Jackson’s Prime

by South Florida Eats · Published September 24, 2017 · Updated June 30, 2018

Jackson’s Prime Steakhouse: 3300 NE 32nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

Jackson’s Prime Steakhouse relocated from their original location on Las Olas Blvd. in Ft. Lauderdale, to be closer to the beach with their new location on 32nd St. right off of A1A. Jackson’s Prime is the latest venture from restaurateur Jack Jackson of famed Burt & Jack’s and Jackson’s Steakhouse.

Jackson’s Prime features Midwestern USDA Prime Steaks, a designation that certifies graded cuts from “the top 2%” of beef available in the country. And while USDA Prime Steak is at the core of the Jackson’s Prime experience, the menu also highlights other top-quality meat, poultry, seafood and vegetarian selections. Each dish is crafted using only the finest and freshest ingredients, and complimented by an exquisite wine list and specialty cocktails.

A contemporary interior with a warm and sophisticated, reminiscent of Manhattan’s classic, uptown vibe. The impressive Dine-In Open Kitchen allows guests’ full view of Executive Chef Johnny V and his staff working their culinary magic. The large bar dominates the center of the restaurant and is available for both cocktails as well as a full dining experience. Jackson’s restaurants are known for their “warm, caring, professional service.”

Atmosphere:

Unlike many steakhouses where the clientele can be stuffy and over dressed, at Jackson’s there were plenty of people in nice jeans, resort casual or even business casual attire. We even saw a few people who were wearing shorts which shows me that even though you can have a nice upscale eatery, you don’t have to dress stuffy. From the moment you walk in (with them holding the door open for you), you feel like you are being catered to. Our waiter was very pleasant and attentive to our South Florida Eats team. Greg asked for his recommendation on two appetizers to which he was very happy with the choice he made from that recommendation. We’ll talk about that in a moment.

The restaurant is split into 3 areas. First you have the very large bar area with includes a few high top tables and a bar menu. Then there is the main restaurant which has both tables and booths to suite your needs. Finally there is the Pizza oven counter where you can watch them cook flatbreads in the brick oven.

The only downside to our experience was that we had to ask for black napkins for those of us that had on dark pants. This should be done by the hostess or person seating you without question.

The Appetizers:

Jackson’s Prime starts you off with a serving a bread sticks and bread. Their breadsticks are addicting and we really enjoyed them. The actual bread though was not a table favorite. Two of our group decided they would have the Oysters on the Half Shell which was accompanied by cocktail sauce and Mignonette sauce. The oysters were fresh and prepared perfectly to their liking.

Greg decided he was going to have the Pepitas Crusted Warm Goat Cheese after a recommendation from our waiter. Fresh organic field greens, red and gold beats, shallot relish, crostini, pecans, and a light white balsamic vinaigrette accompanied the Goat Cheese. Greg said that the salad was amazing and he enjoyed every bite of it. A BLT Wedge salad was my choice of appetizer. Iceberg Lettuce, Molasses Bacon (made in house), Tomato, and Rogue Creamery Caveman Blue Cheese Dressing created a delightful mix of flavors melting in my mouth.

Main Course:

“Burt and Jacks” Baked Stuffed Maine Lobster, accompanied by selected farm baby vegetables and drawn butter made it to the plates of Jerry and Joe. Inside you will find lobster mixed with a ritz cracker mix that is used to stuff the shell. Both were in heaven as they finished off the lobster in record time. I would have to say that it was about a 2 1/2lb lobster. Just take a look at the picture below. One thing to note is you will need to ask them for some more drawn butter as one is just not enough.

Up next, 24 hour Braised Beef Short Ribs, sitting on a bed of Yukon mashed potatoes and surrounded by Brussel Sprouts. A bone marrow demi glaze is drizzled over the entire plate to give you some added flavor and topped off with one Buttermilk Onion Ring (even though the menu says rings, plural). I found the ribs to be very tender and falling right off the bone. The demi glaze helped enhance the flavor and made the mashed potatoes even better, almost like a gravy. I am a very big fan of brussel sprouts, so I was in heaven with them being on my plate and so many of them. One disappointment was the onion ring which I felt lacked flavor and really didn’t serve a purpose since there was only one.

The final main dish for the evening was Sauteed Yellowtail Snapper. Roasted fingerling potatoes, baby green beans, tear drop tomatoes, and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette accompany the main dish. Greg enjoyed the flavor of the fish. Cooked perfectly so that it was flaky and tender. He cleaned his plate to make sure he had room for dessert.

Dessert:

Since it was a special occasion the restaurant brought out an Apple Pie Cheesecake for Jerry. Although I love cheesecake, I am not a fan of taking a pie and combining it with cheesecake. So the rest of the table tried it and they loved it. I on the other hand went with a more traditional approach of vanilla ice cream which was very good.