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Slow-cooked smoked brisket with fried okra and collard greens (Photo by Beth Furgurson)
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Bo's Copacetic Cocktail (Photo by Beth Furgurson)
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Smokehouse fries (Photo by Beth Furgurson)
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The beer garden (Photo by Beth Furgurson)
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Smoked chicken with mac and cheese and sauteed summer squash (Photo by Beth Furgurson)
Historic Jackson Ward has long been a thriving business community. That history, encapsulated in the oft-repeated phrases the Harlem of the South and America's Black Wall Street, is still very much in evidence, but the recent wave of gentrification has undeniably changed the character of the neighborhood. Nowadays, to go out for a drink or a meal is to watch a community in transition as Japanese and Korean restaurants, cocktail bars, and farm-to-table bistros have joined soul-food kitchens.
The newest restaurant in the mix belongs to Cynthia Matthews, who has revived the old Croaker’s Spot space, at Second and Leigh streets, as Jackson’s Beer Garden & Smokehouse. Matthews has done away with the fish boats and po’boys, looking to recreate that long-ago backyard feel, where gardens behind the row houses connected and there was a smokehouse on every block.
The first-time restaurateur has worked hard to nail the homey atmospherics — the space has a warm, inviting feel with an outdoor whiskey and beer garden nestled out back, the smell of smoked meat fills the air, and service is attentive and friendly.
The menu packs few surprises, but when it comes to barbecue, that’s not really a bad thing; in fact, it usually means the focus is where it ought to be: on the fire, the smoke, the meat.
Unfortunately, there’s often more care in the dining room than in the kitchen.
Take the pork rinds, which proved an inauspicious start to my first meal at Jackson’s. Tossed in a sweet and spicy jalapeno honey, their texture was reminiscent of a piece of chewed gum. I had better luck with the chicken wings. Served room temperature rather than hot, they were nevertheless tender within, crisp on the outside and smoky throughout. Better still: a dish called “smokehouse fries” — spiral-cut potatoes, onions, smoked cheese, jalapeno and chili topped with pulled barbecue. This smoky, meaty, cheesy starter could be a meal on its own.
The brisket, advertised as slow-smoked for 14 hours, arrived tough, dry and inconsistently sliced, with no dark layer of bark or smoke ring. The quarter chicken looked promising on arrival, seemingly crisp and well-spiced — but, like the wings, was served lukewarm. The inattention to detail continued with the sides: overcooked mac and cheese, bland corn on the cob, unseasoned fried okra. The notable exception was the collards, which were as tender as they were juicy.
Burnt ends — once the scraps saved for soups and stews, now glamorized staples sought out on many modern barbecue menus — suffered from a too-sweet Kansas City-style sauce, taking away from the pleasure of the ends themselves.
The best of the barbecue options was the ribs, which were worth coming back for, smoky, tender and meaty. Here again though, the kitchen neglected its sides: The baked beans were cold, and the pasta salad amounted to overcooked noodles swimming in a watery tomato sauce topped with shreds of cheddar cheese.
I would love to report that the desserts are a highlight of a meal at Jackson’s, but I can’t. The staff assured me that they are made fresh on the premises, but on neither of my two visits was there even one available to try.
You can end your night instead with a drink. There’s a solid beer list — 17 bottles and 18 taps with local, domestic and imported options. The wine list is small, but the cocktail list makes up for it. The best of the bunch: the Second Line, a refreshing mix of Southern Comfort, lime juice, orange and pineapple with a splash of grenadine.
Jackson’s is still very much a work in progress, and in the coming months the restaurant will open for lunch and offer outdoor seating. The neighborhood — buffeted by change and struggling to balance past and present — needs more casual, accessible restaurants like this. I very much hope that Jackson’s improves, and becomes the place residents crave — and need.
Jackson’s Beer Garden & Smokehouse
2 out of 4 forks
119 E. Leigh St.
804-447-8597
Hours: Monday to Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday: 11 a.m. to midnight
Prices: $5 to $25
