Jimmy Mak’s

This was my third time at Jimmy Maks but first time buying general admission tickets. As a sax player myself I really wanted to Joshua Redman but with a broken foot and very limited seating we ended up leaving early and feeling very disappointed and frustrated.
It was a sold out show which means very few seats for folks with general admission tickets like myself. We arrived 1 ½ hours early and with a broken foot in a boot cast even that early really weren’t any options for me. After spending another 10 mins or so trying to figure out a suitable option (I really wanted to see the show and spent money on the tickets already) I had to give up and leave.
Here’s what I learned: reserved seats are best because your guaranteed a seat. General admission is ok if you can get there about 2 hours early and are fine with sitting in places where you may not see the stage. At over $ 50.00 for two GA tickets I won’t be purchasing them again as it’s not worth it.

Suggested as a place to meet for business, we had a great time, great drinks and I may have signed the deal just because this place made me happy.

So, Saturday was my first time at Jimmy Mak’s and I had a good time. Granted, we were guests of the family of that night’s band, so we had kind of a VIP table front and center. The servers were super attentive, polite and patient. My only complaints are the food and drink. I ordered a Hendrick’s & tonic and asked the waitress if it would have a cucumber garnish. She said they had no cucumbers. Oh, well, no big. It was garnished with a lime instead, and a little watery (see below).
My wife ordered the salmon Caesar salad, which consisted of a bed of lettuce (possibly romaine) with a small portion of very overlooked salmon on top. And granted, it is a fish, so bones are always possible, albeit fairly unusual in a salmon filet since they’re so easy to remove prior to cooking. Anyway.
I ordered the Gyro, as JM’s is billed as a Greek restaurant and all, and the dish is referred to in the menu as «Portland’s Best Gyro.» If that’s the best gyro available in Portland (Spoiler: it’s not. Not by a long shot) there would be a lucrative business opportunity available immediately. It was a decent sized pita, chocked full of shredded lettuce, diced tomato and, literally, three strips of the thinnest sliced kebob meat I’ve ever encountered stuck to the bottom of the pita with some yogurt sauce. Really sub-​par stuff.
The kicker to it was, offered the choice of fries or salad, I chose salad. And it was CUCUMBER SALAD!!! They coulda thrown a wedge of that in my Hendrick’s and I’d have had one fewer complaint
Come on, guys!

Music is great. Food is mediocre and on the pricey side. Alcohol is good. Great way to enjoy the weekend! First time dancing to latin funk and I loved it. Really unique and fantastic place. Servers are welcoming and accommodating as well. Thanks for a memorable night out! Will definitely be back.

For my birthday I received 4 tickets to a dinner show, I was thrilled as I only attended the general admission evening at a prior time. This was so wonderful, the food, the seating, the service made this a very special night with my loved ones from out of town. We will continue to celebrate special occasions at Jimmy Mak’s.

I’ve been to Jimmy Mak’s a few times, and I’m always really into the music.
I like that they sell food (which is delicious) and drinks (full bar), but both are pricy.
Sometimes there is no cover for good jazz — SWEET.
Sometimes it costs just like $ 5 or so. THATS SWEET TOO. Love you PDX.
Various types of seating is comfortable.
Music can be quite loud, so plan for talking between sets.

They’re definitely busy. The atmosphere is amazing (a little too dim to see the menu). The food was absolutely delicious! Word of advice: make reservations because it is very popular.

I was recommended to another jazz club but upon reading one of the reviews this club was suggested. We went in at 6:45 and nobody was there to greet us, which left a bad impression, but we had a drink across the street and we came back later at 7:30. We were still first to sit down but we were hungry and the music was supposed to start at 8:00. The waitstaff was kind and the food was good. Falafel was under flavored but the pita, olive tapenade and hummus was fine. Pork tenderloin and salmon salad were delicious. Topped it off with crème brûlée and a bottle of wine. A great night out.

Attended a Earth, Wind and Fire tribute band which was really fun and good music. Definitely would make a reservation for dinner otherwise you’re stuck with the small back tables or the bar or upstairs.
The dinner choices are mostly pretty typical here except for the various greek dishes they offer. All our meals, including the halibut and pear salad were very good and fulfilling.
We got here early so it was very quiet, but once all the reservations showed up, it became very loud but understandably.
The band ended up playing for 4… hours…which was kind of intense and we couldnt actually end up staying for the whole thing.
The service was actually pretty good for being so busy and the drinks came pretty quickly as ordered as well.
I would recommend this place for someone looking for a good evening jazz or blues night with dinner or even a late night stop for a drink and music if you dont mind standing.

Great jazz best in Pdx. Was busy tonight. Standing room only so I left after 10 mins

This venue is so fun to go to!
The food is delicious and I love to explore the menu. I especially love the anti-​pasto plate and the gyros.
My favorite drink is the Kir Imperial. It has orange zest and champagne.
I love going to Jimmy Mak’s when Patrick Lamb and Andy Stokes are playing.
It is so much fun.
It’s easy to reserve a table, which I recommend.
You get a chance to meet the musicians and be up close and personal.
Don’t miss the chance to hear some great music, eat some yummy food and have a cocktail.

Bets gyro in portland, i think not. However, it was the most dignified gyro i’ve ever had. Not one drop of juice landed on my plate. That being said, it was lacking tzatziki and the pita was a little dry. Tasty feta on top was a good addition. The hand cut fries were good and a whiskey and coke was only $ 5. The gyro was a ³⁄₅ but this place gets a ⁴⁄₅ because it’s probably the best place to eat a gyro in the city. I enjoyed the live jazz they have most nights, it was relaxing. My friend said his burger was amazing so i’ll get that next time.

This is a great place to watch some excellent jazz groups play.
Drink selection isn’t bad, food is pretty good as well. But mainly I’ve gone here for the music.

Great place. The groups they get are amazing saw a Stevie wonder cover band that was excellent. The sound is great and the staff is so nice and pleasant! A mist excellent experience. I want to become a regular! Also enjoyed the food and it wasn’t killer expensive!

If you like Jazz… choose a good night and have a bite.
The wine and food is a bit expensive for what you get.
Wine could have a better list.
Starters could be a tad less expensive.
Maybe worth it to eat elsewhere and go there for drinks and Jazz.

Sound system was disappointing
First act not great, but you can’t always count on an opener to be good
Food mediocre
Very clean, comfortable
God beers

Man, I love this place! I went crazy in this spot! The location is great, the atmosphere is euphoric like a blast to the past when blues was blues and the music was absolutely phenomenal! Wow! My leg and feet wouldn’t stop moving all night. It was electric and full of energy and life! I picked off of plates and ate kabobs and then ate a piece of chocolate cake that got all over my face like I was in sugar fits from my music buz while I talked loud and fast and we laughed!

There isn’t a bad seat in the house at Jimmy Mak’s. I made my first venture out to see Terence Blanchard and the E-​Collective, and what a privilege to see such a legend up close. The acoustics are terrific and I’m eager to return to see other bands play. As other reviewers have noted, it’s definitely an older crowd, so I’d love to see some younger fans in the audience. My waitress had the unenviable job of navigating our row through the show but she was attentive and on point without disrupting anything. Food and drinks were a touch disappointing since I’m used to a more flavorful hummus, and the old fashioned I ordered came in a supersized rocks glass which seemed a touch inelegant. At least the Spanish coffee that polished off my meal was great and worth ordering again. Make time for a show at Jimmy Mak’s. I never wanted to leave.

Awesome venue for live music! I love going here to see musicians perform. Jimmy Mak’s has great seating to hear and see the musicians. I’ve been many times — sometimes with reservations, sometimes without. If there’s a big band or a popular group playing you need a reservation to get a seat. Reservations require a $ 15 food purchase per person (not including drinks).
The house bands are amazing!!! Mel Brown is such a fabulous musician and showman. I go to Jimmy Mak’s see Mel Brown’s groups, my friends bands and friend’s youth jazz bands.
I have had good food and drinks here but plan to spend a pretty penny!
Jimmy Mak’s supports school groups by having special jazz nights where youth bands perform — often before the house band performs. Great for our kids to perform in a professional venue!
They allow minors to see the shows until 9:30pm.

Went for my 21^st birthday — it was INCREDIBLE. While we were easily the youngest people there by 20 years, the food was amazing (gyros and salads — C! yet again! a salad! try something newwww jeez) and the music was blow-​your-​mind-​good.
Had a couple drinks, all were very tasty, but I can only really remember the music. I have no doubt that anyone that plays here would be amazing. I’m a little too white to have any sense of rhythm but we had a blast tapping our feet to the wrong beat. Great time, great service too. Bringing my parents next time (lol).