This is a living piece of nostalgia for me. My grandmother used to take me here for lunch in the 80s. It hasn't changed. They still have the classic foot long hotdogs that they are known for. The service was ok but limited. It seems like they do more take out and DoorDash. They also only take cash or check. read more

Jak'n Jil - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

A legend but now very expensive ! Quality is not as good on the foot long ! Great service ! Love local feel ! Fries great ! $27 for two ft long two drinks and fries ! read more

Jak'n Jil - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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If I was basing this entirely on the food it would be a 3, but this place is just too iconic to give it a 3. The people are so nice and I feel like I stepping back 50 years into historic Cville. The cutest old-time small town restaurant. They only take cash but have an atm. read more

Wow...what can I say about Jak'n Jil? I have been eating there for many years...until I left the area about 20 years ago. When I was visiting the area last week, I made it a point to stop by and get a foot long and fries. They still tasted a delicious as I remember. Service was pretty good but I got the food to go. Whenever I return I will have another foot long all the way and an order of fries with the season salt. read more

Overall great service, interesting to see the place has a to-go area and a dine in area. Gyro was good and fries crispy! It was cash or check which kinda sucked but overall great experience. read more

Quite frankly (some pun intended) these are as good as a hotdog can get. Would highly recommend grabbing a milkshake and mozz sticks while you're at it too! read more

ordered 3 gyros with fries to go. the fries were good, the gyros were all disgusting; meat was like rubber, lettuce was old, each one of us took a bite and threw sandwiches away. 50 plus dollars! read more

Family feel, very nice place. Very good food. Outstanding service. Will be back. Hot dogs smelled so good we had to turn around and go check them out. Dessert was good. A must try. read more

I popped in when I saw the sign for the foot long hot dog. I was really hungry. That dog comes with mustard, chili and onions. While I'm not a fan of sweet stuff, something in there was sweet: pickles? Peppers in the chili? In any case, the dog, chili, onion and mustard created a happy flavor sensation on my tongue and I would order it again. My chocolate shake was super chocolatey, very cold and thick. Overall a great meal that really hit the spot. I love onion rings. I'll have to try those next time. I was greeted right away. The service was quick, the food hot. Fortunately, I saw the sign that gave notice of cash only and I had cash! The sign also stated there was an ATM outside: The next customer ordered, but didn't have cash and ultimately chose not to dine there after consulting with his spouse. This is why we are going to a digital currency. "Convenience". Until your social credit score is reduced when you fail to comply with government mandates. Oops! Let me get off this soapbox! Get yourself a footlong dog or two, they are delicious! read more

Came here for lunch and got a regular hot dog with everything on it and onion rings. Honestly the hotdog was just okay, and for $3.25 it was overpriced for what you get. The onion rings were delicious however, would definitely recommend those. The service was quick and it's an interesting place, but probably won't be back due to the prices. read more

Jak'n Jil - Hotdog and onion rings - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Great find and worth a stop. This is a great place for a foot-long hotdog with chili. Be sure to ask for any extras like onion if you want more than just chili. Reuben sandwich is awesome. Friendly service and overall good food. Note that fries and onion rings come with seasoning salt. I don't personally like it so I order without. Add to your list of must try! read more

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Enjoyed this little place! Cool hamburger and hot dog place. Hot dogs were really good, best part was the toppings, chili was done really well. Super nice guy waiting on our table. We will be back to try the burgers next time. Cash only place! read more

Jak'n Jil - Foot long and regular hot dog both all the way with chili, mustard and onions - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The footlong was good. The service was great and the food came out at a reasonable time for what it was. At the time, there wasn't any sit down eating inside. I only got a footlong with mustard, onions, chili, and coleslaw. The coleslaw was seasoned just right with not much mayo. I look forward to coming back. read more

Stopped here only because there was a gang of folks waiting to receive their portion! Thought to myself "this place must be pretty good". Jak and Jil did not disappoint! Orders the famous foot long which comes with their famous homemade chili, mustard, and onions! Loved it! The chili was so good! I liked how it wasn't too liquified, making for the hot dog experience to not turn into a huge mess. Large fry was enough to feed two people and come with a nice seasoning. Great touch! All in all, great experience! *FYI* NO CARDS ACCEPTED read more

Stopped here because it was packed outside! I got the Famous footlong & the fries! The famous footlong comes with their homemade chili, onions, and mustard. I loved the seasoning that the fries had on it. Definitely a nice place to grab food and go. FYI: only takes cash read more

Jak'n Jil - Famous Footlong - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Ok first off BRING CASH OR CHECK. I glanced through other reviews and other people had that hidden within the reviews. That is most important. There's a small sign to the side of the register that lets you know they don't accept cards, but you could easily miss it. They do have an ATM but save your surcharge fees for something else. Thankfully I had my checkbook with me (rare!) So my 2 year old son actually made me come here because he was enticed by the huge hot dog sign from off the road. I didn't realize there were 2 entrances, one for carry out and the other for dine in. I walked into the carry out section. Small area with a bench for sitting while waiting. Lots of options to choose from on the menu. We ordered the cheeseburger, the foot long hotdog with no bun or toppings & an order of fries. The kind lady at the register took our order & said, "THANK YOU!" She was so cute & called everyone "hun." Didn't take long for our food to come out. Maybe 5-7 minutes, if that. I also added to my order the Arnold Palmer because their sweet tea and lemonade looked homemade. They let you pay when you pick up your food, which was very different for me. The hot dog, cheeseburger, fries & drink came to $14 total. We went outside to eat at the tables since it was a nice day. My son devoured his foot long. My cheeseburger was basic, nothing to write home about, but got the job done. I think the BEST part of the meal were the FRENCH FRIES! They seasoned the fries perfectly with what seemed like seasoning salt & a bit of old bay. All the food was nice, hot & made just how we wanted. Even the Arnold Palmer was good. Next time I will try the roasted chicken meal, as two people after me ordered it. I gave 3 stars because the experience was nice, the food was average & I just wish they had a sign on the door or the lady reiterated that they don't take cards. I rarely have cash or check on me, so that would've been helpful. I wanted to order more but I didn't want to have to write another check. I will definitely be back with my cash next time I'm in the Charlottesville area! read more

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Friendly staff and convenient location. Had the chili dog and a twist soft serve cone. Cone was great. Had high hopes for the chili dog, but was not what I had hoped for. Look forward to trying other menu items read more

Nice efficient staff, owner was on duty. Great dogs, great chili. Even the picky in my family agreed. Very the loaded footlong. There is a little outside seating area. read more

Fantastic footlong dogs and fries! Moved 25 miles away from Cville over 20 years ago so it's been many years since I've been here. It was almost like a time capsule stepping back into the restaurant. Everything looked updated but the same basic layout and the food did not disappoint, it tasted exactly the same as I remember it! Excellent! read more

Arrived 7:44. Closes at 8:00. Door locked and waived away. Sad. Will try again but I'm skeptical now.

I drive by Jak 'n Jil all the time, and since I moved to Charlottesville I've wanted to check it out (especially since I have a friend whose dad worked here when he was in high school?!) but it took me a while to finally pull the trigger. I'm glad I did! I'm not going to go writing epithets over the high-quality food necessarily; Jak 'n Jil is more about the spirit of a place. Welcomed in by a kind lady behind the counter who asked if we'd like to go in the other door and sit down to eat (there's an entrance for ordering at the counter for take-away, and there's another entrance to go in and sit down), I almost wish I had accepted her offer. But we were coming back from a day in Richmond and we wanted to get home, so we ordered our footlong hotdogs--they come standard with chili, onions and mustard-- and a large fry and went on our way after paying with a check. I didn't realize they only accepted cash! Though they do have an ATM there if you're okay with a surcharge potentially. The lady behind the counter (wish I had gotten her name) was as classic as they come for what you'd expect at an old Virginia hotdog stand, friendly and chatting with a thick, Southern accent. She seemed like she'd been doing it forever. The menu isn't flashy and neither is the decor, but it's clean and it's genuine, so what more could you want. Anyways, our footlongs were satisfying, exactly what you crave, nothing pretentious, just a good old fashioned hotdog topped with the only things you should ever put on a hotdog. I suppose you could ask for something to be omitted, but why? It's reminiscent of the Roanoke Wiener Stand, for any other hotdog stand aficionados that might be reading this. Next time, I'm going to enter the dine-in side, I'm going to have myself another footlong, but this time I'm also going to get a milkshake! Go. Enjoy a piece of Charlottesville history. (And remember to bring cash!) read more

Jak'n Jil - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Came with my little girl for a breakfast date. This place has one of the strangest parking lots ever. The inside makes you feel like you've traveled back in time with a very old-timey vibe. Small area to dine in where you seat yourself after ordering at the counter. Nice people with a very straightforward menu. Standard diner food. I thought it was sweet how the owner gave my daughter a complimentary soft serve cup on our way out (a bit early at 10am, but a super sweet gesture nonetheless!) read more

Amazing comfort food and the staff is very friendly! Great prices, milks shakes are delicious, and we can't wait to go back! One of our best finds here so far in charlottesville. read more

We drove by this place and just KNEW the food was good. As soon as we walked in the waitress was so friendly and helpful! I got the reuben (AMAZING) and the best strawberry milkshake i've ever had. Keep in mind they only take cash, but there's an ATM thankfully. Next on my list to try is the foot long chili hot dog and fries, I saw one customer order THREE! read more

Jak'n Jil - Reuben, Coleslaw, and Strawberry Milkshake - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The people working were nice. I went because I love a good hotdog with chili. I ordered 2 footlong dogs to go. One with mustard onion and chili, the other with mustard onion chili and coleslaw. They cost over $6 each and the buns were hard, the chili said homemade but I've had better from a can. Overall for me it was a mistake to go. Maybe their other food is good I can't say, but I can say don't be fooled by the hype over their hotdogs. read more

Love this spot! Great seasoned fries and LEGENDARY hot dogs! Must experience spot, classic dining but make sure you bring cash!

Great place for good food, substantial portions, and quick service! My husband and I both ordered footlong hotdogs and fries yesterday and loved every guilty bite! We will definitely go back and try other menu items. They have been around for many many years and we need to support our privately owned local restaurants during these difficult days of Covid-19. read more

If you're looking for salty fried goodness, this is the place to go! The broasted chicken was definitely the highlight of the meal and the best thing about it is that it's made to order. They warn you that it's gonna take 20 minutes but really it's closer to 15. When it comes out, it's piping hot and warms your insides! Mmm mmm! The other menu items we had were good but pretty standard (mozz sticks, bacon cheeseburger, french fries). This is the type of place where regulars keep it up and running. While we were there, it seemed that everyone knew each other and were there as part of their routine Friday night. If I'm looking for fried chicken, will definitely consider returning to Jak N Jil! read more

Jak'n Jil - Broasted chicken platter with a side of fries not pictured! - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Footlong dogs, onion rings ,french fries, choc shakes- YUMmm! Will be back! Bring your cash!

Our first time there was kind of confusing. There are 2 sides that aren't connected so if you want to eat inside go into the doors on the left :) the counter is right there when you walk in and we were under the impression that you order there so stood there looking at the menu for a minute when we were told that we could sit at a table and order there as well. The place is pretty small, so if it gets really busy, you might have a hard time getting a table. They do have quite an impressive menu covering everything from hot dogs to subs and pastas, gyros and more. They also serve breakfast all day! We got a lot..a breakfast platter, foot long chili dog, chicken burger, onion rings and mozz sticks. It was all great and came out quickly. The one waitress working was going non stop serving everyone and did a great job. I did get the wrong drink refilled but that wasn't her and I didn't say anything because we were pretty much done by that point. We went to pay only to realize it is cash or check only. No signage of this anywhere that I saw. Maybe it's just a well known CVille thing? Thankfully there is an ATM in the back so it wasn't a huge hassle. Overall, great food, setup a bit confusing and signage about it being cash only would be nice. read more

Ok so I ate here a few years ago (had a chili footling) made me sick and I never went back. This time I had the turkey club. Ok so pause, THEY ONLY TAKE CASH! Yes , you read correctly, this is a cash only establishment, which is something I rarely ever have. Ok resume, I ordered my club with onion, mayo, and lettuce. Let's just say it was an onion overload, and I'm an onion fan. They had put on solid onion slice on each layer of the sandwich ( so I had 3 layers of thick onion). Also it had way to much lettuce on it. The sandwich seemed to have more toppings on it than meat. To say I will be back would be a lie. I'll stick with jimmy johns where they have kept up with the 21st century and accept my card. read more

Great foot long hotdogs. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshake are fantastic too. Best to park around back so you dont have to back out into traffic on High Street. read more

Nothing like a jak'n Jill footling! Charlottesvile since 1945......yes Elite snobs will rate low should not go to dives expecting fine dinning...Bring cash as no cards are excepted. read more

The Broasted Chicken will make your day. I promise. (I know you smartphoner's only see this first line, so I had to show my hand there....) In high school, we went for the hotdogs, but since I grew up, left town for a while only to return and buy a house down the street, I've come to realize that this place has much more to offer than hotdogs. The burger, which is less than $4, is a big, juicy patty on a really fresh wheat bun. You can get it with whatever you want on it too. I'm tempted to say that it's a better burger than Riverside, just down the street. Although, I don't really want to say that. I love Riverside for what it is. These burgers aren't getting squashed on the griddle. It's almost in a different style of burgers. Its definitely worth a try. The biggest and best find I have made there has to be the broasted chicken though. I have a lot of family in Pennsylvania and went to college there and discovered the true wonder that is broasted chicken. It's a hybrid of fried and pressure cooked and you can find it out in the boonies of central PA pretty much everywhere. Long story short, you get what has to be the best combination of crispy skin and juicy, tender meat that you've ever imagined. The "Broasted Chicken Snack" comes with a breast, leg, fries (which are the tied with Tubbys and Riverside for the best in town in my opinion), a cup of cole slaw and what really is just (delicious) overkill, a piece of buttery Texas toast. It's a huge, indulgent dinner for less than $8. If you like Wayside Chicken, I challenge you to try Jak n Jil's broasted chicken and tell me it's better. (Wayside is delish, that's just how good Jak n Jil's chicken is) **One caveat!! You have to give them 20 minutes to cook your chicken as it's all cooked to order. I suggest calling ahead. The staff there is super sweet and always happy to take an order and meet you with a smile. I look forward to trying out some of their triple decker sandwiches soon. read more

Jak'n Jil - Broasted Chicken Snack meal - best meal you can buy for less than $8 on Cville - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Ate here for the first time the other day! The foot longs with chili are amazing and the old bay seasoned fries were crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside. I was impressed because they are the skinny fries, but still somehow cooked to perfection. Oreo milkshake was a little thinner than I prefer, but it was still bomb! We will def be back, but I couldn't find the hours of operation anywhere. I have been dying to eat here, but every time I've been by it's been closed. Seems like the kind of place that the locals definitely know when it's open, because it was packed! read more

Fantastic Gyro sandwich and split pea soup was awesome! Great, fast down home atmosphere and service! I'll be back! read more

Jak'n Jil - Gyro sandwich with savory fries - Diners Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is an awesome place to get quality food and service at a great price. Highly recommend!!! Staff treats you like family, you will not be disappointed read more

Has to be the cleanest restaurant, hands down. Not a speck of dust. Hot dogs are good. Homemade soups. Great nreakfast.

Not a bad foot long cheese hotdog. Not the best ever but not bad. Fast friendly service. Only reason it's not higher is they only accept cash. read more

Sorry, I'm not sure why people would ever want to eat @ this place. The footlongs were lukewarm and tasteless in a crumbling non too fresh bun. Fries were ok. Way too pricey. We won't be returning. The only bright side was our lovely server. read more