Jack’s Bistro

Went here for desserts with some friends and tried the durian crème brûlée and fried smores. I eat a lot of jackfruit and thought that the durian dessert would taste similar but I could not handle the taste or smell. We left it almost untouched. The fried smores dessert was much better. The presentation was great and the chocolate ice cream was tasty. The other chocolate component was too rich, however.

One of my favorite restaurants around Baltimore. Get the Guinness Braised Filet, it’s on special on Sundays.

Well, well, well. Finally had the chance to try Jack’s Bistro on a rainy Sunday dinnertime. I started off with Ziggy Stardust cocktail (rum, campari, pineapple, lime, velvet felarnum, orange tea, whole egg), which was a nice refreshing taste that I enjoyed. For appetizer, I had to try the chocolate mac and cheese since that’s what they are famous for, and it didn’t disappoint. Not too cheesy and not too chocolatey, which I really appreciated. Now for entrée, I got the duck cake which came with two duck cakes, mushroom, and linguine pasta in cream sauce. The duck cakes were mediocre, and the whole dish itself was too creamy for me that I couldn’t finish the whole thing. My overall experience at Jack’s Bistro was good but not phenomenal. I will return to Jack’s in the future to try their Beer-​braised Filet Mignon, but until then, Jack’s will be a 4-​star just because of their chocolate mac and cheese and cocktail.

I was very excited to eat there after all the good reviews, but I got a little frustrated. The cheese dip with pork didn’t have much pork. My fiancé got the short ribs and they were okay as well as my steak. I say okay because of the price. They were both almost 30 bucks but they were not worth the price. Service is great!

Another winner at Jack’s. It’s incredible delicious, well seasoned shank that just falls off the bone. Well balanced sides. Highly recommended.

It was a whimsical tap of the keys — a search string sent out to the ether, out to the servers on which floats Unilocal.«Malaysian»
Somewhere on the page of restaurants, Jack’s Bistro showed up for a single entry: Laksa.
For those of you that haven’t been introduced to this iconic dish of Singapore and Malaysia — and to a large extent, Indonesia, it is a noodle soup marked by a rich coconut oil and fish based soup, slightly sweet, very spicy and zesty, chock full of fried tofu, various seafood bits, cilantro and whatever else the noodle shop owner has thrown in. It’s as much a street side affair as a dish in Singaporean ex-​patriate watering holes (Straits café, anyone?). Whether in Hong Kong International Finance Center, or in the Bay Area, anything that claims to be Singaporean has to have this on the menu.
While my first Bowl was in Singapore proper, my mother cut her teeth on the version she had in Surabaya; the spices were a little different, balance of curry a little more tart. I think my brother’s first bowl was Malaysian — and guess what, a little different as well.
How did Jack’s stack up?
It was Jack’s. And it was good.
For anyone who has been following my reviews over the years, you know that I have an abiding disdain for «fusion»… one that is quite possible coming to an end. It’s been in the recent 4 – 5 years that I’ve found increasing number of chefs that have done what is so very hard to do — take disparate culinary traditions and mix concepts and approaches and flavors into things that synthesize things that taste good, that yet remain true to whatever they came from.
It is fitting then, that Malaysian/​indonesian/​singaporean food is such a good example of fusion cuisine itself — a mélange of Polynesian, Indian (mostly Tamil) and Chinese ideas and spices — with polyglot names and plucky, poignant flavors.
Christie and Jack are the dynamic management duo that run their eponymous establishment. It’s in a vintage building on the corner of the street, walls of unadorned red brick so common in 1900 mid-​atlantic construction. Dark woods and paintings add splashes of color and warmth, and the ambiance bustles with affection and activity.
Christie greets and manages the floor while Jack runs the kitchen. Last night it was packed, with many would-​be patrons standing around hoping that a seat would open up quickly.
What did we have?
Mussels — with a soy sauce base, cilantros, peppers, onions
Razor clam — curry, butter sauce
Eggplant fries —
Sautéed Brussel Sprouts
Sous Vide New York Strip
Salmon in News Paper (with Asparagus and caramelized onions)
And of course, the Laksa.
Comments:
The fusion style works — evidently, Jack and Katie travel the world eating, looking for things to bring back. While they are secretive about some of the inspirations (to keep the palate guessing?) some they name.
To my tongue, the Mussels have a bit of asia/​fish sauce in the base. The spicy combination is reminiscent to me of some Thai approaches to the concept. It’s very much Jack’s, and it’s very good. Show stopper.
Razor Clams are very popular in Hong Kong, and I’ve only recently started seeing them in the US. Springy in texture these soaked up the light curry/​buttery sauce. This was possibly the most mildly seasoned dish of the night — but very good as well.
Eggplant fries. There’s a dish in Sichuan called «Ganbianqiezi» — dry-​fried eggplant that’s crusted with peppercorn powder, chili and lightly battered. My favorite version in the US I had in Atlanta at a Peter Chang’s in 2007. No one Peter Chang has trained has done it as well as the version I had that he cooked himself — why so? Perfect renditions of this dish have moist, succulent eggplant sheathed in the lightest batter. Molten on in the inside, crispy on the outside — explosive flavor on the surface, purity within.
Jack clearly figured out how to do this with eggplants — but his version is without the chili or peppercorn. As a side order, it pairs so very well with the zesty mains. I would hazard that full flavored versions might collide with the painstakingly curated flavors of the entrees!
The Brussels Sprouts were lightly salted but sautéed (or selected) to a point of delicacy. Bravo.
Sous Vide New York Strip — I didn’t have any (abstaining from beef at the moment) but my parents devoured most of it with a voracity that suggested enjoyment. My brother’s eyes rolled back on his bite… all of whom said it was bursting with flavor and very moist. Of course, this is in keeping with Sous Vide techniques — which seals in flavor with very even temperature control throughout the process.
My Salmon was moist and flavorful — the salmon was wrapped with a bud of rosemary and two lemon slices and paired with a dill based sauce that was out of this world — a little more reminiscent of Swedish.
Ran out of space :(
Laksa was different as well and good (my brother gave it ⁴⁄₅) — more lemongrass tart…

I may need to update my favorite Happy Hour spots. Half price bottles of wine EVERY DAY from 5pm — 6pm and they have Trisaetum. Yep.
If that isn’t good enough, they also have $ 2 off appetizers (and beer, wine, and house cocktails); two of their most well known dishes are on the app menu.
One being the Mac and Cheese with chocolate; a smokey cheese sauce tossed with pasta shells and then with a little dark dark chocolate drizzle. I can understand why folks might like this, but it’s not really for me. It’s rich and the chocolate adds a distinct flavor — that dark rich bitterness. For me, it was missing a little something, maybe a salty or acid component? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Jack’s also has a Guinness Braised Filet Mignon. I can never eat that much, so I usually get a taste with the similar app. The app has slices of the filet in the demi atop the gouda, jalepeño, bacon grits. I like this better than the mac&cheese. It kind of hits all the components on the tongue. The beef is tender. The sauce is a little sweet and the grits have just enough spice to balance it out.

A highly-​anticipated meal. In my many visits to Canton, I had always been pretty curious to try Jack’s, but given the high demand, and limited opening hours (Wed-​Sun), I never got a chance until very recently. We came for an early Sunday dinner, and the place was only about half-​full when we arrived, so we managed to snag one of the booths. The outside is very unassuming, and when you enter it seems like your typical bar with table seating, but the menu is far more intricate than most pubs, and it helps that it’s a chef-​owned restaurant.
We ordered the trio of cheese dips, which included a load of pita, the Bodhi dal, and I got the seared duck cakes, which sounded interesting. We decided to forgo the famed chocolate mac and cheese, simply because our palates were not really looking for those types of flavors at the time. However, the cheese dips, while not particularly impressive-​looking, were actually delicious, my favorite being the red-​wine and lavender cheese dip, which gave off a purple hue. The Bodhi dal dish was massive, and came with both flatbread and basmati rice, so definitely great for vegetarians with an appetite. The duck cakes were incredibly tasty and flavorful, and I really liked the crispiness that came searing the duck. It came with a really hearty cannellini bean tomato stew with sausage, which I couldn’t stop shoveling into my mouth. We ended the meal with the fried s’mores, obviously, which were very decadent and rich. The chocolate they used wasn’t too sweet, and the salted chocolate ice cream just put the meal over the top. Hoo-​wee.
Service was excellent, and very warm and friendly. There’s something to be said about the vibe of a nice neighborhood joint, and Jack’s is definitely a great neighborhood joint. The waiters weren’t the most knowledgeable, as there were items on the menu they weren’t sure of, but they did do all they could to ensure a great experience. The prices are easily much more expensive than most places in the area, but if you manage to hit one of their specials, you can get a decent deal. Also, if you go from 5−6pm, bottles of wine are half-​price, and their wine list is pretty extensive.
I’m really glad I got to try this after so long, and I’m sort of kicking myself for not coming by sooner. Will definitely be back to try some of the other stuff on their menu when I’m back in Canton, and I’ll make sure to come by earlier to hit up those specials, and avoid the crowds.

3.5 stars. I’m really split between 3 and 4, read more to see why!
I came here for restaurant week with my wife. Jack’s is best described as a modern american take on international dishes.
The Food:
Guinness Meat + Grits — I thought this wasn’t very memorable. Stewed meat with grits, couldn’t identify the «Guinness» component as described. A bit salty in my opinion; however, my wife loved it, so we traded dishes.
Mac + Cheese + Chocolate — I HATE mac & cheese. HOWEVER, I surprisingly really enjoyed this dish. I thought the chocolate complemented the creaminess of the mac & cheese well. The mac & cheese was in a light cream sauce (I really enjoyed), but don’t expect your typical cheese filled pasta. Overall, a great dish.
Grilled Teres Major Steak @134 °F — Medial rotation and adduction of the humerus…(wait… this isn’t a med school test). Not a typical cut that you see on a menu, but this muscle is part of the shoulder muscles, connecting the scapula to the arm. It was pretty lean and almost like a flank steak, but not as tough. Cooked perfectly and seasoned well. The chimichuri sauce gave an extra flare to the dish.
Malaysian Laksa — Don’t expect this to be your traditional Malaysian Laksa. My wife and I lived in Malaysia/​Singapore for over 10 years, so we know our Malaysian food. This dish was served with Japanese Udon noodles (should be yellow noodles) and had too much citrus flavors to be considered traditional Laksa (unusual). Additionally, it was served in a Korean ramen pot, it bothered my Korean wife more than me. It wasn’t bad, just not what it was claiming to be. I wish this was named more accurately on the menu. It tasted more like Laksa crossed with Thai spices and Udon noodles. Additionally this was $ 17 on the regular menu, pretty pricy for noodles.
Vanilla Cheesecake — This was a deconstructed cheesecake (not mentioned on menu). Gram cracker crumbs over a soft vanilla cheese cake base, almost like a semi-​melted soft cheese. It was delicious.
We also had a bottle of Nebbiolo since all bottles of wine are ½ price 5−6pm everyday!
The Service:
Friendly and attentive. However, they could use more training on food knowledge. I asked the waiter some questions about the food and couldn’t get more description than the basics. For example, I asked if the Malaysian Laksa was «Jack Bistro’s take on laksa» or traditional laksa, and was told that they didn’t know. Not a big deal though.
Overall:
My biggest complaint is that I wish Jack’s Bistro’s menu more accurately reflected the food. Between the «Guinness» meat, Laksa, and Cheesecake, there was discrepancy in expectations and reality. Jack’s Bistro gets 4 stars on their food, but considering their price point and differing expectations set up by the menu, they get 3.5 stars from me, rounding to 3 stars on Unilocal.Would I come back, maybe if the price was cheaper.

I’ve been coming here for years and it never ever fails. The signature cocktails are inventive and on a steady enough rotation that there’s always something new to try. A cozy but wide ranging wine list. Great selection of beers in bottle and draft.
The food is of course the centerpiece. Never had a bad bite. I hope they adopt the Korean pancake onto the permanent menu. The staff is professional, courteous, and always hits just the right note.
The ambience is vibrant yet intimate.
Home run every time.

I am a carnivore. Best filet mignon I think I’ve ever had, but I’ll save that description for later.
Jack’s Bistro did an excellent job showing off their Restaurant Week Menu to represent their actual menu. Probably the best job out of any restaurant I’ve been to for restaurant week in Baltimore in 2 years. My girlfriend and I really enjoyed the ambiance, service (extremely fast) and the food.
In order of their Restaurant Week menu I got the following:
My first course was the Spicy Somboon Style New Zealand Green Lip Mussels. I love oysters and clams, but not mussels. However, with all the reviews I gave it a shot and I’m really glad I did. The combination of soy, lime juice, mint, fish sauce shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeño, cilantro and basil made this one of the best appetizers I’ve had in a long time. There was an abundance of mussels, which I feel like is something many restaurants would skimp out on. The balance of spicy and cool along with the flavor of the sauce was incredible.
My main course was the Guinness Braised Filet Mignon. I don’t know what else to say except it was cooked to perfection (medium rare), I could cut it with my fork basically and it melted like butter in my mouth. You just have to try it.
Dessert was the Fried S’more. Graham cracker encrusted chocolate marshmallow cookie with dark chocolate sauce and chocolate ice cream. Wowzers! I have a sweet tooth and chocolate is my favorite so I’m definitely guilty of being biased towards this dish.
And last but not least, Holy Beer selection. Conveniently separated by country and type of beer (I think), their list was long (in a good way). Once I saw Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock, I was sold. It is one of my favorite smoked beers of all time. A bit pricey, but pairing this beer with the filet mignon is the wisest decision you can make when selecting from this menu.
I hope this helps you and trust me, it will not be my last time going to Jack’s Bistro. Enjoy!

This is a tiny (and I do mean tiny) yet popular chef owned restaurant in the Canton area. I came here for restaurant week to try the cuisine and it was really hard picking which items I wanted which is a good sign. I’d come back in the future, on an off night as the place was packed (my waiter wasn’t the most attentive and it was probably because the place was so packed so I’ll give him a pass… this time). Ok, on to the food. I had the mac and cheese and chocolate for an app. Yes, sounds weird but trust me it is delish. My sis had the smoked hickory tater tots, also yummy. For the main course we both got the crab cake, shredded Brussel sprouts and pasta salad. The crab cake was very good and so were the sprouts. The pasta was more of an after thought but I was getting full by then so it was okay. Had to save room for the dessert. We both got the fried smore. Diet be damned that was super good and I’d get it again. I also had a cocktail (can’t remember the name but it had lime in it) which was super yummy.

I don’t even know where to begin, the food at jack’s is the best I’ve ever had in Baltimore (and I’ve lived here my whole life).
They only take reservations for large groups or on special holidays (like Valentine’s Day), and there has been a wait every time I’ve gone since it’s a small place– but they move fast and it is SO WORTH IT.
This was my second time going for restaurant week which is a great deal because their great food doesn’t come cheap, but I’m going back again in a few weeks for Valentine’s Day because it’s just that good.
For restaurant week, my boyfriend and I shared everything so we could try as many things as possible:
Chocolate Mac and cheese — the cream cheese sauce is really good and rich but not too overwhelming. The chocolate is strong but not too sweet. Overall an interesting combo if you love Mac and Cheese and chocolate (who doesn’t??), but the flavors aren’t as intense as some of the other things we had.
Guinness meat and grits appetizer — this was a great way to try the signature Guinness steak without paying the $ 6.50 restaurant week up-​charge for the entrée portion. Still DELICIOUS — so juicy and even the grits were really flavorful and textured nicely.
Crab cake — this was a really good crab cake, but not by any means the best one I’ve ever had, so probably would choose something else in the future.
Malaysian Laksa — I would give another star for this dish if I could. My boyfriend and I can’t stop talking about it. I joked I want this served at my wedding. I’ve never had anything quite so flavorful and delicious in my life. The broth was a coconut cream base with a curry/​Thai type spice that warmed my taste buds and soul. The noodles were thick, fresh, and filling. The shrimp were large and cooked perfectly. And the cilantro on top gave it a perfect fresh extra kick. Oh. My. God. I will dream about it tonight.
Fried smores — YUM. This was super chocolatey and had a nice mix of dark/​bitter and sweet chocolates. It was definitely more of a chocolate dessert than smores, but soo good.
Bread pudding — the butterscotch flavor wasn’t too overwhelming, the cranberry purée gave a perfect tart note, and the salted caramel gelato was so sweet and satisfying.
Overall all of the food was amazing — expensive (especially if not restaurant week) but well worth every penny!
The cute little place was packed, so apparently the great food is no secret, but can’t wait to go back in a few weeks!

So the first thing I am thinking of in writing this… How can I go higher in reviews (5star) than what I have done in the past? Have I given five stars for what is really 4 stars? Wait… Why am I even thinking this? Because people… Hundreds of restaurants… This place? May be ‘the one’. Yes.
So first off… If u r a foodie, and you are here in Baltimore, go here. Just… Shut your trap and come here now. Foodie folks, this is the top shelf place to eat. Are there better in Baltimore? Who knows… But unlikely. I am now questioning my 50 plus previous reviews. Is this a new scale?
Ok enough… Food epic. Far far beyond what you have had other places I bet. Drinks? Pretty good. Ambiance? Great? Service? GOOD!

The food here is so good! It’s very decadent and definitely and indulgence. The chocolate Mac and cheese was delicious! We also got the PB&J shots which were pretty good. The atmosphere itself is kind of dark and cozy, with mostly booth seating in the bar area.

Came here for restaurant week and as expected there was a wait but it wasn’t too bad… about 35 min to sit at the bar. The atmosphere is great, it’s very small and cozy and its loud and chatty and makes you feel comfortable.
The staff and service was great. Everyone explained the menu very well and suggested great drinks and to my surprise the food came our very fast (guessing most of it is premade).
Onto the food/​drinks. We got the chocolate mac and cheese which wasn’t as great as everyone says it was… it wasn’t cheesy enough and the flavor was interesting. The mussels were great and the jalapeño sauce they came in was fantastic. The Guinness filet was extremely tender, cut like butter and was cooked to perfection. What really sealed the deal was the sauce it came in and the bacon grits. The bodhi dal was not impressive and far from Indian restaurant quality. Both the fried smores and lime cheesecake were drool worthy.
Drinks: jacks muel is fantastic and actually tastes like ginger, wow.
Overall it was a great experience but there were defiantly not enough vegetarian options.

I’m new to exploring the Canton area of Baltimore but there’s one restaurant that sticks out like a sore thumb while running a Unilocal search, and it’s Jack’s Bistro. It’s tucked away on an inconspicuous street corner, you’d never know it was there without beautiful ol’ technology.
Everything we ate here was groundbreakingly phenomenal. We started with the Korean Pancake. The textures and flavors were completely palette pleasing. I ordered the G&T cocktail. They make their own tonic water and even added real juniper berries, turning this seemingly simple cocktail into an exotic adventure. I had the duck, my wife ordered the restaurant’s signature dish, the Guinness braised filet mignon. We didn’t speak as we scarfed it all down. For dessert (because after that performance, ya gotta order dessert) we opted for the fried s’mores. Incredible. This restaurant hit a grand slam from the appetizers, to the drinks, to the entrees, to the dessert. They do it all right, and you can’t afford to pass it up.

If someone asked me what my favorite restaurant in Baltimore is, I would have to go with Jack’s Bistro. I came here for restaurant week a couple months ago and had a deeeeelicious dinner! Restaurant week can be pretty overwhelming because there are so many options and not enough time/​money, so I made a spreadsheet to help me decide which places to go to and at the top of that list was Jack’s Bistro.
What I loved about the menu is that it is so eclectic — it is not limited to any particular cuisine. No matter what you are craving you will definitely find something on the menu to suit your fancy. Our waitress told us that the chef travels all around the world to try different cuisines and dishes and uses that as inspiration to create a unique and exciting menu.
I had heard about their Chocolate Mac & Cheese, which sounds like a weird combination but was as awesome as I had read from the reviews of my fellow Unilocalers. The creamy and velvety texture of the cheese melded together with the dark chocolate niblets in a sea of pasta perfection. I could have just eaten chocolate mac & cheese for my entire dinner. It was so good I tried to recreate it myself, but it did not turn out the same so I will be coming back soon!
In addition to their Chocolate Mac & Cheese, Jack’s Bistro is also famous for their Spicy Somboon New Zealand Style Mussels and Guinness Braised Filet Mignon. Their mussels were tender and seasoned well but not really spicy. I did not try the filet mignon but my friends who got it enjoyed it. For dessert, I opted for the apple tart which was good as well.
Out of all of the restaurants that I went to for restaurant week (which is a lot), Jack’s Bistro was by far my favorite!

As an update to my previous review:
My most recent visit to Jack’s was more disappointing than my previous ones. This time, every dish across the board that I and 3 other people ordered was extremely salty. We had many of the same apps and entrees that we had on previous occasions, any nothing changed on the dishes except the salt level. It was quite disappointing because everything was so salty that it was hard to finish the meal.
Perhaps the kitchen changed the brand/​kind or salt, or maybe the chefs were having an off day. I’ve never had this problem at Jack’s before.
The service was great, and the drinks were on point as usual.

I have been meaning to go to Jack’s for the legendary chocolate mac & cheese since they opened, but every time Restaurant Week rolls around, we always end up picking somewhere else, and it’s never somewhere we think about any other time. NO MORE. This place is now going in to our regular rotation.
I am sure everyone’s already covered this, but the chocolate mac & cheese should be a mandatory order. I would never dream up this recipe (despite chocolate and cheese being two of my top three favorite foods), but it’s incredible. The chocolate is not too sweet, the cheese is super light and slightly sharp to balance the chocolate out, and the pasta is cooked to perfection. The chocolate on top gets slightly melty without being disgusting looking when it mingles with the cheese… I don’t know how this dish came to be, but it’s Nobel Prize worthy, in my humble opinion.
The Thai mussels are also great. They come pre-​shucked, so no shells to deal with, and no empty shells (a top peeve of mine). The only regret is that without any dipping bread, the phenomenal sauce gets left on the plate! Give me some carbs to dip in the remaining sauce please!!!
The lamb pasta was the only miss of the evening, but nothing compares to the lamb tagliatelle at Bottega, so I don’t know why I ordered it to begin with.
Fried s’mores dessert was the perfect cap to the evening. I can’t describe it in a way that will do it justice. Just go to the gym for a few hours, then get yourself to Jack’s ASAP.
As far as atmosphere goes, it’s a perfect Baltimore spot. Not pretentious. Feels like someone’s living room. Only complaint is that they’ve got a lot of rules on the menu. It’s fair that they set expectations as far as wine/​beer sampling, meat temp, upcharge for filet during restaurant week, etc. so that there’s no questions about how dinner will go, but it’s a little off-​putting when you feel like you’re getting a lecture from a menu. I could also dig one or two more reasonably priced wines, but it’s worth the splurge to head here for dinner, regardless.