J's on Jackson
The Atmosphere:
J’s on Jackson is among Omaha's dining experiences that would be under the classification of elegant. It is located in the historic Old Market. When we arrived at 5:30, we were the first ones through the door. Kind of made us feel like senior citizens looking for an early-bird special. The dining area is spacious with good distance between the tables for ease of movement as well as private conversations. Now that is a real plus, considering how most restaurants are too packed. Black linen table clothes set the tone of the restaurant. There are two private dining rooms or sections which could be used by a group.
The Service: The srevier was attentative, but did not spend too much time trying to engage us in conversation-which is a good thing. The food was delivered timely, and the table cleaned promptly. The wait staff was friendly but not bothersome as the entire restaurant appeared to have only two servers on the Wednesday night we were there. Water glasses was refilled only once.
Beverages: We are a lucky group of diners as we hit “Wine Down Wednesday”. We had half priced bottles of numerous choices of high quality wines to decide upon. We made our selection of a Meiomi pinot noir and read the menu. Rick settled on a Porter on tap for his choice of beverage and was greatly pleased with the smooth taste and strong finish.
The Food: J’s is known for their hand cut steaks, with a choice of tenderloin filet, ribeye and Omaha strip (steaks range from $30 to $45 ) in a variety of portions and toppings (additional $5 to $10) for those wanting a center of the plate meal. The rest of the menu is a’ la’ carte pricing, They do have appetizers, limited soup and salads to choose from.
Patty chose a “Strong Burger” which was a well-cooked, well-seasoned beef burger topped with Granny Smith apples slices, red onion and bleu cheese. Patty used the one word of “Umami” to describe how the flavors blended together to make an explosion of flavor to the palate. Paired with unbelievably delicious sweet potato fries, Patty felt her meal was a solid choice. The waiter did not ask Patty how she wanted her burger cooked, and it appeared as medium well.
Sarah tried the Shredded Chicken Cuban sandwich. With well-seasoned shredded chicken, sliced ham and a thin slice of cheese on a tasty bun. Sharing bites with the guys, the guys enjoyed the additional slice of pickle to the sandwich while Sarah thought it would have been better without the pickle slice. The ends of the bun tended to be on the dry side where there wasn’t the gooey goodness of the meat and the cheese to soak into the bun. Sarah also had the delicious sweet potato fries, with a portion so large that it wasn’t able to be finished.
Rick and Jim both settled on the French dip which they thought the flavor of the meat was good but rather greasy tasting. The Au Jus was delicious and both were able to finish off their sandwiches and be content with the portion. Jim chose the garlic mashed potatoes which he described as “bland without any hint of garlic taste”. Rick was only 'satisfied' with the Steak House Fries as his side; not particularly crisp or hot, “average at best”.
Presentation of all the sandwiches was outstanding; diagonal cut of the fresh sandwich bread with artistic arrangement on the plate.
We wished: Their lunch menu appears to be more extensive with many choices that would have been great to have been able to choose from during our evening visit. The on-line menu is not in sync with their printed menu offerings. The printed menu could be improved on, clarifying what comes with your entrée and prices of the sides.
Summary: If you are interested in a steak, J’ on Jackson might be a good choice for you. The rest of the menu is rather limited, with only a few pasta dishes, one seafood choice and one pork choice. The sandwich menu is limited at dinner. The majority of diners appeared to be persons having a business meal on an expense account together.