Passing through Old Chatham while in the area for a wedding, we decided to go exploring. Upon arriving in the tiny super historic town square of Old Chatham, we were drawn to Jackson's.
For being outsiders, we felt very welcomed. The place is very darkly lit, with rustic features and shotguns hanging above the bar.
The menu is simple and predictable pub food. I was recommended the Jackson's burger which was hardy and quite filling. The fries were a bit over cooked, but the cheese sticks my wife and I shared were enjoyable.
By all means, the food was not mind-blowing, but the atmosphere and friendly down home service made it an enjoyable experience. If we were in town longer, I would love to grab a few beers with the locals.
Delicious New York sirloin steak with grilled mushrooms and onions... homemade blue cheese dressing for the salad. This place is warm and close, the way I like it, with wood floors and a brick fireplace. Candles on the tables. There is a warm basket of bread served with butter for the table.
Review Source:It's surprisingly good and cozy.
They've updated the menu a bit to include entrees a little less dated than Salisbury steak and meatloaf. They have a significant variety of burgers and appetizers and selection of main dishes from meats to pasta. I had the catfish special tonight and it was very good. The service is good and the two wood stoves keep it warm.
They have a room for rent in the back that was hosting a biker social event when we were there. They also have a nice, big bar.
What a find!
Took a lazy Saturday ride and stopped at Jackson's to meet up with some friends -- what a place! Â I love old hunting lodges/cabins and this place fit the bill. Â Fantastic service at the bar with a delicious scotch ale on tap. Â Had the shrimp cocktail and a very well prepared steak with frites (they called them french fries but there were perfect bistro frites). Â The duck with a cider sauce was calling my name -- next time!
Not sure why this place has such mediocre reviews. Went for dinner on Feb 12 and had a wonderful experience. My bf had Prime Rib which was thick, cooked as requested and tasted good. I had Filet Oscar, also excellent. Appetizers were very good, hollandaise sauce's were excellent (!) and the bread and butter (local VT Cabot butter) were to die for. Chef Joe Scott though looking quite young, presented his creations very well. Portions were large so bear that in mind. Live background music (Stevie plays every Saturday night) was so nice and relaxing. He puts a great spin on many of your old favorites. The ambiance was totally relaxing, warm (wood and gas stoves going) and service was "good" for a busy Saturday before Valentines Day. Parking is tight, they take reservations and we got in easily with 45 minutes notice. Bar side attire is casual, dinner side seemed a little above casual.
Review Source:"It could be a lot worse" is one way to back hand a compliment. to this local mainstay. Â Increasingly the banquet hall places a burden on the dining room, not only in the time it takes to get your food, but in the noise from the adjacent party-goings on. Â Why Jacksons cannot engineer better sound proofing from the banquet hall is a puzzler. Â Perhaps it is because that is where the profit is compared to the dining room. Â To sum up: if you are looking for a quiet, romantic dinner for two, go elsewhere!
The duck remains a standout two plus years since my original review.
This place has great potential in terms of ambiance and location. Â There are some charming old details around the bar but go into the dining room and there's a good deal that's kind of funky, including an old carpet floor and a smelly bathroom.
The waiter was sweet and well-intentioned. Â However, they were out of much of what we wanted to order. Â The meal started out with mediocre bread and worse than mediocre salads - cold and doused with institutional tasting dressings. Â The stuffed mushroom appetizer was swimming in oil and had tasteless crab meat. Â Entrees proved much better. Â Duck was crispy and good even if the cider sauce was too sweet. Â Linguine with clam sauce received good reviews. Â Ravioli with scallops was praised. Â However, bed of spinach was swimming in vegetable oil. Â (If your spinach is to swim, let it swim in olive oil.) Â Garlic would also have helped.
I'm not sure I would call this country-western as that always invokes images of rodeos and yeehaws. I would however say that it looks like it could easily be in the pages of Country Living magazine. I ate in the tavern, which was beautiful - great exposed dark wood beams with tasteful antique-y decorations that weren't at all overkill.
My dirty vodka martini was delicious - the jumbo olives were perfect. My boy's spicy horseradish margarita was pretty delicious too. I wasn't that hungry so I just got a salad from the apps menu - the quintessential beet-candied walnut-mesclun salad topped with a delicious marinade ( I opted against the gorgonzola for allergy reasons.) Â
The rest of the meals - my boy's chicken pot pie, the friends' sandwiches were also decent, but not fabulous. The homemade soft potato chips with dill dip were, however, absolutely fabulous. I could eat basket after basket of them (and I'm not even a big chip and dip fan usually.)
Service was tight and efficient, although a little less friendly than it could have been. They weren't rude, just sort of cold and efficient. It fit the place though.
I'd go back, but I don't think I'd make a special trip to Chatham just for the restaurant. If I was headed to the area for something else though, I'd definitely come here again.