Evan W.
Yelp
It's important to note that Jax is basically conjoined with Rocco's in Studio City. Previously, this space was Rocco's later-night, adjunct "speakeasy." Now, though it gives the appearance of a different business, Jax still serves the menu from Rocco's, so one presumes this higher tone, comfier space is but a spinoff. That said, there's nothing wrong with having a lounge-like alternative to the lower-down, sports bar vibe... and it is, indeed, a very comfortable place to relax and watch a game, with couches and pillows and an easy-going crowd that included puppies and babies.
But...
We had a server who seemed hopelessly like a deer caught in headlights. I'm generally pretty forgiving of waitstaff, as they work terribly hard for not enough money, and put up with a whole heck of a lot of unpleasant people. But ours truly seemed confused by every request (none of which were particularly complex), and she disappeared for long periods of time while other servers in our vicinity appeared far more attentive to their customers. In fact, one of the other servers brought drink refills to us at a point when our gal was MIA.
Okay, so we landed a dud of a server compared to others who were clearly doing much better by their tables. It happens. C'est la vie. But then there was the food. Like it's sister space, Rocco's, Jax, is primarily a pizza joint that also offers a small menu of traditional sports bar/college crowd things like wings and burgers, etc. We started with the Cauliflower Wings, which were pleasantly made and a perfectly enjoyable appetizer. The buffalo sauce was mildly spicy (I would have liked even more heat), and the Ranch dressing side was appropriately herbaceous and cooling. If not truly memorable, these veggie wings were satisfying in the moment. Then came the pizza... and, as my father would say on Thanksgiving drives when we hit traffic on the way to my cousins, the party was over.
Our pizza (1/2 cheese, 1/2 sausage & jalapeño) was disappointingly bland. Though we requested a "well-done pizza," the pie came conspicuously UNDER-done. And, though it ultimately did have a slightly crispier crust, this pizza was, overall, forgettable. Sauce, cheese and toppings all seemed middle of the road. Just a few weeks before, we had visited several of the city's top-rated Pizza Places, so this really paled by comparison. My Tip: If you're going to watch a game, eat somewhere else first and then pop into Jax for a comfortable landing zone with plenty of screens and some decently made cocktails. No dinner required.