This is one of the best beer bars in Florida, in fact the combination of great bar food and a huge rotating variety (I think 60 or more) drafts is rare in deed. For example, Orlando or Tampa has nothing that compares to this. The food is very good with numerous offerings on the menu. I had a kick ass Salmon Burger. They have a good number of televisions so you can also catch some sports. The only problem I had with the place is that the people that work there are kind of creepy unless you are going through the I am rebelling because daddy didn't give me enough love at home phase by piercing everywhere and tattooing my body. As repulsive as that look is the people are still nice and that is not what bothered me. What bothered me was that one of these so called dudes was allowed to smoke in a non smoking bar. He was smoking out of one of those new inventions some kind of electric smoker that puts out far less smoke than a cigarette but fools nobody. The staff was all chummy this guy so I think he might have been a staff member who wasn't working. Any kind of indoor smoke is lethal. Don't present yourself as non smoking and allow trash smokers and expect return visits from those that breath in that crap. To me it made the place seem dirty and I got a bad vibe. What a tradgedy if that is the norm because the place has the workings of something special.
(4)Andy L.
As you can see, I went from 4 stars down to 3 stars. Keep in mind, for me, that still means I will go back and recommend Kickbacks to my friends. But.....the quality of the food has taken a nose dive. This places still rocks if you want to drink beer. Best selection and high quality.
(3)Britt G.
The beer selection is off the charts, the food is diverse and its all delicious, and the atmosphere and service are great! If you're ever in Jax, you have to try this place out!
(5)Hecate D.
It's doesn't get much better for a beer lover. 84 beers on tap and hundreds in the bottle. Full menu all day, including breakfast.
(5)Grace D.
I don't get to frequent this place as much as I might like, but my experience has always been a good one (even despite the a/c not working on my first visit). Beer, beer, and more beer! If you're in the mood to try a unique beer, this is the place. There are typically over 60 beers on tap (the selection changes daily) and then a few hundred bottled beers to choose from. I tried a smoked beer which wasn't bad, but I don't know if I'd ever order it again. The environment is super casual and the crowd is diverse enough to be comfortable walking in even if you're not from around the Riverside area . The food is pretty damn good, too! I enjoyed my order of the BBQ pizza (all the pizzas come on focaccia bread) and tater tots (off the "vintage" section of their menu which also features spaghetti-o's and hamburger helper...how awesome is that?!). Also, I was lucky enough to be with friends who don't mind sharing. Mike was actually super-excited to share his salmon burger...yes, it was that good. As were the sweet potato fries sprinkled with powdered sugar and side of cinammon butter he ordered with it. I didn't get to try Tony's veggie omelet, but it was a good size and looked pretty delicious - how can you go wrong with breakfast, right?! I think the best thing about it is that you can order anything from the food menu until 3am! Their website is fickle, so if you want more detail straight from the horse's mouth I would go to their facebook page ( facebook.com/pages/Jacks… ). It's worth the trip, so go check this place out!!
(4)Ryan W.
Great place! Food is great doesn't taste like its prepared at a packaging facility somewhere. Best selection of beers in town, also a pretty professional staff who are know their beers well. Great atmosphere. If you do drink a few craft brews with dinner your wallet will feel it, their been prices are competitive though.
(5)Nick S.
Best bar in Jax that is not at the beach.
(5)Jennifer P.
30 mins for a side salad with blackened chicken... I kid you not... and no they were not busy. This was at 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and there were maybe a dozen tables combined between 3 or 4 servers... all in different stages of their meals/drinking... This kitchen is SERIOUSLY SLOW. Kickbacks=Great for Drinking, Slow for Food.
(3)Josh W.
Great beer. Good food. Get rid of all the hipsters and you get a 5. Oh and print a damn beer menu no one can read that crap on the wall!
(4)Tony M.
First visit and glad we did. Pub atmosphere with great food and 100's of beers. I had the Jake n Bake pasta & wife has the Chicken parm. Both dishes were cooked properly and great tasting. We will be back
(4)R B.
Found this place after not being able to do the tour at Bold City brewery - and it totally made up for it. Super friendly service, great food,and good size portions for sharing. We went in just to get a bite, but ended up staying for almost two hours tasting the different beers and playing the trivia. We will definitely be back.
(4)David D.
This was the first place I went to on my first night out when I moved to Jacksonville a few years ago, and since it has been my favorite place. It has only gotten better since with all the new additions. I also can not wait for the basement section to be open. Some people on here are complaining about the food...and I completely disagree. Some of the food I've had has been mediocre, but then again, there are a lot of menu items that are pretty amazing. I have even been there for breakfast and that too was pretty good. I love the beer list, and the atmosphere as a whole. I will however agree with some people that the service is definitely hit or miss. It does seem to be getting better as of late, but when they are busy, the service can be slow. However, I like to look at it like this...it is called 'Kickbacks'....i like to sit back, enjoy my beers, listen to good music, talk, and just 'kickback' with whoever I'm with. If you can go in there NOT expecting super fast service, and just enjoy your time its great. but if youre looking for a place to grab dinner and be in and out on a friday night in an hour, go somewhere else. and again, the service can be hit or miss, I've waited an hour for food, and I've waited 15 minutes. If you're able, best service for me has come from sitting at the bar. If I ever move away from Jacksonville, I will definitely miss this place.
(5)Jon H.
Kickbacks is open from breakfast to drunkness (7am-3am) 365 days a year. If I lived in Jacksonville, I could easily see myself being a regular. The first thing that will catch your eye when you walk in are the number of beer taps hanging from the ceiling joists. They immediately had me leaning toward liking this place. The atmosphere is cool, but it doesn't scream, This place will have Awesome Food, to me. It says, You will have a Great time drinking Beer here. Surprisingly though, the food is Delicious! I've had the Fat Julian and the Roast Beef Panini. Both were impressive. When I first came here, the beer selection was great. If you're into IPA's (I'm not) they seem to be continuing to keep the taps rotating. Unfortunately, on my recent visit, they were considerably lacking in the browns and ambers department which are my go-to. Apparently this beer lackness is due to less cooler space because of some construction being done to the building. Once the construction is complete, it's supposed to add additional rooms or something. The beer choices will then be back to normal or superior to normal. Here's a good article I just found that explains the current renovations: jaxbrewbitch.com/?p=4352 Kickbacks would usually be a fiver for me, but due to the current lack of beer choice it will have to stay at four until I can make it back after the construction. The food and atmosphere are still great though. Jax, please support them during the renovation. From the sounds of it, there will be great things on the horizon to reward you.
(4)Jim W.
Awesome old factory style atmosphere! Fantastic selection of beer on tap coupled with a good food menu. Subdued lighting gives it a very old-world feel.
(4)Amanda G.
They have gone downhill...the service sucks (which it always did) but the food came out in shifts...literally we all go our sides first, then 1 by 1 our sandwiches came out. One sandwich the chicken was only on 1 side...no joke.
(2)Angela W.
I have coming here for a few years now and while the food is always good, this new seating and food service "situation" is concerning. I have NEVER had to wait in a line that was forming on the sidewalk to be seated in a nearly empty place!! After placing our orders and waiting for an unusually long time (per Kickbacks' standard), the food come out in pieces. The fries came out 15 minutes before the sandwich and by the time the sandwich arrived the fries were already eaten. By the time my companion's food arrived, I was done with my meal and ready to go. I have always enjoyed the atmosphere at Kickbacks and understand that they are undergoing changes and trying new things to draw in a different clientele, however, with this type of service they will not only dissuade new customers from becoming regulars but will also drive away the faithful customers that have made them what they are today!!!
(2)Carlos C.
I've been here a ton of times before but this is my first time since I started yelping. This place is always packed to the max and finding parking can be a chore. The last few times I came here the food took exceptionally long to come out, well over an hour. There were also some times where servers have been less than acceptable, for example, not returning to our table for very long periods or even to say hey, sorry for the long wait but your food should be up soon. I was starting to give up on good ole Kickbacks but still had a glimmer of hope for them. Today was very busy due to the Playoffs being aired on the multiple TV screens. The service was pretty good despite the place being so busy. Our food came out at a reasonable time as well. I was pleasantly surprised with them all around on this visit. The food here is all pretty delicious. I've tried just about everything here. The funnel cake fries are a must get for me whenever I visit and I recommend everyone try them. So delicious!
(4)Georgette G.
Went with the family. It was great. Our waiter was great. He helped us pick out drinks and food. Food came out quickly and was delicious. We will be back soon
(5)Tyler L.
Recently tried this place for lunch just because it's something i have never tried before. The decor is something out of an imagination. Walls covered in pennies and lights that look to be from a hundred years ago and to top it off, a spiral staircase, name another restraunt with that. Ha. But the menu is endless with possibilities. I tried the French Dip sandwich (roast beef and provalone) and it was amazing. Also tried some apps; fried shrimp, mazarella sticks and lumpia, they were all amazing. Prices are pretty decent, better than expected. Food comes out in order of whatever is dine first. So your mashed potatoes could come last while your sandwich came first. In order to keep the food hot, it doesn't sound like a half bad idea. The patio had a fire place with over-head dual heaters, and dogs are allowed on the patio. I didn't check out the bar but rumor has it that it's great as well. Only complaint is that the menu is too amazing to choose just one thing to eat! Riverside does not disappoint. 5 stars.
(5)Heather P.
I love Kickbacks! I've been a few times and it's on the list of places to take friends and family when they come to visit - mostly if they enjoy a wide array of beers and interesting atmospheres. I've had a few different things on the menu - shrimp skewers, creamed corn nuggets (I crave these all the time) and even their monte cristo - which I'm ALWAYS trying to find a place that makes them since they're SUPER messy to make at home ;) It's a little dark inside, which is no problem for us young folks, but it did make our in-laws pull out the flashlights on their phones just to read the menu. You also have to take a look at the ceiling - TONS of bar taps hanging which is clever. It can be a little packed at times and due to how the tables are set up it can be a little tricky trying to move around. They're currently undergoing construction, so pardon their limited bottle selection - I can't wait to see what they'll look like once the expansion is finished. They also have an app on your phone that lists all the beers on tap, bottled beers and I think events too.
(5)Anna H.
Lunch here yesterday. First and last time. I really get the pub concept and if my quest had been to try a massive selwction of beer this would have been the place, perhaps. I was greeted by one of the several servers who aske where I wanted to sit, i would have like a seat where one of the many Television had the volume below 9. I prefer table or booth. Many of the booths had cushions so warn the crumbling foam was well exposed. Next choice a table looking into the kitchen. No no I have worked I way too many restaurants to want to see behind that curtain. By the 4 table the server was like WTF? but I was content. I ordered a glass of white wine their top choice Kendall Jackson, I was afraid to ask what the house wine was. When my friend arrived she asked to change seats again. So off we go to a 4 top. Everyone happy and ready to order. My friend had Wings and French Fries. Huge portion of fries but tasted pre cut. No comment on the wings but she left quite a few. Nothing on the menu spoke to me so I took the stuffed burger Blue Cheese stuffing and Sweet Potato fries. Med. My normal is med rare but I did have that brief peek into that kitchen. Small over cooked lump of meat huge, bun. I decided to pass on the bread and cracked open the pattie not a hint of anything inside. Then I gave the fries a chance. Sprinkled with what Powered Sugar? Gross. The few I could find without the sugar were fine. The only bright spot in this experience was the service. I would give them 5 Stars. There is some new expansion taking place so many people must love this place, I am not one of them
(2)Amber R.
The bar is swarming with fruit flies. My shoes were sticking to the floor. The place smelled like vomit. I couldn't see the bar tender due to all the beer tabs across the bar. Don't even bother ordering food unless you have nothing else to do for the rest of the day. A plate of chicken wings takes 45 minutes and that's at 11:00 in the morning. I can't imagine how long they would take if the place was busy.
(1)Jo El S.
Mention the name "Kickbacks" and people's faces light up like they're reminiscing their favorite Christmas memory. People LOVE Kickbacks! My favorite part of Kickbacks Gastropub is the hundreds of beer taps from around the world hanging from the ceiling like little painted bats. One feels as if they're falling down the rabbit hole of a beer tap hoarder with an O.C.D. problem. It's fun to see how many beers you can recognize! A massive chalkboard proclaiming a hefty list of all available beers hangs over a dinner booth. The best part is standing next to booth while reading the board and having the occupying dinner party there poke fun of you for your indecisiveness! It's a little awkward but it's also part of Kickbacks charm. It fosters conversation between beer loving patrons and also gives you helpful recommendations. The most talked about beer is the "Pumpking." It's a Pumpkin Ale with a rim of crushed Gingerbread along the glass (like salt for a Margarita.) Patrons compare it to drinking a cold, frothy Pumpkin Pie. The best part of Kickbacks Gastropub is how they single-handedly eradicated crime in the area surrounding of the King Street District. If you don't believe me, read this amazing article! metrojacksonville.com/ar… Vast beer selection, eclectic wooden decor, and vanquisher of crime make Kickbacks Gastropub the crown jewel of King Street!
(4)John S.
Really good food. 70 beers on tap. Can't go enough because I live on the other side of town, but it is a favorite.
(5)Cocobe L.
First thing I noticed is my shoes were sticking to the floor when we came in...okay it was Sunday afternoon, I guess that is okay, right? ...Terrible service but the food is prettty awesome (which is what most fried food is) when and if the waitress will bring it to you, it was Sunday afternoon, they were not slamming or even that busy.... the ambiance is spot on for grunge steam pubs but we got the worst waitress, great retro look but terrible server, they have food runners and she was in the weeds, or just a bad waitress, never saw her after orders, no refills, everyone okays?!!! Will go back but ask for a different server or after reading other reviews go ask for it yourself. The place is amazing for Jaxs, really awesome new area that is so steampunk. BEER BEER BEER and more beer, like a beer dream garden... This is a must go, breakfast all day with BEER or no Beer...bring patience and ask for double triple condiments when you order cause waitress may never return, except to give you the check. Maybe because we were not drinking beer, wait hubby had a rolling rock and he had to beg for that to be brought to him.... The jalapeno poppers were very tasty and the plum sauce is delicious ask for two when you order waitress may ignore your request for more. I had the vegggie panni, asked for no mushrooms, OF COURSE she forgot to write that down. Not sure what hubby had but he ate it and licked the dish, my friends had to grab someone else to get their requested dressings for the house salad which looked decent. All in all great idea but with service that sucks great ideas FAIL miserably... get some professional wait staff and lose the dead ones. This place will be awesome when these guys lose their asses due to horrible service and someone who knows how to run a resturant takes it off their hands....WAKE UP DUDES and hire an awesome wait staff! Your food is pretty darn good but not so fantastic that it makes up for an incompetent staff.
(2)Stephanie T.
I love this place, the food, the brews, the owner, etc. So glad they're expanding. Also open late night so you can stop by after visiting the bars around the corner.
(4)Shelley M.
This place actually has its own app to help you navigate their awesome beer list. Over 100 beers are on tap any given night, plus bottles. As if that wasn't enough, they have great food. It's stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, like macaroni and cheese with bacon on top. I enjoy the pork tenderloin, while my husband often goes or the mahi skewers with a side of FRIED green beans. Yes, really. Love this place.
(5)Christina M.
Being from Fort Lauderdale we do not have many gastropups, some here and there nor none like Kickbacks Gastropub. We came here and although parking was a little bit of a pain, it was well worth it. We came on a Friday night and we were taken aback at the decor, it's definitely one of a kind. The atmosphere is extremely laid back with loud music and several televisions. I only wish we would've sat at the bar. Our waitress was good, very attentive to our needs and I never had an empty cup. We got chicken wings as an appetizer, and they were good. Not great. Our food was good, too. I don't remember anything spectacular about the food but we certainly enjoyed ourselves. This is a staple of Jacksonville and a must see if you are in the area. I will definitely without a doubt be coming back to Kickbacks.
(5)Mick C.
"You will get your food as it's ready" the waitress says. My fries came 10 minutes before the burger showed up. So I had no fries to eat with my burger. My girlfriend ordered a pasta dish. When she received it, it looked like a bowl of soup, it was missing the pasta completely. The new remodel is really cool but every aspect of the service quality sucks.
(1)Eileen B.
Was here last night. Draft beers were warm. Staff was rude, frequently heard saying "Move" and "Get out of the way" to patrons who were standing by tables. No "Excuse me", no "I'm sorry you can't stand there". Sandwich and order of fries took 1 1/4 hours to be served and when asked about the long wait, server was dismissive..."normally, it's at least an hour"...an hour for bar food and warm beer?How is this place still in business? Maybe when the expansion is complete, the beer will be cold and the food will be delivered more rapidly, but the staff will still be rude.
(1)Yelp E.
I have been to Kickbacks, probably a total of 3 times now. The first two times I had been drinking at the bars on King Street, and had come in and got drunk munchy food. The days after those two times I had been really sick, but I blamed it on all that alcohol. I ate here last night, without getting any drinks beforehand. I have never been more sick that I am today. I will never eat at kickbacks again.
(1)jill b.
I used to be a fan of Kickbacks. Everything from the service to the food to the longtime bartender made this establishment stand above the rest. I do agree that the place needs some revamping and renovations. Sometimes the bathroom was a little scary in the old place, but that's what made it cool. Hometown grunge was part of its character. You don't have to worry about creepy crawlers in the bathroom or a broken chair at your table anymore. There's a new Kickbacks in town and it's beautiful! The owner, local artists, and staff did an amazing job with the decor. It's downright fantastic. Too bad the decor is the only positive thing I can share in this review. The wait staff (in the new bar/dining area) is rude and unprofessional. Our waitress (had her twice) was a complete bee-atch. She did not want to be there and could have cared less about her guests. Our food came out in 30 minute intervals and tasted terrible. It was so disappointing. It was a Sat night and they were not even busy (old part of the bar was, but not the new dining room). So, we walked out and went across the street to The Blind Rabbit. We all agreed we should have went there first. The wait staff was amazing and even when our server took a break, another young man stopped by to let us know he would be taking over for her for a bit. The "B" at Kickbacks disappeared for quite awhile, forgetting our drink order, and appetizer. It was cold when she finally brought it. When we asked her about the beer selection, her reply was, "We have over 400, I can't possibly tell you them all." Duh, "B", we didn't expect you too! Give us your favs or recommendations, or ask what type we typically like?! My advice to anyone thinking about trying the "new" Kickbacks is to eat in the old portion of the place if you can. Or better yet, go to The Blind Rabbit instead!
(2)Patricia M.
I've been going to Kickbacks for years and always enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, since the addition has been completed, they serve all their food separately. If you order fish and chips you will finish the fish before the fries even make it to the table. Same with a burger and fries. Other parties at your table will receive their food in the same manner. No two items come out together. The wait staff doesn't know which table ordered what, so on top of having to make many trips to serve the food, they're running around like crazy trying to figure out where it goes. It's really quite sad, this used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I gave the 'new' Kickbacks three chances, at least there are plenty of other options in that area now. My friends and I will really miss this place.
(1)Jason C.
You know besides the food taking 45 minutes this is a good little place to visit. Food is good. Server was personable. They are getting ready to expand with over 200 beers on tap. I am not a beer drinker but sounds like options.
(4)Andrew F.
Its alright. great selection of beer !
(3)Zin Z.
Dirty, Dirty,Dirty. Horrible Service. Food below average. many people smoking outside near front door, so you have to walk through smoke to get in. Will Never go back.
(1)David H.
Food here is excellent. Have never been disappointed with a meal. Everything from the pizza to the seafood is amazing. Also they have a very extensive menu. With that being said; service here is lousy, the place is filthy, the other customs can be rude. Wait times for food can easily exceed an hour. With all the problems this place has I recommend somewhere else. Lots of places to eat in riverside/Avondale that offer great good without the headache.
(3)Darrin S.
Horrible service. Walked up to the host stand, the host asked how many in the party and then turned around and ignored us for 5 minutes. Finally brought to a table, then sat there for 15 minutes with no one coming by our table to acknowledge we even existed. We just finally stood up and walked out. I will never go there again and would not suggest anyone go there if they want a pleasant experience. Very unprofessional staff with no consideration for guests.
(1)Mary T.
Very chill atmosphere, very proper and diverse place. Very pleased with the food and staff but I was very sad they didn't have fried green beans for me that day.
(4)Carole Z.
New place needs to work out the kinks a bit ... Good atmosphere though ... But for Pete's sake ... Take the "boba cacio e Pepe's" off the menu ... That may be the worst food I've ever encountered ... It looks like deer scat with eggs on top .. And tastes horrible ( well no taste to the black ball things ... And very salty eggs )
(3)Alex M.
This is probably one of my favorite places in Jax. Great atmosphere, huge and excellent selection of beers, and the food is very good. I had the cajun pasta one of my previous times. It was delicious. Didn't really care for the Mac and Cheese though. I'd been there a couple times on Thursday night. They had an organ and guitarist duo playing jazz. The previous time they had a trumpet player and organ duo also playing jazz. Real cool. Kind of a unique treat here in Jax especially with a stagnant music scene.
(5)Jessica S.
Funnel cake fries....nuff said.
(4)Kristin K.
Very cool Gastropub !! Tons of beers in tap! Meatloaf is good and the Mac and cheese has bacon which is always yummy! Great service and knowledgeable staff on beer selection! Not a place for kids even tho there were quite a few tables of them parking is a slight challenge.
(4)Erin K.
They keep 90+ beers on tap everyday and they have amazing food. They are constantly busy, and it may take a while to get a table, they have a lack of servers, but they stay attentive and are friendly. They play good music and the overall vibe is great. It is a go to hangout spot for my friends and I!
(5)Connie K.
great place for good food and a beer with friends!! service can be a little slow but it's a good place to hang out with friends. would recommend sweet potato fries as a must have, but I have yet to try a food item here that hasn't been good! amazing beer selection for beer lovers
(4)Jessica R.
Came in for lunch with the bestie during vacay. Lots to look at on the menu. Ordered a jax cheese steak with onion petals. I was not a big fan of the sandwich. Service was good. Seats could be reupholstered. Loved the beer taps on wall. This is definately a drinking establishment.
(3)DeeDee H.
I am in LOVE with this place! We came on a Friday evening, probably before the Friday night rush. We were seated right away, no waiting! It's kind of dark, but not in a bad way. They have beer taps hanging from the ceiling, which I thought was pretty neat. TV's everywhere for those of us that like to watch a good football game. Or you can play a game with other patrons. The staff was very friendly, even though our waiter seemed to get distracted easily. They have tons of beer choices, wish I could learn to love different beers, but I am a Mich Ultra kinda girl! I like my beer in a bottle and ICE cold, I got the bottle but it was not ICE cold to my liking. I'm kind of hard to please in that area, sorry! Got the stuffed shrimp jalapeño poppers, they were yummy. I think they may have been frozen, but still tasty. I ordered the blackened fish wrap, and that my friend was deliciouso!!! My side was onion pedals, which seemed to be frozen as well, but still good. He got the feta cheeseburger, it was okay. I didn't get any of the feta, which I am sure is what actually makes that burger tasty. Will for sure be back!
(5)Antonie S.
I give this place zero stars. Ordered grilled wings and majority of them came out burned. The manager refused to take the food back or offer properly cooked wings. Instead the manager offered to take 25% off the price of the wings but enforced a 20% gratuity on my bill. An off duty officer is called in to write me a citation if I did not pay for the wings. He checks the wings and agree they are clearly burned. This restaurant still wanted to enforce me to pay for the wings because I ate 1 wing and noticed on the second wing that a majority were burnt and turned over so you couldn't tell they were burnt. I agree with some of the other post, this place has poor customer service and no one cares.
(1)Matt M.
I worked in this area for three years and I avoided it like the plague. I guess I was put off by the people drinking beer at 7:00 am on the patio area as I headed to work. I should not have been so critical. The food is good, the clientele eclectic and service is fantastic. If you go, try one of the following: BLT Pizza Breakfast #1 Monte Cristo Sandwich (just like Bennigans) Creme Brûlée Beer Great place inside, kind of rough looking outside.
(4)Nathan S.
Cool place, great atmosphere! Really, really, REALLY need to get drink menus though. As a college kid, I'd like to know how much I'm spending on a bomb, shot, or beer. Awesome music. The area around the bar is very seedy, but the place is safe. There's a section of the menu with "vintage food." Basically stuff that costs less than $.50 is hiked up 6x that, but whatever!
(4)Adrian G.
Was looking for a good place to eat in Jacksonville and on Christmas Day there are not many places open but a few ppl around town recommended the gastropub. Let me tell you that the place looks amazing. The architecture and design of the place is top notch. It has a rocker hipster medieval look going on and it's very impressive. All this attention to detail one would think the food is very good right? I ordered the New York strip and I'm normally very skeptical ordering a steak from a restaurant that isn't a steakhouse but it was very good. I was with a big group and was able to try a variety of different plates as this restaurant has a very diverse and extremely unique menu(just look up the Thor lol) I recommend sticking with burgers and the steak as it was the best I've tried out of everything we ordered in the group. One odd thing is that since it's technically a pub they do not have heating lamps. So they bring the sides and everyone else food as soon as it's ready not really a big deal for me. I read a lot of reviews and people were complaining about the type of people that work there. I did not experience "disgusting trashy looking people" in fact the waiter was well groomed tall and professional. Sure the people who work there have tattoo sleeves and piercings all over but that just adds to the charm of this place. As a bar this pub deserves 5 stars as a restaurant it's more 3 and a half but I enjoyed and would definitely go back.
(4)Monica C.
The food is good - but the wait times are the worst. I'm not even talking about when they are slammed busy. It was during Sunday brunch and they were pretty empty. I understand they are a cool/hip place (i.e., Gastropub) - however I want to a place that is cool, hip and good.
(2)Liz G.
On my latest trip to Kickbacks (12/31/14) the hostess was absolutely annoyed that we asked to be seated. After we were seated, we were once again treated to outrageously bad service. This is not something I can overlook anymore. Like other reviewers have pointed out, the food comes out as soon as its ready, regardless of whether its an appetizer or main course. Some of my party refused to eat (based on manners that were drilled in to them over a lifetime) until everyone had been served. Food was cold by the time everything arrived. Kickbacks needs to get real. This isn't LA - no movie stars or celebrities frequent your establishment. You can't be mean to your customers and serve cold food and expect people to return.
(2)Aleema A.
I was recently in Jacksonville for a friend's wedding when he suggested we go here. I only got to stay for one frothy brew but I would definitely go back if I had the chance. One very cool thing about this place is the ceiling. The have glasses and bottles all hanging down and it was definitely a cool touch. They have a ridiculous amount of beers so anyone who enjoys any kind of beer can have a drink at this place.
(4)Erik V.
I'm a Jacksonville native who now lives out of town, and I always try to hit up Kickbacks when I'm here. I love this place -- awesome vibe, crazy drink selection, cool new space, delicious food at great prices, etc. I hate to say it, but my visit last Friday was pretty lousy. The place was lively but not packed yet... just criminally under-staffed. Our group of 5 ordered two beer flights, nachos, and a glass of wine, but after 45 minutes, the flights never arrived. Our server (who had to cover half the restaurant, the poor guy) looked embarrassed and then actively avoided our table. We eventually were able to flag him down, asking to cancel the flights and just pay for the wine & nachos and leave. 10 minutes later he returned with three flight glasses of random beers on the house, apologizing, with the excuses of the place being slammed, the beers we ordered were out, and the bar was out of flight glasses. (All of which is totally understandable... if only he had told us an hour earlier.) We waited another 15 minutes for him to bring us the check, but he disappeared, so we left $20 on the table and took off, feeling thirsty and betrayed. I'll probably return to Kickbacks in the future, just because my good experiences here have outnumbered this bad one. But a warning: if you wander in and see one server covering half the restaurant, don't waste your time. Kickbacks has a beautiful new space... the management just needs to bring more servers on board to maintain it. At least, during the dinner rush on Friday nights. You done messed up, Kickbacks! Get it together! See you next time. :)
(2)Angelica G.
I am highly disappointed in what kickbacks has become. I was super excited about the updates and the new addition but I am not excited about the quality of food and service. The food use to be amazing... Not anymore and I gave it more than one try and they failed me both times. They now bring out the food as it is prepared which is a joke. My fries came out before my sandwich and my sandwich did not come out until 15 min later. The waitress even told us that is how it is now, which I do not agree with at all!!! Not to mention the waitress when I asked for more water proceeded to pick up my cup and tell me that I already have water. I honestly hope they get their ish together because this use to be one of my favorite places.
(1)Colby S.
This place has an outstanding selection of beer. If you appreciate craft beers, this place is solid. Also, they have surprisingly good food. I wouldn't have expected this from a place like this, but it is tasty and of high quality. They also serve weird stuff like Ramen, Spaghettio's, grilled cheese sandwhiches and other cheapo college food. If that's what you are craving, they've got it...
(5)Kendall N.
If you don't want to delivery late. Don't advertise that you do. If you do not want to make a delivery. Just say we are not making deliveries instead of putting people on hold for more than 10 mins.
(1)Erikka N.
84 beers on tap, need I say more!
(5)Twinkle W.
So I read about this place on movoto.com's review of Jacksonville restaurants to eat at. I will by and large agree that the food here is tasty, but I have a few complaints to go alongside the quality of the food. First of all, I ordered a dry gin martini and it came to me sweet as sugar. Thankfully this was remedied, quickly. Second of all, about two bites into our meal a medium sized cockroach ran across our table!!!! OMFG GROSS! We immediately called our waiter over and told him " a cockroach just ran across our table" and he responded with "oh, I believe it" with out any hint of shock, disbelief or disgust. Because the restaurant was undergoing construction and the cockroach hadn't touched our food we agreed to be moved to a high top table. Third of all, in light of the cockroach incident, not even one item of our bill was comped. One of the diners was a long term waitress and commented that at least one item should've been comped. Last of all, the service was mediocre at best. Our waiter seemed aloof and uninterested in leaving us with a strong impression. Considering it was a Tuesday night, this seems highly unacceptable. I won't be going here ever again, obviously, but if you're bold enough you should probably wait until construction is through to avoid cockroaches.
(2)Jen B.
The menu is so large it is very hard to choose but since I went at 11:30 am I decided on breakfast. For $8 I got a ton of food, eggs, sausage, toast, potatoes, a waffle. The waffle was the best part. Least favorite were the eggs but, to be honest, eggs were never my favorite anyway...these lacked fluff. In past visits I've also had the veggie panini and it was pretty good. Other pluses: they have over 100 beers on tap, breakfast all day, tons of sports on tvs. Kind of Minuses: it's small and a bit crowded....but I hear they are expanding so they will be one of Jax's largest bars! I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative but they also have Ramen, Spaghettios and PB&J on the menu. (: Tips: I think it's a great place to go and hang out....get there early if there is a big game on, don't park where it says parking for a particular business only, and it's seat yourself!
(4)T R.
Great beer, friendly servers, and reeeeeally good Food! Lot of vegetarian choices also. We sat outside around 11pm & the whole area just seemed kind of cool. Was a good atmosphere. Food took a while to receive, but thats what beer is for!
(4)Amanda C.
For being a bar, Kickbacks has some seriously good food!! Their wraps are delicious and fresh, their pasta dishes have HUGE flavor and the taco salad is gigantic. Those are just a few examples of their wonderful food. They also have soo many different kinds of beer it would take years to try them all, especially since they seasonally change some up. It is a fun atmosphere for all and a great jewel in the Riverside area of Jax. I would recommend for everyone.. Right now they are actually in the process of expanding so there will be more seating and parking! Improvements to an already awesome establishment.
(5)Ryan K.
IT MUST BE A FLUKE! or CUZ I CAME IN DURING THE WEEK. Sat down at the bar at 2330 and ordered a Ruben Sandwich and it came out quicker than a McDonald's drive-thru, about 5 mins. Fastest service ever experienced since the numerous times if been here.
(4)Jennifer F.
Very likable place. The atmosphere is very sports bar like. The food is amazing, I've yet to try anything on the menu that I didn't like, and because they've both eat-in, carry-out, and delivery with-in a two mile radius of the restaurant, it makes it extremely easy to decided whether you want to enjoy a sit down or just a stay at home meal. From spaghetti-O's, French Mushroom Spread, The Fat Julian, Fluffer Nutters, and make your own pasta, pizza, or omelette, there's always something for everyone, and every mood. The whole menu is served at all times which makes eating pancakes, french toast, or waffles acceptable at 11 o'clock at night. Being open from 7AM to 3AM is also a huge plus. When everything else is closed and there's that one night where you get off work way too late to cook something that isn't "fast food", Kickback's makes it easy. The staff is amazing, and the customer service is awesome for the amount of business they do. Be it slammed or super slow, the staff seem to always be at their best. Kickback's Gastropub is definitely one of Jacksonville's best gems.
(5)Deepan M.
Large selection of beers. You will get confused trying to figure out what you want. The more confused you get, the more you drink, the better the night gets!
(3)Howaida M.
Great atmosphere, fun place and good food.
(5)Anthony Y.
This place is terrible they messed up my order first. Order a chicken parmesan. They person who took my order wrote down the wrong thing. I call and advised her of it and it appeared not to be a big deal for her. I also waited for almost 2 hrs for my order to be delivered. And IT WAS WRONG. I called to talk to the manager he was not helpful at all. He advised he would call me back to let me know. I am still waiting tic tic tic
(1)HeaLa N.
UGH - food poisoning from the green beans... Both my boyfriend and I ate their fried green beans and we became very ill with staph food poisoning. It is a bummer because it was our first time there. I did let the staff know by calling the next day, but their response was tepid at best. The beer was great. :) Too bad I will not be going back.
(1)Miriam L.
We were looking for a restaurant in between Tallahassee and Savannah to meet my daughter and her FSU friends for dinner. We wanted something relaxed and fun with great food. After reading the reviews we decided to give Kickbacks a try. What a stroke of luck! It was perfect. We had so much fun - the food was amazing and our waiter Stephen was absolutely the best. Chet, the host was so welcoming and very entertaining. We loved him! We will return if we are ever town again. You must have the French mushroom appetizer!!! Stephen recommended it and we are soooooo grateful he did. It was just the vibe we were looking for. It made our day!
(5)Erika D.
The last 3 times I have gone to Kickbacks, since they have opened the new addition, has been sad and leaving me hate the fact I just spent money there. I have been there all around the same time, between 5-8pm on a Sunday. Three hours long for food and service is not my idea of 'kicking back', especially if I can't have my drink (a coke) till midway through my meal. My friend was able to get his beer 20 minutes after ordering it, which was nice. Sub par service, food, and drinks for the price. They have a new system in place where they always come back and tell you what you order isn't in their kitchen and your sides come out without your entree leaving you to eat cold fries or devouring them without a 'well' cooked burger (please note: I ordered a medium rare, but was too hungry to wait for them to recook another burger) You can't even have a manager come to you after a vagrant dispute of waiting for 40 minutes for a drink order. Kickbacks use to be the place to eat when you wanted to impress friends. Now it's this decadent overpriced slothy ship mess that I tell people to avoid.
(1)Brian H.
Delicious! I loved this place. We got there around 730 on a Friday night and was seated right away. We ordered some beers and they came out rather quickly. For an appetizer we got the shrimp stuffed jalapeno poppers. I'll admit they seemed like a frozen appetizer, but they were very very good. I ordered a feta stuffed cheeseburger with a side of broccoli. It was cooked perfectly and very tasty. My hot mama got a blackened fish wrap. She was very happy with it, I took a bite of it and kind a wish I ordered it to!!! The beer selection is phenomenal! The atmosphere and overall feel of the place was right up my alley! We will definitely be return visitors of this fine establishment.
(5)David F.
Stopped in for a pint or two and a Monte Cristo sammich..... The bartender who took great care of me poured me a pint of the Left Coast Tangerine Wheat Ale and it was like liquid crack. Ordered the Monte Cristo Sammich from him, too, and it was on point. Powdered sugar and jelly to dip it in, deep fried to the right amount. My mouth is watering, again, from thinking about it. Recommended!
(5)Stacy C.
I absolutely love this place! I recently moved to Jacksonville and a friend re commended kickbacks for late night grub. The food was great!! ...Cheap and the proportions are HUGE! Kickbacks has an extensive (as if that's even a suitable word for it) beer menu. The atmosphere was very cool and super chill. Staff was friendly and attentive. Loved it!
(5)Amanda C.
I don't write reviews as a rule. I understand that everyone has good days and not so good days. After arriving home from our afternoon out and hearing about what happened when we left the restaurant, I feel obligated to create an account and write this review. Bottom line up front: Your servers need to treat every customer with respect regardless of who they are. Here is our story...We have been to Kickbacks several times since our daughter started working there a few months ago. We usually go when she isn't working, so we don't distract her and give the expectation of special treatment. Today was no different...Raven introduced herself as our server and went to get me a water while we were looking at the beer app. A few minutes later Rainy came back with my water and let us know that she would be our server ...explaining that she and Raven get their tables mixed up--not a problem, we don't usually have a preference for servers. We ordered the corn nuggets and then the same thing we always do...Beer cheese soup and the garlic bulb. Rainy, mentioned that you had recently changed the recipe and for an xtra dollar we could get the soup in a bread bowl. I told my husband not to get the bread bowl; we would just get the bread service that comes with the garlic bulb and use that to dip in the soup. Rainy acknowledged our order and left. When the garlic bulb came out, there were 6 pieces of what appeared to be French bread ends/crusts on the end of the platter. That would have been fine except they were rock hard all the way through--definitely not what I expected or had been served in the past. After a few minutes we were able to get Rainy's attention and asked for silverware, and showed her the rock hard bead and asked for the bread service. She said they were not allowed to give the bread service during the day and I again showed her the rock hard bread. Her attitude changed from barely welcoming to confrontational as she said she could bring some toast, and reiterated that they could not so the bread service during the day (never mind the menu that says ask about our bread service, or the Description of the Garlic bulb that says specifically "enjoy with our bread service our simply pop in your mout"h--or the 3 times we have come in during the day and ordered exactly the same thing and were offered the bread service). I agreed to the toast. A few minutes later she came back out and said the kitchen was working on some bread for me. When it came out, what I got was 2 slices of thick crusty bread, cut in half--so 4 pieces--it smelled amazing, but unfortunately, it was a little rubbery--I assumed from the microwave. In the meantime, I texted my daughter and asked when the bread service was stopped during the day. She was unaware of the change and recommended that we speak to the manager on duty. I chose not to do this because when Rainy came back to our table to check on the beer (as I think about it, she never asked about the food), her attitude had changed. She was cheerful and polite as she brought us more bread--this time even more rubbery than the first. Still, I didn't want to say anything to the manager, everyone has a bad day and I assumed that someone had said something to her. We had several more beers and wings, Rainy was great, laughing and joking with us as if nothing happened. After I paid the bill as we were preparing to leave, she came back and thanked me for her tip (slightly more than 20%) I later found out that the reason her attitude changed is that as she was complaining about me to another server, she was told who we were and when our daughter came into work, Rainy promptly told her that I was a "F-ing Bi^&*" After this experience, I am not in any hurry to return to Kickbacks and when we do return, If Rainy is our server, we will leave--maybe making all kinds of ridiculous demands and leave without tipping would be a better idea. Asking for bread that is edible doesn't make me a bad customer, but failing to provide it makes you a bad server..
(2)Linda S.
If you are going strictly for the beer selection, Kickbacks is the place to go. They have walls dedicated to craft beers. My only complaint is that they don't have a menu so you have to walk up to the wall to really see all that they have to offer. On the flip side, their food is mediocre at best. Do not go to Kickbacks for a meal (unless you just want drunk food). It's convenient because of the location near the on King Street, but other than that it does not have much to offer food wise.
(4)Amber K.
So, we went back. More than once. And we are definitely over it and it's mainly due to the lame staff. Went back with my mom and we both got the amazing veggie panini. But then I went back with my husband, and the panini was just on a sub roll. I'm not sure if they realize that a panini is a GRILLED sandwich, but they should have said something if they are out of the normal bread it's on since the only reason I get it is because I'm obsessed with grilled sandwiches. I would've gotten something else. OR they could wise up and just grill the stupid roll they put it on... Anyway, we had a different server this time. I think she was German. Same story as before. She just seemed like she didn't care. Dropped off our drinks and then walked away before asking what we wanted to eat even though our menus were closed in front of us and we looked at her waiting for her to take our order. If the reason she walked off was because she was swamped with customers, then fine. But she went to the table next to us, leaned on it and was chit chatting with some dude. I had to sort of look at her with raised eyebrows to get her to come take our order. Sheesh. Hey Kickbacks! Get your shit together with your staff! It's not that freaking hard to have servers that aren't bitchy!
(2)Whitt Y.
This place has a great menu and awesome hours for downtown Jacksonville. I was excited to have a gastropub deliver at midnight, and I still am. Because my food still hasn't come and it's 10 am. But according to the spineless work that works the "3 hours before we close" shift, the driver just left and should be here in ten minutes. I cancelled the order but I don't expect that pathetic excuse for an adult knew how to not make me pay for no goods or services other than the thrill of waiting for food for 2 hours. Other than that a great restaurant if you don't mind dimwitted, weak staff and you know, not actually eating. Two Stars, I was pumped about midnight egg rolls, didn't happen though.
(2)Carey H.
Kickbacks started the comeback revolution on King Street in Riverside, and it keeps getting better. At least a half dozen different restaurants began and ended in the same location over the past 20 years, but Kickbacks has lasted the test of time. Fabulous beers (100+ on tap) and good food, but the real secret is the blend of Riverside people - all kinds, and everyone gets along.
(5)Dawn N.
Mac n cheese !!
(5)Tonya P.
I love this place. Excellent drink selection. I love cider and they usually have an excellent selection to choose from. The food is great and the atmosphere is fun.
(4)Abby V.
My sister, daughters and I went here after Art Walk, and for a Wednesday, I was surprised at how busy it was. My brother had told me about this place, and since we were in the area, I wanted to check it out. First, let me say, I am not much of a beer drinker. I actually prefer cocktails over beer, but I figure, with all the beer they had on tap, not to mention their bottled beers, I was confident that I would find one. I had gotten Lindeman's Framboise, a Belgian beer that has a very rich raspberry undertone. It is more on the tart side rather than the sweet, which didn't bother me since my go-to drink is usually a margaritta. But this lambic beer was nice and fresh, and paired up with my fish and chips, it was pretty good. I will definitely be ordering this again on my return visit! As for food, they were all very generous in serving size. My sister had the Country Fried Steak dinner with a side of broccoli and fries, and it also came with an order of Caesar (or side) salad ($11.79). One of my girls had the Stuffed Burgers ($8.79)-she asked for feta, though you can ask for blue cheese if that is your preference-and the other had The Burger ($7.79). Both burgers came with a side of fries, while I had the Fish and Chips. I will be honest, while to food was pretty good, especially at their prices, the "star" of the meals were the fries! Oh my goodness!! They were lightly battered and crispy-not a soggy one in the bunch. As I said, the helpings were very generous, so we each brought home food that we were not able to eat. Not bad food for a pub, is what I say! Now, we were too stuffed to eat desserts. But I have heard amazing things about the Funnel Cake Fries. I would go back alone for a taste of those babies! We will definitely be back, that's for sure!
(5)Ryan H.
Absolutely love this place. I know a few of the waiters and they are great. The food and atmosphere of this place rocks. Definitely is always packed, but worth the wait for everything. I don't think I've ever waited over 30 minutes for a seat. The food does take sometime to come out, but the food is great. Go there with a group of friends, get some drinks, and order great food. To the people that bitch about the culture there (hipsters), get over it. That area is an artsy area where the majority of that scene hangs out.
(5)Seven A.
Cool atmosphere, unique beers, edible but not stand out food/menu. Waiter messed up our order and was slightly unpleasant to deal with.the band ended early.it's great that they're open late, even on a Thursday! Less than TEN seats at the bar! wth? This is a gastrobub! Not in a rush to go back
(3)Dale B.
I went at lunch and I had a great mean. The menu items are served as they are done being made. They do that on purpose im told. So I had my Mac and cheese which, to my surprise had BACCON. And shortly after I got my "MONTY CRISTO". That was my only reason for going and I enjoyed my food. 4 stars for the seating and time to be seated in a pretty much half empty place.
(4)Nick G.
You had me at Gastropub. Say no more. 84 outstanding and well-selected beers on draft. The "Bud Light" in the middle of the board looked out of place, but I'm glad they'll cater to any crowd. I would not miss this place if I were you. I'm not exactly sure how to describe the atmosphere besides FUN. The place is a mixture of Irish Pub and a dive bar. Random music, good lighting. eclectic decor, and more tap handles hanging from the ceiling than you would believe. My burger was cooked medium rare, stuffed with blue cheese and topped with pepperjack and bacon. And somehow this monstrosity stayed together, not a single piece hitting the plate. To me this is a sign of a well thought out burger - the bread matches the ingredients and doesn't get too soggy, but also doesn't overpower the flavor of the burger itself. One of the best burgers I've had, and very happy I took the waiters recommendation. Service wasn't bad, but I really wasn't there for the service anyhow. I wanted to get away from my hotel down on the river and have a conversation with my fellow guests, which a non-pushy waiter helped us do. He made sure my food was hot and my drinks were cold.
(5)Mark M.
Kinda cramped inside but the food was really good and cheap. The service was normal, nothing special
(4)Samantha S.
I was in Jacksonville on business and was trying to find dinner in the immediate area of my hotel for some of my co-workers. I used yelp, and didn't really read the reviews, only the types of places ( i didn't have a lot of choices). I emailed the names to my peeps, and they said.. "To the Gastropub". Now, I can't tell you if its a good area or not, but it seemed OK to me. We had to park on the side street ( I didn't see any bar parking), and the only reason why that SUCKED was because it was rainy and humid. YUCK. The dark exterior of this place matches the dark interior... my kind of place. I love places that have the darker color scheme, it just seems 'cooler' to me. We sat down and upon looking around there are tons of the Draft Caps ( i don't know what the real term is for the things you pull on to get the beer from the keg... THOSE!!)... hanging from the ceiling... showing a bunch of different beer labels. One on wall against the brick were shelves of different beer bottles, and then a big board listing all of the 70-- or 80 bear selections. I am not a beer drinker( plain jane bud light girl)... but the guys at the table love this kind of stuff. I swear they tried about 4 or 5 different kinds, and loved each one. The server really seemed to know her brew-skies !!! The guys kept complimenting the selection. So to me, I think that says a lot!! The food... was GREAT. Everything we tried we liked and we even split a few desserts!! Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had a steak, which isn't like a Ruth Chris' steak.... but still pretty good for where I was. Great atmosphere! Good for groups! I would go again!
(4)Kurtis A.
This place is easily my favorite place in Jacksonville, it's not really fair though given that I'm a sucker for good beer. I don't think I can honestly do this justice with my review, but hey I can always give it a try. After spending 20 minutes with my wife trying to find the place (our fault for coming here the first time on a motorcycle), we were not in a good mood and this place had almost no chance impressing me. This place not only impressed me, it made me want to introduce it to my parents,and ask it to move in with me. I guess that's why its called almost. Walking in my wife and I were seated at a high top table directly in front the beer board. I've seen beer list like this before so I wasn't that impressed; until I started to read the list. That's when I knew I had hit the jackpot; this places beer selection was amazing. Scratch that it was unbelievable, that when it kicked in that this was just the draft list. So when our very quiet voiced waitress came over ( I'll get to that), I politely asked her if I could see the beer list. What she brought me was a list like the Holy Grail of beers, it made me wish I could have them all.I do wish they had had the Dogfish Head 120min in stock, but who ever does these days. Speaking of the staff (see I said we'd get there), our waitress was very attentive to our needs, expertly knowledgeable of the beer, and very helpful to my wife and I on what we should order. The only downfall was that it was a little noisy in there, and she had the voice of a field mouse, I had to really concentrate on hearing and read her lips to understand what she was saying, and my wife couldn't hear her at all. doesn't effect my opinion of her skills as a waitress at all. my apologies, the whole reason your still reading this is you thinking "god man, get to the food" So the food, what can i say about the food? It was amazing, I had a stuffed burger with blue cheese inside the burger. It was the best burger I've had since being here in Jacksonville, and one of the best I've had period for that matter. My wife had the country fried steak sandwich, and all I could think when I took a bite of it was, home (Kansas). I guess if I had to make a point here it would be that this place is one of my favorite places of all time. My wife and I will be coming back here all the time, and if you haven't given this place a shot yet, you need to get down here now. Seriously go now. Why are you still sitting here reading this and not in your car on your way down to Kickbacks? Sorry couldn't"t resist, but if your in the mood for good vibes, great food, and some of the best beer you'll ever have, give Kickbacks a try at some point.
(5)Matthew B.
Great on tap beer selection.. Very tasty bar food at more than reasonable prices.. My favorite riverside spot now
(5)Mandie M.
The menu is a smorgasbord ranging from wings and burgers to spaghetti-o's and waffles. Our server said that they are open 20 hrs a day and usually work a 12 hr shift with no break, but that they all love where they work. When it came to choosing a beer, the wait staff is very knowledgeable about all the fare they carry (84 on tap and over 100 bottled) to recommend the perfect brew. The food was excellent, and despite how crowded they were on a Saturday night, we got our food in a timely manner. Prepare for large portions! All in all, I loved the atmosphere, the food, and the beer. I'll definitely be going back to Kickbacks.
(5)Dylan D.
I recently had the worst restaurant experience I can remember. I went in with one friend on the night of January first. We decided to order drinks while we waited for two more friends. After asking is they offered beer "flights" (samplers) the response from our server was "We do but we are trying to avoid them right now". Sort of an odd response. It would have been better to just lie and say "No". Then our queso blanco (aka white velveeta, with about 6 bits of tomato) came out just barely warm. It was very dense and clearly not hot. A different server took it back to have it heated up but it immediately returned in the hands of our waiter who said directly to me "hold out your hand". I obliged and he placed the bowl in my hand and said "That's not hot?" I could barely believe he said it. Not wanting to make a scene I replied "We'll give it another try." We continued to receive the same kind of service throughout the meal: not enough cutlery for the whole table, no napkins, no drink refills.. etc. I suppose I can leave one star because my burger was ok. The rest of the food was disappointing and didn't even come out together. Everything came out about 3 minutes apart. Even my burger came out a different time than my fries. Normally I would have spoken to a manager but didn't bother because I won't go back. Nor will the other three guests. I hope the owner reads this and addresses the issues. We sat upstairs and our server had a beard and wore a red t-shirt.
(1)Trevor W.
First time in Jacksonville attending the Gator Bowl and of course I pulled up Yelp to find where the best gastropub was. Simply awesome! An intimate mix of highbacks and booths with a trendy crowd in what appears to be an artsy / eclectic part of town. Service was impeccable and so many positive things to say about the menu. First off you rarely find a large menu with everything done well, goes against the typical rules of a restaurant.... but not here! You can literally get anything from breakfast to gourmet entrees with unique dips and artisan dinners. We literally had to sample a bit of everything and it was all mouthwateringly delicious! Of course a Gastropub isnt complete without a beer selection, so turn your head to the handwritten chalkboard for an impressive selection of 80+ beers including those lovely Belgian, German, and Russian delights that are hard to find. I would HIGHLY recommend this location for its atmosphere, people, crowd, and of course food / drink. Well done Kickbacks!
(5)Dustin J.
Good food with large portions. Great atmosphere.
(4)William M.
The restaurant is seems small because it is always packed and for good reason! They have a huge, like 400+, bottle beers to chose from and something like 80 beers on tap! The food is excellent and is extremely affordable! Friendly and knowledgeable staff, a must see if you are in Jacksonville!!
(5)Ellen K.
This place has good southwest egg rolls and the smothered chicken is amazing. I love that they deliver and it is a great place to go after a night at the bars because it is open so late. The beer selection is not as good as dahlia's pourhouse but they do have local beers available. The nachos are horrible and the tempeh burger has no flavor so I would definitely recommend avoiding these two items on the menu but overall the menu has a good selection.
(3)Cat D.
This place has gone completely down hill. Prior to the renovation it was my local go to. Food was always amazing. Now the food is horrible, and it comes out at all different times. Tonight my Philly cheesesteak came out 10mins before my friends' orders. It was room temp, flavorless and without the fries I ordered. I had to ask 5x for my side of sweet potato fries and when fries finally came 30 mins later, they were the regular ones, not sweet potato like I ordered. I told the waitress to forget it, my sandwich was gone and my friends were done eating too. I then said to take them off the bill. For all that All I got was a savings of $2. Seriously?! We also had a crappy server. She was so bad we asked for the manager...never came. My friend had to go into the bar and wait until one FINALLY came to her. We asked 2 different staff members to get the manager. The staff members said "what's the problem?" and both listened to our complaints and then never got the manager. We saw one go right back to the server and tell her what we said. The l staff also complains about each other to the guests. Previously mentioned staff member told us he didn't like the server we had complaints about. And our server complained about the bar runners. Keep your opinions about your coworkers to yourselves. Customers don't want to hear about it. Now back to the food...On my last visit, one of my friends ordered the vegetable panini, on my recommendation. It used to be my favorite thing on the menu. It came out on a piece of crap white bread, untoasted flavorless roll. It wasn't even pressed; although it's still called a panini. The menu said it was made on the herbed focaccia. When I questioned the waiter he said they no longer make the focaccia and don't have a panini press. Then why call the sandwich a panini, I ask? We had to practically beg for them to take it back and press it on the flat top. When I went tonight, the menu still reads with herbed focaccia and it's still called a panini. Also based on tonight's experience, that flat top is also the only way they have to "grill" their wings now. I don't care what they say, those grilled wings my friend ordered were deep fried. Now to the beer. For having 84 beers on tap, I must like all the popular ones because 3 out of the 4 I asked for were "out." Never had that happen before. Servers should also learn if some one says, "I don't normally drink beer and when I do I only drink X" bring the customer "X" especially when you know you have it on tap. Don't say "well then I'll bring you Y." I know the owners spent a boatload on that renovation. (I'll give them this, that new inside bar is pretty.) In reading some of the more recent reviews and now having my own experiences, however, I have a feeling they will be having to work at the BK next door to pay off the loan because their business is going to close if this crap food, lack of beer and poor service continue. Truly a shame. It used to be THE PLACE to dine on King St. Now it's becoming the place to avoid.
(1)Fearless F.
OK, it's not hard to turn things around as long as you're willing to step it up..! Was at KB this past weekend and they have opened up their new section, had their beers on tap and chilled, so basically all is once again well with the world. I did not eat, but heard the new sections has a new menu so I look forward to giving it a go...! Come on KB, you've got the right stuff so don't get lazy ever again.
(3)Christina E.
I had Kickbacks for the first time yesterday at a friends request and had the shrimp scampi with Mac and Cheese and Broccoli and the down side was the scampi was very lemony which was a turn off so I thought to myself hey I'll give them another chance and ordered the Mahi Mahi entree with broccoli and rice. It was dry, broccoli was excellent like the day before and the rice was generic like what to get at Duffy's. the entrees also come with a salad which looked fresh but as I got into it there were brown leaves and some that were mushy heck even my cherry tomato was all pruny, sad to say I had to stop eating it. There are pluses to this place as well as a few minuses.
(3)Amythest B.
Steven was absolutely amazing! Provided great recommendations and was fun to talk to. Gave us a tour of the expansion and definitely gained regular customers. Food and drinks were the best yet (new to the Jacksonville area). Will definitely recommend kickbacks and send people to see Steven.
(5)Frederick J.
Food is good, but the customer service is awful. Don't put in a to-go order; you'll immediately be put on hold for 5 minutes.
(3)Linda B.
The good is great. I had the fish wrap which was really tasty. I loved the sweet potato fries. Honey has eaten here a few times, this was my 1st visit. The service was good, maybe not the fastest, but timely. Don't go in here starving. Like Honey says, you want fast food, go to McDonalds. When you go to a sit down food establishment you have to give them time to cook stuff.
(4)Khristopher B.
If you live in Jacksonville, it's hip and cool to say that you go to Kickbacks. But secretly, in our minds, we all know that there's nothing favorable about eating there. Let's begin with how loud the music is inside the restaurant. Kickbacks is situated on a side of town (Springfield) where there's a procession of bars and nightclubs. Kickbacks' music, combined with all the music from local spots, makes one wonder why the Kickbacks staff would turn on the television when they know no one can hear anything. And because it's so loud in there, you have to scream in the waiters ear to place your order. Pray to whoever your higher being is that the order comes out right. Also pray to that higher being for a Zen-like amount of patience because, whether it's just you, or everyone from NAS JAX, your food will take 4-6 business years to arrive. And when it arrives, it will taste fine enough, but it will look incredibly unappealing, as if someone DID make a wonderful dish at first, but then decided to throw it against the wall. Your meal, my friend, is the remaining food that they scraped off the wall. Enjoy Kickbacks.
(2)Gigi S.
Probably not the place to go while dieting. The first time I grubbed here I had the shrimp cocktail which was absolutely forgettable. The second, my entire party ordered great things off the menu and I asked for eggs n chili on top of taters. Everything was great and I'm liking it more than the first time around. The burgers taste flame-grilled!!! I can safely say not one food item disappointed. Can't wait to try so much moar!
(4)Nicole M.
i had a horrible experience here, and would rather sleep on an empty stomach than come back. the food was barely edible. i ordered a chicken sandwich that came with bread that was partially toasty and partially soggy in all the wrong ways. i think the sogginess came from the three limp pickle slices sitting in a puddle of their own juices right next to the sandwich. the mozzerella cheese was too much, too soft and lacked flavor for my tastes. then 20 minutes after my sandwich arrived, my mixed veggies came looking like they'd fished a serving for Smufette out of yesterday's garbage. and they were cool to the touch. the beer was nasty to me although my husband drank most of it, so maybe there's hope there. And we never saw the waiter at our table between the the time he took the order and the time he presented the bill. i also was very unimpressed with the quality of the food, including the bread (that in addition to sogginess tasted like cheap grocery store buns), cheese and red peppers that were said to be fire roasted and tasted like they'd been poached. not worth anymore words. sorry.
(1)DJ S.
The King Street District is full of night life, and a good time. Plenty of bars in the area to enjoy, and no shortage of people. So what about when you're done drinking and need some grub to finish off the evening? Kickbacks offers a great environment and an amazing menu to choose from. This is a true gastropub with great prices and generally great service. I've been around the US and haven't found a place that fits the "I'm drunk and I need food" mood quite like Kickbacks. Don't expect the best meal of your life, but definitely expect to leave feeling satisfied.
(4)Sarah L.
I could cry about how good this place is. They offer their full gigantic menu at all times & have the best drunk food around. The menu is extensive--burgers, sandwiches, pasta, vegetarian/vegan options, breakfast foods...and if it's not on the menu they will probably make it for you! Service has continuously been enjoyable and quick.
(5)Will M.
BEER, BEER, BEER! Biggest beer selection in the city, normally 80 plus on tap, and then even more in bottled options. Best deal is the sampler (flight) if you love beer. You can get four different types of beer at once. One of my favorite things is the way they serve the Pumpkin Ales. They take glass rim dipped in crushed graham crackers!!! The food is super good too. They have everything from bacon wrapped scallops to spaghetti-o's. It is alway busy and full of people, so you might have to wait, and it does take a while to get the food most of the time, but thats what the beer and friends are for, am I right? There is live music some times as well as free triva. I hear they are expanding, so thats good news. This is a place that anyone will enjoy and a great place for a night with friends.
(5)Allison F.
I am in love with this place. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is terrific, the beer is fantastic. The best part, I can walk. That way I don't have to worry about parking or driving after a couple of beers. Sunday Monday or Tuesday are the best nights to go. As those are the least busy nights.
(5)Dan M.
If you appreciate passion in spite of punctuality and hold good beer above all else, you will allow Kickback's to consume way too much of your time while you consume way too much of their beer. The owner is ALL ABOUT craft beers, and lovingly updates a menu board of (currently 84!) beers on tap with just about every limited edition keg put into the rotation. He also does this on a smart phone app, so you are not left to crowd and squint at the one master list (Today's notification let me know there is a 2009 Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti now on tap). The staff are all trained on the beers and can usually answer even the dumbest question ("is that like a Blue Moon?") with intelligence and passion. They will zero in on your new favorite beer, even if it takes a couple tries. And for your whiny friend's girlfriend who only drinks cranberry vodkas, there is a full liquor bar too, so tell her to quit her yammering! There is a menu item called meatloaf remoulade that is ridiculously good. It's almost a religious experience. Like most of their menu, it is gut-busting and not very good for you, but god damn. It is meatloaf wrapped in bacon, with some creamy remoulade spinach sauce drizzled all over it. It also comes with a giant salad. For sides I recommend fried green beans with their delicious homemade ranch and the mac and cheese. If I am ever on a health kick, I will gladly get off the boat because the siren that is meatloaf crashed me into the rocks of a diabetic coma. So the place has a great beer selection and some great menu items. Any downsides? Jesus God yes. Maybe because of the good beer list and kitschy menu, this place is usually packed around dinner time. This place gets so packed, you often have to snake some weird path through the tables just to get to the bathroom, and then your return trip will be completely different because the amorphous mass of people has shifted into some other shape. These guys have the weirdest, most counter-intuitive table arrangements. Some tables only face one way, some have no room to pull your chair out, some involve making 6 people, sometimes strangers, get up in order to get out. Basically if you are claustrophobic you are only a short drive to Riverside away from a full on panic attack! I hear they are trying to expand and that cannot come soon enough... And if you do get lucky and find a table that can actually hold a plate, you might be waiting for hours until you get your food ordered and to your table. No joke, 1.5+ hours sometimes from the time you sit to the time you get your main dish. One time it took 45 minutes just to bring out the side salad. It's the kitchen that gets comically backed up though, you can continue to get beer after beer after beer after beer while you wait. I don't always mind that, but I am never going there again already hungry. Maybe go right after lunch with the plan to eventually eat dinner there.
(3)Mary S.
I love this place. Beer, full bar and great grub despite the HUGE food menu. You will love this place however do NOT be in a hurry. If you are, Burger King is a block away.
(4)Anna M.
The beer selection is amazing. Anything you can think of, they have. Seating is sometimes difficult to get. Since the place is a great hangout, it is usually crowded. The food is excellent as well. Great place for brunch before a Jag's game.
(4)Rachel M.
Oh man, I usually don't eat stuff like this, but the corn nuggets were sooooo good. My salad hit the spot, too. Fresh leafies and tangy dressing without a ton of shitty sugar. We ate at the bar, because the dining room was pretty packed due to renovations. The bartender was really funny without being invasive -- I legitimately cracked up at one point when he pulled a face over something silly -- and we both liked his recommendations on beer, wine and food. Friendly guy sitting next to my boyfriend at the bar struck up a little happy-hour convo, but knew when to leave us alone, too. Just really nice people, welcoming vibe and solid bar/pub food all around at this spot.
(4)Michael W.
Awesome late night hang out! They feature a gigantic beer selection on tap(84 beers to be exact)! I tried out a tangerine infused beer last time I was there and I honestly felt like I just got my daily serving of fruit for the day (felt is the key word). Their food is amazing as well! They have a very interesting menu with great items such as their Monte Christo (my fave) and I always get the sweet potato fries as my side. I tried their mac and cheese, and although it was delicious, it can't match up to their sweet potato fries! Their stuffed burger is delicious as well, reminds me of a "juicy lucy" because they offer either bleu cheese or feta to be stuffed into the 1/2 lb burger like a thanksgiving turkey. Every time I am in the dirty Duval, I have to drop by here and indulge on some awesome fatty foods and delicious thirst quenching beer! Love this place!
(5)Lizzy C.
Went here for dinner & drinks last night. Impressive beer selection with 84 on tap, including seasonal ales. Servers were very knowledgable on drinks & had great recommendations. For dinner, we shared a friend green bean appetizer & I had a chicken panini with sweet potato fries. Food was hot & tasty! Overall, cool atmosphere, good service, great food! Will go again
(5)Ella G.
I wish I could give Kickbacks an award for being so awesome, but a great review will suffice, I guess. I love LOVE Kickbacks. There really aren't enough words to express it. The Food: awesome. I haven't had anything here that wasn't delicious. The Sante Fe wrap, The loaded Nachos, The Burgers, even the salads are amazing. Breakfast all day and night! Spaghetti-Os!! Ramen noodles??! And, did I mention their Macaroni and Cheese is topped with BACON?! C'mon, you can't tell me that doesn't sound delicious. The portions are huge, I usually have to take half my meal home, except the mac and cheese, which we usually devour. BEER!! This place has so much beer, the beer menu has to be written in super small handwriting to fit them all on one board. The best part is, the servers are so knowledgeable about the best ones to try based on your preferences, that you can usually just have them pick one out for you, and chances are, you'll love it. They are open early, and stay open late. Open until 3 AM, which is amazing when you are out late and really want something delicious. Perfect for Midnight Munchies! Please, if you haven't been, do yourself a favor, and GO. It's awesome. :)
(5)Kathi K.
Kickbacks used to be my go-to Sat late-nite hangout back when I was single. Me & my equally single guy BFF nearly always had a great time hanging out, meeting new people, playing Buzztime trivia and enjoying pretty good food to boot. Three months into couple-dom, me and my new beau found ourselves in need of some late-night grub. I figure it's a good time to check out my old haunt w/my new guy. Eager to get some eats on the table, we ordered the nachos w/ground beef. The tri-color tortillas certainly looked familiar, but gone were the light, crispy warm, chips I had recalled from a few months ago. These triangles were crunchy, and not stale, but screamed "just poured from bag!". The ground beef, cheese sauce & shredded cheddar were all lukewarm to room temperature, making for an underwhelming re-introduction to a previous favorite. For entrees, my guy ordered the Harpoons (fish skewers) w/house salad, mac n cheese & fries as his sides. I was in an Asian food mood, and ordered the Stir Fry w/shrimp & Caesar salad for my meal. Even in the dim light of our surroundings, and under a mountain of parmesan sprinkles, I could make out several brown-edged, limp pieces of lettuce in my salad as I picked through it. Since it barely tasted of Caesar dressing, I asked for more on the side - but it didn't help. I left the salad bowl 2/3 full. My "Stir Fry" was even more of a disappointment. The rice was mushy like a serving of boil-in-bag pilaf. I, addition to being watery itself, it was swimming in some kind of thin, ginger-teriyaki like combination of sauce that was okay - but not great or something I wanted to keep eating. The one saving grace was the large shrimp which were not overcooked. My suggestion, if they aren't going to bother to learn how to make a decent fried rice, is to remove this dish from the menu, or rename it w/a new description that clearly spells out that it's more like rice pilaf w/your choice of protein w/an Asian inspired sauce - than any kind of stir fry you might be expecting. Still hungry, but no longer interested in my own meal, I sneaked a few of my man's fries, which, honestly, were the best thing I had all night. They were lightly coated, and super-crisp on the outside with a nice potato flavor. My guy's fish skewers were slightly overcooked, but lacking in flavor. The pieces were also way too large to be bite-sized. I've already covered the tasty fries, so we'll move onto the mac-n-cheese. It's a gooey mass of cheese & macaroni that has obviously been cooked & turned out from another bowl/ramekin, and topped with a few bacon pieces. You'd think w/all the cheese, it'd be awesome - but it seemed more greasy than satisfyingly cheesy. Perhaps a little seasoning would help? At the end of our dining experience, including the 2 sodas we ordered, we shelled out nearly $50. Whoa!!! Not quite the "affordable" or enjoyable Kickbacks that I remembered. We took the leftovers home to the dog.... who enjoyed the nachos & fish, but also, btw, refused the poor excuse for "Stir Fry". Oh, Kickbacks, I wanted to come home again... but more than the faces have changed. :-(
(2)Caron S.
Kickbacks is one of my absolute fav spots in Jacksonville! I promise that you won't find its expansive menu (there's even a vintage section with throwback offerings like Fluffernutter sandwiches, Spaghetti-Os, PB&J, mac 'n cheese, tots), a ridiculously lengthy beer list (it changes often), 50+ beers on tap, fantastic people watching, and a knowledgeable staff anywhere else in town with the personality and pizazz that Kickbacks exudes. This place is it! Besides the awesome beer selection, the sweet potato fries with warm cinnamon butter are drool-worthy (as are the funnel cake fries), and the ooey mac 'n cheese topped with bacon, the jalapeno poppers stuffed with warm cream cheese and served with a raspberry jam, the french toast, and the tater tots (yes, tots!) are all personal favorites. The portions are plentiful and the prices reasonable. Beer prices are a bit pricey, but the selection makes up for it. A large brick wall, emblazoned with empty beer bottles and a sprawling handwritten beer menu, makes for a great backdrop. Hundreds of beer taps hang from the ceiling, and random mannequin heads are scattered throughout the restaurant. Sometimes there's live music to listen to, or football games being shown on the many screens. It's fun to play trivia too. (they'll bring the box to your table if you ask). Kickbacks also hosts beer dinners, complete with a local "celebrity" chef, which often sell out, bringing 165 patrons at full capacity.
(4)Gia C.
How do I love Kickbacks? Oh let me count the ways... 1. Food is awesome. My personal favorite things to order are the clam strips appetizer & a side of sweet potato fries. WARNING: Side portions are HUGE, but if you're me, you end up being really stoked about how many fries are in front of you. 2. Open late, so when drunkards stumble in from the other outstanding bars on the block, they can eat & share in Kickbacks delicious goodness, too. 3. SO MUCH BEER. If you're a beer drinker, this is your place. They are always getting new things on tap (there's even an iPhone app to keep track of it... not kidding) & for people who don't like beer (read: me), they have pretty fantastic cider & wine choices, too! I could go on forever, but really I love the vibe at Kickbacks. I LOVE KICKBACKS PERIOD. Everyone needs to at least try this place once.
(5)Rachel B.
Is it possible to say this place sucks so bad that I give it a negative 2 stars? The first time I went, I ordered my lunch to go. It was decent, I ordered the Monte Cristo with Sweet Potato fries... They spaced giving me the dipping sauce and the food was room temp when I got it. Whatever, it tasted decent and maybe the cook was having an off day. Took my GF and my son for take out lunch about two weeks later to find that my same Monte Cristo was almost burnt (and again sans dipping sauce) and my same Sweet Potato fries were almost frozen. My GF had the Jax Philly that she describes as "Disappointingly bland and dry" with the loaded mashed potatoes that were over cooked and dry as well. There was nothing good about the second go 'round. So I called.... and the single rudest woman answered. When I asked to speak to a manager she informed me that "managers don't handle customers" and when I pressed again to speak to a manager, she informed me that he was not available.. So I waited, and called the next day... When I was able to speak to a manager.. they assured me that the situation would be "Looked in to" and asked for my number with a promise to call me back with a resolution. Over a week later - No call.... Definitely not worth a revisit.
(1)Mike S.
Thanks to Steve, Ed, Linda and the entire staff at Kickbacks/ Goozlepipe and Guttyworks for hosting the 2015 CTO Conference dinner. From the moment our party of 36 arrived we were treated with great service and accommodations. Starting with the appetizers and all the way to the last drink we were well taken care of. Linda's help planning the event made sure we stayed on budget and having Ed as our tour guide around the one-of-kind Steampunk themed restaurant was icing on the cake. I can't wait until the basement opens. I received numerous thank you's from the attendees and it was a tough crowd! Thank you again for helping to make the conference a complete success We will definitely be back, Mike Smith CTO Fourth Judicial Circuit, Florida
(5)Michelle S.
It just doesn't get better.....gosh I wish more places had my favorite ciders. Actually had to get up and get my own food. After 20 minutes of waiting......for a salad! Go to Tom and betty for food first, then stop by kickbacks for a drink after. Just put your patience hat on......and if a waiter comes out and says hey...it's my favorite f******s.....he's fibbing......Cuz that's what he calls me!
(1)Melissa H.
There was a group of 15 of us for a going away dinner. We were waited on by Zoe and our service was fantastic! We were not the easiest table as we all trickled in at different times, took forever to order and sat for a while after we were done. For any server our table was a nightmare. Zoe handled our table gracefully and made sure everyone was taken care of. She went above and beyond to make sure out experience was great! My husband and I will definitely be back and will be requesting Zoe!
(5)Latisha C.
One of my favorite places in town. I love the food and the laid back atmosphere. Their food and beer menu is huge. I've never been disappointed with anything that came out of the kitchen.
(5)Dale S.
We came to watch Duke win the championship, get a few good beers and some grub. The service was really attentive. We are just passing through jax, and didn't research beforhand so didn't know what to expect. But we had probably three or four employees swing by the table through the evening, plus our personable waiter. Not hovering, just really chill and fun. Just to indicate the staff was really in tune with their customers, how about this...the hostess somehow noticed an interior light on in our car, put 2 and 2 together (nc plate, Duke game), and came and let us know! The tap lineup was the largest I have ever seen. Flying saucer, yardhouse, world of beer, none of those come close to the number of taps here. And another pleasant surprise, our server seemed very well versed in beers, styles, and specifics. We got an app and split an entre and about couldnt finish...so plenty of food. And quite tasty. I'm trying to think of something "bad" cuz nothing is perfect...I guess that would be that the google machine routed us through what appeared to be a pretty rough part of town going to and from the place. The location itself was well lit and plenty of patrons around. Thats just an out of towners perspective.
(5)Mitch M.
Worst of Everything!!! I won't waste more of my time on this dump...suffice to say the service, the food, the (lack of) ambiance ALL SUCK. Staff is completely inattentive and unconcerned and the short-order cook is clueless. I guess "out of home-fries" translates to: the cook can't cube a potato or dice an onion. According to day manager Paul: "owners unique concept" is "send out whatever might be hot" even if that literally means dropping tater-tots on your table 10 minutes before your omelets are hot and another 5 minutes for toast. We all know how difficult it must be to coordinate hot wheat toast with any breakfast! We should have known there was a problem when less than 20% of the tables were occupied on a SUNDAY at NOON while every other establishment within a mile had a 10-30 minute wait!!! So sad the owner and staff are demonstrably uncaring about customer satisfaction. Spend your money on a place that cares about it.
(1)Buddy T.
This gastropub is a must stop if you are ever in Jacksonville area. Located in the Riverside area across fro downtown they offer great food and hundreds of craft beers. They just expanded and have hundred of beers on tap. The even have a basement which stores the beers. Recommend the burgers, wings and craft beers. You have to see it to understand how good it is really.
(4)l b.
I was hosting some college friends for the weekend of One Spark. We came here afterward in the late afternoon for some beer. We ended up slitting a few appetizers. I recommend the shrimp queso dip!! The hummus had a great amount of garlic which I loved. My Brie pastry was good as well. Our server was attentive and helpful in helping us choose our beers. Each of us enjoys craft beer and we were all looking to try something outside of our normal beer tastes. I absolutely love the amount of selection they offer. My friends all commented on the newer side of the restaurant with its very cool decor. This is my favorite bar in Jax, hands down!
(5)Amy S.
I would like to start off by saying I've yet to eat here. I do understand from my many Yeeps that the food here is pretty good. But I was only in to drink and relax. With that being said.... I really like Kickbacks. It's definitely an awesome place if you really want to just "kickback" like I did. I was stressed, had a bad day, was in a bad mood, needed some me time, yada, yada, yada. So, I wandered into Kickbacks. I found a table and was immediately comfortable, even though I was by my lonesome. I had a wonderful server, jacob, who talked to me and checked on me often. It was really nice to just be able to drink, de-stress, and get my thoughts together. I walked in a pretty unhappy chick, but when I left (and no, I wasn't drunk by any means), I was once again a happy, relaxed girl! In the future, this will definitely be my place to go if I'm ever needing some of that "me" time again. And one of these days, I'll try the food and make sure to do an updated review when I do.
(4)Courtney Z.
Great atmosphere to get a drink. I love the room with the penny covered walls, it's just so cool. They have a huge beer selection, I looked at the draft list and anybody could find something they enjoyed. They also have liquor if you aren't a big beer drinker. We only went for a drink, so I'm hoping to go back and try the food. This is just a really cool place to grab a drink and hangout with friends.
(4)Mateo M.
Five stars because they played The Cult. That rules, as does the epic beer selection. The only thing I'd change is to add the location of the brewery to the menu. It would be nice to know which ones are local. Also, apparently they have food here. I came to drink and that's what I did. Terrapin Rye3 for the winz!
(5)Keely K.
I have been a regular here for awhile. I love the staff, they're always great and super friendly. They have changed the way food comes out after it's ordered, which wasn't my favorite... but every time I eat the food it's absolutely delicious and still one of my go to places! I have NEVER had anything bad from Kickbacks or had a bad experience here. Not to mention, have you seen their beer selection?! INSANE!
(5)Leah M.
Neat place! Good beer and food !
(5)Eric M.
Hadthe pork belly banh mi sandwich and was ready to leave my wife for it. This place has a great vibe and good selection of beer. I will make the 1.5 hour drive again and again.
(5)Taylor B.
GREAT BEER SELECTION. I would have loved to give this place a better rating but the service was horrid and they messed up 4 out of 4 orders of food. I understand if one order is wrong but EVERYTHING that could've gone wrong went wrong. My father's burger, which asked for to be cooked medium, was as hard as a hockey puck, my mother ordered her sweet potato fries without powdered sugar and we had to send them back when they came out with it. My boyfriend ordered the bangers and mash NOT EVEN CLOSE. He asked for home fries instead of eggs and they brought him French fries. In addition, she also argued with him when he told her that there was supposed to be gravy on top (duh) and he had to show the waitress and the cooks the menu where it indicated that it came with gravy. They finally realized, and brought out something that resembled gravy. He then asked if he could have his home fries instead of French fries because hats what he asked for, the waitress said she wood bring him some shortly, which she never did... Ok. My meal was probably he worst of everything. I am vegan, and this restaurant actually had listed many vegan it's on their menu - yay! So I order the tempeh burger. HORRIBLE. They barely cooked the tempeh, which can actually be a health risk!!! Tempeh is fermented soybeans. If you do not cook it thoroughly (hopefully with some seasoning like you would any hamburger??) then it can be a risk. When we brought the manager over to tell him of everything hat went wrong. He said "well we do t really know how to cook it because we're all meat eaters. It just comes precooked and we hurt serve it." If you admit to not knowing how to cook something then why would you ever put it on your menu. It's clear that the vegan meals weren't the only items they didn't know how to cook.... French fries and beer were good though.
(1)Angeli D.
So I was visiting Jax my hometown and after going to the Loft and getting pretty saucy my friends suggested we get some grub from Kickbacks. In my all years of living in Jax before I moved I had actually never been to kickbacks before but have heard about the place numerous times. I was excited to see how decorated and unique this gastropub was with all the old large bicycles displayed and esp the beer taps all lined up on the ceiling. I definitely thought that was pretty cool. The food was a bit if a wait considering we went on a Saturday night June 7 and it was the night there was a major soccer game at Everbank field so it was pretty busy. What made up for it was that our waiter was pretty chill and keep updating us on the status of our food and was very personable and accommodating. None of us in my group actually ordered any alcohol since we had came from already drinking so we only ordered food great for sharing in a large group. We ordered corn nuggets which were pretty awesome probably one of the best corn nuggets I've ever had and such a great southern comfort food that's hard to find out west. We also ordered the nachos and fried mushrooms. The funnel cake fries were very unique and a great twist on funnel cake and that cinnamon honey spread that goes with it is to die for. Although the food was delicious it was a long wait but like i said we lucked out that our server was very good at checking on us and updating us. I give the place 4stars because although the food is delicious , the place itself didn't look amazingly clean. The menu was kinda sticky and we were seated really close to the computer station for all the servers to input orders and it was a little bit tight squeeze for us since we were a group of 10-12. But overall I really enjoyed the food at this place. Definitely a good place for After Drinking Grub if you're going in a group to share.
(4)Keith H.
What a cool place! It has a steampunk feel and you could walk around this place for a while taking it all in. They opened a new section recently and the walls are covered in shiny, heads up pennies(1,000,000+ our server told us). They have a wall where you can pay $10 to buy a lock, engrave it, and put it up on the wall. Our server was super chill and attentive, and even gave us a tour of the place. She even showed us their keg fridge where they keep some of their 200+ beers. Their beer selection is expansive and always changing--one room has all the old taps attached to the ceiling and it looks like they have room for 1,000's more. We ordered some appetizers that didn't impress us, but the atmosphere, beer selection, and quirky server made up for it. If you visit Jacksonville be sure to check this place out.
(4)Nyla S.
They stay open really late, and serve good food, and in jacksonville that's a super plus! The unique atmosphere will have you looking around while you're sipping your wine, chugging your beer and trying not to dance to the live band. I ordered a few Moscstos, fried mushrooms and the Mediterranean pizza. It took awhile to come out due to the fact that the place was packed, but it was worth the wait. Oh yeah: friendly waiters as well!
(5)Cathrine C.
This sweet spot in Riverside is awesome! I had the chicken tenders meal with a side of fries and a sweet tea and it was pretty good. 80% of the time all I eat are chicken tenders when I go out to eat. Our food wasn't cold and didn't taste like it had been sitting out for a while, so kudos for that. The decor inside is so neat! They have beer taps covering the ceiling giving a cool ambiance inside. Our waitress was VERY friendly and kept checking on us. She also made sure our drinks were filled! Definitely on my list to go back to again to try something new this time (maybe.)
(4)Taylor M.
My colleagues and I were in town and several people enjoined us to check out this place if we loved beer and good food. There was also mention of the interesting atmosphere of the place. Well, that's all the invitation we needed. The next evening, we traveled there for drinks and dinner. When you enter, you are immediately grabbed by the fascinating steam punk vibes. All the copper, brass, and mechanical decor is visually stunning, The bar is a work of art in itself. The walls are covered in pennies. I'm now thinking this is going to be awesome.... Well, I was wrong... In a place like this, I usually prefer to sit at the bar where I can survey all the beers on offer, and perhaps get some interesting suggestions from the bartender. Unfortunately, my colleagues were more interested in a meal, and asked to sit at a table. They put us at an upstairs booth overlooking the bar down below. I rolled my eyes seeing the remote location of the table and all the stairs separating us from the beer. It took a while for our server to arrive. She was barely functional in the role. We each ordered a beer, and that was the last we saw her for nearly twenty minutes. A bartender schlepped everybody's beer but mine up the stairs while I continued to wait. The server finally returned, and stated they were out of my beer. Of course, they have over 200 beers on tap, and I manage to pick one that's now unavailable.... I chose another, and again, off she went. My mates were almost done with their drinks and were looking for refills. She finally returns WITHOUT MY BEER, and says they located the original beer I had ordered. She explained it was a computer glitch (heh - "computer glitch") and that someone would be up with my original choice shortly. My buddies ordered another round for themselves. A short while later, a bartender ascends the spiral staircase with my single beer in-hand. Finally. We decided we'd better order dinner or the place would be closed before we could eat. The menu was a confusing mess. It had multiple pages with food listed willy-nilly with no sense of order or logic. It also had a two-page paper insert with even more entrees listed. She said they were in the process of changing the menu. I asked if they were paring it down. She said, oh no, they were ADDING all these new meal options to the several dozen they already offered. That surprised me. We started with appetizers, and these were of the mediocre deep-fried bar appetizer variety. My table mates were OK with that, but personally, I prefer fresher and less fatty options. We each ordered an entree. It took quite a while for dinner to arrive despite the fact was mostly empty on this weekday evening. As with the beer, everyone at the table was served at a different time, and my meal arrived dead last while everyone else was mopping up their plates. My food was almost cold and unappetizing. I ordered the mofongo diablo. The plate contained a glob of cool, mushy plantains surrounded by cold, tasteless sauteed shrimp. Blech. This place obviously has the "Cheesecake Factory Syndrome": a gigantic menu of intriguingly named dishes that's a bridge too far for the kitchen staff. What astounded me was learning they had plans to expand the menu even farther. If you've watched any of the restaurant rescue reality shows with that fanatic English chef, you'll know that the first thing he recommends is reducing the menu to a manageable number of plates. I'd rather eat at a place that serves six delicious meals well, than a place with dozens of items the kitchen can't execute with any consistency. The latter was the problem with Kickbacks. I gave my review two stars simply for their concept and decor. Perhaps you can drop in for a beer and the vibes at the bar. Don't bother trying to have a meal.
(2)Eryn S.
I'm sick of this place. I've given it too many chances and it's continually disappointed me. The beer is the only thing worth going there for. When I first started going to Kickbacks it was slow and small and loud but the food was good and so was the service. It continually got worse every time I went back. Due to that pattern I've spaced out my visits very far apart. I tried the delivery option. You pay way too much for food that comes burnt to a crisp and tastes like crap. I waited till after the construction was done hoping that once the kitchen was bigger or they'd maybe changed cooks it would be better. It's not. I gave it another (and final) chance. It was complete garbage. The service was great but the food was horrible. So much so that it made my boyfriend sick. I barely ate because the beer cheese soup I had was completely broken and basically tasted like melted Velveeta. We ordered the app sampler as well. Everything was warm and mushy. I'm never eating there again. I doubt I'll even go for drinks. I'm so disgusted with it. The flash of the nice new steampunk side can't make up for the absolute sewage served there.
(1)Jackie U.
I've been going here for a while. The food is usually great and lately staff has gotten 100% better. If I was writing this review 6 month's ago I'd be giving them 1 star. They have improved tremendously. But they advertise lumpia on the menu, I'm Filipino and don't have a lot of restaurant options when I'm craving home cooking that I don't actually want to cook. Well it's fake. Its lumpia wrappers stuffed with pancit noodles. I also notice no matter how attentive the wait staff is there always seems to be at least one thing wrong with the order.
(3)Susan P.
Still love this place, the decor is just crazy and the staff is wonderful . That said, the beer cheese soup is really thick and really beery, tastes like a dip not soup. Their presentation of Mofongo is not even close, which is a shame because I love that. The bacon jam fries are awesome. The fried pierogi appetizer is somewhat tasteless and could definitely use some seasoning. The fried green beans are super tasty. Pickles are pretty good but I kind a like it better with dill pickles. The back corner booth on the left in the new part is super loud. (Under the disco ball).
(5)Susan S.
Dear Kickbacks..thank you ever so much for creating the breakfast pizza..it kind of changed my life..this gal works 12 hour nights for JSO and I yall for delivering such delicious food!!!!!!!!
(5)Stephanie L.
Ever since the new addition food has been amazing! Atmosphere is great and staff is always improving!
(4)Frank L.
Really, this place is just pretty good. It has a nice vibe, decent food and a bunch of beers on tap. My main concern is the service. I sat at the bar, ordered the chicken Panini, which is not really a Panini, it is basically a somewhat pressed chicken sandwich, and sweet potato fries. The food came out pretty fast, less than 15 minutes, I think. While it was tasty, the chicken to bread ratio was all off. The sweet potato fries were good, but a bit hard for my liking. Maybe it was because I was sitting at the bar, but I asked for a draught beer list and the server pointed to the wall. Really? You can't give me brake down of what you have? Same was true for the bottle beers. He was like we only have like 10 left. So I just wound up ordering one beer and leaving. It really is to bad, I would have definitely had one or two more, but I just can't deal with that kind of service.
(3)Ken M.
Very disappointed on the delivery of food. When I order my food I want my sides and main course to come all at the same time. Ordered burger and fries and they tasted great but my fries came 20 minutes before the burger came. Others ordered brickyard as there side
(2)Lori G.
If your looking for an unique place to eat and drink Goozlepipe & Guttyworks is it. Part of the old Kickbacks it a steampunks dream. The design and decor are awesome. Penny walls, copper top tables are all very cool now we need the waitstaff to dress the part. But the food and drinks are what keeps you coming back. The wait staff is very knowledgeable of what's on tap and can recommend drinks as well as foods. Being a vegetarian its good to see a variety of food for us. All and all a trifecta of decore, food and drink. The parkings a challenge but if you look on the side roads you can usually find a spot. And outside seating is a must in Florida! And they came threw with a large patio.
(5)Jan B.
Love the new addition. We had a beef stew like dish that was absolutely amazing. Their mushroom fondue appetizer equally as yummy. Beer selection fantastic - Tucher on tap makes me a happy girl. Gyro marginal - meat good, but definitely not a gyro. If you want a gyro see the guy at RAM on Saturdays - it's genuine.
(4)Jeff F.
11pm no Lumpia, service (if you can call it that) disgraceful even by South Georgia standards. The "egg rolls" the passed off were so fucking over fried. It will be a cold day in Hell before I come back. Ok I ask for the check. The kitchen is sooo slow. I have to work in the morning. Do they give a fuck? This is the last time ever. The waitress comes over, "do I want a box", it will be right up. I work in Banking honey and I can see BS a mile away
(1)Ashley L.
I have not been since they opened the new side, but my impression has always been slow service mediocre food, but excellent beer selection. I am willing to try again since their expansion
(3)James M.
After not going into this place for Multiple years due to the horrible service and stories from ex cooks that have worked at this place. I figured I would give an open mind and go for a revisit since they have upgraded the facility. So went sort of late night. I ordered and Appetizer and a Sandwich with a side. Let me premisses this conversation with it was not busy and maybe 5 people sitting around the bar. So first here comes my side and I kinda of question that since I did not receive my appetizer yet. Than my sandwich comes, so i ask if he just forgot to bring my appetizer. His reply is the kitchen just makes it when they want to. My retort is that if you are aware of that than wouldn't you hold the meal until the appetizer comes out. Than tells me pretty much SOL. So when the Appetizer finally comes I refuse it. I than ask the belligerent bartender to talk to a manger he than informs me he is. Than he has the balls to bring me my check while I am eating and demands I pay for it right than and brings me a to go box. I can honestly say as many restaurants that I visit all across the country this place has the worst service I have ever encountered. I will never step foot back in this place
(1)Bill F.
I'm not a local, but I was dragged into this place last night by my sister, claiming I absolutely had to try it. I can't say I've had worse service from any other place, ever. Server seemed intoxicated and over our table the moment we ordered drinks. 20 minutes after receiving them, she came back and asked if we wanted anything else. Uh, yes, please. How about our dinner order? And maybe another drink since you disappeared and we're ready for another round. All of our food came out separately, which is something I have never experienced at any restaurant. After watching my friend eat their meal for 20 minutes, I gave in and decided to eat some of his. Finally my food arrived and appeared to have been sitting in the window for much too long, so I decided to take most of it to-go, considering we had already spent nearly 2 hours here, drinkless, foodless, and never once being visited by our server to see how we were doing. To top it off, we paid $57 for this experience. For 2 people. I'd rather get subpar food and better service from a chain restaurant for a cheaper price than ever waste another dime at this establishment. 2 thumbs down, all around.
(1)Michelle M.
I usually end up at kickbacks because it's open way past the time all the other restaurants are shuttered. When you don't want to go home yet and you need something greasy to probiotic the liquor out of you system, this is the place. Usually the chili cheese fries with bacon and sour cream does the trick. I wouldn't come here specifically for the food or service since most times, both are just mediocre. The fries though....I'll stand by those every morning after when I'm not nursing a hangover I would be having were it not for the greasy goodness of their fries. Come for the beer and the late hours but not necessarily for the food.
(3)Mark B.
Here we go again an again. I should have read the reviews but wait I have been reading the new reviews. Why did we go in. The wife said so that's why! We used to come here for like 4-5 months, ever Sunday like clock work. Jill (our favorite server girl) would almost have our coffee and diet soda on the table waiting for us. We have seen the remodeling going on for maybe a years now. I being a builder myself I know something is up when you take this long to build anything. What it is I don't know but I could have built the damn thing myself by now. We did get to peek inside a while back and it's pretty cool. But, what the hell is a Goozlepipe and guttyworks???? Got me by the nuggies. Ok today we went in and the place had a few people sitting around mostly staff. We got seated right away and then the wait started. Our drinks took about 10 minutes. Then we just about finished that round when it was time to order. The new not on the menu menu looked pretty intriguing. We decided to go with the stuffed quahogs and the Scottish eggs (I have made theses before) and followed it up with the bangers and mash. I am a sucker for meat in tube form. Well i got some more drink but the wife never got her re fill. Our food arrived. It looked lets say, a little over. I'll start with the bangers they were way over cooked. They were just glorious hotdogs that you needed a knife to cut. The mash had a good flavor to them but the egg which I ordered over easy. Was just that over easy, on the floor, and then onto the plate. It also stopped by crustyville before it hit our plate. Thankfully you could cut that one with a fork. Then the Scottish eggs they were a chorizo wrapped already hard boiled egg and then deep fried. They chorizo was dry and the egg was wowwy over. A twice cooked hard boiled egg. The stuffed quahogs-clams could have been called many things. Crab stuffing, conch fritters, because they didn't taste anything like clams. I know quahogs and have eaten them many dozens on our trips to the great north. Theses were not quahogs but, stupid here thought you know maybe. Yep maybe I was really wrong for this one. But, in general Steve (and you know who you are) wake up and make some coffee. There is something bad going on here and if you want to finally open up the goozzlewhatever you better fix it.
(1)Christopher R.
I got to sit ups overlooking the whole room getting to take in the whole experience the service was amazing the extensive beer menu was absolutely amazing the whole experience itself was extremely amazing must come back many more times to try all the food
(4)Caitlyn F.
Be prepared to take awhile when ordering - the draft menu and food menus are extensive and you can't help but want to order a little bit of everything. This is easily one of my favorite bars in Jacksonville thanks to the great craft beer selection and food menu that ranges from stuffed burgers to deep fried Monte Cristos to Spaghetti-Os. It's loud, laidback and a great spot for catching live music or just hanging out with friends before/after visiting the bars on King Street. The experience is not to be missed, but be prepared for a wait when it comes to getting a table or your food - they stay busy!
(4)Leighton D.
This spot used to be my goto spot in Jax. I mean, FULL MENU from 7am to closing. What's not to love about that? But unfortunately the food isn't as great as it was and now the final straw. While Kickbacks is great for the food, let's face it; many go for the BEER!!!! So imagine my dismay when I ordered a premium import draft that I have had many times before overseas and it tasted stale like a bad line. What was worst was that i only took one sip and ordered another beer after telling the server about the bad beer. When i got the bill, the one sip beer was still on it. He offered a manager and then told me he left for the evening already and no one was in charge. At that point I paid the bill, but it will be my last one at kickbacks.
(2)Riece H.
So great I went twice in one week. I love the unique decor and how quickly the food comes out. It is also in a really cool part of town. I like that they have food for anyone's taste, anything from American to Mexican to German to Greek. Will definitely be going back!
(5)Kim W.
REALLY AMAZING food. Long wait..............................................Â......... long wait for everything.
(4)Samuel C.
Now one of my favorite places, love how they opened the other side up, great selection of beer. The wall full of pennies is just amazing, recommend it to anyone I know that loves beer.
(5)Allie A.
Kickbacks will always hold a special place in my heart... for many, many reasons. When I first moved to Riverside, I was amazed to find such a vast beer selection... and shut the front door... the food is really great too! I love their fish and chips, chicken fried steak, breakfast options, but who am I kidding, we go for the beer. :) Yes, service can be the best you've ever had or the absolute worst. I think it's been a struggle with the rise of the popularity of the place. I do know, if we are planning on meeting friends for dinner, we ALWAYS make a reservation, so getting seated has never been an issue. (Just a tip.) While some servers are more knowledgeable than others, we make due. I was sold on one of my first visits, while drinking a fantastic craft selection I noticed a broody Eddie Vedder staring at me from his poster spot on the wall. (I love me some PJ!) And a few more words of advice to those that head that way. They are currently under construction to make the place even better than before... so the draft selection is limited... but patience pets. It will get there. I also met Mr. Yelp at a mutual friend's birthday dinner here. What a better place for two craft beer lovers to meet, eh? One more tip: THEY DELIVER. So if we are feeling lazy and hungry, we have a great option to enjoy one of our favorite places without getting out of our jammies. A Jacksonville classic, the place to go to enjoy a brew, chat with friends or watch a game.
(4)Tess B.
Went here with a few friends after a nearby event last weekend. They didn't seem to have as much on tap as I was expecting, but I was told they're doing renovations so things are a little wacky right now. Both the hubby and I were still able to find something we liked, and when we saw that they had southwestern eggrolls, we knew we had to give them a shot. These things blow Chili's (our previous favorite) out of the water. I'm salivating now just thinking about them. If you're a wuss with heat, proceed with caution, but if you like a little spice in your life... order up and dig in! I love the vibe of this place, they offer 'drunk people food' such as spaghetti-os, ramen, and the like, and screw all their old taps into the ceiling. It's really dark, and really wooden. Everything one would hope for when combining the words 'gastro' and 'pub'. A++
(5)Jason L.
This place is one of my favorite late night stops for beer and late night eats. The atmosphere is amazing and the people working here are super friendly. The steam punk theme is pretty cool too !!
(5)Tiffany L.
If you are just going for drinks, run with it. If you even THINK you might want food, RUN. There was a small group of 5 of us and literally EVERY dish came out separate (as in my mom got her side of mashed potatoes, 5 mins later my brother got his wrap & his friend got his sandwich, 5 mins after that I got my sandwich and my mom got her fish, ANOTHER 10 mins later I got my fries and my other brother got his pizza. My French Dip was disgusting so I swapped for a burger. I'm not sure what was more greasy, my burger or the outside of my bun (I didn't even know that could happen!). 4 bites and I gave in. I just couldn't do it. We left to watch my football game at another bar. End of story, don't eat here.
(1)Rachel H.
This place is gross. I ordered a cheeseburger and got so sick from It the next day. It is dark, dingy and smells bad.
(1)Jessica F.
This is a hard review to write because the current temporary iteration of kickbacks is not really a good reflection of its past or near-future. Kickbacks will always be that neighborhood bar that has decent food and a great beer list. Since it is so popular, the wait times can be very long, but I can honestly say that I've never actually had a problem with it. I enjoy people watching there and seeing what kind of random conversations and interactions happen. It's a fun place. I do not recommend going there with a large group of people, especially on the weekend. You will have trouble getting a table and the staff may not be the most attentive to you. Small groups are best. Even though the inevitable backlash against Kickbacks has definitely occurred, I can't help it. I still love them!
(4)Daisy S.
This place is so good, but sometimes it's just too busy. (Good thing and bad thing). Seriously has some amazing food and a great beer selection. Corn nuggets are so good here. I love the random things you can get. I've tried beers here that I normally wouldn't, too. The ambiance is definitely different and I like it! Don't get too creeped out by the doll heads...
(4)Anthony J.
This restaurant was recommended to me by a brewery, and it's open on Sunday with outside seating. the brew menu menu is outstanding great selection of craft beers and other. But the food is justice as competitive as the beer menu , great food
(5)Aimee B.
If I could I would give them more stars than 5! Our evening was made epic by this place and I would drive more than 6 hours just for this place alone. Giovanni (server) was quite possibly the most helpful, generous, kind-hearted person I've ever met in the restaurant industry and after 10 years in it myself, that is saying something! The food was delicious, some of it is a little heavy though. The beer selection was to die for. Between the two of us we tried 6 different beers and not one was less than 5 stars as well. We also purchased an engraved lock for their love lock wall (reminiscent of the lock bridge in Europe) and the server not only paid for it out of his pocket because we didn't have cash but also helped us secure it in a spot no one else ever had put one. We paid him back with our tip and even then he was way too sweet telling us we had left him too much! 10/10 would come here again, and before we head back home Sunday we plan to. Thank you Giovanni, if you ever see this, you truly are a drop of optimism and hope in a sea of despair. Before you consider going elsewhere, stop being stupid and go here.
(5)Armando M.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. The last few times going to this wretched place were awful, as outlined in my previous review. But, friends successfully convinced me to give it one last try, in an effort to rekindle the love I used to have for this place. BIG MISTAKE. Again, our food took entirely too long to be served. How long is "too long"? An hour, which is how long we waited. The place wasn't even near capacity, so the "this place is always busy" excuse is out the window. But, the most infuriating part of what will be my last ever experience at this horrible place was just how inept our server, Jo-D, was. After our initial drink order, she walked by our table at least a half a dozen times without so much as a "How's everyone doing? Can I get you anything?" I could've chalked it up to her being extremely busy, if the place was actually busy, or if I didn't look over and see her relaxing at the bar and drinking beer instead of checking on us. I wanted to love this place again. I wanted to be able to say that the staff here is no longer so full of themselves that they think they can just give terrible service without consequence. But Kickbacks is not giving me a choice, and honestly, I really don't think they care.
(1)Sam B.
Huge menu and always good food. If your looking at the yelp menu please be advised that prices are less than listed. I found out when I called in a delivery order and the country fried steak dinner was $12 not $16.
(4)Lauren H.
I absolutely LOVE Kickbacks. I have been coming here for years and the experience is great every time I visit. I have become friends with the owner/main bartender Jimmy. He's awesome!!! They just recently renovated their space and it is unbelievable. Such a classic bar look. They are also in the process of adding new menu items, and they have reopened a lot of the beers on tap. I like to get "Jax-crack" when I come here. It's not on the menu, but it's basically their hamburger helper mixed with their famous macaroni & cheese with some spicy sauce. It's so good and only 6 bucks! I'm a sucker when it comes to craft beer, and this place doesn't lack in that area one bit. Check out their app to see their hundreds of beers :-)
(5)Kimberly P.
To call this a gastropub is a bit of a stretch. The food was mostly bar food quality, and the salad (for which the menu description sounded like a more elevated taste) was overdressed and small. Half of the extensive selection of beers were unavailable due to a problem with the lines. Service was slow but that was understandable due to the large size of our party. A much better choice is The Blind Rabbit across the street.
(3)Josh B.
I've tried. Twice. First really bad experience was a Saturday night. They were trying to work around some major renovations and it was kinda busy but not slammed by any means. It was a complete chore to get service. Had to try to look around, over, under the beer tap tower and once I finally did get bartender's attention he was less than enthusiastic about serving me. When I had finally had enough, getting and paying my tab was even worse. Gave guy a debit card and he acted liked I had handed him a severed human head. Fed up I just threw down way too much cash and walked out vowing never to return. But everybody has an off day right? And as a former longtime member of the F&B community, I'm sympathetic to the struggle. So I returned to get brunch on a Sunday thinking that was about as different from a Saturday night as it gets. Walked in, stood there for a good 4-5 minutes while at least 3 people that worked there walked by without acknowledging me...not even a "hey sit wherever you want"...nada. One server even peered at me over the POS screen which was quite uncomfortable. At this point, I just walked out vowing never to return again. This time I'll stick to that pledge.
(1)Andrew H.
I went again, but this time for a late lunch. WOW! The service was wonderful. I told our server Fauna, I wanted to try new beers, so I told her what I liked and asked her to surprise me. I also told her what I ordered and she went from there. Her pick was ON POINT. I told her I lied Yuengling and she picked a Wychwood Hobgoblin. This beer paired my Reuben sandwich perfectly! The two together were a match made in heaven... by a waitress who knew what paired well. My buddy also greatly enjoyed his meatloaf, and stated it was the best meatloaf he had ever had. It was so good in fact, he did not give me a bite :( I'll definitely be back, and I'll be sure to bring others here on their visit to my hometown!
(5)Derrick S.
Kickbacks what a joke
(1)Zola B.
One of the few places that still allows ordering and delivers at 2:30am. I love their south western rolls, they are delicious and so is their funnel cake fries. This place is so convenient when working the night shift. Wish there delivery times were a little bit faster but other than that, love them
(4)Dap Z.
I hate to do this but I've been coming to kickbacks for several years and since the renovations I've tried to give them the benefit of the doubt but it's failed every time.. Even before them service has been pretty subpar. But anyways, lately, every time I come in my sides come out way before my entree and I'm finished with that before my entree.. Which is annoying.. And then my friends have received their food way before I do, or they're done before mine even comes out .. Super annoying..I love kickbacks but everything has changed and service has gone downhill.. Bring meals and sides out at once!! This is not a tapas bar!
(1)Eldred M.
"Oh it's better now that they renovated it." I knew it was too good to be true. No matter how much I give Kickbacks a chance, it will always disappoint me. Even with the new addition, which looks incredible, their staff is terrible and the food is mediocre and overpriced. Nothing has changed. My friend ordered the beignets which is on the new menu, and upon seeing them she thought that they were chocolate pieces. The beignets were so burnt that she thought they were chocolates. And then the staff would have the audacity to sprinkle it with powdered sugar as if nothing was out of the ordinary and serve it. Who even was my server? I couldn't differentiate the woman taking our order, the other woman asking us how we were doing (but refused to get anything for us), the guy checking on our table repeatedly, and another woman giving us our checks. I've said it before and I will continue to say it, there is nothing about this place other than the appearance of the new addition that's worth paying for.
(1)Amanda N.
Ok they have redeemed themselves. The guy host looks like the kid from josh and drake and is very friendly. Our blue haired waitress was wonderful and attentive. The sampler has many varieties. The southwest egg rolls were by far the best on our plate. I had the stuffed feta burger medium w pepper jack and bacon on top. Soooo good. I love saucey food but I didn't add anything to it. The flavors of the rich feta, spice of the pepper jack and the smokey bacon all came together nicely. My friend got dessert for dinner and got the funnel fries. They r a cardiac arrest waiting to happen but you'll die happy.
(4)Princess F.
Absolutely delicious but no health food in sight! Come for the flavor and plan to sleep the afternoon off! Try the deep fried Monte Cristo!
(5)John R.
Great atmosphere, mediocre food. I've tried this place three times, and each time it's missed the mark. Don't get me wrong, the location is great, and the new facility is awesome. The food, however is just so so. Don't come here looking for any culinary experience. Just consider it a great place to enjoy a drink with friends, with some average bar food. The menu has some unique items, but so far they have disappointed me when I tried to eat them. Example: I ordered the salmon burger, with carmelized onions, and received a charred hockey puck. I sent it back and asked for the sloppy joe sandwich, which I haven't had in maybe 20 years, and I got basically a mess if ground beef and ketchup. Pretty place, nice people, average bar food.
(2)David M.
There is so many great things to say!!!!! The food is delicious and they always have my beer!!!! The staff are friendly and finally a fireplace. Kickbacks is a great plave to meet up and start your night. Ask for Maddie, Daniel, Mike, or if you go during the daytime ask for bree, or jimmie.
(5)Richard R.
We have been going to Kickbacks since they opened. Initially we were blown away by the food and variety of beers...and many people must have agreed because they have done quite well, added on, and have become very popular. The unique decor is really great, but this is where the good stuff ends. Their service has become a joke. If you choose to eat there you must know that their strategy for delivering food is to just do it once something is ready. On the surface this seems like a good idea, but in practice this means that your entree may be delivered before your appetizer, and unless you're eating alone it means that nobody will get their food at the same time. The strange thing is that the food is often cold. .go figure. Forget trying to ask the person who delivered your food for anything...it's simply not in their job description. They will just say "I will tell your server". The quality of the food has plummeted. The great food used to be the biggest surprise about Kickbacks now it's the biggest disappointment. The menu is ridiculously huge. ..it makes the menu at a Fridays look like a pamphlet. I imagine if I worked in this kitchen and had to prepare to cook 200 plus items I may struggle to execute them as well. The bottom line is that Kickbacks is great for the beer enthusiast,but do yourself a favor and just enjoy a pint. I really think if they picked 15-20 great things to cook, reestablished an emphasis on service they could return to being a dining surprise.
(2)ZM H.
Go to the Blind Rabbit instead!!! Kickbacks has gone even more downhill since the expansion. The hostess, the manager and the waiter all seemed unable to handle a Saturday crowd. After an hour at Kickbacks we finally were able to hear from the waiter that it will take even longer for food. He said there was a private beer dinner for 90 people affecting the service of over 400. I've been a strong supporter of Steve and Kickbacks since the start. But obviously the expansion has done nothing to improve service. The new kitchen was supposed to solve these issues but it was too ambitious.
(1)Kat D.
Taps on the ceiling. I must've stared up for the longest. It's so pretty. 0_0 Flew out to Jax to visit last week, and this is the first place she took me to. OMG. Yum. I love bar food. I've been to plenty of spots. But this queso..is pretty freakin' amazing. We ordered shrimp alfredo, too. BOMB. It being a gastropub and all, I was expecting high-quality food, and I wasn't disappointed. Service was great. Our server was fast and attentive. I tried an IPA that he recommended because I've been into IPAs lately. He knew his stuff. It was such a great experience! Woo. Go check it out.
(5)Mark H.
My first visit to Kickback's was one year ago. We stopped in for beers last time, but today we went to grub, and boy did we! Because the burgers are flame grilled, I decided to give it a shot. Of course, I added bacon because that's how I roll. La Chica made a custom order of home fries, eggs and chili. My boy Swan got the club and La Chica's sis got the Jake 'n bake. While we waited for the kitchen artists to whip up our grub, we snacked on the cheesy shrimp appetizer and drank some delicious Franziskaner on tap! Burger = very good. Got the Mac n cheese as a side, and holy freakin' wow. Probably the best Mac n cheese I've ever had from a restaurant. Why? Because they didn't dick around with the recipe by adding off-the-wall cheeses and other odd ingredients. It was just straight up Mac 'n cheese, but topped with bacon. The side dish most certainly out shinned the burger for me. Two thumbs up! Other food at the table wasn't mine, but I had a bite of each and everything was great, especially the Jake 'n bake. Very cheesy, and plentiful as hell. Definitely a meal made for two. I'm not sure if there is a gastropub with better food offerings out there, so I'm updating my review to a 5 star.
(5)Amanda G.
this place is an awesome hang out and have dinner with your friends. they just opened up the 2nd part of the bar and its super cool in there. they have a very large menu but the cheese fries and great. the Lumpia is authentic!
(4)Vero P.
You couldn't beat the customer service. Super hipster bar and I was in my mom-jeans and still got stellar service. Sensory overload sitting at the bar. It's lower than the taps and I couldn't see the bartenders. Really loud with bright TVs in yo face. We moved to the patio. Aaaah, delight! Spacious, severs, nice/humid/hot jax weather. I really enjoyed it. They have fans. Will be back to try the food. It looked like everyone was getting their grub on.
(5)Samantha C.
I plan to update this review when we decide to dine in. last night was the 2nd night we had ordered delivery as you cant find a lot of places that will deliver. i placed the order at 7:38 and at almost 9pm they showed up after letting me know it would only be 45 min. Of course everything was cold but cant really complain about that. The service is just not good, even on the phone. when you call it sounds like you are bothering them, not to mention i was put on hold without knowing several times. the food is ok. they of course forgot the gravy for the fried steak sandwich
(2)Sally K.
Looking forward to their remodel, as most of our visits to Kickbacks have been mediocre, with staff that doesn't seem to like being there, some are just plain rude, and food that is too expensive and overcooked. Good beer selection, and a great place to go if you just want bar food.
(2)Jess H.
Hands down the absolute best place if you are looking for great beer, food, and people. Everyone is pretty rad and they know their stuff. If Erica is behind the bar you are gonna get taken care of! The atmosphere is super chill and really just a perfect example of how the people in that area of Jacksonville are. A little kooky but amazing. It's my go to hang out I love it and everyone there dearly. :).
(5)sig s.
Great beer bar just out outside the city. GastroHeaven, just had pierogies, Scottish eggs, and a local cheese,chareuterie plate. If your vintage retro, try the spaghetti o.s, Tater tots, and ramen noodles, with a fluffer nutter for dessert. Over 200 taps to wash it down. BTW, they're open for breakfast, try a bowl of grits and a palate wrecker to get your started off on the wrong foot. CHEERS!!!
(4)Samantha M.
I reeaaaallly want to like this place. The new bar is super cool-I love the decor. The bar is spacious. The outdoor seating is roomy-if I smoked, I could totally see myself lighting one up out there. Aesthetically, there is so much damn potential!!! It's hip and sexy and all the pennies on the wall are just super funky, sooooooo......Why doesn't the food taste as good as the establishment looks??? Whyyyy??? There is so much going on with the menu! Pasta? It's there! Reuben sandwich? You got it. Fish and chips? Donut burgers? I've been in super large parties and I've been with only one other person and every time I go, regardless of whether it's crowded to the max or dead, the food is just....ugh. The menus I've been handed are sticky and gross and dirty-and it's so dim in there, you wonder if everything is as dirty as the menus. Nobody would ever know if it was.... I hope they can focus their menu and make better food. Quality over quantity-it works. I am giving a star for the beer and a star for the ambiance...one of these days I'll hopefully be able to go back and not be handed a menu covered with who knows what all over it. If dimly-lit establishments that serve questionable food is your thing, you're gonna love it. Otherwise, I would just go for the beer.
(2)Tiffany I.
If I could give a negative star, I would. This place is grimey, always slammed, and the owner's a giant douche. The neighborhood is worse off because of this hole. The delivery is the worst. They take an hour, sometimes longer to come 5 minutes down the street, only to forget items and give you cold food. Go ahead, spend $40 on two overcooked, soggy burgers with wet fries. I won't ever again.
(1)Abdul Wahab H.
If you're looking for real american fried food then that's your place. They have a lot and a lot of beer choices. P.S, if you're a healthy geek, DO NOT go there.
(4)Jessica J.
This place was a great find for a huge selection of craft beer on tap. The food was awesome, huge menu to choose from. Great music playing and cozy atmosphere. Very cool place. We will be back.
(4)Stephen N.
I'm not even sure where to start with this place. I have sat down and ordered here a couple times and ordered to go food here a few times, and the experience is always terrible. If it's not waiting 30 minutes on a lukewarm, old tasting beer, it's the cold obviously previously frozen food. Not to mention the service here is absolutely terrible, had one of the servers hand the iPad they take orders with and tell us to type in what we wanted. I'm really surprised that kickbacks has gotten this good of a review. The ambiance is really spectacular and the beer list is impressive, bummer they aren't able to train their staff to get food and drinks out quickly and efficiently, I guess being in a bar district they expect everyone to be too drunk to notice, it really amazes me that this place has stayed open so long.
(1)Alan P.
OH my Goodness! I was looking for a place to have Sunday brunch and landed here! The waitress Madi helped me decide on getting the Firebird omelette! I am so glad I did. It was prepared with fried Jalapeños With a healthy portion of pulled chicken breast and cheese topped off with salsa. Toast and potatoes on the side!! Yum Yum
(5)Yolanda G.
I gave this place 2 stars for the beer but I would never ever eat in such a place that allows their workers to walk around like something out of Halloween Horror nights. These people need to shower and clean their clothes once in a while. If you like dirty creepy servers then this is the place for you.
(2)Alexia C.
My boyfriend and I are SO pleased with our dining experience tonight. We were waited on by Colin, who served us the best suggestions and beer pairings along with the best service we've ever had. His presence was appreciated at our table. Our food was amazing; we had the shepherd's pie and the crest your own pasta with linguine, Cajun Alfredo, and shrimp, and for our appetizer, we had the mushroom spread. My boyfriend had the creme brûlée beer which was exquisite. We would have probably never known such a great place was here since we're only stopping in for a sleep in between long drives, but Kickbacks was suggested by some locals we are staying with. We will most definitely be back!
(5)AJ R.
After reading the reviews, I had high hopes for this restaurant and wanted to taste some foods that maybe had a slight twist to them. We sat down and it took no joke over 25 minutes for them to take our order and bring the drinks. The food came not all the same time but in different stages and each time we were unimpressed. The fries were cold, the macaroni and cheese had zero cheese flavor and the main dishes were not much better. Perhaps it was a bad day for them but what I had to eat there was not an all impressive and was akin to microwavable food.
(1)Suzanne S.
Cool setting and the food would have been great if not cold. The service was unapologetically and amazingly horrible. Mike, the manager's response was "what do you want me to do about it". Shame. I would have loved this place.
(2)Jasmine S.
The food here is perfect when you're drunk & are craving. Lots of variety in selection of beers (draft & bottle). service is a tiny bit slow, but I'm sure it's just because it is really crowded whenever I go. Only place I know of that is open until 3 am in riverside so that's also a plus.
(3)Colleen B.
The lovely Katie C hosted me here after an awesome Elite Event for some late night grub. It's a very busy pub/bar that has an eclectic array of customers. We went in and grabbed a high top but were not approached or greeted until about 10min after we sat down. Tons of employees walked by us too, it's not like we were hidden in a corner. So that was a little offsetting. After we saw an outside table become available we moved out there since it was a gorgeous evening. However, smokers are outside, so that was a little icky. Our server ended up being pretty cool so that was a plus. I ordered a cider and it arrived warm in my glass. I had to request ice to actually drink it. Overall it was okay though. I went with the BLT and side of their infamous mac and cheese. I have to tell you, when the mac and cheese arrived in a unappealing cut block of baked elbow noodles, I was not impressed. However, after my first bite it was love. I am pretty sure I got an arm ache from shoveling this cheesy goodness in my mouth. The BLT was unimpressive with overcooked bacon. I should have just gotten a large block of the mac and cheese and I would have been set. Overall, it's a typical bar so don't expect the best service but their food seems like it would satisfy tons of cravings. Give it a shot.
(3)Daisy D.
Have made it back to Kickbacks multiple times since my initial review and every time it knocks it out of the park. The menu has a little bit of everything - even spaghetti-o's! - so every one can find something they like. Their tap selection is minimal lately due to the expansion going on outside/next door, but it won't stop me from going. The nachos are huge. The Monte Cristo is ridonkulous. And the staff is great. You give them a beer you like and most of them can recommend a great one to try. Haven't made it in for brunch just yet, but seeing some of the pictures from some fellow yelpers and knowing the dedication some have to not missing a Sunday, I'm looking forward to trying it soon.
(4)C B.
Went for appetizers. Great menu of bar food. The Brie appetizer was too large for just two people. Great place for a group.
(4)Liz C.
This place is like a second home to me. I always feel comfortable there and get good service. The staff is awesome and down to earth. They don't get mad at me when I drink too much and say stupid things. This place is like the place I go and feel like I'm at my house and that's pretty special. The restaurant is busy, that means there is a WAIT. There is also a WAIT for food. That is how restaurants work people! ALSO, When you sit down at a table and the restaurant is on a wait, the host/hostess has every right to ask you to move out of courtesy to other guests that have been waiting! If that isn't logical to you, please get help! LOVE To KB's woooot!
(5)Lara F.
If you have had your Hepatitis shot then feel free. This is a trendy spot for the grunge factor. The servers look physically dirty and one guy had open sores on his face. Open wounds. ..plural. Servers walked by a booth that apparently was there for their use and would grab food off a plate, eat while they walked and then grab you some eating utensils. I dont understand why artsy and dirty seem to be synonymous but in this place it is. Also, I know this area can be pretentious but I was shocked to see a lack of give a crap by the staff in this place...I mean...why? They served us a burnt meal and when we asked to have it remade, it was inedible, it took 40 minutes and then came raw. Sarcasm much? So my husband didnt eat and I wished I hadn't as in prayed to the intestinal gods to smile down on me. Go drink beer because apparently thats super cool to have a bunch of draft beer, but for the love of all cleanliness dont eat food...and if you do, dont accidentally look in the kitchen afterwards.
(1)Josh A.
Being a craft brew lover, thus was on my list. It was Jacksonville Craft week, so I figured this was the place to go, especially seeing that it's had 80 on tap. Not this time. I think there were around 15 on tap, with ZERO FL brews. What's up with that? Server was nice, but the lack of selection was just too little for me.
(2)Megan G.
I would show you a photo of the poutine I just ate, except I inhaled it upon sight. It's in my lungs now. If I wake up dead tomorrow, it will be worth it. I want to actually kiss whoever made this.
(5)Alex V.
Before we lived in Jacksonville, my parents always brought us to Kickbacks while visiting. If you like craft beer, good vibes, and a creative and fun menu, Kickbacks is a great spot! In the fall, they serve Southern Tier's Pumpking Pumpkin Ale straight off the tap in a glass with soft pie crust blessing the rim with it's presence. It is truly a combination to die for! But even more than that, the staff here really knows there stuff when it comes to brews. The creative chalk-board tap list shows the beer name, brand, style, and alcohol content - very informative. The staff is great at recommended food parings and really seems to care about a great customer service. Highly recommend to the craft beer snob and enthusiast as well as the average Joe looking to try something they've never had before. Enjoy!
(5)Carolyn M.
I have LOVED Kickbacks in the past, but the "new and improved" leaves me no choice but to speak to the lack of service, both for drinks...and more so for food. I posted a note to their FB page on how I was disappointed in the charcuterie and cheese (offered by the ounce), which was nothing more than honey and Ritz crackers with some mounds of cheese I wasn't sure of. Kickbacks deleted my post on FB- which I can understand. Who likes negative feedback? The thing that stinks is that I really like the place and I'd love to visit more and recommend it, but it seems they are more interested in sweeping their serving and food issues under the rug.
(1)Jenn A.
Steve, you need to get it together. Your staff will close you down. This isnt just my review, its all of my friend's collective conversation. I moved away for a couple years and I longed for Kickbacks. I even raved on and on in Washington DC, where there are many places similar of how great Kickbacks is. Much to my dismay, I came home to the crap that has become Kickbacks. It no longer has the same laid back vibe. We knew coming in years ago that the wait would be long. We didnt care. It was that good. The service was the same every time, because we knew the people. We came here every week, if not more. This "tapas style" crap you have going doesnt fly. Why? Because youre not a tapas restaurant. Even if it doa take an hour for food, it should all come out at the same time. ESPECIALLY BREAKFAST. Your staff is rude and pretentious. All of them. We just dont come here anymore. I live 3 blocks away. Please bring it back to its former glory so I can brag on you again.
(1)Alex V.
Ordered delivery got the wrong food for one fries were gross mac and cheese was dry sausage hoagie tasted like unseasoned ground beef. Delivery took an hour+ I'm so disappointed because kickbacks used to have such amazing food and now I wouldn't feed it to my dog.
(1)La K.
This place is very nice, great beer selection, good food... Recommend the roast beef panini it was delicious. Today being Christmas we had good service and the food was amazing. This was our first time coming here and definitely not the last!
(4)Spencer L.
The beer list is World class. I would give it a 5 star rating but the service is always horrible. The food all comes out of deep fryer but if you're into that that's cool. I keep coming back every time I'm in JAX but only for the beers. I've learnt not to eat and not to expect prompt or good service. The staff don't seam to care and clearly don't receive any training
(2)Ari W.
Love this place, I am visiting from Dallas TX... and I have been going different places to eat and have few drinks with my friends... This gem of a place is a perfect place to enjoy a verity of excellent beers, superb client service and fantastic food this literally is "finger licking good" try the personal pizzas and or the zesty, crispy and spicy Jalapeños which is one of the many delicious items from the appetizers. PS if you ever get the opportunity to get Lee as your server then you are really in for an excellent service and knowledge of the beer and food variety. So now get up and head to KICKBACKS!
(5)GT W.
Short: The premiere beer bar in Jacksonville open nearly 24 hours that has its own Android and iPhone app Long: Kickback's has a divey atmosphere with a good mix of clientele from biker gangs and chain smokers to craft beer cuddling hipsters. Tap list here is absolutely massive, but a real beer nerd will quickly be able to sift through 90% BS on 80-100 offerings and narrow it down to about 10 local, special beers worth drinking. Look for Aardwolf, Intuition, Bold City, Engine 15, Green Room, Cigar City, 7venth Sun, Peg's/Cycle, Funky Buddha. Food menu is large and the quality is upgraded Applebee's. Spinach artichoke dip, hot wings, etc. Staff are friendly but sometimes hard to track down. They have an Android/iPhone app that will show you their tap list in real time that is actually easier to use than having to squint at their size 8 font board on the wall. Good For: Late night craft beer drinking Bad For: Nice dinner with your wine and liquor loving friends
(4)Mike Y.
Went to this place for the first time. It was a Sunday during lunch. It didn't seem too busy. But, the kitchen was apparently backed up and a few of us got our food late. Traditionally parties eat "together" instead of taking turns. Out of a party of five, three people received their entrees 15-20 minutes after their sides. I'll be back to try this place again. But, my first impression is disappointment. The only reason why I'm giving them 2 stars is because of our waitress. She was nice and very accommodating.
(2)Arlene H.
I paid for the ambiance not the food or service. My over 100.00 bill for my family of 4 was extreme. We were a party of 10 and were told the food would come out when ready which was fine but when my meal didn't come out until all others had theirs boxed up -too extreme. I told them I didn't want it anymore but they brought it anyway and wouldn't remove from the bill. Unfortunate, the place has an interesting and unique menu and the ambiance as I said was great. I don't think we will return.
(2)Greg S.
They did a great job with the renovation. The expanded menu adds some variety to their already large menu. Service continues to be a weak spot. Food comes out of the kitchen in pieces and I've regularly been charged for things that I haven't gotten. Waitstaff seems friendly but is lacking on quality of service. 3 hours to get out of there and had to constantly chase staff for refills and check. I wouldn't recommend for parties of 6 or more because gratuity is automatically added to bill.
(1)Jeffrey O.
Hang on to your horses. The food flys out like you have never seen before. The food that arrived at the table was great, but when you have to acclimate your self to the high speed service and the final meal never arrives there is a problem. The server laughed at me Over my reaction of the wild pace and the crazy service. I asked for a manager to explain my concerns and he addressed everything right away. He even gave me my meal and a dessert. I just have a problem when my server laughs at me and thinks it's funny that this pace is completely not normal. Oh and they have a great beer selection.
(2)Sara B.
Let me start off by saying, I created a Yelp account just to write a review about this place. I have now been to the renovated Kickbacks 3 times now. Two times visiting being as Kickbacks is one of the only places open late that serves food. The only positive things I have to say about this place is the decor is creative, innovative, and spectacular, and the beer list is phenomenal. Also the live entertainment was not too bad. The food and service, worst I have experienced ever! And that was all three times. This past experience, I started by ordering a house Riesling. The waiter came back with the smallest Pinot Grigio I have ever seen. I drank it anyway without saying anything. Later on my tab I noticed it was over $6! For a house wine! That was not even what I ordered. Way too expensive. If you cannot get a simple wine correct, just offer red or white. Here's a tip- The whole ordeal with the tablets instead of a server pad, train your staff to use them. If you are going to go the high tech route, have the staff to back it up. I'm not saying the staff has no idea how to use them, everyone just seems to have technical issues keying in orders. Maybe it is the tablets? The two servers I remember having seemed to have other things going on that made their customer service lackluster. The bus boy/food runner was a better waiter than the actual server. He would ask us if we needed anything after dropping off the food, ask how everything was, and come back with whatever was requested. The waiter did not check on us after the food was dropped off by the food runner for at least a good 15 to 20 minutes. By then we were almost finished. Thank goodness for the food runner. In a nutshell, the waiter had no personality, very "what do you want to order, how do you want that cooked, "basic b****" sh**. All the server does is bring you drinks and take your order, if you need refills, or condiments, napkins, you are SOL. I had to rip my napkin in half and share it with my Bf. We even asked for mayo while ordering, in order to save a trip for the server, no mayo came out. We had to ask twice to get it. After trying apps, main courses, and desserts, none of them were good. Everything seems frozen or microwaved. The pretzel-frozen. The beer cheese that came with it was chunky, lukewarm, and nasty. The queso is extremely thick and pasty. Also lukewarm. The chips that came with it were stale or just not fried correctly. The creme brule cheescake had chocolate sauce all over it. Way too much that counteracted the creme brule of it. The cheesecake also tasted frozen. I had two bites of it and did not finish it. My bf had a lamb gyro. It was by far the most disgusting thing. It tasted like it had gone bad. Also had a funny smell to it. Needless to say, we both went to bed with bad tummy aches. If I return to kickbacks, it will be to only order drinks, minus wine.
(2)Vanessa T.
I really wanted to like it here, I know it gets great reviews but maybe I ordered the wrong thing, it was just average bar food... nothing special
(3)Katy S.
If you have read any of my reviews, you know that three big things I like are an interesting drink menu, hearty food, and a laid back atmosphere. This place has it all. When you walk in, you will see beer taps decorating the entire ceiling. They have a HUGE beer menu. If you download their app, it is the easiest way to browse through. I did a sampling of Christmas Ales. They were all very good and I was feelin' pretty good by the time we left. I went for the roast beef panini for my meal...with bomb diggety sweet potato fries. My fiance' got the meatloaf with the mac n cheese and veggies. I was definitely jealous of the mac n cheese as they serve you a BRICK. Oh and I must mention - the mac n cheese is topped with BACON. We ended up staying here for hours and, although it was very crowded, our waitress was totally fine with us hanging around and taking our time. I definitely want to come back to Kickbacks next time I'm in Jacksonville. I really enjoyed the laid back pub feel and I can't wait to try more of their beers!
(5)Michael J.
Food is great just takes a really long time for orders to come out.... Mac n cheese is amazing....skip the turkey leg I didn't really care for it.
(4)Carmelo M.
Great beer selection, and tasty food. the beer and food compliment each other. My friend and I had a great time there. The atmosphere was good and the waiter was helpful and knowledgeable of the beers. I will be definitively back there again.
(4)Kelley D.
We have been there multiple times because we support local. However service is sketchy, kitchen timing is horrible, Service has no knowledge of what they're doing, Will not return:((((((
(1)Sarah P.
I am so impressed with the renovations on this building, and they have the best beer selection in town. I have tried two things from their new menu, and both were good but not as good as I have had at other gastropubs. That said, this is a really fun place to go out. They have a beer for everyone, and they have a lot of stuff on the menu. Also, I haven't ever had trouble getting a seat there, even on crowded nights.
(4)Kristen A.
We have been to kickbacks in the past and it was great. Since they have built on and changed the kitchen around ... It is horrible. Food comes out at all different stages. I received the 2 sides for my entree, then our appetizer, then my entree, then my husbands entree... He never got his sides. We asked for a manager and he wouldn't come out just told the server to comp the side of fries. We won't be returning. Very sad this was a neat place.
(2)Jamie B.
Worst Experience I have ever had in a restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will never ever ever ever be back here! I believed the hype and wanted to check it out and was more than disappointed! When we first walked in we asked if we seat ourselves and we were told to go look for the creepy guy with the suspenders and he would help us! What in the world...we should have left then! So, we didn't...we actually sat down! Our food came out wrong (had a few things on it we asked to be 86'ed and on the side). We ate a little bit but it was just horrible even without the mistake it would have been gross! We had to order something else to not leave hungry. When we received our bill the item was on there and we asked for it to be taken off...the server said (with a frightened look) that she could take off 50%and when I asked to see a manager I was told there wasn't one! She said she was the manager of her section and she had to pay for it because it was her mistake. I explained to this young girl that this was not her business and she should not have to pay for common mistakes and that is the cost of doing business. She had a terrified look on her face and begged me not to say anything. She explained that Steve the owner....was quite a force to be reckoned with. I asked the other servers and they agreed! Seems like he has quite a sham going on and his success may be due to his loophole in management! I will find out soon! Regardless we were so not impressed with the food at all! Oh and when we asked for a flight of beer (because other tables had them) we were told they really don't offer those! Again with a frightened look she talked us out of it...because she was scared that the bartenders would get made at her! Has anyone else had this type of experience there????? I seriously felt like going table to table or standing outside preaching the injustice until Steve showed up! Unreal! One of the worst dinners and experiences in a very long time or maybe ever actually! The one star is gracious because we didn't die!
(1)Court G.
I ordered the wings - half hot and honey barbecue. Really good wings! Nice crunch on the outside and I ordered all flats yummmm. I'll be back. Nice kickback atmosphere with a young vibe. Waiter was super nice on a late Friday night.
(5)Gerald R.
Its a bit rough when you come in but the food was good..it feels more like a bar then anything else...best thing about this place is you can order ToGo & they're open until 3am.
(3)Leah T.
The decor is awesome. The service was incredibly slow in the beginning... so bad we almost left. The food was mediocre, we ordered fried mushrooms- nothing bad to be said, just your typical fried mushroom; french mushroom spread (I swear there wasn't a shroom to be tasted in that) it was more like a cheesy bread with an alfredo dip, not bad but didn't follow up to the name. Then we had the bacon jam fries.... INCREDIBLE!!!!! Absolutely the best dish we had. We also ordered the poutine.... we made these how we wanted it so that could be our fault but it was very blah... needed more flavor the brown gravy didn't have much flavor do maybe it's the white gravy we should have got. We got lumpia.... it had a musty taste like your grandma's closet. And lastly the fish n' chips.... no chips came with it only slaw... and we were told or food would come as it was ready but didn't realize items within the same dish would come separately. All in all go for a great beer selection and the BACON JAM FRIES!!!
(3)Elena S.
Ordered a take out order when my companions took too long getting a tattoo and piercing across the street. First, there is NO parking anywhere in this cramped little neighborhood. Then the people crammed inside and spilling out on to the sidewalks doesn't look very appetizing to me. I don't like my restaurants to look and feel like a club. I had my friend place a take out order while I drove back to pick them up. That being said, I was able to drive all the way from our hotel near JAX and THEN proceeded to wait an additional 45 minutes for my wings and a cheeseburger. The food was acceptable, but I'll never get it again if this is the normal drag a-- pace that they fill orders. It's a shame that they're the only place open other than chain restaurants like Denny's.
(2)Luke H.
One of my favorite spots to end up at 3am to get fatter and more unhealthy! No seriously this is an amazing place and with the new renovation we aren't crammed all in. Order the sampler! And don't get lost in the new upcoming basement bar!!!
(4)Amanda J.
I just want to start by saying I normally don't follow the suggestions of crowds but the crowds are right on this one! After perusing the menu online and finding some things we could try, we made the trek across town. Very easy to get to, parking at 3ish on a Saturday after the big games wasn't even that bad. We were seated at a little table pretty quickly, and had drinks within five minutes, which is a big plus if y'all have read any of my reviews . We were kinda shocked when a piping hot plate of our wings showed up, they were quite zaftig! Very meaty, warm as they should be and another little plus I give them credit for- fresh made not bottled ranch dressing. I grew up with fresh made, so that's a little happy button. The hubs got the fat Julian ( their version of the ru hungry grease trucks fat Darryl at Rutgers ) with Mac n cheese and I got the French dip with green bean fries. To quote him "Great combo of flavors and textures, and very much a guilty pleasure!". The Mac held its own, very creamy but firm and tastes of bacon infused throughout. Better than mom used to make. The French dip was very bready but was slightly moist. The meat wasn't incredibly impressive sadly, I wanted more of a meaty flavor and a bit more spice/herb ...but that's just me. This place is a pub, not a formal restaurant so with that being said, I'm quite impressed. I am so sad I didn't stay for funnel cake fries! Lol. I will definitely be back. Also, the price vs portion ratio is truly amazing. I think for two entrees and an app with two drinks, we stayed right T or under $40. perfecto! Thank y'all for sharing this place with us!
(4)Ed D.
Kickbacks is a victim of their own success. The service is terrible and the food was lousy. Taco salad took an hour and was old meat slapped over the lettuce and out of the beer I wanted. Breakfast plate was no better and its hard to screw up breakfast. Best to just drink there.
(2)Ernest B.
Good place to go for beer and atmosphere. They advertise a lot more beer than they really have. But overall a nice bar.
(3)Celia C.
The food and service were sub par. The beer was outstanding. The food was edible, I could've made a better sandwich at home. The service, for the first 10min we weren't really sure if we had a server. The food came out a different times. We ordered our food at different times, but as my mom and I (who have both been servers) would tell you; you wait until everyone has ordered to tell the kitchen. The beer list is written on the wall or viewed through their app "Kickbacks Gastropub". Even though that was a a bit of an inconvenience the beer was phenomenal. The server/bartender suggested great beer. Only two stars because any restaurant can open a great beer, but you go to the restaurant for the food.
(2)Mary C.
Freaking amazing! Food off the chain good. Service from Pat was superb. Always fantastic never disappointed and the bill is forever less than expected. There's no comparison in town. above and beyond yet still laid back
(5)Jim V.
First, the waiter was very attentive. That's where the good stuff ends. I was there with my wife and another couple. We ordered the David Ponsler Thor burger because we grew up with David and thought it would be nostalgic. Anyway, the burger comes with a half pound beef patty and half pound bacon patty. The waiter said they were out of bacon patties but could substitute bacon strips. We agreed. . . big mistake!! When the burger came, it had TWO strips of bacon (not close to a half pound). We complained and he brought us 6 strips of bacon (for two burgers). We complained again and the manager knocked 20% off the bill. Bottom line: the waiter should not have even offered the burger unless all the key ingredients were in stock and we should not have accepted his offer. Two bad decisions. I may give this place another chance.
(3)Matt B.
I've been here on a few Occasions and the food is ok. It didn't wow me nor was it terrible. The place has a smokey bar room feel to it and the service is very friendly but the food can take a while to come out at times. I'll probably go back and may change my review if they can wow me. A lot of people really love this place.
(3)Jennifer M.
Serious beer selection, quantity & quality. The new addition feels like you are eating in an art gallery and has much aesthetic appeal. In fact, one of my friends was brought to tears by the beauty and creativity present in the new space. The menu has tons of yummy items such that it is always difficult to narrow down options. Luckily my friends and I enjoy sharing. They added new items when they opened the new side, too--a favorite is their Sammy Smith strawberry milkshake with white chocolate mousse. Love it here!
(5)Adam R.
Hey Kickbacks Gastropub, are you a steak because WELL DONE. Kickbacks has a special place in my heart, it is where it I met the love of my life Mrs.Yelp, Its my Cheers but without a creepy Norm. I've been wanting to write this review for weeks now. My writing isn't written like it's writing written by a writing expert. I hope I do them a service. The New York Strip with the peppercorn sauce is so good, it probably has its own memoir. The Mac N' Cheese is one of the best in the city. Unlike instant, this mac n' cheese will love you back. The owner of Kickbacks, one, Steve is a consummate beer guy and his establishment his a testament to this facts with the capacity for some sixty beers on tap though currently this is down to ten or so due to the future expansion plans of the Belgium Tap Room... yay. Anyone who gives Kickbacks a chance is won over to the Gospel of Steve for it is said, "On the Eighth day, God created Beer and it was Good." Bring some friends and go for the beer, stay for the food and leave with the memories.
(5)Marty T.
Okay, for starters if your establishment has "gastropub" in the name and hundreds of beer taps hanging from the ceiling, wouldn't you think to put a beer menu together? The only way to see what beers they have is to be seated in just the right place, in line of sight to the "menu board" on the wall (with tiny dark writing". So the beverage menu (or lack there of) was a let down. And now on to the food... We told the server that it was our first time and I even asked her to recommend what they are known for and so we ordered two of the things she recommended - a bleu cheese stuffed burger with bacon and a roast beef panini. So when the food was brought out (by a food runner) the roast beef "panini" was not actually a panini at all, it was a french dip, complete with au jus. And then the (medium rare) bleu cheese stuffed burger was very dry, had no condiment on it at all, just LTO and burnt bacon. And then once I bit into it, there was one tiny piece that was mid-rare and the rest of the burger was very well done and dry. So once the server finally came by to see how our food was, we asked about the "panini" and her response was "yeah we have been using different bread this week and they aren't really pressing it". Funny, she didn't mention that when she recommended the "panini". And then I showed her the burger, she agreed that it was definitely not mid-rare so at least she did offer to get me something else (but I declined). The only saving grace was that the tater tots were pretty on-point. And finally, I guess I've come to expect that in this new culinary "foodie" society we're in now, when both meals are pretty much a failure, the server didn't bother to send a manager over to speak to us. So, needless to say, I most likely won't be back. Maybe I'll try The Blind Fig Gastropub across the street, next time...
(1)Janet C.
Best pumpkin beer, love the graham cracker and spice rim. Super packed and loud due to Sunday football games, Jacksonville Cougars playing. Beers on draft selection was not robust , seemed to be out of a lot of beers. Medium burger was almost well done. Daughter enjoyed the wings, you get more than most in an order. French dip was not impressive. Service was a bit slow, probably due to the number of people and server said the place is currently under renovation.
(3)Dorothy T.
So WOW this was the worst ever. We have eaten there before they did this new expansion. But last night my co-worker went and had the worst experience . Now let me tell you we work at Riverside and used to eat there for lunch. In fact we had gotten to the point of making it our friday lunch spot. But for some stupid reason when they re-open it all went down hill. My co-worker was there from 10:30 pm til around 1am. The food was cold and the drinks were AWFUL. Megan her server was a no-show most of the time. So after the food sat there and turned cold till it probably could have walked itself back to the kitchen to re-warm itself. After multiple attempts to get the manager she was told " He is busy with more important things". ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!!! After that comment the bill came and again she asked for the manager. And yet again " HE IS BUSY WITH OTHER THINGS". So after a while between security and nothing be resolved the police was called. Why oh why, this just made things worst. Not only did the manager refuse to see us you thought the police would do your dirty work. Well please be informed that i nor any of my coworkers nor anyone in any of my reach will ever go here again. Don't waist your time or energy going here. YOU ARE BETTER OFF GIVING YOUR MONEY TO A BUSINESS THAT CARES!!!
(1)Jessica T.
It is true what they say the server makes the dining experience. A group of us came tonight and Chris Fedora was our server. The best server we have had. He was attentive and made sure our food came out in a timely manner. If all the servers were like him we would definitely come back more often.
(5)Chris C.
This was my first visit for more than drinks in over a year. The new addition is amazing, the big open front porch is nice also. We got there around 9:45 on a Monday eve and the whole place was pretty empty. Our server was pleasant and seated us promptly. The two stars? We ordered the Roasted Shrimp dip and a Monte Cristo with fries as the side. The server informed (warned )us that everything would come out when ready. The dip came out first, decent but lacking in flavor with tiny shrimp, not the nice spicy chunks I had with it before. The fries came out 10 minutes layer...sans Monte Cristo. Come on, thats like serving the potato before the steak. The Monte did appear before the overcooked and slightly fishy (old grease?) tasting fries were totally cold. The sandwich was roughly the size of two large eggrolls cut in half..sort of sad. It did taste good and was nice and hot. From now on we will eat elsewhere and stick to Kickbacks for beer and booze only.
(2)Mike And Tye L.
Wow. Went there for lunch wings were cold fries were over cooked. They added new doughnuts to the menu suppose to be lightly fried. Ha over fried and greesy. Server was ah average. Good vodka and beer though
(1)Glenda S.
Everytime we go the food is just awesome!!!
(4)Anthony H.
Since I have to relocate to Jacksonville for work I have took it upon myself to sniff out the best restaurants to visit when I move. One that constantly kept coming up was Kickbacks. So when I arrived to Jacksonville it was on our to do list. Parking was a little difficult because there is no specific area for them but we found parking on a side street fairly easily. When we walked up to the restaurant there were a number of people outside laughing and drinking beer. Good company, beer flowing always make for a good time. As we walked in I was in aw of all the hanging beer taps from the ceiling. The atmosphere was very vibrant and reminds me of a restaurant back home. The huge Nirvana picture on the wall and all the beer signs kept my eyes looking for the next thing to pop out at me. From the moment the host seated us we felt as if we have been there before. I forget the waitress name but she really took care of us. I was indecisive about what I wanted to drink and she help narrow it down for me until I decided on a cigar city ipa, which was very good. I knew I wanted the Mac and cheese from others reviews, so I ordered that with the blue cheese stuffed burger. I added bacon and provolone cheese to sweeten the pot. The wife ordered the country fried steak with the Mac and cheese, cole slaw with a side salad. I have been with my wife for 8 years and never seen her order chicken fried steak anywhere or let alone step out the box with out a little push. This was very amusing when she ordered it. When the food came out my hamburger looked delicious. The bacon on my burger was crispy and it was medium just the say I like it. The thing that caught my eye was the portion sizes. They don't skimp on the amount of the sides. My wife had two large fried steaks that were made fresh. The coleslaw came out in two dishes which she was only able to finish one. She looks over at me and says" I know I am pregnant but I can't finish all of this". Needles to say the side salad and one dish of coleslaw worked her over. We joked on the way home about how we took a whole meal home with us. Overall I give this place five stars from the atmosphere to the food to the service everything was great. Only issue I had was no beer menu that I could actually hold and view. The beer board was hanging over other customers and made me feel awkward to hover people while they eat. Our waitress made up for it by knowing the selection. I now know where I am bring my out of town friends first to eat when they visit. Loyal customer.
(5)Allison M.
This place is amazing!! Such an amazing list of beers, a fun and incredibly delicious menu, and the new inside is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to come back to Florida when the new space is open. It's unlike anywhere I've ever been, and Steve is a total sweetheart.
(5)Peter B.
We waited for an hour, then one of us got part of our meal. A half hour later I received part of my meal, then later the other half cold. Toast was to much to ask. We also were charged for bacon we never got. The MANAGER REFUSED TO COME TO OUR TABLE. The waitress said, "he's not seeing customers." The owners better get it together! The manager should obviously be canned.
(1)Mimi R.
Place was disgusting, it smell so bad, the food was horrible, went there with my husband and my food came out first, just to eat it 20 minutes later because that's how long it took for my husbands chicken wings to come out. Bad service. Thumbs down
(1)Ashley B.
Great beer selection. Menu is huge now that they've expanded. On a busy night it can take 5-10 minutes to get the drink you ordered. Food comes out relatively quick. I don't recommend the meat ball sub, was a little dry when we got it. Sweet potato fries are delicious!
(4)Shaun N.
I live this bar! They have a selection of over 100 beers to chose from. The service is great and the staff is very knowledgable. The menu is cool and they have breakfast food! I love the lemon pepper and Thai sauce wings. If you are looking for a nice spot to chill and be around people, this is the place for you.
(5)Jeremy K.
Prior to the renovation and expansion I considered this to be a greasy dark place with a large beer selection and an unusually large beer selection. Now it is a large place with a really cool atmosphere, large beer selection, and some pretty good food (albeit almost too large of a menu). Check it out!
(4)Leah A.
I'm going to begin and end with one thought or "rule of thumb" in this case: Guests should receive their beverage(s) within three minutes of ordering them. My first experience at Kickbacks: All drink, no food for me. Both drink and food service was painfully slow for those in our party who did order food that night. Then the following year, my sis and I both drank and ate. Still the service was way too slow for not being busy and the food was just OK. We're never in a rush, but I'm very aware when something is taking too long. Drinks shouldn't be one of them especially at a gastropub. Fast forward three years to the present: Brand new patio area and larger space inside from recent renovation. We were seated right away, orders taken: COLD BEER, PLEASE? OK, remember....it's summer and we're in Florida AND this place was not busy at all. Do you see a pattern here? I only go when I know it's not suppose to be busy. So we're waiting.....and waiting....and waiting.....and waiting...and waiting...and while waiting, I decide to look on Yelp. Oh, I guess I should have read Mark B's review before coming here. :( About 10 minutes later, my brother-in-law's not-so-cold beer comes out and there's a problem with mine so I was given a water just to wait again. Almost 20 minutes for one beer for me now. Wow. Finally. Yay. My lukewarm beer comes out with about a quarter of head. Seriously? Not Yay. I'm giving them an extra star for the new patio area that's smoker friendly and the million plus penny walls, but the wait time just seems unacceptable for drinks. When we order beers, sodas, or water, it should always come out pretty quickly. I mean, this isn't Starbucks. You're not making a latte. So I leave you with this.... Guests should receive their beverage(s) within three minutes of ordering them.
(2)Amanda Y.
Not worthy of your time, no one will get their food at the same time or do they care if everyone even gets their food. Also look at your bill was not wright and would not fix it. We have been here a few time this will be our last. Its sad because they have a large beer list and good food, but the staffing just doesn't care about the people.
(1)Elizabeth M.
I gotta say that I really miss the old kickbacks. This place used to be my go to for any late night eating. However the past few times that I have been here were such a disappointment that I would rather starve at home than make the drive to go here late at night. First off, the service was always kinda spotty before but was forgivable, now the service is just awful, no drink refills, food that's unpalatable cant be sent back because there is no server around to make it known to. I used to really love the steaks here but now they have replaced them with a much smaller cut, higher price and worst part is, is that every time i get it, its charred on the outside making it dry on the inside. The steak has absolutely no flavor and I always have to send it back 90% of the time, leaving me to eat alone after everyone is done or taking it home to eat alone. The mac and cheese is still the same awesomeness that it has been, but mac and cheese wont get me back into this place. Not for a good while. I hope they can figure out a better menu revamp but until then, I wont be returning anytime soon.
(2)Jaye T.
If it's not clear from my reviews, I'm way more interested in the "total package" experience of a restaurant, rather than just one singular aspect. Kickbacks has this amazing reputation as having the best food and frankly? I don't get it. ---------- Seating/Ambience - Who the hell can even fit here? 0/5, then 3/5 ---------- A group of six of us visited and we were seated at a high-top table absolutely wedged in literally the smallest possible space. I was seated by the window and getting up to go to the restroom would have required moving at least two people (the two people next to me at my table, so we could hop from chair to chair like we were playing chinese checkers) and possibly the people at the table behind me, because "pulling out" the chairs was a mutually exclusive proposition: they could or we could, but not both at the same time. We asked the manager to move and were accommodated, but for real, seating like that shouldn't exist. ---------- Food - Seriously? 2/5 ---------- After moving to a much quieter table on the more open patio, we started to receive our food. (More on that later.) Some of what we received was cooked but cold, or both cold and uncooked. My "steamed broccoli" was literally just "raw broccoli" and chilly to the touch. My medium burger was rare. The eggs my friend ordered were runny and cold. Note to the kitchen: it's a two-step process: remove from fridge; then cook. What was received as ordered was okay at best. I've had better burgers at home, at Seven Bridges, even at Candy Apple! The "breakfast for dinner" that a friend ordered wouldn't have been out of place at Denny's and would have been better at Cracker Barrel. Honestly, for a place that styles itself a gastropub, the watchword here is more like gastroenteritis. ---------- Food service - Wait, what? 0/5 ---------- One entree here, one side dish there... One of the six of us dining that night got all of their food at the same time. The rest receive our food in dribs and drabs (and as noted, some of it, when received wasn't as ordered). So allegedly, the service is bringing out the dishes as they're ready... but if that's the case, why is the food cold? I don't (in theory) have much of an issue with the "bringing the food out as it's cooked" style of dining, even if I do find it a little odd. Here are my issues with why Hawkers does it right and Kickbacks doesn't: 1) Hawkers waitstaff tell you BEFORE YOU ORDER what to expect. The dining style is made very clear, so when it happens, it's not a surprise. Kickbacks waitstaff tells you ... after you ask why your under-cooked burger didn't come out with your not-steamed broccoli. 2) Hawkers brings the food out quickly. At Kickbacks, I waited what would have been a standard time for a full entree, to get only a side. 3) Hawkers' menu is oriented toward small-plate-ordering. Each dish serves one small item and is less expensive than you'd expect of a full entree with sides. Kickbacks' menu looks like a standard restaurant menu. I didn't order a burger and (separately) a side dish: I ordered a burger "served with your choice of any side item." Note the SERVED WITH. The natural inclination, then, is to believe all the pieces and parts are going to be, you know, served together. If there were some explanation that this weren't the case, I'd still be baffled, but I wouldn't have been baffled, surprised, and hungry. Not a good combo. ---------- Service - Meh. 3/5 ---------- The service wasn't fantastic, but honestly, the food and food service was so terrible, I can't remember much that stood out.
(2)Morgan H.
I was recently in Riverside hitting up a bunch of my favorite go-to spots when some friends suggested we check out the new addition to Kickbacks. If you've read my previous review you can probably guess that it wasn't really where I was planning on stopping by while on that side of town, but my friends said I would not be disappointed....they were right! I LOVE what they did with the new side of Kickbacks. It feels like you're in a completely different place. The walls are covered in pennies and there's exposed brick and cool art and this great industrial feel going on too. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. The bartender that night (Mike) was also awesome. He was sociable and friendly as well as informative about drinks and knowledgeable about all the renovations that had been done and were still going on. Did you know they are going to have a basement beer bar? Yep, a basement in Florida! Yeah I didn't believe him either until we were lucky enough to get a underground tour of it all (it's still being finished) and let me just say that it is going to feel like a private club down there. The genius brain behind this new portion of Kickbacks deserves an award (I heard the owner came up with it all) because for an area of Jacksonville that is already know for having unique places to go, Kickbacks really upped the bar with there new and improved section. I am now a FAN!
(4)Berthina M.
I must say....they have a super duper huge menu...I came for brunch but I am sure this would have been a better experience had I came for a football game...Seems like I would have enjoyed it more. This restaurant has a decent size patio area...just in case you want to sit and take in some breeze. THE MENU: There is a foldable menu as well as a three page paper insert....OMG..talk about overwhelmed....They have everything from hamburger helper to salmon....for realllll........no jokes...I liked the fact they had these options however there was no way in the world I would pay $8 for hamburger helper and I can get 8 boxes for that price.. however, I thought it was cool. I ended up getting the greek salad with blackened shrimp....It was a good size...i almost went overboard trying to eat it all. My friend had a burger with sweet potato fries...I liked the fact that they gave a huge basket of fries as opposed to trying to slide them on the side of the plate and you get about six fries..... The waiter/bartender was extremely personable; he actually sat down at our table to take our order...this has happened to me before; however, this felt weird...but he was cool. I requested a refreshing drink with cucumber and boy oh boy...it was delicious....I was told it was suggested by the manager...."go manager ...awesome sauce". If you want to watch sports or people watch...this place is a win...if you are coming for brunch...ehhhhh...unless you dont know what you want to eat...if that is the case....im sure they have it...ONE Stop shop.
(2)Natalie D.
Had the Poutine and it was just as good as if I had it from somewhere in Canada. They have a great extensive selection of craft beer on draft. And the actual place just looks cool and has a lot of space. Looks like a bar you'd find somewhere in NYC
(5)Marie L.
This place has a great selection of beer and the staff is always really nice. Unfortunately, there's just something about this place - it just doesn't make us feel comfortable. Although the staff is really friendly service is aggravatingly slow. The decor is kinda cool. Instead of wallpaper, pennies cover everything. Might be worth visiting just to see that. The food is ok, we've only had sandwiches or appetizers and they were good but not really above average. It's definitely worth a visit just to say you've been there and you need to experience it yourself because it might be that you love it.
(3)Aidyn Q.
Food is overrated and the staff is unprofessional. It's not the same as it once was. The quality has definitely gone down. Dropped $75 dollars on drinks alone and was basically treated like shit. Never again. I will take my money elsewhere
(1)Federico L.
I love this place and enjoying eating here on the weekends. Last night, I went there and enjoyed everything this restaurant has to offer. The restaurant has a website and they announce it as "the go to spot in Jacksonville, FL area for your favorite American dishes in a sport bar setting". What I really like about this place is how full of life is. This is one of the most lively beer bar and restaurants in Jacksonville. Lots of people, many TVs, menus on the wall, etc. I would say that it is a combination of a sports bar and an English pub. I visited this restaurant on Saturday night, around 8:30pm. Every single table was taken, but I did the best to find me a table. I told the waitress that I wanted that table, and she helped me to get it, otherwise I would have to wait longer. This place lists 84 different beers on a list that is on the wall. There were so many, that I asked the waitress for her recommendation. I don't remember what kind of IPA I had, but it was not great. Then, I asked her if they had Lagunitas IPA, and they had it! The waitress quickly found it by using the tablet that they carry while attending customers. This is what I had: Monte Cristo sandwich and Cole slaw 3 layer sandwich with smoked ham, smoked turkey & Swiss cheese dipped in batter, deep fried & served with strawberry sauce topped with powdered sugar I have ordered this before and is always great. Not recommended for those who are avoiding calories. The Cole slaw...I have to say that is the best Cole slaw that I have ever tried. This restaurant really know how to make it. I enjoyed my time here. One time it took 30 minutes to have my meal served, but this time it did not take 10 minutes. Every employee was helpful and were always nice.
(4)Deborah G.
Let me apologize to the hipster who showed us to our table- I'm sorry we actually made you have to do something- like seat customers- your terrible attitude spoke volumes, so did your silence and flat non smiling pierced face. The appetizer sampler seemed to just be deep fried frozen food- so greasy the potato skins actually dripped. Luckily we had two very flimsy napkins that lasted a couple hand wipes before disintegrating. One would think the hour it took to get a Nutella strawberry banana sandwich would mean it would be amazing. Nope. The hour it took to receive it was just the time they left it on the stove, as illustrated by the black, burnt bread. There's a Burger King down the street. Go there. Probably better food and service.
(1)Chelsea S.
Pretty awesome bar! Over a hundred beers on tap. Always a great experience ask for their "other menu"
(4)Patrick S.
Came here on a recomendation. Great selection of beer but unfortunately the place smelled of stale beer and was fairly dirty. Service was okay but not great.
(3)Marie F.
Beer on Riverside ... 4 stars It's the go to spot when you don't know where you want to go. Just come to Kickbacks. You've found parking and they have outdoor seating, might as well take a seat and wait on others to park. A waiter will appear (hopefully) ask for a drink order... you might as well grab a beer and scroll over the menu. Your doomed to see something that you were thinking of trying. (Monte Cristo sandwich with a side of veggies - it's a fake out to your system. Probably terrible for you but it tastes delicious!) Take in a good Sunday after in the new patio area. It encourages smoking, but the breeze is great and ideal people watching spot. But I love the penny room. Makes me think of a Time Machine. No clue if the room has a name, but the pennies on the wall...aka penny room. All shiny and brass, great for that late night vibe when it's just to sunny for your liking. Food and drinks are great but service is a hit or miss. The weekends can get crazy very quickly so be prepared for the wait. Actually, now that I've thought about it - I've never had quick / timely service here. This is not a first date spot - more second or third when you know you have enough to talk about to suck up the time.
(4)Lacey H.
I really wanted to like Kickbacks from all the things I've heard about this place. However, it's crammed inside and out. First time I went the tap system was down which was really disappointing. Food was average nothing to die for and the waitress was just okay. I've been twice and neither times have I been super impressed but it's a nice place to stop and get a beer if you want to wait 30 minutes.....
(3)Sophia M.
Getting better.... Yes, Kickbacks has beena dive with notoriously poor service and slow food for a long time, but it's improving. The new addition is worth checking out simply for the artistry of the work that went into all the detail. How ever, the menu is now so expansive that it's even tougher to decide on what to eat, and it can be a touch hit or miss. Still, they're open 7:00 am -3:00 am and its one of the few places you can get a beer that early or food that late. Kickbacks was the first of many "gastro pubs" and played a big part in the king st revitalization, with large micro brew selections and a fun atmosphere. Whether they stay relevant or rest on being old timers, time will tell.
(3)Kathy S.
This place is the bomb diggity and my absolute favorite! Their beer list is huge and is written on a chalkboard on the wall. The wait staff is extremely friendly and gives great suggestions for beers to try. They do need to get their beer app up and working. Their food is great and unique. From the brie platter appetizer to the Monte cristo sandwich, its all yummy and the portions are perfect. With the new addition opened, they expanded their menu to even more unique food... Like the Lincoln log lumpias to jackfruit tacos. Every time I go I always something new and never disappointed.
(5)Brittany P.
Great, extensive beer list. Menu is equally as extensive with a standard menu and a rotating menu. Prices are reasonable. Service is decent. Our server was nice...just a little bit in outer space. Atmosphere is fun...like a "put together hole in the wall". Right now, Slightly Stoopid is playing in the background and March Madness is on the many tv screens. This is a gastropub...so, food comes out when it's done. If you want to eat somewhere where all the food comes out at the same time--don't come here. I got the fluffernutter with a side of sweet potato fries and a glass of milk. Just as yummy as my Nana used to make it for me! My sidekick got the hot italian sausage sandwich with regular fries..it was very good but should be noted that it came as crumbled sausage instead of a link. Caught us off guard, but it still tasted delicious. I would come here again for late night dinner/grabbing drinks.
(4)Jerry B.
Best beer selection in all of Jacksonville with awesome food to go with it.
(5)Larry W.
While out during a nice sunny Saturday, we met some friends here for Lunch. This was our first time here and the place did not disappoint. We both ordered Burgers and fries. The burgers were well done and juicy, we also had onion pedals which were tasty as well. I had an IPA @ 9.5% ABV. The scenery was nice and friendly. We will be back.
(3)Jim D.
We went here while I was trying watch my weight, and that was a horrible idea. Their menu contains everything from Carrot Dogs to a Thor burger. It is a different experience that I highly recommend if you are in town. Come hungry and ready to explore.
(5)April S.
I wanted to like this place but it failed to impress me. The server was very proud of the beer selection, and his beer knowledge. I was sitting at a table with 6 other people, all of them beer drinkers. I don't drink beer. When I asked for an icepick (vodka and iced tea), the server tried to talk me into ordering beer instead. When I declined, he tried again. Then, he told me that it would take a while to get the drink to me. He was right. First, he brought me some iced tea in a short glass and informed me that the vodka would come later. Really?? About 10 mins later he brought me a shot of vodka so that I could add it to the tea... This is not acceptable.
(2)Riley B.
I hope to see this improve to a 4 or a 5 in the neat future. Kickbacks obviously has a great beer selection, I won't deny that. A server there introduced me to Green Flash's Palate Wrecker which was a game changer for me. So why only a 3? Two reasons - one, the beer is pretty damn expensive. I'm new to Riverside so maybe I don't know about a happy hour they have, but it seems like even the most upscale places in the area have plenty of specials that keep you from breaking the bank too much, although Kickbacks does not seem to be in that group. Second, the only time I've eaten there, I split an appetizer platter with my girlfriend that seemed pretty obviously to be all frozen stuff. Now I am not strongly against frozen stuff - homemade food is always better, but there is certainly a time and a place for quick frozen chicken tenders. However, at the menu prices, homemade would have been more fitting. I'll definitely be back, and hopefully I'll find something on the menu that can't really be served in frozen form.
(3)Jenny Z.
This was my first time here as well as my first time in king street. Not safe for kids, haha. The beer was watered down a lot, like the pitcher had been sitting there for a while before we even got there. The cocktails are definitely not pretty. The food is amazing though! Just not my kind of place, I guess.
(2)Renda H.
Fantastic unique atmosphere! A steam punk dream,two levels of awesome and pennies as wallpaper! This was my first visit since the remodel/expansion...The menu is huge, eclectic and diverse...we had chips/queso,chipotle barbeque and thai chicken wings, fried green beans, Lincoln log lumpia, salmon burger and chili- and lots of different kinds of beer all were great! Next time I want to try the strawberry,banana nutella panini!! Our server named Sim was super awesome he checked on us many times,made lots of good suggestions and knew us all by name before the meal was over! This place is one of a kind...
(5)Leticia C.
Three stars is for the food. I had the stuffed burger with feta cheese with extra cheese on top with sweet potato fries. It was great however the service is slow and no cocktail drink menu only beer.
(3)Ashwin N.
Excellent food -especially considering how late it was. I went Thursday (8/13/15) around 1030pm. My companion ordered the Smothered Chicken which was excellent! I ordered the Stuffed Poblano Peppers which was also very good. I picked Fried String Beans for a side -very tasty and unusual (at least for me). I will definitely be back to try more items (their menu is extensive and varied) or get my own Smothered Chicken!
(4)Steven J.
Wow, the atmosphere and food are great, but the service can be a bit slow. This may be a bar/pub, but as a restaurant they get 5 stars. This is a must experience restaurant for anyone living or visiting Jacksonville.
(5)Christina B.
Our group had the grilled Mahi Mahi sandwich- it was dry Turkey sandwich- dry Chicken strip-out of a box Fried chicken wings with honey BBQ sauce-if the sauce wasn't on it they would have been very dry Grilled Reuben- wasn't worth a poo; didn't put the dressing on it that offsets the sauerkraut. Charged $.99 for extra sauerkraut. Food wasn't brought out together. Fries were brought out after our meal was almost gone. One person didn't even get there food until everyone else was done eating. I had to ask for it. Waiter brought a tea pitcher and sat it down on the next table to us, for us to serve ourselves and he didn't have to come back and wait on us. Extremely dark inside, had to use the light on my phone just to see the menu. Ranch dressing was watered down. Wait staff was too busy watching tv than to wait on tables. Bad thing is you could see them sitting down watching it. I litterly yelled for help and was ignored. A waiter looked at me and kept walking. The sweet tea was pretty good.
(1)Ape L.
First time visitor: awesome artistic interior design & decor, alcohol & food menu selection, atmosphere variety, drinkers, non drinkers, vegetarians, meat lovers, fun times. Okay, let me start by saying firstly this place has a seriously extensive beer and food menu. I dined with a large party and everyone liked their food! Food: The order of pancakes were larger than a human head & tasty, sweet potatoes fri side with powdered sugar was not too sweet and just right, chorizo tortas (mexican sandwich) and bahn mi (spicy Vietnamese sub) are as good as you're are going to get outside of going directly to Mexico and Vietnam (minus the cilantro), the Shepard's pie was filling but still a hit, hamburger was ordered for a second time and enjoyable again. Menu suggestions: The biggest suggestion I have for Kickbacks is to re-organize the menu into Mexican, Italian, American classics, fried, sweets sections, etc & modify the appetizer section (I would have ordered the beignet if it was an appetizer without ice cream or/& a dessert option with ice cream option) to decrease stimuli overload. Also, maybe even make a chef selection recommendation &/or eliminate food/ drink items to make selecting easier. All of the food we happened to have ordered we ordered because we were told were good by someone else. Honestly the server wasn't much help with narrowing down the most popular food items for us as she just suggested the most expensive items on the menu instead. Atmosphere: The dang owner put in many man hours and blood, sweat & tears into this place & it shows. Kickback is akin to a quirky restaurant in Portland and offers many different environments that will never leave you bored. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, after hours, early hours & brunch options round the clock. Half outdoor seating, bars, indoor restaurant for food lovers, non-drinkers, drinkers, sports enthusiasts, a cool stage, a penny wall, unique art, uniquely detailed with items like watches, clocks, cool fans, secret rooms, and the list goes on and on. I gave this 5 stars because: Let me just say the details & thought put into this place is awe inspiring & the food, seating & beer selections will never leave you bored. I will definitely be coming back and using Kickbacks as a solid go to place to bring our guests to brag about how much better Jacksonville is compared to "Borelando" / Disney world. Thanks again for the tour! :)
(5)John S.
I know that many of my Yelptastic friends absolutely loooooooovvvvveee Kickbacks... Well... I don't... A huge problem for me is the service... Yes, I know they are constantly busy, so the wait times may vary... But when a party of three orders cheese fries and onion petals, you'd think the order would arrive quicker than forty five minutes from when the order was placed... I mean come on... The cheese came out of a can!!! Or at least it tasted that way! I tried one of Jennifer's onion petal things and I just wasn't very impressed... The only other time I've eaten here was after the Gate river run... Amy and I shared a burger... It was okay.... But I've had way better! During our wait we noticed that we weren't the only ones receiving subpar service... A group of people seated near us waited a long time before finally leaving... The funny thing is their food arrived shortly thereafter! Instead of throwing out the food the waiter walked to a couple of tables and asked if they'd like to have the meals... At the first table I heard a guy ask... Is it free??? Of course upon hearing they wanted half price the guy turned down the food. I have no intention of ever eating here again, although if I'd like to have some drinks... I'll probably stop in again for that!!
(2)