Jacques Brasserie — Restaurant in New York

Last week, Hailey and I checked out Jacques Brasserie on the Upper East Side. The restaurant has a “Belgian Feast” special where for you get a pile of mussels, frites and a draft beer from Sunday through Thursday 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Any menu that has the word ‘feast’ in it is right up my alley – we of course took full advantage of this special.

Atmosphere

It’s been a long time since I visited France, but if I were to envision what a French restaurant looks like, Jacques Brasserie fits that stereotype. The restaurant has a small outdoor seating area and indoors is covered in dark wood and old French posters. There are lots of mirrors throughout the space to make it feel larger than it actually is (not that it’s particularly small to begin with). It may just be me in my old age (28 years old, yikes!) but the place gives off a somewhat old-timey feel.

Since we were there for mussels, I immediately jump to compare Jacques Brasserie to one of my favorite mussel places in New York City – BXL. Aside from the fact that one is French and the other is Belgian, I’d say BXL has a bigger bar atmosphere whereas Jacques Brasserie feels more like an actual restaurant. Take your pick for what you’re looking for.

Food

Let’s get feasting! The “Belgian Feast” special comes with a heaping pot of mussels, frites and a draft beer. On the menu, you have a choice of various flavors ranging from Marinieres (Chardonnay, garlic, parsley) to Provencale (tomato, garlic, basil) to Dijonnaise (mustard, shallots, garlic). Not wanting to get too crazy, Hailey and I decided on:

Marinieres: Chardonnay, garlic, parsley Poulette: Chive and cream

First things first, you get a nice basket of warm, fresh bread sliced from a baguette placed on your table. If you’re asking why this is important you should probably just stop reading. This is essential so you have something to dip in the sauce leftover from the mussels.

I’m a guy and I can put down a lot of food. Whenever I eat mussels I often have to down a lot of the little guys until I even feel remotely full. However, the mussels at Jacques Brasserie are nothing short of enormous. These are probably some of the largest mussels I’ve had in a long time and I surprisingly found myself pretty full after eating a bucket of them. In addition to the mussels, the frites were crispy and a nice golden brown color. They were coated in lots of salt which made them nearly addictive.

Service

The service at Jacques Brasserie was nothing short of great. Our waiter almost seemed enthusiastic to serve us, like I was doing him a favor. A side effect of eating mussels is lots of leftover shells. The staff eagerly shuttled discarded shells away so we were never left with anything resembling a Jenga-style pile of mussels waiting to tip over into our laps.

Value

For $22 you get a heaping bowl of mussels, frites and a draft beer. I challenge you to find a better deal with the same quality of food and atmosphere. Great value!

The Verdict

Jacques Brasserie has been a neighborhood staple on the Upper East Side more more than 20 years. I’m not sure how long they’ve been doing their “Belgian Feast,” but it’s one hell of a deal. The food was delicious, the service was superb and Hailey and I had a great experience. The only downside is the “Belgian Feast” only runs from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. so it can be a little tough to get there for those working a little later into the night. However, if you can skip out of work on time than head on up to the Upper East Side for a little taste of France. You won’t regret it.

*This meal was provided free, courtesy of...

A little tucked away from 3rd ave on 85th st is this nice French spot. The place is always full. It seems there are quite a few local patrons from this UES neighborhood. It is closer to 3rd than 2nd ave. I wish i knew about this place before. If you have no reservations, but prepared to wait a little. It is worth the wait.

The menu has some typical items on it, but with flavor. His meals come with really good flavor. I ordered the lambchops, med rare. By far one of the best lambchops i ever had. My friend ordered the entrecote med well. For me it was over cooked. It still had good flavoring to it. I had my friend try the lambchop and they were floored. Typically my friend does not eat lamb, nor eat med rare meats. My friend asked for more!!! Edgar was our waiter and he is very fast to respond. The manager of the restaurant is on constant response time for anything that happens. One of my friends spilled wine all over the table. The manager responded extremely fast, and with professional speed! The french fries were tasty, the bread is so fresh. The owner, the namesake of the restaurant, is such a welcoming host. He is amazing and it seems all the patrons know him and he responds with a huge smile. This is a place you want to go.

My only regret is that 8 had to leave earlier than i wanted. A 2 person band started playing and it looked like the place was just getting started to rock!!!

Updated: Sept 17 2020 This a truly a professionally run restaurant that caters to everyone. I will put a hybrid review since I came prior to pandemic shutdown and after when they have outdoor seating.

Prior to pandemic, many residents of the neighborhood come here. Why? The food is superb, the service is top notch, the decor is dim lighting and romantic. The last is the owner Jacques who comes over to your table with such a friendly welcome and smile. He really wants his patrons to have a good experience. It shows since this place is always full. Before pandemic, you could be listening to live jazz music on different days of the week. The bartender knows his drinks. The wait staff are efficient and professional. There is nothing else more to say about that.

What to eat? My favorites are escargot, frisee salad, foie gras, grilled shrimp and avocado, creme brulee and the wine selections. The wine selections are so good, you can drink until you are drunk, go home (in an Uber of course), and never feel a hangover! That shows the quality of wines Jacques has. I should mention they have lambchops that are delicious.

During pandemic and outdoor seating. Jacques adopted well. Not easy for any restaurateur in NYC. Plenty of tables on the sidewalk as well as the makeshift areas on the street. Difference is, you actually feel safe on the street and barely notice the cars driving thru because of how the barriers are placed and the vegetation he has placed for decor.

My friends were already seated prior to my arrival and I drove down 85th st and was able to say hi and that I will be looking for parking. The Maitre D heard, because Joe is so attentive to the customers, by the time I found a quick parking around the corner, Joe had already signaled the staff to have a chair there by the table prior to my arrival. Thats customer service!! Fernando was waiting on us and the items we ordered, arrived quickly.

I will end this review by saying, if you have not been to Jacques, you are truly missing a superb dining experience! We are...

This is it...me and my wife's favorite restaurant. We try and eat here at least once a year for a special occasion such as Valentines day or our anniversary and it never disappoints. Yesterday we went for our anniversary and the experience was nothing short of divine. The staff were attentive and accommodating and the vibes were almost magical as everyone laughed and just seemed to generally be in brighter spirits. For the appetizers we ordered the Onion soup (which was the best I've had in both the US and Paris), the escargot and the steak tartar (which was a life altering experience). We had several cocktails including the old fashioned, the license to chill (Absolutely perfect) and the garden martini (incredible). For the main course I had the steak fritz which was cooked to perfection and my beloved had the half chicken with spinach and mashed potatoes (unfairly good). Afterwards we ordered the chocolate mousse which was velvety smooth and rich in all the best ways and the staff brought us a coffee gelato and a couple of lemonchello shots for our anniversary.

From start to finish, this was the best meal either of us had ever had. We had difficulty talking about anything other than how good the food was for about 4 hours and were left extremely satisfied. Between the excellent staff, the wonderful pacing, the electric atmosphere and the heavenly food I wish I could rate this establishment more...