I’ve had quite a bit of brunch (aka greatest meal ever) in the past week.
Jackson’s
It takes a certain amount of skill to become a chef. One of those skills is probably the ability to not undercook and overcook food. Anyone can serve something raw or something overcooked. It’s that fine line in between, that state of “just right,” that is the domain of real chefs. It’s something that Jackson’s lacks.
I ordered an omelette with garlic, potatoes, and cheese. As you can probably tell from the photo, the egg is grossly overcooked. Omelettes are usually paper thin and light; this one was thick, which I don’t really mind, but it was also burnt, as indicated by the numerous brown crusts on the egg. I could’ve burnt my own eggs and paid myself 9 dollars.
The same thing happened to the “hash browns” I ordered. The dish was a disaster: the description said “hash browns covered in cheese and onions”–a clear winner in the realm of breakfast foods–but the hash browns were giant pieces of potatoes and were covered by burnt and crusty cheese and onions. Everything that could’ve gone wrong had gone wrong. No crunchy potato pieces, no melty cheese, and no sweet grilled onions. I still regret paying three dollars for the dish even now. Add in the fact that the patio was a smoking area, and this place becomes the last place I would ever go for brunch. And lunch. And dinner.
Le Peep
The skillet dish here was pretty standard, probably the same as the skillets I could get at Denny’s, except that Denny’s is cheaper and comes with more stuff i.e. pancakes, hash browns, etc. It’s good, but not good enough to warrant a trip out there.
Amerigo
Although I’ve heard that dinner here isn’t worth it, I think the brunch here has arguably the best brunch in Nashville. The food is super tasty and pretty cheap. It’s a much better choice than going to Jackson’s; whereas you get a single burnt omelette for $9 at Jackson’s, you can get a nice pork chop meal with julienned veggies and cheesy mashed potatoes for the same price.
The pork chop was a thick cut, but wasn’t dry as I thought it would be. The pineapple glaze wasn’t overly sweet, but I prefer the pork by itself. The potatoes were nice and toasty on the outside, but cheesy, leeky, and soft on the inside. All I can say is that if I were to recommend a place in Nashville, and it’s rare that I do, it would be Amerigo for brunch. Dinner and lunch are another story, but I prefer to not taint my opinion of the place with a (rumor has it) subpar and/or overpriced dinner.
So in conclusion:
Amerigo’s >> Le Peep > >Jackson’s
Jackson’s Bar and Bistro 1800 21st Ave S Nashville, TN (615) 385-9968 Le Peep 5133 Harding Pike # B6 Nashville, TN (615) 353-0030 Amerigo 1920 W End Ave Nashville, TN (615) 320-1740
i’d like to post another equation of inequality. me>>you>>yash>>canada
I definitely agree with you on your assessment of Jackson’s. However, they do have one redeeming dish, and that is the cookie-dough eggrolls. If you haven’t tried them, you must experience the beautiful harmony of a crispy eggroll filled with warm cookie dough and topped with vanilla ice cream and hot syrup. Is it worth the trip to Jackson’s for this dessert? Probably not but it certainly puts me in a better mood after eating my charred dinner.