Best bar & grille on the east side of Lawrence, hands down. Here's what's good: The food is always fresh. Great selections, great specials. Family friendly, good kids' menu. Big bar, great service. And big - like, really big - screens for sportsball. What's not to like? It's a bar & grille, so you're not rolling into something with Michelin stars or Zagat's mentions. But the food is really good and the atmosphere is always relaxed (unless the local sportsballers are in peril). I'd suggest a plate of wings, with sauce varieties ranging from the dry rubs & mild to the hottest, which is a habanero blend. Insider tip: ask for your wings to be done 'Danza style', which is where they cook the wings, sauce the wings, then throw them on the grill for that extra char. Spectacular! Specials run every day, and some of them are better than others. For instance, kids eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of a regular menu entree, Mondays are burger specials, and Saturdays are a KC strip special, which hits you with the salad, steak, & baked potato for $16 - that's a steal. Bar specials are also daily, whether happy hours or featured pints. There is something for everyone and you will get ample portions. It's THE place in east Lawrence to catch the Jayhawks, Chiefs, or, uh, even the Royals with a ginormous 22' screen adorning the east wall. Great spot! read more

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I mean... above average I got the fish tacos.. at least it wasnt tilapia lol I think the brunch menu looks amazing. I'd love to try the happy hour too. I think good prices for the servings. Ill probably order something more barlike next time. Bf and son had chicken fried chicken. Had left overs so great portions read more

This place is exceptional. The service is always perfection. The food is delicious. The fries are always piping hot and incredible. I had a patty melt this evening and it was hot and fresh. Everything we have had on the menu has been really good. The manager always stops by to check on things. Great food, reasonable prices, fun atmosphere. A Lawrence treasure! read more

We love this place for brunch or happy hour or celebrations and games! Excellent service (Phoebe is a favorite server), always delicious, great specials and warm fun atmosphere. read more

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I cannot say enough fantastic things about this place! I absolutely love Heaven she is the Best bartender never shows how busy she is just happy to serve THANK YOU! read more

I have not been to Set 'Em Jacks in quite awhile. There are a ton of excuses... it's on the other side of town, parking is a chore, COVID, blah, blah, blah. Recently, though, I went to lunch with a friend who loves this place so we met for lunch. WOW! I have been missing out. I forgot how terrific the food is at this restaurant. This establishment is a long-time business that has managed to keep it's doors open through COVID. I can see why, too. I ordered the catfish filets and it was THE BEST. Tender, lightly breaded and cooked just right. There were two sides that came with the fish for a mere $9.99. The staff was very patient with me and my 1,000 questions and requests. They could not be happier to oblige. There is plenty of space at this restaurant. There is a partial upstairs section and outside seating, as well. This is the type of restaurant where people go to cheer on the Jayhawks so it can get packed. They have quite the seating capacity. During our lunch, it was busy and people were doing a great job at socially distancing. The restaurant interior is pub-ish and it suites them well. The menu is varied and there is plenty to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Burgers, sandwiches, seafood, local favorites- it's all there. The staff is so friendly and everyone seems genuinely nice and happy to be working there. There is plenty of good parking since this restaurant is located in a strip mall. Easy access which is always important to me. Another non-publicized reason people need to support this local business is the business owner. I think his name is Dan? I have a friend who worked here when COVID first roared its ugly head and restaurants were closed to the public. The owner gave his staff the food at the restaurant. Just told them to take what they wanted- produce, breads, meats... whatever they could load up. He wanted to help his employees and it was better than going to waste. My friend said he helped employees out of his own pocket during COVID. WOW... it's an honor to patronize such an employee friendly restaurant. Now that I have been back after a long drought... I intend to become a regular. The food was that good! read more

So again I am here for work out of town this is now the 3rd day in a row I've had dinner here the 3rd day I've had amazing service and food today I had the special roast beef and again much better then any bar I've been to and the waitress was different this time and just as good as the last waitress. Once again hats off to the staff here. Would give more then 5 stars if I could read more

My neighborhood sports bar. They cook a burger medium rare, which is my preference and also an indication their beef is fresh. They have a very good tenderloin. Nice folks. Always accommodating. Basic bar but I don't come here for twelve dollar cocktails. And they deliver. read more

Had a slight issue with an off-duty bartender... It is the owners word that all is resolved. All good aside from typical "seeved" folks... myself included! Dan, the bar owner- he made it right! Kudos read more

Great people, their catfish and burgers are the best in this area. Great sports bar. We will be back.

Updated my review from 4 to 5 stars. I've been going there for quite some time now and while the menu is a bit limited, it's always really good. Super fast service and the servers there are very attentive. Love it! read more

Lots of tvs all on different games which is nice , cold beer fast service and good food what more could you want read more

Set'em Up Jacks - American Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

All of my groups food was cold. Ended up with an upset stomach, and the bathrooms are filthy. The manager had to come over multiple times. Service was very unsatisfactory. Would not recommend!!! read more

Best food on the East side of town! Never had a bad meal here! Everything is reasonably priced!

We have been coming to Jacks for thirteen years, and they never stop surprising me with their awesome food and family oriented feel, and I'll come here for another thirteen years. Best experience in Lawrence . read more

Set'em Up Jacks - American Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Loved my entire experience! It's refreshing to see the owner of a restaurant circulating throughout the establishment checking on everyone, not just the regulars! The food and drinks were great too. read more

Everything is done well. Clean. Good prices. Friendly servers. Owner checks quality. Only issue is if you like lots of screens. It has them. read more

We love this place the service is great and food is excellent. We try to go once a month because we live on the other side of town. The Buffalo chicken sandwich was very good and spicy but not to spicy. read more

Our server Maddy was so kind. My son is picky and she had no problem getting him just what he needed! Will 100% be back. The food was also amazing and out quickly. read more

Terrible food! Poor service! Lots of choices in lawrence. Don't choose this place. If you do end up trying it Beware of the specials. Not good not good not good read more

We decided on eating here because we heard that kids eat free Sunday and I mean why not ? You do have to purchase adult entrees but that's ok because we were going to anyways. The feel when you walk in is a sports bar nothing over the top and not really underwhelming either. They have a beer can collection of all the cans you couldn't even think of. We were greeted right away after seating ourselves which are the instructions upon walking in. We ordered the fried pickles and they came out quickly and green beer because well St. Patrick's Day ! The pickles were ok, I'm still kicking myself for not getting the pretzels instead but hey another time ..... right ? We ended up with the kids grilled cheese, Alfredo, cheeseburger, Pork tenderloin sandwich, and a French dip. I did ask for pub fries with mine and got the regular fries but that didn't make or break it for me. The kids meals were good size and they were complimented with an Oreo. My tenderloin sandwich was huge, it was tender, and it didn't disappoint with the brioche bun. My husband had the french dip and after I saw it we decided to split everything. The sandwich itself was good and I jazzed it up with a side of horseradish cream. Only con to that was the au jus was way too salty, I had to water it down but again that didn't break the meal. All in all we will be back and I can't wait to watch some March Madness (ROCK CHALK !) on the huge TVs this place offers. I mean they are covering the walls and that's what I like to see for sports ! read more

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Other than being in enemy territory (*Cough GO MIZZOU*), this is a great bar & grill on the East side of Lawrence that's accessible via K-10. The first thing you'll notice is that there are TVs for days. I tried to count and stopped at 16, but I'm fairly sure I missed a few. There's also a private upper deck dining area in the SW corner of the restaurant that can be reserved for special occasions. Came in during dinner time on a Saturday night and it was packed, but my comrades and I found triplicate seating at the bar and took it post haste. There were 2 bartenders that were doing an excellent job of keeping everyone's drinks filled and taking food orders as well as any wait staff I've encountered. The food was genuinely good. Fried pickles were "melt in your mouth-esque". Burger was juicy and cooked to a fine medium rare/medium state. The seasoning on the fries was reminiscent of olive oil and a smidge of garlic; very tasty indeed. Comrade #1's steak dinner looked phenomenal. It was also cooked perfectly and came with a standard baked potato. Very good food and equally impressive service. The only knocks were that there was some type of car show was going on outside, which limited parking and made it somewhat inconvenient to get into. And it must be a kid friendly establishment, because there were no less than a dozen kids screaming and running around (very odd in my estimation, but rather annoying nonetheless). But the food is definitely worth stopping in for...maybe just catch them on a weeknight or during non-peak hours if possible? read more

Service is fantastic staff is courteous and friendly, Including the GM. great place to meet friends and relatives, watch sports, or just get a beer read more

I just left your bar after bad experience with a server Felt like i wasn't even wanted there. Sorry you don't want to wait on me. Took my basket of chips i wasn't even done I think. Im an easy going guy but after this i might not come back and i like your place. I'll just spend my money somewhere else. read more

You guys have always had great food and service. I know you make sure you do a good job on that I had 1 pound of traditional wings with buffalo sauce. It was so good and your fries are wonderful. My dad had the Buffalo Chicken ranch sandwich. It was delicious. The chips and salsa was delicious you guys have the best bar food in Lawrence and in general the best local own restaurant in Lawrence. read more

Great service and great food! Have never had any issues going there! Support your local businesses!

This is a staple of Lawrence, KS. Great sports bar, delicious comfort food and Buzztime trivia! The pub chips are delicious, try the chicken fried steak and fried chicken, you wont be disappointed! And it's locally owned by great folks, so you're supporting a local business. Which is always a bonus! read more

A first rate sports bar in East Lawrence? Who would have thought? I would not have known to try Jacks, if it weren't for the fact that they accept Open Tables reservations. Very few restaurants in Lawrence do, and the ones that do are mostly high end restaurants. No other sports bars in Lawrence do. Anyway, the blackened salmon, sweet potato fries, Caesar salad, cheese cake, and service were all big hits. There were four of us at the table, and Jacks was a big hit with all of us. We'll be back. And then there is the huge TV screen. We were sitting below it, so could hardly see it. Next time we'll sit back from it to have a better view of that monster TV. Perhaps the best view would be from the upper level, but it is only open for service on Fridays and Saturdays, except if reserved for a private party. read more

My family and I were just there on Tuesday and had amazing service provided by Bailey. Espinaca dip as an appetizer, buffalo chicken sandwich with fries, turkey sandwich with pub chips, chicken tender salad and grilled cheese from kids menu. All the food was delicious!! Again, the service was top notch! Thanks Bailey!! read more

Went i tonight, order chicken gizzards. The last time I did, they were burnt. Over cooked and tasteless. Tonight, the first batch was raw. I didn't notice until I ate a couple. Sampson, I guess the manager, looked at them, and said they'd remake a batch. The second batch, not quite as raw. But still not safe to eat. I flagged Sampson down, and he took them away and offered to bring something else, which I declined. I wanted gizzards. So I didn't eat. When the bill came, he took off the uneaten gizzards and sweet potato fries. I was disappointed that he wouldn't do more. But he did give me a $15 gift card. My issue... he said the second batch was cooked longer, but yet pink and cold in the middle. He then said he would eat the uncooked chicken. I asked him to bring them out and eat them in front of me. He then implied I was a liar and there was nothing wrong with the food. I asked him to bring the food out and eat it... and of course he declined, as he knew it was raw. I don't mind having bad food, it happens, but don't imply I'm lying. Not going back. I frequent the place, but no more. Sampson, you have terrible customer service. We still tipped the waitress well, and went on our way. One star for our good server Reagan. read more

A great locally-owned sports bar & grill. We've been coming here for years and love the casual atmosphere and friendly & quick service. They have a lot of TVs to watch the various games including the HUGE screen that's maybe 40' across? They do have an outdoor seating area to the east of the restaurant where most of the smokers go for a break. We're thankful, because then you don't have to walk through the smoke clouds to enter or leave the restaurant since the main entrance is on the south side of the building. :) They have daily food & beer specials. Love their catfish platter! read more

Set'em Up Jacks - American Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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Currently still in Set 'em Up Jacks for the half priced wing Wednesday deal. Not only was the food unbelievably terrible, but the employees and bald angry manager were also as crappy. First, I can't find the waitress, she's been hiding the whole time from my table. I had to refill the waters for my tables because they were no where to be found. Then when we tried to order the wings, the manager told me the kitchen would not be able to toss half the wings in one sauce and half the wings in another. I also asked for them extra crispy and they failed at that as well. It took them 15 minutes to bring out another basket of chips for the queso which eventually got hard as my finance final tomorrow. Overall I would give them less than one star if it were possible. 10/10 would NOT!! Recommend to not even the worst of enemies. There's are better places to get wings, apps, and sandwiches all over. This awful. Sucks so much. The food is crap and the management crappier. They don't know what hospitality is. Up there's!!!!! read more

Living in De Soto, Set'em Up Jacks has been one of my go-to places for years, especially before they split K-10 Highway. The food is good, the staff has always been friendly, the bar is big, there is plenty of seating over-all, and also an upstairs area to sit with tv's (there are tv's all over the place). I recommend stopping by here sometime and seeing how cool it is for yourself! read more

Like the food and some staff but I like to sit up by the bar booths. The problem is the locals that sit up at the bar - mainly a few men that cuss real loud. One guy usually there 24/7 has a foul mouth and loud, don't bring family there, because he doesn't care who hears. I know it's a bar but really? We have had to move a few times - too bad it keeps me going back as frequent. I mainly blame the bartender because if she would tell them to settled down but she just either laughs or gets on her phone. The waitresses just do the same about it and the bald headed manager (doesn't smile or care much about things) isn't very good at his job / his motto if you don't like it here - leave. There's another story to this! I wish the owner take care of this he seems like a nice guy. I will continue to go back but it sucks if you have to scan the bar where to sit first. read more

Great food (specials every day)! Awesome happy hour! Owner, managers and wait staff were very attentive. Owner came to my table to check and see how my food was. Prices were reasonable! Will definitely return. Tons of tvs! read more

Great place to grab a bite to eat and watch the game. There daily specials are wonderful and kids eat free Wednesday and Sunday. We have never had a bad experience. read more

*This review is for a Saturday karaoke night experience. There are a handful of criteria that I look for when declaring a great karaoke spot. 1. Interesting characters 2. Good singers and bad singers that don't care how bad they are 3. A captive audience 4. A great host 5. Great bartenders This place delivered 100% on all five. The people that hang out at this place could not have been more diverse. We spent the night talking to two alt-style girls who rocked some Faith No More. There was a guy talking to me in the bathroom about whether or not he had the guts to sing "La Bamba," which he ultimately rocked. There was a big guy that rocked "Uptown Funk," and I hugged him (this is many drinks in) after he did one of my favorite Korn songs. I even had a couple dance to my slow down jam "Unchained Melody." If that doesn't sound like a fun night to you, we can never be friends. read more

Avoid going here late at night. Chances are you'll get a cranky middle-aged woman named Vicki as your server. Not sure which one she is? Wait for the eye rolling. If you ask for ANYTHING, those old eyes will be rolling. Want to order a drink? Rolled. Want an appetizer? Again, rolled. Speaking of appetizers, $7 for 6 mediocre mozzarella sticks? Really? I can go down the street to Dillons and buy a whole box for less than that. Anyways, back to Miss Vicki... I called to complain the next day. The manager apologized sincerely but made any and every excuse for her stating she gets "stressed" out when she has a lot of tables. And that this wasn't the first complaint about her. Really? *facepalm* Sorry Jack's but if you want to keep people coming back, get rid of cranky waitresses like Vicki. Or at least offer a little discount for poor service towards a future visit, if there is one... read more

Staff was friendly, food was good. I came because it was walking distance from the hotel. Seems like a local hangout with an older crowd. Friendly patrons. read more

I grew up in a trailer park in southwest kansas; which this place really reminds me of. Everytime I go in there, it seems like the trailer park behind the restaurant migrates inside for natty lights. This would be okay if the food was worth a damn, and boy it is not worth a damn. I got a turkey burger, the patty was okay, toppings whatever... you could tell this spot really wanted to be henry t's with their burger menu. They put some silly greenish salt on the fries... they're pretty much crinkle cut fries with silliness put on it. Ordered wings. They have that weird gooey texture that you find from Tyson's wings from the grocery store. I love how other places of decent repute here in town make their own dressing; not this hall of shame. Hell i got a bottle of kraft bleu cheese in the fridge i could just use that. I always finish dinner... hell i'm a glutton and look forward to overeating, but hell this food wasn't worthy of being served out of a truckstop or jail. When I'm really hung over and don't feel like driving, or i left my car in some random spot the night before, i walk over and feel like a piece of crap walking back with a bag full of poorly made food in styrofoam containers. Now the next part's gonna get personal. I wouldn't read if I regularly visit and/or enjoy this place. You walk in and see carhart coveralls and shitty beards all over the place. Hell you might even see someone wearing an icp shirt. Plenty of winners in there. It smells like low credit scores and geds in there. read more