What happened ? We haven’t been there in s couple years but…… our dinner for 4 on 7/13/22 was definitely NOT what we expected. The oysters Rockefeller were terrible, I wasn’t aware you could harvest oysters so small. The oyster itself was discernible from the topping…… I’ve ordered this same dish in past visits and this time it wasn’t even close to what anyone would have expected, My entree was 4 scallops with a couple tablespoons of a tasty corn relish….. averaged out to $13 s scallop. My wife ordered the tenderloin which was a very small portion for the price and was cooked perfectly, the plate was to come with mashed potato something, which ended up being a teaspoon or so of potato purée placed on the plate then smeared across….we had to ask the waiter if they had forgotten the potato. Overall very disappointed ? especially for the cost $420 before tip…….
We were straving after skiing, and stopped on the way home at what seems to be an amazing spot based on the reviews. The place looks amazing even though the design is dated (maybe on purpose). I expected a "vanilla" American Steak House without any frills. So....took forever for the oysters to come out, and there was only ONE kind you could have (Oyster House?). They were good, but from there it was downhill. Salads that seen better days, Crab cakes that had a freezer after taste, Tomato soup that had so much cream in it that it turned bright orange. Seafood soup was ok if it was at Red Lobster (which is ok as I said). Stuffed Lobster looked like it came from TGIF, and was sitting under lamps so long it dried up. Steak was ordered medium, and was correct temprature, but with an awful reduction on top. After scraping it off, we had to chainsaw the thing to get it cut. Service was slow but great, I'll give them that. 2 hours later Mickey-D saved the day. Not exaggerating...we were really hungry. Guys at "Jacks", you remember us becasue the plates came back almst full. We were in a hurry to leave and did not want to make a big deal out of this, but for the price point..you need to overhaul something there.
I stopped by this restaurant for dinner one night while I was staying in Albany. I could clearly see why this place has been around for over 100 years. The food and drinks were absolutely devine. The soup and Delmonico steak I ordered was bursting with flavor and they can surely whip up a fantastic cocktail. My server Scout was so sweet, friendly and attentive. The overall appearance of the restaurant is very elegant. I highly recommend checking this place out. I will definitely stop by again the next time I am in the area.
So I almost hate to do this ..I have literally eaten at almost every restaurant in Albany proper from the Clinton avenue exit to lark and up Madison and back…After several weeks of travel here I saved Jacks for a weekend with my wife ..This actually replaced a well known Mexican restaurant for the worst experience..it overtook last placeLet me just say Albany has a great restaurant scene ..I reside in Chicago and have literally traveled the worldFrom the pubs up here near Clinton to the stadium to lark street and down ..the restaurants here are simply incredible ..Italian Mexican eclectic seafood vegan ..I’m not vegan but the vegan scene is amazing ..put simply this city has some of the best restaurants around bar none ..Jacks sadly is not one ..the menu was extremely limited literally 5 entrees to choose from 2 or 3 were steaks ..we had sea bass and mussels and salads ..and a bottle of wine ..The place was empty ..the service was rushed ..the portions were puny which I don’t care if the food is excellent .it was mediocre ..the salads were uninspiring ..they tried to overcharge us for the wine, we brought it to their attention and they corrected but it was embarrassing but my wife insisted ..It was very expensive which I knew but ..at any price ..I’m sorry but don’t embarrass yourself by taking anyone here ..it’s disappointing ..we even tried for desert but wanted to have it at the bar which was “closed”Skip this at all costs ..don’t buy into it’s the oldest restaurant ..i only regret that I wasted a night with my wife on this ..so many better choices and we enjoyed 2 great nights and 2 great brunches before this utter disappointmentLive and learn I guess
Steak was tough and chewy, lobster tail smallest I have ever seen. Both cost $89.00! Clam chowder not worth $15.00, had better from a can. Only good things were the wine and oysters. Was very disappointed as we chose the place over 677 Prime.
Jacks is the spot! Old world classy, from the servers suits to the rest of the restaurants decor, you can tell this has been an important spot for over a century. We found the service to be great and the food was wonderful. We had a bit of everything and it was all amazing. I’d highly recommend coming here for dinner if you’re in town, I certainly plan to be back again soon.
I have eaten at Jack’s every time I’ve been in Albany during that last twenty years. My last visit was in October 2021, and the new menu approach was underway. Two of us were expecting the traditional fare, and were sorely disappointed but the offerings. At 6:30, they already were out of scallops, and the place was about 1/4 full. We both ordered some mushroom smothered in tomato sauce. It was not good and difficult to choke down. The dessert was some pathetic petit-four thing with a few tiny pieces of pastry. While the server was friendly, we left very disappointed. In reading the reviews, it seems some people ate at the Jack’s that I ate at in October, and others ate at some wonderful place that wasn’t there the night I was! I can’t decide whether to return next visit to Albany or not. The menu change is very sad!
What a lovely restaurant, delicious food and an excellent wait staff. I loved my meal. I had the monkfish, and it was cooked to perfection, light and glistening over baby leaf spinach and celery root with a light cream sauce. Yum!
Amazing.... five ? ? ? ? ?Oysters were delightful, the Filet Mignon was to die for! Wine list offered something for everyone. The waitress we had was pleasant and professional. Offered her assistance in anyway she could.
Excellent food and best service I received in a long time. An Albany institution that made me feel special in the crowd of guests. Sure, it’s expensive and so I can only justify it for special occasions. It’s worth it to me and it was a better experience than Black & Blue further up on Western Ave.