Jack the Horse Reviewed in NY Post

By on January 20, 2009 9:52 am in Food

BHB reader Karl points us to a review of Jack the Horse Tavern in the New York Post:

New York Post: Let’s Do Brunch…: The menu offered upscale variations on brunch standards like baked eggs, pancakes and French toast. I chose the shrimp club sandwich with avocado, smoked paprika mayonnaise, radishes and butter lettuce. It came on rye bread and was very fresh. Julie decided on the royal eggs, which were baked with fresh goat cheese, spinach, pesto and toast. She said the cheese and eggs went together perfectly. We also shared a third dish, the smoked trout salad, which was made up of fingerling potatoes, red grapes and fish. Unfortunately, the crème fraîche vinaigrette was a little too much, but otherwise the food was comforting and indulgent.

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  • another jen

    they are mistaken, the crème fraîche vinaigrette is delightful. oh well… de gustibus non est disputandum.

  • Topham Beauclerk

    Everything about Jack the Horse is ungenerous: the portions are meager, the tables are small and the space between them tiny, and the service is unwelcoming. It’s extraordinary what my neighbors will put up with for good cooking. There are enough good restaurants even in the Heights to make it possible for gourmands to give it a pass.

  • FeiFei

    I think the portions at Jack the Horse are perfect. I’d rather get a well proportioned sized plate of flavorful and fresh food than a heaping plate of mediocre food. Yes, if you only go with two people you will most likely be put in the back of the restaurant where the other two tops are. It is a bit tight and you have to slide your table to the side to get in and out, but what is the alternative? They could have less tables but then you have to wait an extra hour. Besides once you are seated, you focus on your dining partner and your neighbors don’t matter anymore. The service has sometimes been slow during brunch, but I have never had a problem during dinner. The bartender is nice, too. What other restaurants are there in the Heights that can compare to the quality of Jack the Horse? And no Henry’s End, I really disliked that place.

  • Tony

    I see Topham’s ungenerous and raise him two hatefuls. A waiter there unskilled in mathematics once chased me down the street after a meal and chided me in front of my date for not leaving a big enough tip. I’m not making this up. I have never been treated so appallingly in a restaurant in my life.

  • Jo

    I often find that they are understaffed and it can be darn near impossible to get the wait staff to give you the attention you deserve at a “not so cheap” establishment. Nevertheless, the food has been fantastic and makes up for the wait (often needed unless you have a reservation) and sometimes lackluster service. However, I will say that we did complain about the lack of service once and we were rewarded with free desert, which was a nice way for them to recognize our issues and allow us to leave with a smile on our faces. BTW, nice drink and wine menu.

  • Peter

    Tony, that story makes my cringe, sorry to hear you had to go through that. I have only been to Jack the Horse three times (twice for dinner, once for brunch), but each time I found the experience quite delightful. The mac & cheese appetizer is still the best in town, and while the mussels were good (and not great), the braised beef ribs were exemplary. Service was not very memorable, but far from poor, and I would definitely go back. I can’t recall ever going home hungry …

  • Topham Beauclerk

    In our neighborhood, there are the following: Le Petit Marche, Henry’s End, Noodle Pudding, Iron Chef, Heights Cafe, Lantern, Buon Gusto, Taze (the Turkish place). The food at Jack the Horse, while good, is certainly not so extraordinary that all that’s bad about the place should be tolerated. From the other comments, I’d say that I’m not the only one who thinks as I do about the place. The way the owner runs his restaurant suggests a certain contempt for his customers.

  • Jazz

    Top Ham you amaze me. Cafe Buon Gusto? You’re nothing but a commoner.

    As for Tim at Jack the Horse, he’s always been nice to me. Maybe it’s you?

  • Topham Beauclerk

    Jazz, it’s clear that you didn’t read my comments and those of the others carefully enough. And as for my being a commoner, tell me, darling, are you a royal? I think the word you mean is common.

  • Yuppers

    Heights Cafe? Are you really trying to posit that Heights Cafe has superior food (or even superior service) to JtH — or any number of other places in the ‘hood? It’s perfectly fine, though mediocre. It’s main advantage is ample outdoor seating in the warm months.

  • vspingola

    Jack the Horse is the best restaurant in the Heights. Mussels are spectacular, the cocktails are magnificent. The staff has always been courteous and helpful. We love it.

  • http://erictabone.com Eric

    Nothing but love for JTH. Best gourmet burgers ever, always an IPA on tap (and 5 other great beers), fantastic mac & cheese, and a great environment, despite the crowding (though, c’mon, it’s NYC). Service can be sub-par on occasion, but the dozen or so times I’ve been in the last 2.5 years, all have been absolutely great and always worth going back.

  • ABC

    there is not one good restaurant here. okay, maybe henry’s end and I guess river cafe. but petit marche, JTH, and my old favorite, noodle pudding are all victims of bad service. too bad. and all the rest have bad food.

  • jfp

    We love the Jack the Horse and always have great service and excellent food there. Definitely our favorite place in the neighborhood.

  • Mac Cheese

    I will always vote Le Petite Marche over Jack the Horse. Why? It comes down to service. I enjoy the fresh food at both restaurants and I eat from both frequently, but the owners and staff at Le Petite Marche make me feel like they actually want me there. Jack the Horse makes me feel like I don’t belong…or I’m inconveniencing them by patronizing their establishment. We have received some shockingly rude service at JTH…and trust me, we are extremely tolerable and empathetic (both former restaurant servers). It is really just baffling to me. Also, the bartender at JTH is pretentious, cold and kind of scary. He gives me the shivers (and it ain’t the shaved ice).

  • Anonymous

    Topham: Ever noticed that Taze/the turkish place has been closed since like September or so??? And even before, the food was quite pathetic. I stopped going there.

    I left JTH once because the service was so bad. We were shuffled around between entrance and bar for 25 minutes during which time the bar tender totally ignored us. Decided that place didn’t want my money so we went to Henry’s end instead. I admit I gave JTH a second try and the food was good.

  • BklynJace

    Like the food at JTH quite a lot, particularly the brunch. But we don’t get brunch there anymore because the brunch service is consistently and laughably incompetent. Not unfriendly, just thoroughly dippy, at a level you’d expect from a pack of teenagers with ADHD and an endless supply of Whip-Its. We gave them about three or four chances (like I said, it’s a good brunch), but have finally learned our lesson.

  • GHB

    Wouldn’t you think that the way the economy is right now, these establishments would be bending over backwards to ensure the best possible service? I think it’s as important as the food. They’ll be sorry when people stop coming and they’re forced to close.

  • Topham Beauclerk

    Anon, Taze closed as a result of the fire but I’ve seen signs of life lately. Its food isn’t consistently good but what it does well is good enough. And you always get service with a smile.

  • nabeguy

    Haven’t frequented JTH often (it took them too long to develop a child-friendly menu) but one of the things that always put me off was the resemblance of the chef to a notorious hitman

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kuklinski

  • soulman

    I’ve eaten at Jack the Horse Tavern many times, including a few hours ago. The food is incredible and we’ve never had anything but good service there. When the kids come from out of state, they always ask to eat there. It was my choice for my recent “birthday dinner”.

    It’s one of my two favorite area restaurants – the other being the Iron Chef sushi place.

  • nicky215

    I find the food excellent. I also find the service sloppy. The waitstaff looks dirty. One day a boys long hair ( not combed
    back) fell into my soup.