J.R’s Old Packinghouse Cafe’
987 S Packinghouse Rd, Sarasota, FL, 34232
J.R’s Old Packinghouse Cafe’ Menu
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Address :
987 S Packinghouse Rd
Sarasota, FL, 34232 - Phone (941) 371-9358
- Website https://www.packinghousecafe.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Mon
Coat Check : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Adrian W.
Jesus Christ! Don't think about it! There were 7 of us partying there for my friends birthday. Staff is friendly Live atmosphere. They DO NOT have good Cuban Food. Why do I know? Because I ate some in Mexico in a cuban restaurant and it tasted a lot better. The food was cheap. And the cuban sandwich had a "Funny" smell.. the meat was not right. We returned all our food and ended up getting hamburgers.. the only thing eatable at that place. Even burgers were oily. I think this place is made for retired people on budget without any taste in their mouth. Sorry.. it sucked!!
(1)Joel P.
J.R.'s is a small hole in the wall that has lasted the test of time and is a staple to the amazing variety of food this city has to offer. I very often frequent the farmers market right next door and have been a bit cautious to go in and give it a try for so long. One day a friend made the suggestion to visit. Honestly, I had no reason not to give it a try at this point! Driving by this place resembles your stereotypical hole in the wall. It would be very easy to drive past but would be well worth your time if you actually stop in to check it out. The building was an old meat packing house and has been preserved and not over done with decor. I don't think much could be done to keep it any more original. The wall of photos in the back wall show a great part of the establishments role in the community over the years. Its a very homely diner that you can drop into and not have to worry about your attire. They seem to always have some kind of live music playing to keep the masses entertained as they dine. The food and the decor are days apart. The old look of the antique signage and chaotic decor is in no way an indicator of the freshness and flavor they pack into the food!
(4)Skip C.
This is a very old timey restaurant that serves good cheap food and offers live music. There's a fair selection of beer but the main attraction would have to be the good food and the interesting people. If you are looking for old Florida it is here.
(4)M K.
Old authentic Florida cracker atmosphere, only with great people, great food, cold beer, and a customer base knowledgeable and dedicated to local music. JR runs this place so well it feels like your own living room. Don't expect the Ritz or nothing like that, just put on shorts, flip flops, and come on down.
(5)Alberto Z.
This place is NOT fancy, but food was good. They had a Burrito on special, it came with rice and a salad. The salad was tiny, it was just a few pieces of shredded lettuce. The burrito was HUGE!!! and delicious. It was filled with Ropa Vieja (shredded stewed skirt steak) and cheese. WOW!! I let my co-worker try it and she went over and got one for herself. I'm such a fatty i had her bring me back a Cuban Sandwich for my dinner later. It was REAL Cuban bread!! However, the sandwich itself, while WAY better then any other Cuban sammy you can get around here, wasn't as good as the real deal you can get in Miami. The cooks are also the owners (always a plus) and very friendly. My only complaint about this place is the bartender. He was rude when my co-worker called to place her take-out order and was stand-offish when i was there. Maybe he was having a bad day.
(3)Melanie E.
This is fun, little dive bar. The food is good and it is a great place to go relax after work. There is live music almost every night, and the people there are friendly. There are $5 burgers on Mondays, so it is a great way to begin the week! A fun environment for nights when you want to relax and have some good food while enjoying music.
(4)John S.
I took a girlfriend there last year. Everything from fryer tasted like seafood, and chicken fried steak too. Never went back, I don't trust the kitchen. And if things like this still happen, I promise you (15 years f&b) that when something like this is an issue, there's no way in hell they're cleaning properly. Even headaches in general are mostly attributed to mild food poisoning. Fruit flies garnish on that burger you want? Just order a fruit juice mix cocktail from the bar. This place is less than 1.5 minutes from my house and I pass by it 2-4x a day. And I never even think about putting on my turn blinker.
(2)Rory D.
Great place with a strong local following. Various eclectic local bands vary nightly. Diverse menu & very generous portions. Top items to try are the Cuban style dishes such as ropa vieja & picadillo, with excellent black beans & rice. Specials are usually a good choice, but when they run out they are gone. Try the peanut butter pie for dessert, my mom's favorite. Also huge & delicious are their country fried chicken & country fried steak. You won't leave hungry!
(4)Judy L.
Oh yeah! So glad we found this gem. Just wanted a simple night out, easy dinner choices yay, got lucky!!! The poco dillo burrito is delicious. Just enough flavor to taste yummy. Black beans and rice are a great side. Burgers were spicy, but wonderfully delectable. Leftovers? I don't think so. Enough said. Check this place on your next outing, make it soon. Server was great, then that met and seated us was very accommodating. Gotta eat here, you are missing out if you don't.
(5)Tina P.
Who knew Sarasota had great dive bars! A reallllly laid back total dive and I felt right at home. Staff was friendly, decor was garage-chic and music was great! I thought on a Monday night we wouldn't find anywhere interesting for a quick drink and I was wrong. Can't beat a pitcher of beer, some Cuban sandwiches and live local musicians. We will definitely be back.
(4)Caitlin C.
Great local dive. Fun music and fantastic wings! Slow service and price discrepancy online versus in house was disappointing. I would still definitely go back maybe just on a slower weeknight.
(4)Jill L.
OPC is one of my family's go-to places for dinner when we don't feel like waiting at other restaurants. The food is consistently good. We particularly love the wings! They also make great drinks and keep their prices fair. Our favorite part about OPC is the ambiance. It is some good people watching ;) They almost always have a live band, which has yet to disappoint us. As noted before, it is loud and the patrons aren't fancy, but if you're up for going off the beatin path, you should definitely check out OPC!
(5)conor b.
Fun little dive with great music. Food is ok, like "church picnic" type good, but nothing that a culinary genius is pumping out. Doesn't matter because this should be a proud three star dive. Go for the atmosphere, the lemonade and the odd basa fish Reuben. It's a real star and so are the characters that show up to dine.
(3)Cynthia L.
4 stars because food great, service great, felt welcome, loved the music. Cant wait to come at night & hear the live music!
(4)Danan C.
This place is clearly where the working man goes for a brew after work, but never got the cold eye or shoulder from anybody. A bit dingy, nothing matches, but it works you know. Looks good. fairly decent food. Plenty of parking outside. If I lived in the area, I'd likely be a regular here, but it ain't no suit and tie place.
(3)Denise S.
I have been here a number of times. I am a local. The food is terrific! The black beans are as good as my Abuelita made. Took my husband for the first time. He is very picky. He had a plain burger . He loved it! It was not a cookie cutter burger. Good Bun also. I only have one complaint. They need to clean the edge of the wood above the food prep counter where the waitress gets the food from the cook. There is an extraordinary amount of dust hanging from it. It's an easy fix. Otherwise I love the junkyard atmosphere! My husband is looking forward to 5 dollar hamburger Monday's
(4)Dylan R.
Love to eat here! Burgers are great and only $5 on Monday. The Cuban sandwich is the best I have ever had anywhere. And they have great live music! Only complaint is it always takes awhile to get the check when we're done eating and to get the card back.
(5)gary s.
The best burritos around with gr8 entertainment at a gr8 price makes it the top of my go to restaurants!!!
(5)M W.
A dusty old place with a bit too much grime, but it has a great old florida feel and pretty good burgers. A good place to go for a casual burger and beer.
(3)Todd B.
What's not to like about Old Packinghouse Cafe (OPC)? Well, it is loud, so don't go expecting an intimate meal and quiet conversation. They have live music all the time, and the place is not big. Music is bluegrass, classic rock, country, etc. Not bad really, and if you're having a few drinks and some snacks, then there's nothing wrong with it. But if you're looking for a quiet meal, this isn't the place. That said, the food is good and its on the cheaper side. I had an Ybor burger, which was blackened with sliced pork and yummy yummy yummy. Girlfriend has a Basa sandwich, blackened (they say its the cousin to grouper), and she liked hers. I don't remember what everyone else had, but everyone enjoyed themselves, and my mother spent the time dancing in her seat, which is always worth the price of admission (provided you were trying to get into comedy club). Here's what you need to expect - a loud, rodeo kind of restaurant. They have an outdoor patio to get away from the noise and to get some fresh air. But you can get some tasty food, friendly service, and it won't cost you a fortune. We'll be back.
(3)Jeff K.
big ass burger... damn good nachos and the grouper sandwich was delicious. A fun hole in the wall, busy but a good find.
(4)Kevin W.
The cubans here are grest. The waitresses are friendly and prompt. Skip The Paella.
(4)JEREMY G.
I'm not sure how to place the packing house. On one hand, you go to this type of place for a certain reason, whether it's humor, nostalgia, etc. on the other hand, you should never have any kind of expectations for what you might encounter. Well I definately had very little and was pretty much spot on with why I went. The place itself is dingy and divey, like an ol country store. The service was standard. The food was ok. Guess I'll have to go back in the evening to get a true feel for the place and try some other food.
(3)Jeanna L.
JR is here with a smile... Mumbo Jumbo is rocking our flip flops. Blackened potatoes, Ybor burger, Shrimp and grits is what's for dinner. Good food, magical vibe. Guaranteed good time!
(5)Knowbudy N.
AMAZING BURGERS! Best in the Sarasota area. Only $5 on Mondays. My new go-to lunch spot.
(5)Gregory K.
After a long day of demo, how can you go wrong with a pitcher of beer and a blackened Ybor burger. The simple answer is you can't... As far as atmosphere, there was a live band next to the bar top, need I say more
(5)Lindsay G.
Great little hole in the wall. We went with a party of nine and they had no issues fitting us all in, even let our friends dog sit on the porch with us. Live music was up beat classics, got to see the older crowd break out their dance moves which is always entertaining. Great atmosphere, but the main complaint being the service- it took forever to get our food. At least an hour. Yes the place was busy for a Friday night, but the wait was absurd. Previous reviews raved of the burgers, and to us they were nothing special. Overdone if anything. We had a friend order an app as a meal, well the waitress forgot to bring that out with everyone else's food and then blamed another server for taking that dish to another table. She had to wait another 15 minutes. Ridiculous. I would recommend this place for a beer on the porch and some entertainment, but don't come starving as we did.
(3)Jerry m.
Eh, this isn't that bad, but it's not that good either. the burgers are large and taste good, but everything else on the menu is substandard. The waitstaff is friendly. My party of 3 adults and 2 children ended up with a bill of 50 bucks for lunch, which is expensive for the quality and atmosphere we experienced. There are just better choices out there than this one.
(2)Stephen C.
Packinghouse is a casual place with great live music, cold beer, and solid cuban food. Great place to sit outside and listen to live music with a beer!
(4)Ryan D.
JR's is literally an old packing house with a restaurant in it. I love places like this because you'll never find another place quite like it. The interior hasn't changed in decades. The dining area is small, somewhat cramped and poorly lit. It's a perfect little dive. You know you're in a good spot when a third of the dining room is reserved for a stage where the band plays 6 nights a week. The inside was hoping the evening we showed up. The band was jamming out some old blues and the makeshift dance floor was packed with locals kicking back and having fun. We sat on the front porch on some old picnic tables. The music resonates through the old packing house walls right onto the front porch making it the perfect place to enjoy the home made mash potatoes, jerk chicken and delicious key lime pie. The food was good, and our server Cassie (not Casie) was awesome! This place is quite hard to beat, so if you're looking for a great local joint in Sarasota look no further.
(4)Renee S.
You know that saying don't judge a book by it's cover? That's how I feel about the Packinghouse. From the outside it looks like a hole in the wall. The food is so good and the servers are always so nice. I love it here! You must try to Ropa Veja. So yummy.
(5)Syd K.
I love this place - great food and live music! It's a cool little neighborhood hang out. Only beer and wine though. Everything I have had on the menu is great - and they have the best wings on the mainland.
(4)Tony C.
my wife and I love this place, there food is awsome, we love their ivor burger, the cuban sandwich, and there black beans with rice. Pros: Great Food, Friendly Staff, Great Atmosphere, Low Prices. Cons: Limited Parking, not the best place to eat if you are in a low calorie Diet :)
(4)preston p.
THEY HAVE THE BEST KEY LIME PIE ON THE PLANET. ... enough said. As for food, get the fish dinners ... I love the catfish with the beans/rice combo. My wife loves the Basa .. go figure. The place is a roadhouse .. and if you can't deal with it .. don't go there. Bands are pretty good too .. but loud .. primarily because the place is as small as the proverbial bread basket. Again .. the best key lime pie going. The only place that comes close is the L&N Restaurant in the Pentago Mall in DC (go figure).
(5)Susan D.
The burgers and sweet tea are really good. They have live music nightly. Service was great
(4)Tom P.
A for real "roadhouse joint". Live local music, great cubans and burgers (try the Ibor) and good grouper Reuben. Soup/chowder for lunch is awesome.
(4)