Jack's BBQ & Steakhouse — Restaurant in Algona

My wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary at Jacks BBQ, and I’m so glad we chose good BBQ over fancy, overpriced “specialties.” From the moment we walked in on a Tuesday evening around 5pm, the restaurant had a warm, lively feel. The dining room was comfortably busy, and the bar had a great crowd.

Service & Atmosphere: The service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and quick without feeling rushed. Our food came out hot and fresh, and our server went above and beyond when explaining the menu (especially the sides). The casual, welcoming atmosphere fit perfectly for the kind of relaxed celebration we wanted.

Food Experience:

We started with the Frito Pie—a dish I had never tried before. Fritos topped with Jack’s no-bean beef chili, sour cream, onions, and cheddar. It was outstanding and something I will definitely order again.

My wife had the brisket sandwich, which was tender, smoky, and practically melted in your mouth. Her side of queso mac & cheese was rich, creamy, and the definition of comfort food. She also tried the sweet corn pudding—our server described it so well that we had to order it, and it lived up to the hype. A wonderful balance of sweet and savory, almost like a cross between stuffing and cornbread.

I went with the Tuesday special: smoked prime rib dip. It was huge, piled with tender beef, grilled onions, and a special sauce, served with au jus. Honestly, one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a long time (though I barely finished it after devouring most of the Frito Pie). My side of mustard-based potato salad was generous, creamy, and flavorful.

Overall Impression: Jacks BBQ gave us not only a memorable meal but also a memory we’ll always tie to our 30th anniversary. The food was hearty, flavorful, and comforting, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was fun and inviting. This isn’t just a BBQ joint—it’s a place to make lasting memories.

Final Verdict: Highly recommended whether you’re celebrating something special or just craving excellent BBQ. Thank you, Jack and team, for helping make our anniversary dinner one we’ll...

The outside and location makes you think "ummmmm maybe not," but it is surprisingly awesome inside. It's clean and well taken care of. All wood. It's rather expensive but worth the price, I think. We went for lunch. I got the 2 meat plate (pork ribs and brisket burnt ends. 2 sides were "mustard" potato salad and collard greens. My husband also got the 2 meat plate (ribs, sliced brisket, "Texas caviar", and collard greens). We got the fried pickled jar as an appetizer (fried pickles, okra, and jalapeños topped with an aioli sauce and cheery tomatoes) and ordered some hushpuppies to go. The "mustard potatosalad" is NOT mustard based. I'm from Texas, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that it is not mustard potatosalad. The meat is amazing, but I feel like it was too much peppercorn dry rub. It was fully covered and had a taste of beef jerky on the outside. The ribs and brisket had the exact same rub, so it was A LOT to try to eat. It overpowered the taste of the meat. Their meat is dry rub, but they have sauce at the table. It would be awesome to have different flavored dry rubs or an option for light seasoning. Their sweet tea is on point! Our waitress (WHO WE LOVED!) explained that they made their own sweetener in-house by smoking sugar until it made a type of molasses, and then they mixed it with the tea. It's not too sweet and not too strong. The collard greens were amazing and had bacon and great seasoning. They weren't mushy or undercooked. Their "Texas caviar" is beans, corn, onions.... and was served cold. I am not a fan of cold beans. It is described as blackeyed peas, but they didn't look like blackeyed peas to me. My husband said it grew on him. The hushpuppies were crispy on the outside and soft inside. They were good. Not fluffy but thick and soft. The bathrooms are super clean and smelled like lemon cleaner, so you know it is kept clean. It is so...

Just okay.

I’ve been craving BBQ for months, and today was finally the day. I swung by Jack’s for a takeout lunch and tried a few things: The Texas Trinity with mac & cheese and Texas chili, buttermilk hush puppies, and pecan pie.

Mac & Cheese: This was easily my favorite part of the meal. Creamy, cheesy, and the noodles were perfectly al dente. The little bits of jalapeño added a nice kick without overpowering it.

Texas Chili: Disappointing. It tasted like salty, soupy meat and it was missing the cheese, onion, and sour cream that were supposed to come with it. Maybe it would’ve been better with those toppings, but as served, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Hush Puppies: Pretty bland. Mostly just tasted like cornmeal and salt. I usually like hush puppies with more herb flavor. Their tartar sauce was excellent though and helped boost the flavor a bit when dipped.

Hot Link: Smoky, juicy, with a nice chew and a little heat. Definitely recommend.

Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage: Very similar to the hot link. Smoky, juicy, cheesy, with a good bite and a bit of a kick. Another strong recommendation.

Brisket: I was hoping for more. Good flavor, but the texture wasn’t there. It wasn’t pull-apart tender, more chewy and semi-tough. It also lacked the deep smokiness I expect from great brisket.

Ribs: Same story as the brisket. A little tough, but I didn’t mind the chew as much. Flavor was good, but again, could’ve used more smoke.

Pecan Pie: Small portion, but really good. Flaky, buttery crust with a rich nutty, caramelized filling.

Hot BBQ Sauce: Mild heat (maybe 2 out of 5 stars), smoky and sweet.

Regular BBQ Sauce: Smoky, tangy, and sweet, a good balance.

Overall, Jack’s BBQ is just okay. I’ve had much better elsewhere. I might come back to try some of their other dishes like the steaks or the chicken fried New York, but as far as BBQ goes, it didn’t quite hit the...