Just over a year after closing its doors, Jackson Grill is back.
Tucked back behind the Stadium Business Park and Amazon warehouses on the western edge of the Burnham Park neighborhood, the restaurant at 3736 W. Mitchell St. looks largely the same as it has since the 1930s with its brick and Lannon stone exterior.
And, if feedback from customers who’ve visited over the past few weeks is any indication, Jackson Grill might be better than ever.
New owner Andrew Radjenovich says the reception thus far has been very positive. “We’re getting really great feedback,” he says, noting that some customers have even left him with sentiments like “Jimmy [the former owner] would definitely be proud.”
He says the dining room has even been given the seal of approval by former Major League Baseball commissioner and Brewers owner Bud Selig, who paid a visit just a week or so ago and declared that he’ll be back.
The spirit lives on
Jackson Grill, fondly known for 20 years as “Milwaukee’s Supper Club,” closed its doors last March following the passing of Chef Jimmy Jackson, who owned and operated the restaurant for 20 years alongside his wife, Heidi Schmidt.
And while most simply stood back and mourned the loss, former customer and hospitality veteran Andrew Radjenovich says he couldn’t abide the thought that the restaurant would simply disappear.
“I was a customer,” says Radjenovich. “My gal and I would stop down for dinner and order the filet and the tournedos. And we loved the place. It always had that really nice homey, grandma’s house vibe.”
When a few friends suggested that he buy the business and carry on the business, he says he hesitated. But after a bit of prodding, he consented to meet with Schmidt. After some negotiations, he purchased both the business and the building last October.
From there, he embarked on the not-so-simple journey to revive the beloved staple. Carpets were cleaned, a new coat of paint was applied to the walls, and the kitchen was given a new shine. Amid an industry-wide labor shortage, inflation and rising operational costs, he recruited employees and began developing the new Jackson Grill menu.
Determined to keep it as true to the original as possible, he did his research, consulted with a former chef who’d spent years in the kitchen at Jackson Grill, and gathered as much information as he could.
“I didn’t want to change the place,” says Radjenovich. “I just didn’t want to see the place die.”
Step inside
Step inside Jackson’s Grill today and you’ll find the same 16-stool Mid-Century bar with its comfortable tufted black stools, Formica top and cabinet-like back bar storage lined with vintage vases and glassware. Behind the bar, you’re also likely to find a friendly face. Kevin Murphy, an industry veteran who directed the bar program at Jackson Grill for nearly a decade has returned to the longtime restaurant to serve up classic old fashioneds, Manhattans and more.
Framed copies of articles written about Jackson Grill over the years are still displayed on the walls, offering a peek at the history that made it famous. But keen-eyed guests will also find some new baseball-themed photographs added to the collection. In addition, Radjenovich has added two televisions in the bar area so that folks can drop by and watch the game.
The dining room, which seats just over 30, sports cheerful marigold-toned linens and simple window dressings. On the walls, guests will find "new" green wall-mounted sconces, which Radjenovich says he found in the basement, left behind by the Karlovich family, who operated Karlovich's Korner in the years before the restaurant was Jackson Grill.
On the menu, guests will find appetizers like Cajun BBQ shrimp cocktail, served warm with toasted bread ($20); bruschetta with tomatoes, basil, olives and aged mozzarella ($16); and delicious old-school escargot bathed in garlic butter, topped with a portabella mushroom and served with grilled bread ($16).
Entrees include a bone-in Duroc pork chop served with sage brown butter demi, garlic confit and portabella; airline chicken with sage browned butter, asparagus and garlic mash ($25); Alaskan salmon with Yukon crab hash, bêarnaise and asparagus ($31); and Viking Village sea scallops with mushroom risotto, spinach and bêarnaise ($42).
Steaks (prepared with Jackson Grill’s signature deeply colored crust) still remain a focus, with choices like an 8-ounce Black Angus filet served with jus ($48), 16-ounce Black Angus ribeye with portabellas and jus ($58) and Tournedos au Poivre, a dish featuring black pepper crusted pieces of tender beef cut from the narrow end of the beef tenderloin. It's served with signature portabella mushroom and crème bordelaise ($46).
On the sweet side, guests will also find housemade desserts, including classic bananas foster and creme brulee.
Jackson Grill is currently open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling the restaurant at (414) 212-8626. Guests can also follow The Jackson Grill on Facebook for news and updates.
Radjenovich says that Jackson Grill is still working to fill out both its front and back-of-house staff roster. Serious inquiries can be directed to him by email at thejacksongrill@gmail.com.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
