Jackie's Place - North — Restaurant in San Jose

Yeah, another legit find.

This place was excellent and somewhat surprising at how good it was. You can either sit at the table and scan the qr code to order or place your order at the front and they will deliver it to your table.

The brisket platter is what I ordered. Brisket was super smokey and tender, but unfortunately lacked any kind of seasoning. Had to ask for salt and pepper because there was none at the table and none of the 4 women (who appeared to be owner/ management) would not come and ask how we were doing. Instead they walked around aimlessly and had conversations amongst themselves the whole time. Had to flag down the bus boy to help us and then after he never came back we walked to the bar and asked for some there. A pork rib was added to my plate, and it was really good. Again super smokey flavored with not a lot of seasoning. All about the meat on this one. Wish I would have ordered the pork rib plate, maybe I would have got a few more ribs. The saltiness from the pork allows you to get away with minimal seasoning on pork ribs.

Bbq sauce was unexpectedly excellent! And again very smokey with a very, very slight hint of vinegar. I don't care for vinegar based bbq sauces, but this was really good!

Chicken was good, I wasn't blown away but it was good. I thought the fish was better and the batter that they use on the fish was salted nicely.

The sides were really good. Mac and cheese was fluffy and the cheese flavor really comes through. The gravy and rice were simple but I really enjoyed it, had almost a cauliflower/mashed potatoe texture vibe to it. The red beans were good and not a bbq bean like we thought, really good. Your plate comes with a piece of corn bread which I thought was dry at first, but as you keep chewing realize that it is almost cake like. Nicely done!

The highlight for me was the cherry grape kool-aid. It's just absolutely amazing. I wanted to drink 5 glasses! It's a perfect combo, tons of sugar, and so damn good! Perfect combo of flavors. They have a nice selection of creative drinks that look really good. Will have to try those on future trips.

They have a selection of pies that looked amazing, and I'll definitely try to get back there to try them. A table next to us both ordered the chicken sandwhich, and it definitely looked the part! Massive and passes the eye test. We both looked at each other and down at our plates and had that moment where you wish you had ordered that...

First of all, full disclosure. Jackie is a Friend of mines. Over the years I have written multiple reviews, but never here. That notwithstanding. I will give you the truth from someone who considers themselves a food critic.

First of all, the food. My go to meal here is, Jackie's' smothered chicken. It is to die for. The chicken is crispy and moist inside with that home made gravy, seasoned to perfection. That along with the rice and gravy is a perfect meal. I usually have their greens, not overcooked, cooked to perfection along with the candied yams, excellent flavor, could have more body in the yams, black eyed peas, just like Mama cooked them, flavorful and tasty. That is my go to meal at Jackie's. Lets talk about the other dishes there. The Gumbo is world class in flavor, and has plenty of items in it, from shrimp, to sausage to chicken. It is truly packed. definitely worth the money. Don't sleep on the Fried Chicken. The Fried Chicken are giant chicken wings very, crispy tasty and meaty. My Son, loves the ox tail dinner. He usually pairs it off with Mac and Cheese, which he loves, and green beans and blackeyed peas. All excellent choices. the one thing that makes Jackie's so special is that many Soul food restaurants over salt or over season their food. Jackie has found the secret to cooking for many and maintaining the perfect balance. Perfect seasoning, perfect cooking, and excellent timing and service. The food comes hot to your table in a timely fashion. When food is this good, that's simply a huge plus. The slide off the bone pork ribs are everyone's favorite, smoked to perfection. And the fried catfish, though not my favorite, everyone raves over them. Crispy catfish and moist and flaky inside is how they describe them. . What do I know? lol.

Honestly, I have always had great meals and excellent service at Jackie's over the years and am honored to write this review. My Family and Friends swear by this wonderful community institution. One other thing, the place is immaculate and clean all day. And you better get there early because parking could be a challenge although I always...

Food: Delicious soul food that reminds me of home. For me: Greens (8/10), catfish sandwich (10/10), oxtails, ribs, brisket (8/10 small portion), chicken n waffles (10/10 ask for ext syrup), gumbo (7/10), French fries (9/10 when fresh. Like, how is a fry so good?). Potato salad (10.5/10 better than Mom's, but don't tell her 😩)

Deserts. For me: they have banana pudding 😭💗(10,/10!), I didn't like the peach cobbler (thick crust, little flavor), or the pound cake (dry not buttery).

Parking: You won't have to fight for your life to park. Lot is right behind the building. To get to the extra parking, drive past the restaurant, make an immediate right, right again on 2nd st, and park on the residential street behind the restaurant. There's a Jackie's Place mural on a concrete wall with a walk thru, which will take you right back into the back lot.

Wait: wait times are short, esp if your party is small and it's not Saturday during rush (lunch-dinner). Even then, I've only had to wait once, and that was for about 2 mins before seating.

Pricing: on the high side. We easily spend around $80 every trip. Tip included.

Service: You order via QR code then pay right away, then your food comes out. They have menus as well, but the QR code is heavily encouraged. Little interaction with servers or staff. Younger staff are upbeat. You serve yourself with water, utensils, napkins at the little stations around the tables. (Honestly this does make tipping feel a little weird...)

Cons: they charge for sauces, which come in tiny handy little takeout containers, but the QR code order app at the table limits you to only one little choice of sauce. I think if you ask for another they may give you a couple extra, because of this. That way you can try a few others. Honestly, some of these they should sell in bigger containers like chikfila has at the grocery store. Id buy!!

Pros & extras: I guess they have live music some nights, and there's a bar for cocktails. I haven't been but sounds so fun. They also host fun community events! Also Parking!!!!

Overall: (9/10 recommend) "Y'all better come up here and get...