Guest 695- Registered: 30 Mar 2010
- Posts: 426
#1
I was looking online to see when Jack's Bar & Grill was opening and to have a look at the menu.
I came across this from Trip Advisor
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186313-d2453026-Reviews-Jack_s_Grill-Dover_Kent_England.html#REVIEWS
Although stated in the press 16 December opening I'm sure it didn't. Everytime I've passed it's not looked as if it was going to be ready for a while. Even a couple of days ago it still looked a week or so away from being ready for business.
I'm confused Trip Advisor has allowed reviews that slate it and highly praise it. One reviewer says it was open Christmas Eve and how warm their welcome was, another says it's the best steak in Dover yet others say Let Down and Disappointing.
These do not seem credible reviews and do the business and Dover a great disservice. Has anyone here visited the restaurant?
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
#2
I passed by there yesterday and the decorators were still working away, how can you review meals sampled there when it hasn't even served a meal as of yet?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
definitely a strange one tony, i read much the same stuff about opening before christmas.
a christmas tree with lights was inside for some time then came down, it looks like the inside has been changed too.
this was taken 3 days ago.
Guest 695- Registered: 30 Mar 2010
- Posts: 426
#4
Well it says a lot for Trip Advisor's trustworthiness. I wonder if the owners are aware of these. Visitors to Dover do look at Trip Advisor for where to go and what to do. This is the sort of thing that puts the town in a very bad light.
There was a TV documentary last year that showed the extent some "reviewers" will go to - making it their life's quest to find fault with anything and everything.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#5
i read that people go around telling hoteliers and restaurantuers that unless they get a large discount they will give them a bad review.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#6
Well this is an odd one indeed. Yes Tony I saw that programme on Trip Advisor and I have to say I was fairly horrified at the situation with their reviewers. Crashing peoples lives and businesses at will... it was almost frightening..reviews too are by people with no experience very often, but you could see they were on a thrill power thing. Quite disturbing in that it badly affected ordinary people trying to do their best.
If they are already reviewing it and its not open then...well what can you say to that.
Guest 695- Registered: 30 Mar 2010
- Posts: 426
#7
I'm going to see what Trip Advisor have to say as the more I think about this the more annoyed I get. The site reviews have damaged businesses so there must be cause for some redress for Jack's against these reviews.
I suffer with problems from comparison websites (I don't do any business with them) linking which frustrates customers when they've gone all around the web to find the best deal.
Howard - That's got to be worth a try, I'll be having a word in Peter's ear later
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#8
still working on the place this morning.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#9
I have seen people dining in there at some point over the last could of weeks, can't remember when though.
Been nice knowing you :)
#10
Trip advisor have been roundly condemned by many people affected in their business by eejits who just like to have a pop. It is so unfair that peoples livlihoods can be impacted in such an arbitrary way.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#11
one of the downsides of the internet, anyone could log on to that site and say what they like.
i bet a few unscrupulous businesses give negative reviews of competitors under the cloak of anonymity.
Guest 714- Registered: 14 Apr 2011
- Posts: 2,594
#12
Jacks is definitely open for business and I hear positive reviews.
Tripadvisor is a very dangerous entity, one local hotelier in particular has had awful problems, he was able to trace bad reviews, via an IP (whatever that is) to another local hotel, but beyond that there is nothing he can do.
Its scandalous that an anonymous, bitter person can cause such problems
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#13
there was a menu in the window, just had a brief glance.
8 oz fillet steak £.17.00 bangers and mash £.7.90.
chips are hand cut( that should keep tony happy).
who will be the first here to try it out and report back?
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
#14
Maybe the people that you have seen eating there were the builders having their elevenses?
#15
Ive seen people eating in there as well it was either just before or just after Xmas , only a couple of tables one evening it looked really nice with the lights on and the Xmas tree all lit up
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#16
I too have seen people dining in there and it does look pretty nice; not sure what the recent building work has been for though.
I appreciate it is a grill and steak bar, but looking at their menu outside on Monday, I thought it a bit expensive and I'm not a tight-a**se.
I would have thought that perhaps they could have made some opening offers to encourage people in, let them see how good it is and then they'll (hopefully) come back, but it isn't my business, so I'll keep my nose out.
I do hope it is a success for them.
Trip Advisor can be a good help or an awful enemy of many a business, but I do think that most complaints are undeserved - some are of course, but a chat with the hotel/guest house/restaurant or whatever, usually clears it up.
The thought of "give me a discount or I'll do you on trip-advisor" is terrible - how do you cope with that ?
Roger
Guest 739- Registered: 16 Jan 2012
- Posts: 85
#17
I walked past it last night purely by chance and it was open with two tables of people. But it looked sort of unfinished and I didn't get the urge to go in. Maybe they need to look at their marketing and advertising as I've not seen anything about it opening. I remember the Italian restaurants that were there previously always managed to lure me and Mike in. Still, early days yet but I shall watch with interest.
I think we are all guinea pigs in the middle of an experiment for which they have forgotten to set up a control group!
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#18
People in there tonite
Been nice knowing you :)
