What to expect @ Jackson's On George

By Shauna O'Carroll

Jacksons on George is like no other bar in the CBD, with televised sporting games, dancing, the best DJs in Sydney and the beer hall of fame! With five bars spread across four levels there is definitely something for everyone here that keeps this place still pumping in the early hours of the morning. And you definitely can't say no to the free cover charge!

Jacksons caters to a variety of people, including sports fans, business folk and those wanting to have a big night out filled with drinks and dancing. Perfect for stopping by after work, Jacksons has happy hour from 5 - 7pm where you can get some cheap beers and spirits. Drink prices have increased at Jacksons over the year, if you don't want to spend too much this is probably not the best place to start your night out.

The basement level of Jacksons, 'Bottom of the Harbour Bar', is where I first entered at 2am on my visit to this place and found sporting games being televised from all over the world. This level also featured TAB, Keno and Poker machines at every turn. Needless to say my male counterparts were in heaven! This level is lively at any time of the night and is great for the boys when they are not in the mood for dancing with their ladies.

The next level up, 'George Street Bar', has the famous beer hall of fame, which you can join to try 101 beers from all around the world. Luckily there is no time frame to try and drink all these beers! This is my favourite level; it is not uncommon to find the bar full of people having a sing-along to 'American Pie' and other famous oldie hits at 3am with steins of beer. This level also has Jacksons Pool Bar, with a fun video jukebox and pool tables.

The dance level, known as 'Luna Lounge', has the best house, hip hop, old school and RnB music on Friday and Saturday nights. The bar has seating booths surrounding the dance floor to collapse into when you dance yourself out. This level can get extremely hot and packed, so make sure you are with a group so you don't get lost! This level can also get extremely busy, so you may be waiting quite a long time for a drink. The upper level of Jacksons is Bar CQ, and is where you can get food at any time of the day. With great food served for breakfast, lunch and dinner at reasonable prices, you will definitely find something to enjoy from Jacksons modern Australian menu.

Jacksons on George is a fun and vibrant place that is great to visit anytime of the week. With something for everyone this place will keep you entertained all hours of the day and night.

Review posted 30/10/2011

A 2nd look @ Jackson's On George

By Benny Lee

Like a heavyweight boxing champion Jacksons on George needs no introduction, you just get the stats: 5 bars, 4 levels, and no cover charge. Jacksons is really like no other bar around Sydney with each of its four levels catering for a different audience.

Making our way up from the basement we start off with 'Bottom of the Harbour Bar'. While the phrase "sleeping with the fishes" springs to mind, this bar is anything but dead. Thanks to poker machines, TAB terminals, and Keno accompanied by televised games of nearly every imaginable sport, this sports bar can get quite lively. This level is also home to the laneway entrance where patrons enter Jacksons in the early hours of the morning.

Upstairs on the ground floor we have 'Bar CQ' serving up food most of the day, ranging from burgers and chips to seafood platters and fillet mignon and other modern Australian cuisine. While this may be great for lunch during office hours or even dinner the real fun is at the second bar on this level. 'George Street Bar' is home to 101 beers: you'll find exotic beers from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Brazil as well as VB. The decor emulates an older New York style bar; perhaps intentionally confusing the crowds of tourists after they attempt to join Jacksons Beer Hall of Fame (by drinking all 101 beers... fortunately there isn't a time limit).

There is a resident DJ at Jacksons, who resides on the first floor in the 'Luna Lounge'. Don't be fooled by the name; this level may appear to be a lounge but instead of smooth jazz playing you'll have the DJ pumping out a wide variety of music ranging from house to funk, as well as RnB, but whatever is playing is guaranteed to be loud. For those who are seeking a quieter atmosphere the 'Pool Bar' upstairs would be your port of call. Featuring more lounge seating, pool tables and a smoking deck that overlooks the Rocks, the top floor is in my opinion the better lounge option.

The crowd at Jacksons varies every time I visit but like most bars you'll find the office workers hanging around after work before the party crowd comes in later during the night. The only difference is that you'll occasionally find the sports fans here as well. Jacksons is home to a more mature crowd and you'll hear quite a few English and Irish accents on any given weekend.

Returning to my analogy of the heavyweight boxing champion, Jacksons is a winner but doesn't pull a crowd like it used to. The last few times I've visited Jacksons has been quieter than what I remember and there are a few reasons for this. Drinks aren't cheap here; $12 Jagerbombs are advertised as a special, their jugs of Long Island Iced Tea (and other cocktails) used to be $10 but now this is a happy hour price (from 5-7) and they are normally $17. Games of pool used to be $1 and now are $3. The little things that made Jacksons a special place are slowly changing. That being said, my memories of fun times here far outweigh the bad ones.