Dining Out: True American fare served at LIC steak house

By Robert Stanley

Jackson Avenue Steak House

12-23 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, NY
784-1312

The Jackson Avenue Steak House is a steak lover’s oasis in the industrial section of Long Island City. Located on busy Jackson Avenue, this “All-American Steak House” features steaks, chops, ribs and so much more.

Driving down Jackson Avenue, the exterior will be hard to miss as colorful green awnings drape the building. You will be welcomed by a very friendly and engaging staff. There is a separate seating section in the bar area for those wishing to smoke while an adjacent room for the non-smoker features a fireplace and a cozier atmosphere. The wood furnishings and rustic decor add to the feel of this all-American setting.

The Jackson Ave Steak House is open for lunch and dinner with a menu catering to just about every taste. The lunch menu features the usual suspects — burgers, salads and a list of daily specials. The sandwich section offers some very unique choices, especially for lunch.

One of the most appealing choices, the Thanksgiving Sandwich, underscores the theme of “All-American Cuisine.” This is holiday treat is available any time of the year. Stacked with turkey, sausage stuffing, and cranberry with turkey gravy on a long hero roll this sandwich is a reason to give thanks for American food! Although the sandwich sounds like a handful, it is easy to maneuver. This generous sandwich comes with french fries, a side of lettuce, tomato and onion. This is a hungry man’s lunch and is oh so good!

Dinner selections at the Jackson Ave Steak House are very much of what you might expect. A large variety of steaks, chops and ribs are featured on their regular menu. A printed special menu is also presented featuring several enticing appetizers, entrees and desserts.

On the night of my visit my companion and I selected items from both menus. For starters we shared a dish of broiled shrimp and baked clams combo. The serving of shrimp could have been more flavorful even though it was served in a scampi-style butter sauce, but the clams were very tasty. The clams were stuffed and baked golden brown. Although the server thought this dish would be adequate for two, I disagree. The serving is really only enough for one. Order a second appetizer, there are plenty of choices.

Along with our meal a basket of fresh breads was placed on our table. A variety of soft rolls with nuts and onions along with crispy flat bread perfectly compliment our meal.

For dinner the entrée I selected was a special 25oz, aged, T-bone steak with Jackson Fried Onions. This steak answers that age old question, “Where’s the beef?” The beef is right here at the Jackson Avenue Steak House. Cooked to perfection and covered in thinly shredded, lightly breaded fried onions, this is a beef lover’s dream. As a side dish I chose homestyle garlic mashed potatoes which were served with slices of scallion and the chips of the potato skin. This proved to be a perfect choice.

My companion’s entrée selection was also a feature on the special menu. The offering was a sautéed chicken breast with shiitake mushrooms served in a sherry sauce. This dish included three large and moist chicken cutlets. Surrounded by thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, the chicken cutlets were served over a sweet sherry sauce. In addition we both shared a side order of fried broccoli — that night’s vegetable special. After being lightly coated in seasoned bread crumbs the broccoli is flash fried. This is a great variation of a traditional vegetable dish.

As a side note, owner Mitch Catancano has assembled a nice selection of wines. A good variety of bottled wines from California and Europe are available at reasonable prices. In addition there are several wines served by the glass.

With little room left for dessert we tried to keep it lite — but we failed. Our first dessert choice was a moist French chocolate chambord cake. You will savor the flavor of raspberry generated by the chamboard in this dark chocolate cake. A rich sticky icing topped this chocolate lover’s delight. Trying to be more conservative our second choice was the special vanilla chocolate chip ice cream. Very much like a simple chocolate chip ice cream it proved to be a good compliment to the rich espresso coffees.

When your mood is for American fare, visit the Jackson Avenue Steak House. You’ll be glad you did.

The Bottom Line

True American fare — steaks, chops, ribs. Friendly service in a very comfortable casual setting.

Chefs Choices

Jackson rib eye steak (24oz) $21.95

Prime ribs (friday & saturday only)

King cut …$23.95

Queen cut…$21.95

Baby back ribs (full rack 1-1/2lbs)…$19.95

Thanksgiving sandwich (turkey, sausage stuffing, cranberry, and turkey gray. Served on hero roll.)…$8.95

Sweet sausage sandwich (with roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese)…$7.95

Cuisine: American, Steaks and Chops