Reviews of Skyway Jack Restaurant

The Skyway Jacks restaurant opened in 1976, in a marina a few miles north of the old Skyway bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida before its collapse when it was hit by the cargo vessel Summit Venture in 1980. Today the restaurant location is further north onto 34th Street due to lack of parking at the marina and the main road that connected to them was closed to only construction traffic to rebuild the bridge. It took seven years to rebuild the bridge, so the move of the Skyway Jacks business and many others was necessary to survive. <br/><br/>The restaurant in the old and new location has been a favorite to locals and through word of mouth to the tourists for classic southern breakfast favorites. It is not a hard restaurant to find as you drive down 34th street, just look for the large rooster, and the cartoon drawings of Porky Pig and others on the windows. The pig is the main theme as there are many pork items on the menu and the servers with a ‘non-pc’ pig on their t-shirts.<br/>Read more by following the link below...

Skyway Jacks Diner in South St. Petersburg, Florida is a local and tourist favorite.  Their popular breakfasts are of legends with large portions and ‘scratch-made’ food and almost always a waiting line out the door. These two Tampa foodies planned ahead and got there before the morning rush and scored one of the last remaining booths.

Worked there in 1981 an 82.... When I vworked for Jack the reasturant was located at O'Neill's Marina. I started as clean up and was a prep cook when I left for school.. The old place had the best food I ever ate. It was filthy and A fire hazard. The filth actually made the food better. I would get there at 5AM. I started making our famous biscuits... And making biscuits... And making biscuits... Our first rush was early, the commercial fishermen. Then the locals around 7. The biscuits are great, the Home Fried Potatoes are the best..<br/>Gravy and biscuits... Um um...This place is so good but its a heart attack waiting to happen<br/>. If I could I would eat there every day.

I tried it for breakfast today and it was pretty good. I ordered the meal with 2 eggs, sausage, potatoes and biscuit which was $5 something, then asked for a side of sausage gravy and had coffee as well and my bill was $13 with just over 20% tip. The food was good and service was good but the food was barely warm. The place was loud, cramped, crowded and could use a good cleaning. I think I'd be better off to go on a weekday morning when they have awesomely priced breakfast specials.

Not impressed!. Visited this restaurant on Saturday, September 29, 2012 for a late breakfast. We just cannot figure out what everyone is so impressed about this place. If you want biscuits and gravy then I would recommend Skyway Jacks for that one entree - other than that nothing special. In fact, I ordered the steak and cheese omelet, my husband had the seafood omelet and we always order a side of gravy to test it out (it's so hard to find good biscuits and gravy!) My omelet was barely warm enough to melt the cheese on top and my toast was cold and hard. Hard, not burnt - it was almost as if they lightly toasted it at 6 a.m. and it sat on the side until some sucker (that would be me!) ordered it!! Certainly not worth a trip to St. Pete and you can get better breakfasts at...do I dare say Denny's!

Great breakfast HORRIFIC lunch. We love breakfast at Anyway Jack's. It's solid old fashioned food done right. So we tried lunch. OMG it was so bad. The onion rings were good and the French fries (the fresh ones) were doing delish. Everything else was VILE. Pick your adjective: greasy gross icky yucky.

Best Hearty Breakfast. This wins my best hearty breakfast spot hands down. Everything is great from the blueberry pancakes to the scrapple. Ample portions. There's even scrambled eggs and brains for anyone adventurous. All of the staff are wonderful and chipper. You can tell that management makes this a good place to work. My family has been going here for the past eight years and seeing many of the same workers. Go there if you want to pig out and be happy.

Getting My Favorite Breakfast. Scrapple is not your typical fare, but if you grew up in the Philadelphia area, it probably is and you can get it here. They cook it perfectly..add your favorite kind of egg and some home fries and you are good to go. The decor' is all about pigs, they are everywhere, the people who work here are friendly and very accommodating.<br/><br/>Lunch is pretty good too, burgers are done just right and the fries are also cooked to perfection.<br/>If you are looking for a 5 star meal, then don't come here, but if you are looking for a good meal, done in a home style way, then this is your place.

Experienced Manager Needed. Just left the 4th St. N. locale. I was coldy welcomed when I walked in at 10am. I explained that I was a first-time customer coming in to try the breakfast specials I read about in an advertisement. I was told they would be here the same time tomorrow(7a-8:30a). I decided to re-think my attempt at trying this place on such a bad note. I ordered the Bacon Cheese Burger. I was never asked how I would like the burger cooked. I told her immediately this was not going to be a good experience, and I would like to speak to the owner. I asked the server if the burgers are all cooked the same or to order, and she balked at this question. She eventually said "she thinks medium". Upon being served, I cut into the 1/2 pounder and it was thoroughly cooked and dry. I told the server this was extremely disappointing, and she offered to have it re-made. I told her as a matter of principal, I do not waste food. I would give it to the homeless before allowing them to throw it away. I asked for dill slices to add to the burger because there wasn't any on my plate. I was brought 6 1/4 inch thick slices. I was expecting dill chips. I asked for the manager when I found out the owner wasn't in. A lady came and sat at my table, and after hearing my critique, she told me it wasn't a bad day until I came in. I abruptly changed gears in my conversation, and said I will need the owner's name and phone#. I was not going to be treated like an unwelcomed trespasser. I got my check and promptly paid for it. While paying, I was speaking to another employee that agreed that it was a great day up until i had a complaint. Apparently, my constructive criticism wasn't acceptable as constructive. I advised the cashier this is why a manager should be on duty. With a manager who has any common business skills and authority on behalf of the company, they could have smoothed over the situation right form the start. If I were the manager, I would have asked if the first-time customer, who was drawn into the restaurant due to the advertisement that our business spent money on in order to draw new customer's into the restraunt would like to order one of the breakfast special's as a courtesy, and an opportunity for us to gain their future business and maybe a referal. If I was the manager, and I was not made aware of the initial disappointment, I would, at the very least, offered to take 50% off the bill if the customer declined to have them re-make the burger and a comp. on my next visit. I wouldn't want to push the customer away from the business. It wasn't the fault of the customer to come into my business. It was the fault of the staff that the order wasn't taken and cooked properly. As the manager, I am responsible for my staff's professional conduct, and it would be my job to carefully apologize and caress the customer in a fashion that would make things all better, and we could gain that potential business and his referal's due to our consideration of his comfort and satisfaction. In this case, it was the complete opposite. I was condemned and shooed away like a peskey fly at an outdoor picnic. By the way, the Asst. Manager said she didn't know who the owner was. The cashier said his name was Louie and I would have to call the restaurant. She wasn't allowed to give his phone# out. I suggested she take my information, and have him call me. She told me to leave because I was keeping her from doing her job. I explained that I live in this community. Apparently, this didn't seem to be of any importance to her. Her name was Gina--the only one willing to provide a name is the one who eventually threw me out. At least she kept telling me to have a nice day. What a nice way to start the day. At least it can only get better. Can't wait to talk to you, Louie.

To be honest, the food is sub-par. The cornmeal muffins and hobo hash are pretty good but everything else isn't that special. The jams on the table have plastic spoons in them (not sanitary) and servers are running around like it's the end of tr world. Prices are low and it reflects on the quality. I know it's a landmark, but from a person who has traveled throughout the world, this is by far nothing special.

Worth It!!!. Got up Sunday morning and decided to take my wife out for breakfast for Valentines Day. Looking for something different I got on line and did a search for the subject. A little surfing led me to the Skyway Jack's on Urban Spoon. <br/><br/>After reading the reviews I decided this was THE place. We hopped on the bikes headed over the Skyway and guess what... this is THE place. I knew when we walked up and saw the parking lot full of cars, aging exterior of the building and the amount of people waiting for a table that MOST of the reviews I had read were correct.<br/><br/>We were seated in reasonable time, waited on promptly and while enjoying our coffee, were delighted with all the "kitsch" and hand written menu on the walls and shelves.<br/><br/>The food was served timely and hot. The potatoes were probably the BEST I've ever had. I don't usually like hash but being intrigued by the reviews I decided to try it. Once again... probably the best I've ever had!<br/><br/>All in all I'd say that Skyway Jack's is a down home experience worth repeating. From the looks of the diverse crowd who were dining there I'd say the over-all sentiment is agreed.<br/><br/>Now if you find that you've had an ill-fated experience after being "dragged" somewhere by "friends" who shortly after move to another county, don't blame it on the abundant cornucopia of the local "greasy spoon". Fact is, perhaps they saw something you couldn't. <br/><br/>Don't let your "silver spoon" get in the way of a great down home "greasy spoon" experience. Visit Skyway Jack's and don't look back! <br/><br/>ENJOY!

It's an insitituion alright. One that should have been boarded up and closed long ago. <br/><br/>Got dragged in here by some well meaning friends who unfortunately think bigger is better. (As a disclaimer I'll add they've recently moved to Pasco, by choice!)<br/><br/>Ordered just a normal breafast, no pig brains or pork chops at 7am, just eggs over easy and home fries. Hubby added bacon to his. Everything came out the same color. You now, the color of a filthy grill that never gets scraped down that way too many varieties of dead animal carcas have hit. Needless to say, we pushed the food around the plate but never actually ate it. <br/><br/>Sure, they have big breakfasts, ask any of the 300lb Bubbas eating here every morning.(lovingly called regulars) The servers are surly and have obviously been around the block more than a time or two, or four. Like eating in a dirty establishment with huge people in flip flops who haven't had a pedi EVER? Then come here!! You'll love it, then go shopping at Wal Mart. <br/><br/>The rest of us, not so much.

Breakfast not for the faint of heart!. This food is hearty, home cookin' at it's best. Yeah, it's sometimes sloppy and slow - much like true Southern downhome food. Oh, man, those breakfast plates are something else. This is definitely not the place to go if you're watching calories or fat. Everything is layered in butter and gravy and obese happiness.

Skyway Jack's is one of the most unique breakfast places. Their potatoes aren't from some box or just a bunch of potatoes thrown together. The menu has something for everybody and it is all good. Try one of their corn muffins split and heated up on the grill then with a little touch of butter or spread....oh yeah.

Underwhelming. Well, this place is definitely interesting, and certainly has a lot of character. And contrary to what the other reviewers have said, I thought the service was very friendly. However, the place is in major need of a makeover. I know "greasy spoons" aren't supposed to be immaculate, but this place just seems dirty. And while the portions are generous and the prices fair, the overall food quality is average at best.