Crackerjacks Pub & Eatery

I’ve been coming to this awesome neighborhood dive for the last 9 years. It’s always been one of my faves: great food/​drinks/​prices/​service. However, it seems that management has recently changed hands and the result is very unfortunately a total down-​grade. Although the effort has been made (it seems) to upgrade the joint into something less divey, the result has taken away everything that was charming about the place before. It feels stuffy and average now. It cost 50 cents to make a martini dirty! Wtf? Who does that? I miss my dive. I miss the chill vibe. I’m very sad to say I will not be returning.

Pizza is really good love their new crust… They have most sports just lack the MLB Chanel’s, but understand he cost — so everyone start going to watch MLB and let’s make it worth the while! Sunday’s is a good day to show your support. Staff is always super nice! Love the new ownership

Really good salads! I have worked nearby for two years and haven’t thought of this place as a restaurant, more as a bar. BUT luckily one of my co-​workers went in and tried a burger and raved about it. Checked out their menu online and they have several salads to choose from. I called and ordered over the phone, it was ready in 15 minutes. Boom! It only took 5 minutes to order and pick up lunch.
Sweet location, good service and yummy food, so I will be back for sure.

Favorite neighborhood hangout! And now they have AC!

We sat for an hour waiting for our food. We had to take our food to go because it took so long to get. We have been to Cracker jacks numerous times and never had this experience. The food wasn’t made the way we wanted, and the turkey on the sandwich tasted like plastic. So disappointed. We won’t be going back ever. No discounted offered for our time. The people across from us finally got their food and it was cold. They told the waitress they wouldn’t be paying for the food and they left. It was a ridiculous situation.

This has to be one of the best neighborhood bars in Portland! It’s not a fancy high tech bar like those in the Pearl (thank God!) it’s the neighborhood place where everyone knows your name. The menu is above average with great burgers, sandwiches and huge salads and there is always a daily special. But what really makes this place great is the staff! Sam, Jimmy and Rachel are smart, funny and totally rock while serving honest good food!

Thursday night with my 14 year old son who moonlights as a Burger Critic. We both had the basic cheeseburger with cheddar. Top notch job on the burger that night. Recommend it.

I love this place. My team goes here all the time. The outdoor patio is nice all year long and the people working there treat us well.

The cooks do a great job every time. My personal favs are the western burger, cobb salad, and the turkey club. Not to spendy with large portions, and free pool! I am sad I moved away from this place. I need to visit soon and so should you!

Lock down NW dive bar. Great food awesome bartenders especially Sam! Outdoor patio. Video poker. Big screens for sports. Big dining room fresh squeezed juices for cocktails. Happy hour is chesp

I’ve eaten here twice now. The first time I had a cheese burger with house made potato chips. Awesome.
Yesterday I was having a really shitty day and I stopped in for a beer at lunch and relaxed for a bit in the lovely, private patio on the side. It was the perfect day to sit out and I enjoyed the quiet serenity of the environment.
I ordered the Asian chicken salad, fully expecting a cold, previously cooked chicken Patty on top of lettuce with bottles dressing. What I got instead, was a fresh grilled, juicy chicken breast with a warm ginger glaze on top of crisp romain and red leaf lettuce and topped with chopped tomatoes, toasted almonds and crunchy noodles. Delicious and way better thought out than I would have expected for a dive bar, even in this part of town.
The reason I’m giving them 5 stars though, isn’t the burger or salad or even the fantastic patio. It’s the service! The woman who waited on me during both of my visits is one of the most kind, genuine, attentive people I’ve ever encountered. She makes me want to go back and try the rest of the menu. Or just veg out on the patio on sunny days.

This place seems to be run by people who PRETEND to belong in a nice neighborhood.
The staff is cool, but when the owners swing around, the decent-​seeming people working the bar get bitched at.
I find that repulsive.
I live next to CrackerJacks (what a silly name for a place), so I keep going in. I keep ordering their mediocre food because it’s close.
But I’m telling you, whoever reads this: Look past the welcoming neon signs, and just buy a beer at the corner mart. Get a burger at Jack-​in-​the-​box and save money.
This neighborhood would be better-​suited with a fresh, less douchely-​led bar.
I await the future of the space poorly and pathetically maintained by CrackerJacks Pub & Eatery.

I love this local bar and love love love the bartenders therein! I’ve come here for years and enjoyed the cute patio and cheap drinks and as of late, fantastic food. So I just had to give my two cents in response to the horribly rude people that rolled in last Friday night and acted like gross entitled douchebags and then typed up a sloppy drunk review. Shame on you drunkies. Don’t poop on someone just doing their job.

I wish I could give a zero. The younger bartender is the worst. the older lady is rad as hell. Younger is the total downfall of the place. She determines the hours based on her cig breaks. One day it’s 10pm another it’s midnight and then it’s 2am. It’s in my neighborhood, literally a block. I wish it was a good dive bar but you get nothing but attitude and ignorance if you look like you have a job and dress nice. The owner should check the bar staff. She sucks and needs to go. I pray that any other bar moves in so they can have my money.

Local to the neighborhood. Save your money, buy at CoOP or take your business to 23^rd. This bar is terrible, we tried it twice as a last stop going home after some beers. Same result.
Girl bar tender was rude, bummed to visit. Honest this place gets a zero. We gave it a shot among reviews given. Take our word, go to 23^rd and have fun!

UPDATE: I have taken the rating down to one star in light of the rude response from the owner. It is pretty remarkable that she admits that the extra dollar charge for the gardenburger substitution is not advertised but goes on to justify the concealment of this information due to costs. If you’re going to charge for this substitution, that’s your prerogative, but just make it clear to the customer. Deception is not justified by operating costs!
Also, thank you for clarifying that not even regulars shall receive any charity when it comes to such charges. That remark was more intended as a favorable comment on what I perceived to be a friendly environment, but apparently I was deluded. Congratulations on ensuring that I do not return (although I doubt that you care).
***
I had the reuben, and they subbed the gardenburger for me – but this cost an extra dollar (a fee that was not listed on the menu, nor was I told about). It was another (advertised) dollar to sub tater tots for their standard side of chips. So, the cost of lunch was $ 10 before tip — which you might expect when dining out, but probably not at a neighborhood dive bar!
Anyway, it seems like the sort of place where, were I to become a regular, the gardenburger fee would vanish. The atmosphere is friendly and easygoing. The music was mostly ‘80s rock, which seems to suit the clientele and employees well.
If you like greasy food, PBR (which they sell cheaply — but maybe so does everyone now?), and that song «Fire Woman» by The Cult, this could be a place for you.

Short & simple… this is a great neighborhood «dive» bar. Friendly staff and reasonable prices in a laid-​back bar atmosphere. Plenty of room and bar space. A great spot to catch a game on one of the flat screens. There is a patio for the nicer weather and a dining room for a quieter experience if it’s not too crowded. I really like all of the framed historical pictures of Portland placed around the bar. It feels more real and comfortable than a lot of the nearby bars in the 23^rd area. This is the place to go and relax without worrying about keeping up appearances. Head here and start feeling at home.

I love coming here because it’s a nice change from the bars on 21^st and 23^rd. It’s a hidden gem and a fun spot to check out. It’s a neighborhood bar, friendly, and comfortable. I love their outdoor patio – usually lively. Beer selection — decent, but could be more interesting. Years ago, I had a Caldera Dry Hopped Orange here. Currently, No. If your peckish, nice appetizer options. My friend and I ordered NACHOS and the cook went out of his way to make it a big plate and even checked in to make sure we were happy. Totally not necessary, but very sweet and hospitable. A nice bar, where you «come as you are», the patrons are friendly, too.

I’ve only come here on Wednesday nights after Dodgeball at Friendly House. But it says something when every dodgeball team comes here instead of any other bar on 23^rd.
It’s a solid neighborhood bar. Cheap beer. Good bar food. My friend got the very last order of Deep Fried Mac N Cheese last night. I guess they are changing their menu up.
It’s nice they have the bar area and more of a restaurant style area for bigger groups.

Crackerjacks is a very neighborhood-​y dive-​y little hole-​in-​the-​wall up in NW. I found this place when we stopped in for drinks one night after checking out the Swifts up at that nearby school (you know which one I’m talking about). In need of some refreshing beverages, we snagged some seats out on the nice little patio. This is actually a pretty cool little patio area, stuffed between Crackerjacks and the nearby building, and hidden from the street. The inside bar is your typical sports/​neighborhood/​dive bar style.
The service was super friendly and as on point as you’d expect for this type of bar. Not super swift (get it? swift? … ok, I got nothing). The beer selection is fairly standard, with nothing much in the way of good local micros, which is kind of disappointing in this mecca of good beer.
I saw what looked to be some slow-​smoking meat in a large smoker near the patio, which intrigued me, but we had just eaten a huge meal, so there was no sampling of the food. Based on other reviews, I think I may not have missed much.
Overall, definitely a spot I would drop into if I lived neaby for a quick one, but in general I would opt for a place with a better beer selection.