A Mighty Fine Tribute to an Old Friend, Bill Jackson
Bill Jackson was an 18 year veteran chef of Great American Restaurants (GAR) chain. You probably know and frequent most of their restaurants including Coastal Flats, Sweetwater. Sadly, Bill passed suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease and passed away in March of 2008. Ever grateful, GAR named their new location after his last name, Jackson’s.

When you enter the restaurant, you notice Bill’s likeness blended into most of the mural paintings. Menu includes old familiar dishes like crab cakes and chocolate waffles. New items like steak frites and sushi rolls show the owners appetite for risk taking with this new establishment. If you are inclined to order a sushi roll, the menu warns you “We are new at this, be patient with us. You'll get it when you get it." Casualness of the menu is reflected in the diner like (fancier than a regular one) environment and the 2 bars that can hold up to 250 patrons.

When we visited the restaurant, it was a busy Saturday afternoon. At 11:45AM we called ahead and the helpful hostess agreed to put our name on the list so we could be seated faster with our young kids. Got in at 12PM and we were seated immediately. Our friendly waitress came to our table immediately and brought us warm sweet round bread that can fill you up very easily if you are not careful. But then again you can always stretch your stomach a little more. We started off with a Two Cool Dips which is served in 2 separate and perfectly rounded piles of red roasted pepper queso dip and guacamole next to a bed of warm tortilla chips. Our 2 year old daughter did not waste any time digging into the guacamole mix while staying clear of the other one. We enjoyed the pepper queso dip that has thick consistency that reminded us of the tomato, red pepper and feta cheese dips that our moms used to make in the Aegean costal area of Turkey. We also ordered a Rustic Cream of Mushroom for our daughter who did not like its’ dark brown color, but we did and ate it just fine. It had nice size mushrooms floating in it and we would recommend it to any adult.
For our entrees we ordered a Cheeseburger for our 7 year old son from the kids menu. Nothing to write home about except for the fact that he ate it. My wife ordered the Steak Frites which is a hickory grilled hanger steak in red wine sauce and served with hand cut fries. If you don’t want to drive to Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles in DC, this is as good as it gets in the suburbs. Perfectly cooked with crusty outside, juicy and tender inside. And it is $2 cheaper than Les Halles’ price. I travel to Boston very frequently to visit some of my Capital Markets customers from the mutual fund world. And without an exception, I stop by Quincy Market which is across from the historic Faneuil Hall. I go to eat a Lobster Roll Salad at Boston and Maine Fish Company. And let me tell you Jackson’s Lobster Roll is by far better than anything that I had in Boston. First of all it is packed with the meat of a 1.25 pound lobster and very few celery pieces in the salad. It is served on a grilled roll with a creamy Cole Slaw that perfectly accompanies the sandwich. And on the side you still get Virginia’s best roasted corn on the cob. When you bite into the corn, juices flow and you smell and taste the charcoal’s smoky flavor. I have had one like this since I came to the US of A in 1987. Take my word and try it while it lasts. For desert, as a family we shared the White Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream. I am not a big fan of Bread Puddings, but the rest of the family loves it and this one was no exception. Jackson’s is great family restaurant that you must visit with your family.

Jackson's Mighty Fine Food & Lucky Lounge
11927 Democracy Drive
Reston Town Center
Phone: 703.437.0800

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