Jam Jar

After having a bit of cabin fever for no particular reason at all, I decided to head out to West End. I had meant to go to Blackstar Coffee, but they stopped serving food when I had arrived, so I went to Jam Jar instead. I really should gave gone to Lock n Load, as it has been on my wishlist for a while…
I was greeted by a friendly bartender, who directed me to the courtyard in the back, where I was seated promptly. I went for the pot of chai tea (3.5), though regretted it a bit, as I should have tried out their latte skills. I have my own little collection of chai tea at home, and this one didn’t quite compare to any of the ones I have. Sad. I then decided on the ‘kinda-​scotch-​but-​not’ crumbed eggs, salmon gravlax, walnuts, sourdough, and crème fraîche (17.5). The dish wasn’t exactly what I had expected, and while the salmon gravlax slices were nice and thick, with a tinge of lemon flavor, everything else was just bland. I didn’t like the breading of the crumbed eggs, as it tasted too much like stale oil and breading, and didn’t have any other flavor to it. Not to mention — if this is for one person — two egg yolks is not healthy and overly heavy and dry. Australia claims to be the fattest nation? Well, this dish ain’t helpin’. Also, the walnuts were fresh, but didn’t add flavor to what I was eating. I understand they’re trying to be creative, but the textures and flavors of the egg, salmon, and walnuts just did not go well together. On top of that, it was hard to eat all parts of the dish at the same time, and when I did, it was just not that great. The crème fraîche at the bottom of the eggs also didn’t contribute anything. In fact, it had some kind of aftertaste that made me sick. I will commend them on their choice of sourdough, though. It was one of the best sourdoughs I’ve had around Australia, but hardly worth getting the dish for.
Maybe I chose the wrong dish for my liking (though all the ingredients I like quite a bit), but this was definitely a miss. Especially for such a price. I was sorely disappointed at the food, and the service for some reason was just really awkward for me. The décor is rather cute and interesting, with the murals and relaxed areas, but with my time here, I don’t think I’ll be returning.

This venue is very funky and the outdoor seating area at the back is pretty rad. We had heard great things about this place and the menu looked amazing. We came here for breakfast, but later found out the best time to come is dinner. That said i got the toasted muesli for breakky and it was amazing. The only thing i could suggest would be a little more yoghurt than the tablespoon that i got. My hubby said that his was nothing special, but he did enjoy it. Next time we’re in brisbane we’d come back for dinner.
That said, by the time we left there was a line out the front to come in and eat, so it is obviously very popular amongst the locals. The staff were friendly and service quick. Pair that with tasty food, what more can you ask for?

I’ve recently had the misfortune of being beckoned by friends into this self important hole. The other reviews for this place can’t be true at all. Hey I like bars. I like bars A WHOLE LOT, but not this one. I will give you a chronological account of why.
1. Before I walked in I saw the name of the place. Jam Jar. So lame. So lame.
2. Still shaking my head at the name, I walked in with a couple of mates to see a gig. The lights were inappropriately bright. Also it’s ugly. it’s an ugly place. UNRELENTINGLY UGLY
3. The gig had finished but the owner insisted we pay the full cover charge. WHAT A WANKER. Also we were the only people (combined with the people we were going to meet inside) in the bar. WHERES YOUR BUSINESS SENCE BUDDY???
4. I ordered three old fashioned cocktails. They sucked.
So, shitty name, ugly place, wanker owner, just bad cocktails. There are heaps of bad bars cropping up in brissy, run by people who have been inspired by a few trips to Melbourne. But this one is by far the worst.

I have enjoyed Jam Jar for breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday arvo drinks — and this hasn’t gone unnoticed.
When I was there recently for dinner with a friend and made an order of mussels for my main, I was asked whether I ordered the same thing the week before when I was having dinner with a different friend.
I had been caught out. While it’s true that I really do like Jam Jar and I am going through a little bit of a mussels phase, I did wonder whether I might be visiting Jam Jar too frequently.
But as they say, when you find a good thing, you should stick to it.
So these are the reasons I will be sticking to Jam Jar:
* The breakfast/​brunch/​lunch and dinner menus are varied and delicious
* The drinks are well priced
* The dining courtyard is adorable and intimate in the sun or under the stars
* The owners and staff are wonderfully friendly, without being intrusive
* The music is always great (I was super excited to hear Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ being played one Sunday — these records were virtually the soundtrack of my youth)
* I’ve never had trouble getting a table without a reservation
So thanks Jam Jar, I’ll be seeing you and your mussels sometime soon.

What a fabulously typical hipster hole of yummyness.
The dinner menu had so many amazing options, including maybe three or four vegetarian choices, that it was an effort to pick just one thing.
The rickety little tables, trendy helpful staff and general randomness of the back dining area adds to the eye-​rolling moments of joy you have when eating the food.
While the meals aren’t huge the hit of flavour and attention to detail totally make up for it. I had a grand little eggplant stack while my friend had some type of duck tagine/​pâté thing and we were both delighted.
I would probably recommend booking as there is limited space and when we rocked up basically all the tables were reserved.
Further I didn’t give them five stars because I found their selection of wines slightly disappointing and their cocktail menu while thoroughly amazing were really expensive. That’s not exactly uncommon in Brisbane but that also doesn’t therefore make it acceptable in my books!
Definitely try this place out!

Guys. Jam Jar is the business. Want to try fine dining food without the fine dining wankerisms that usually come with it? Go to Jam Jar. Don’t let the tiny exterior fool you — the narrow restaurant goes deep into the bowels of West End (but not in a dirty way) and has beautiful and interesting artwork along the journey. The ambiance and service is great, but it;s the food that is the standout. I’ve only managed to make it for dinner but the selection of lovely, interesting share plates is great. My friends and I are always pleased with the tasty bites available. And the pork belly special… I can’t talk about it without my mouth filling up with drool. I’ve tried pork belly at many places and none have compared. if it’s on the menu, order it, quickly, and then call me so I can come order it too

The third and final stop on my «Indulge your Inner Hipster Sunday» was Jam Jar. An interesting bar/​café/​restaurant clearly aimed at the hipster market. I donned my vintage raybans, wool cap and tight white t-​shirt and ordered a craft beer.
With an eclectic furniture collection and mismatched glasses, waitstaff with tattoos… it ticks all the hipster boxes. And I felt right at home.
The food was on the pricier side, but not too excessive. Full of flavour and interesting combinations.
I was slightly disappointed with the limited craft beer selection on the menu. Only 1 pale ale?

Jam Jar is a favourite of mine, and not just because I think the owner, Jamie, is a total babe. Er… next paragraph.
Jam Jar seemed to take forever to open. Barricaded wooden doors with a little picture of a jam jar and «coming soon» were coming soon for at least a year, and I don’t even think I’m exaggerating, for once. When the doors finally opened, it seemed kinda small… until we ventured down the little corridor and out into the proper dining (covered) courtyard. This is where the magic happens. (Actually, the kitchen is probably where the magic happens, but whatever.)
I’ve had a go at each different mealtime here, and I probably rank them against the clock — Jam Jar’s dinners are the best, followed by their lunch menu, followed by their breakfast menu. Having said that, they rock a seasonal menu here and change things up pretty frequently, and it’s been a while since I’ve given their breakfast another shot.
The dinners, though. Dang. There is just something really delicious about these meals, something creative and special, that keeps me coming back. I even managed to rope my dad into coming along once when he was in town, despite it being not really his scene. He humoured me (good job, dad) and ended up being totally stoked with the place, so much so that we went back again next time he came to visit. Every other time we talk, he asks if I’ve been again recently. Dad and Jam Jar, sittin’ in a tree…
There are so many awesome things I could recommend here. If there are polenta cakes or crisps, get involved. Grab a drink from the cocktail menu (or ask for a Hendrick’s gin with fresh apple juice). If there’s a grilled chicken breast on the lunch menu, it may be confusing to eat (trust me — so many bits and pieces) but so, so deliciously worth it. DESSERT! Let’s talk about dessert! No, I can’t. I’ll get too emotional.
Give Jam Jar a try. Ask for the rock star table. Tell them Mem sent you.

I just have to tell the world about the incredible Bloody Marys to be had at Jam Jar. The best thing for a hangover with a one of Jam Jar’s amazing breakfasts, they are made with fresh muddled cherry tomatoes, basil and a special spicy mix. They are a bit pricey at $ 14 a pop but so worth it just to lose that disgusting seedy feeling from the night before and maybe even start all over again! Pair it with a breakfast burrito for the best hangover cure ever.

Jam Jar is a little bit of class settled into West End’s notorious Boundary Street. Walking along you almost bypass this sweet little place but when you take some time to stop and admire the place, you actually fall upon a really funky and actually awesome restaurant. There’s really great artwork splattered across the walls and always something to arrest the attention. Undiscovered artists have a home here and there really are some rockin’ pictures to gaze at over drinks and food.
Jam Jar takes pride in its locally produced food and their menu items are really creative. There’s none of the usual suspects you’d expect of a conventional restaurant and sorry if you want chips buddy, because here, they’re called mixed variety fried potatoes. Pretty jazzy. Plus those mixed variety fried potatoes are long slabs of potato heaven. The menu is infused with sophisticated choices (some of which I can’t even pronounce) that make you feel like you’re sitting in a riverside restaurant.
Jam Jar is classy, innovative, creative, and really very alluring. This place has a really sensual vibe you almost can’t classify into words; maybe it’s all the cool artwork but essentially, Jam Jar is another one of West End’s treasures.
Sample the art at breakfast, lunch, or dinner; have some ale or even a cocktail. Who wouldn’t want a cocktail called Keith Richards?

This relatively new (less than a year old) restaurant/café’s underlying narrative tells of a «spritely little jam jar» which one day went wandering to find distant homes. Owner Jamie might be assuming a bit of an autobiographical bent here, given that the former location of his café was a further out from town.
The motto here is «eat, drink, think», with the third word reflecting the focus on the arts including the occasional live poetry reading, the awesome graffiti-​style wall murals and the impromptu performances from passersby and regular barflies on the resident piano.
I went there recently to perch at the bar and try a few of their craft beers and lauded tapas style bar snacks. Beer came in bottles at a fair price (particulary for craft beers) with a number of good options in the steam ale and red ale categories. The bartender was very pleasant and accommodating, suggesting I run up a tab and then pay at the end (I was using EFTPOS) which I appreciated.
The oysters I tried were very fresh, with the chef’s special salsa verde adding a pleasant zest (though nothing beats au naturale in my opinion). The chefs were relayed the order by the barman, though it was almost a redundant step having him as an intermediary, as the kitchen directly adjoins the bar and there’s barely any divider between the two spaces.
I shared the bar with a couple of interesting forty and/​or fifty-​somethings, one of whom did occasional stints tinkling the ivories. It’s the kind of bar that suits the mature hipster crowd — not too noisy or crowded, great food and wine and an intelligent vibe.
Out back there’s a sizeable outdoor courtyard, drawing in dinner crowds with their inspired modern-​Australian menu. As someone who’s yet to try it what struck me (from voyeuristically viewing other people’s dishes) is how beautifully presented the food is. I must try for myself soon!