Happy Jack's Burger Bar

Long overdue! Happy Jacks is one of my favorite date night spots and honestly the best food in Rockaway. The martinis are always perfect and the French dip and fries hit every single time. I tell everyone coming to Rockaway that they have to try it. Whether you’re eating there or getting delivery, it’s always top notch. The specials are amazing, the staff is the nicest, and I’ve never had a bad meal here. If I could give them 500 stars, I would. Honestly, it’s one of those places you can never get sick of.

My mom and I had been looking for a spot to grab a quick bite before a show at the Rockaway Hotel, this place was packed and looked inviting so we decided to try it. Walked in and took seats at the bar. Tasty fresh-ground burgers, crispy fries, hearty pours on the drinks, friendly staff, and the service was faster than I expected with how busy it was! We got the smokin’ jack and the irish poutine burgers and definitely enjoyed our picks.

Delicious burgers and awesome drinks! Might go again tomorrow it was that good.

We ate the hamburgers, great flavor, they are really big! It was a good experience. Great service, very gentle. The place is cool and quiet. 💯

Pickle lovers, order extra! Yes the burger presentation is great as others have mentioned but for pickle lovers, you WILL appreciate their homemade, spicy pickles.

We ordered a take out burger, the portions are big, however the food is mid, is not as flavorful as it looks like. Service was good and the ambiance is nice.

The burgers are quite an experience. There so juicy with quality meat. The fixings are fresh. (Lettuce, tomato onion). The bacon was so thick. It could be served as an appetizer by itself! The pizza has that old school flavor. The crust is slightly burnt giving it that charcoal taste. Yum!

Prices are amazing here, food is exactly what you would expect. Not the GREATEST most earth shattering culinary experience but the atmosphere and staff were all nice. Great place for a drink and hang out.

Awesome sized Pretzel with delicious Beer Cheese definitely made from scratch. The Brisket Burger was extremely good and tasty. Service was good and I loved the vibe of the place. Very chill experience

This place has the best burgers ever!! The espresso martinis are fantastic!! It's smaller with a great bar, very nice and knowledgeable staff and killer atmosphere! Love it even for take out!! Huge servings!!

Happy Jack's is a smaller bar that is located on the quieter western side of the Rockaway Beach boardwalk. I went with a group of 4 people. Three of us had their burgers and thought they were top notch. The burger is only average size but it was very juicy. The fourth person had the "Gallagher's Harbor Special". It was a cold cut sandwich with roasted beef that I do not recommend, as the sandwich was very dry. They have a decent menu of beers, wine, and cocktails as well, which we indulged in. Combined with the friendly waitstaff, our experience here was very positive.

Don't come here, their food stopped being good a long time ago Their portions are small for the price and the food is not what it used to be, the appetizers AND burgers suck now

Great burgers. Mike the chef is fantastic. Cozy, homey atmosphere, doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. Great little spot with thee best burger you can ask for

Great cozy little bar! Found this spot as I was working an event and needed a bite to eat. This is a very chill spot, great for drinks and catching up with friends or even to enjoy the food! The food itself was VERY delicious !! The prices were fair I believe, and the food portion was a lot, so it's a win-win situation for me! As I sat at the bar, the bartender was great, constantly checking in on me which was great. Everyone was super friendly and cool.

We came here for Mothers Day because we were craving burgers & fries. We ordered the Nacho Appetizer... which was large and scrumptious. There were red, white & blue tortilla chips, lots of ground beef ( huge chunks) , cheese ( that stayed melted & stringy), J ordered the Classic burger with bacon, lettuce, lettuce, sautéed onions & mushrooms

Food was great, I got the big shack (18$), and the portions were large and came with a side of fries. I wanted to try their French onion soup, but it was not on menu. The staff was kind as well, assisting us with whatever we needed. Very American bar atmosphere for the interior design. I would come back!

Just ordered dinner and as usual it was amazing! Best burgers on the Peninsula and the key lime cake was not only huge but unbelievably awesome! Definitely a must and great way to finish off the meal. It was delivered fast and the burger tasted like it went immediately from grill to our kitchen

Happy Jack's is the go-to spot in Rockaway for fantastic food. The service is always top-notch, with friendly faces and speedy service every time you walk through the door. And let's talk about those specials--they're seriously next level! But even if you stick to the regular menu, you won't be disappointed. I've been here countless times and never had a bad meal. Plus, the drinks? Absolutely delicious. Happy Jack's is where it's at!

Stopped by here on Sunday. The sign says they open at 1:00pm, but the doors were still locked. You could see through the window that they were doing prep work. We decided to wait it out and took a seat in their outdoor dining shed, which is very well maintained. 1:15pm they opened for business. The server came right to us with menus. We asked for water while we perused the menu. Server came back with our water and we ordered drinks. My better half had a Jameson & Ginger and I had the Frozen Watermelon with the vodka floater. She found her drink weak, but I was quite impressed with the Frozen Watermelon concoction. You could tell they use actually watermelon flesh by the drinks feel and texture in your mouth. So good that I had another. We both had the Happy Jack's Famous Burger, she with sweet potato fries ($3 substitution charge) and me with regular fries. Both were cooked to our liking and were delicious and quite filling. Highly recommend, especially the Frozen Watermelon with vodka, a great treat on a hot and humid summer afternoon.

Food was absolutely delicious and the specials were out of this world. Service was great, looking forward to the summer menu!

Very friendly staff! Warm atmosphere and nice and clean! Music isn't blaring in your ear and it's just comfy and perfect! Highly recommend this place!

I took my mom out for lunch today (a grey Friday afternoon) and decided to try this place out. The staff is super friendly and fun. They were very nice to my 78 year old mom. She was cold and they sat us in front of the heat and put it on full Blast for her. The French onion soup was so good. I would've been satisfied with just that! We ordered the Happy Jack burger to share. It was delicious. We also got the Margherita pizza special. It was really good too. I had heard great things about this place and was very happy to experience it for myself.

10 out of 10!! Late lunch for 2, Black Friday Wow, I haven't had a burger or fries like this in a long time. The fries were PERFECTION. I can't remember the last time I've had such an amazing burger and for the price, I was very happy. The staff was so friendly and personable, with a strong Long Island accent cherry on top! We got lucky and sat at the coziest corner booth by the front windows, enjoying every last bite. I can't wait to go back.

What a neighborhood gem! Great service; great food! Burgers & wings were excellent! Small and cozy atmosphere. Nice folks.

What a great experience! Their name says it all. A small bar with great burgers that made us happy. My wife and I enjoyed a great burger before a concert at the hotel across the street. We arrived early, but the place is small and might fill quickly.

I had suchhhh an amazing experience!!! The food, wait time, servers, everything was perfect! Nick was truly the best server ever!!!! He was soooo nice, gave awesome food recommendations and was just extremely helpful overall!! Nick you're the best!!! Food was amazing!!! I will definitely be back!

I can not say enough about this place. It was going to be 91 degrees and me and the wife were gonna hit the ferry and head to rockaway. After the 1.5 hour trip we landed into this place as it opened and were greeted by John. I immediately saw the frozen drink machine and asked "what's in it?" Watermelon. Amazing. This fella was so nice to me and my wife and we had a friend meet us who walked up from the sand. Prior to that we had the rizzoto balls. (Amazing). My wife had the veggie pita and I had the house special burger. We would been fine with just the rice balls but both were amazing as well. I gotta give my man John the bartender props. He made our stay fantastic. If the ferry wasn't leaving we'd be barfing watermelon from drinks by now. Great time here. Go get some!!

The visit was on Nov 4, 2023 - We have returned here for the second time since last year. We come since our daughter is involved in playing basketball games with her team. We found this place last time while looking for anything open, as it was late the first time we came. The place is cozy and welcoming for sure. We are a family of four and the kids were hungry and so were we. The menu is clean and offers nice choices to suit all of us. Our server back then was delightful, and the food came out hot, quick, and yummy. Fast forward to this past Saturday and again with pleasure, we went looking for Happy Jack's. The quality of the food was truly great, we had Jason as our Server and he was friendly and super helpful. The food that we ordered was again amazing, the French Onion Soup-Fantastic, the burgers juicy and fresh, as well as the onion rings, all of our food choices were great and very filling. The cherry on the Sunday was the last homemade lemon cake, that we all loved. For great, fresh food taken care of by an awesome staff, look no further. Happy Jack's is our staple whenever we come to the Rockaways. Thank you and enjoy!

Absolutely tremendous, every bite was delicious . Smalll menu bar pumping out good food . I had a beer on tap Stella was ice cold . 9.5 out of ten

The people who work here are down to earth and all so very nice. Love the risotto balls and all of their burgers. Can't go wrong with any of their burgers. And their mixed drinks are delicious and not watered down. Love this place.

Excellent tasty burgers!! Perfect fries ( I usually get sweet potato fries, and they will swap for you) - fries come with the burger. Pick your toppings - onions ( cooked or raw), mushrooms, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, Burgers are cooked to order, meat is fresh - not frozen. Buns are good, but don't always hold together through eating the burger. Mayo and ketchup are on the tables. Service is good and quick. Lg TV hangs on the wall usually playing a sports game. Nice selection of beer and wine. Wait staff is curtious and attentive. There is inside seating with tables for 2 or 4 with a couple of booths. And outside seating under an open tent. Location is about 2 1/2 blocks from the beach, just off 108 street.

Delicious food. Great drinks and friendly staff. The space is spotless and nice little touches. I highly recommend for a good burger and a nice cocktail (half the price off the hotel across the street)

First time I've been here in four years (not due to anything they did, I moved a good distance away). It was just as good as the last visit! The crispy chicken BLTC hero, one of the specials, was delicious! The Sangria was dangerously good lol! The service was great and the prices were very reasonable; The portions were so generous I took half my sandwich home for later. My only regret is I don't live close enough to go there often!

The burgers here are awesome and huge. I'm glad they did away with the pretzel bun. Cozy place with a cool bar and a cool vibe. Perfect place for a quick bite for a small group (2-4) as place is small. Highly recommend.

"You don't come to jacks for their f*ckin coffee". - PNW Came here on a hot, humid Sunday afternoon with my lovely beau. Place was packed and we ended up sitting along the window next to the door. Obviously it's not a great area sitting by the window, but we knew what to expect and dying to try their burgers so we took in the sacrifice and the free labor of closing the door after people coming and going from the restaurant (think it's their rug from the door not closing). Upon sitting the service came and greeted us, asking what we would like to drink and came back to take our order. We ordered the following: egg roll, mild wings, turkey burger and regular burger. Now onto the review of the food! We started off with Dublin Egg Rolls and Mild Wings. Dublin Egg Rolls consist of corn beef, cabbage and Swiss cheese. The ratio of all these items were just right, and with every bit a little piece of cheese comes out which is what I call a decent filled roll! Their special sauce is thousand island dressing with extra relish (please note this is my guess, did not ask the server what was in the roll or sauce). The wings were great! Not dry and was so juicy. The wings were not drenched in hot sauce which is good. Now with the burgers. I have to say based off my experiences with turkey burgers... the best I ever had. I ordered the turkey burger and asked for raw onion (sliced). When I got the burger they had the slice onion on bottom of the patty which is unfortunate because if you put on bottom of the patty it cooks... so if you guys are critical ask them to put the slice onion on top. Now I have to say the thick piece of pickle was the highlight of my dish. Pickled dish has a tiny kick of spice but disappeared in my mouth after two bites. The turkey patty was delicious. Not bland at all it was seasoned and made just right! The curly fries were cooked right and the presentation was just great. My beau enjoyed his food also. Overall my experience here was great. Wash your hands before eating because you will be licking your fingers after eating your meal. Now my cons: 1. Cash only. They have a sign but it's small and in paper and the only way we caught it was our friend pointed out (we bumped into her coincidently eating there with her family). I was hoping the host or server would let us know ahead of time that it's cash only but she failed to. I suggest making a bigger sign or to at least have the host or server let the guest know about this. 2. Server did not get our order right. My boyfriend asked for his burger to come with the pretzel bun... but I ended up getting the pretzel bun on my burger and he got a regular bun. He also got onion rings when he didn't ask for them. HOWEVER... I'm glad he got onion rings because these are legit beer battered onion rings. The best. With the order being messed up we are not upset at all! I thought the server and the service was great, but maybe should write better detail her notepad when taking orders. I will come back here again and will give and updated review. ((( now if you are wondering about the coffee comment above, we ordered coffee and it was bland... but who the hell orders coffee in a burger spot?????? No on- we did lol)))

Got the Santa Fe turkey burger here for takeout. The food was delicious! The patty juicy, and overall very nicely flavored. It also came with a side of crunchy fries. Would come back.

Want. 2be. Happy. Jack. Is. Where. To. Go. It. A. Burgers bar. Holy holy are you grilled to. Go. Go. Now. Is. Mouths drooling

Nice recently opened brick and mortar version of a nearby food truck. ( per a rockaway local ) Modern beach vibe. Kitschy appetizer selection/burgers/sandwiches on the "summer menu" curious what will change in the off season. Burgers all big and juicy cooked to requested temperature. Standard curly fries. Nachos on another table looked like they'd bring me back for another visit. Down sides -ample bar seats and 2 tops but not much space for a bigger party -cash only ATM in the bar next door -one bathroom with a pocket door entry ( mostly left open ) strangely placed in the center and visible from every table. -entire block in front is a construction zone

Came here with my husband and out 8 month old daughter . We were greeted and seated right away. The service, food and drinks were excellent ! Great addition to our town ! Ps . Pretty sure the one star review is from a fake person, when I clicked On the profile that person ONLY has one review and no pictures or location hmmmmmmmmm someone sounds like a total hater !

Food is always good and hot. Staff is friendly and the place is clean. Beer is cold and prices are reasonable. Great place to grab a burger, appetizer and beers.

Everyone has their place for the best burger & this one is mine. Set off on a rare side street in Rockaway is Happy Jacks Burgers. A small place with a great burger menu. The menu changes slightly as the season change but the burger menu is a staple. It's a local place for us so we tend to go off peak because it's always crowded in the Summer. Even on a Sunday afternoon in October we were taking our chances on waiting to get in. The atmosphere is perfect for a burger restaurant, high tables for two along the right wall & tables for 4 or more in the center. A decent size bar where the beer is served in frosted mugs (A rare treat anymore) This time we started with the Risotto Rice Balls, six come in a serving which were more than enough to start for the two of us. We've also had the Dublin Egg Rolls on previous trips which are delicious. My wife ordered the Happy Jack Burger which is basically a build your own. It's a 1/2 lb. freshly ground beef patty (Ground on premises) with your choice of cheese, bacon raw or sautéed onions, mushrooms lettuce & tomato. I went for the Big Shack burger that is 2 fresh ground patties with bacon, brisket & cheese served on a soft pretzel bun. It was awesome, I've never had a pretzel bun before. The presentation of the burgers is perfect, it comes with a side of fries & a steak knife through the center of the burger. The first thing my wife does is cut the burger in half so it's easier for her to eat. She rarely can eat the whole thing in one sitting so the other half comes home with us. I on the other hand don't even attempt to cut the burger & just go for it. The fries are a thinner cut, I'm more of a steak fry person but it doesn't matter to me here because I just concentrate on the burger itself. When done I sit back with a smile on my face & look at the condition my cloth napkin is in, a perfect sign of a great burger. After we relax for a while & finish our drinks we ask for the check. A great price for the food & service you get. Although Happy Jacks is known for their burgers they have a great selection of alternatives also. Hot brisket or Cuban sandwiches, salads & in the winter time the have a great Chicken Pot Pie added to the menu.

Happy we found this neat spot during our visit to the Rockaways. A small, homey bar with around 6-7 tables inside offering indoor dining and drinks nestled a few avenues from the beach area, they sure do serve good food. We were seated promptly and offered drinks. The water with lemon was very refreshing. We ordered The Big Shack (burger with bacon, cheese, brisket on pretzel roll) and the Swordfish BLT (....as written on the label with some tartar sauce), around $15 each with fair and filling portions. Both came with pickles and french fries. We were famished so we devoured nearly everything with gusto, and no room for photos. The fries were crispy yet light and fluffy and hot. The swordfish was cooked beautifully- juicy and well seasoned and accompanied with crispy bacon and fresh veggies to balance. The portion was too big for me but my friend eagerly and heroically devoured half of the yummy sandwich. The other burger I thought was alright, but great if you like plenty of barbeque sauce and very forward barbeque flavor. Overall great bar food and great service from the server and staff/manager/owner. The menu is fairly small offering up to around fifteen appetizers and five burgers. Bathroom is clean, easily accessible, spacious enough, and smells fine. Customers and staff were friendly with one another, perhaps local regulars for drinks and dinner and snacks at a local joint? A bit loud when you first walk in. They also seem to have takeout going along. Menu seems to be seasonal and changing. Tldr; great swordfish blt!

We had a great visit here to Happy Jack's Burger Bar... It is new (est. 2018) and has a small menu which I like about a restaurant. You can make 100 things great, but you can make a few things incredible! I ordered The Big Shack, which comes with 2 beef patties, brisket, bacon, and melted cheese all on a pretzel bun with a pickle on top and fresh cut curly fries on the side. It was great!! My friend ordered The Happy Jack and asked for medium rare, but got well done. He also asked for bacon but it was not given. When we told the server, he immediately took it back and replaced it with a perfect medium rare burger with bacon and cheese. Even though there was a mistake, it was handled beautifully and the server was very acknowledging and attentive. If you're in Rockaway, this place is a must!

5 stars for the food. 2 stars for the clown of a manager or owner they have. Ever been to a place to have a good time, have some drinks accompanied by some slamming food and then there's a big idiot screaming at you to lower your voice??!!! Lmao I thought it was a bar not a library you big buffoon. Eh the employees are fairly young so they don't know how to really accommodate tables but everyone has a starting point right. The cooks are all awesome. Great crew back there. But the manager is a big D head.

Great atmosphere and food. Can't ask for better. The staff is super friendly and tentative. The happy Jack burger is the best. Can't wait til my next visit

All of my food was awesome! OMG! Awesome!!! The people were super friendly and fast! This is a neighborhood jewel! You can watch the game and get some non pretentious conversation... super cool! I thought I'd feel out of place as a woman of color. I loved it!

I randomly stopped here after work on a Wednesday night. Everything exceeded my expectations --- the friendliness of the staff, from the drinks, the normal down to earth customers, and of course the French onion soup I'll be back next week ! Thank you for a stellar experience :)

Great little place. Really cozy, friendly service and amazing burgers. Loved sitting in the little booth. comfortable and welcome with kids too.

Another very happy night for the Kelly's at HappyJacks. I am so thrilled that it is right around the corner and has developed into one very good burger place. I have tried a Few new items this year and have been very pleased. Love the lobster bisque and the crabby patty has become one of my favorites. Of course for me the HappyJacks burger is my main go to and I have been getting my black and blue cooked to perfection. The staff Annie Alice zoey and all the others have always been the best . It is a small tasteful and extremely delightful place to eat.

Great take out burger spot, with plenty of options. Didn't love the pretzel sticks, and they forgot to pack our dessert, but they were super friendly and everything else was very good. I'll be coming back here for sure

Awesome addition to Rockaway!! Had the pretzel and chicken waffle pops for apps and both were heavenly. The chicken waffle had a slight hint of spice paired with the syrup was amazing. The smokin burger was divine. Just the right amount of sweet heat and so juicy. Almost Forgot to mention that the service was on point!

Great service. Why would a restaurant locate the restroom right in the middle of the dining room, separating it with a sliding door that doesn't close all the way? I'd hate to be there on football nights with the wing and beer specials. Third time eating there and they still didn't get the French fries right. You can't re- fry thin fries! It took a few hours to get rid of the awful taste of the perfume tasting pickles. What's the deal with that?

Food was incredible. Best burger I've ever had. Service was great as well. Prices are spot on, went there with the whole family, enjoyed everything from the staff to the ambiance, would highly recommend !

What a gorgeous little spot this is. I love the decor. Came in a day after the place officially opened. It was semi packed on a Friday afternoon and the only thing available were these tall tables with stools. I have two small children and was worried they might fall off the entire time. They only have one booth seating for those with small children (not sure if they have high chairs fyi.) We checked out their menu which had a good selection. I settled on a personal pizza for the kiddos, a Cubano for me and my hubby had a burger. You can add a lot of toppings which is cool. He got his with sauteed onions and mushrooms. Both entrees come with fries. The pizza was pretty big and tasty. It had some fresh basil which I love. My cubano was okay. It wasn't an authentic one since an original has ham and mustard. This had bacon and no mustard. The pork wasn't seasoned so basically it was just okay for me. It wasn't bad, but I won't get it again. Now, for the burger....IT WAS Sooo good. Very fresh, tasty and huge! I would order this next time I go. My husband loved it. The fries that came with our order were fresh curly fries with the skin. So yummy! The downside is they only take cash, but maybe they'll changed that soon. Also, I wish customers would leave the bathroom door closed which was an issue with a lot of patrons the day I was there. The bathroom decor was really nice though. Whoever was in charge of the interior design...contact me.

Came here for the food and was greeted by 5 drunk animals at the bar - cursing using words adults would blush at much less my children whom were with me. Not a manager said a word - the girl bartender was laughing along with the savages and continued to serve them. Is she not aware it is illegal to continue to serve alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person? Is there a manager in the place? Does the owner not care what's going on? The cursing went into loud slapping of the bar in which every patron was visibly agitated by. I understand people get drunk but are you a restaurant or a saloon? Make up your mind because places like this where you have to worry about your family is not going to last long.. word to the wise whoever owns this dump - keep an eye on your business before you watch it disappear trying to satisfy local trash. Oh yeah before I forget food was good right up until the moment I couldn't enjoy it...

Third time here first time great second and third time terrible,asked for a burger medium to rare on both second and third visits what i got was way over well done.third visit sent it back and took replacement to go.got home still overdone not so happy with jack so won't be back.sad that rockaway residents have second class places like this.

Love this place amazing food amazing new spot to eat. Ignore the reviews from people who bring kids to a bar/restaurant and then leave reviews about another customer. People love to use yelp as a weapon as opposed to a tool. Don't take my word for it look at their review history of mostly negative experiences....but everyone one is always the problem. The food is great The staff is nice The location is meh with construction across the street But it is what it. I won't be leaving a entitled negative review because of it however.