OT: Restaurants to avoid in the Jackson area

[Irondawg]

With the other places of recommendation, how about a threat of places to avoid other than fast food.

I'll start.

Sombra - overpriced, mediocre service and really average food. I won't be back.

Mint - gets a carry over from the other thread. I haven't tried it, but 90% of the people i know that have eaten there have not had positive reviews.

Ticos - surprise entry but the last two times I went it was very average and a lot worse that Shapleys or Ruth Chris. I have heard that if you're a regular you get a better steak, but most of us aren't in that class.

Rossini - Italian place on jackson st in Ridgeland that you can get a Groupon for all the time. There's a reason for that. Bad service and below average italian fare to me.

 

[Wooly17er]

The Atlanta Braves sure have cooled down lately

I guess it was expected. They started the year with an all or nothing offense. They either hit homeruns or would strike out. That's tough to maintain unless everyone on your team hits 50 HRs in the year. Ultimately, I think we'll still win the division.

Also - it'd be nice if BJ Upton could get on base more often.

 

[jacksonreb]

i've never been as impressed with tico's as lot of folks are. also never understood the love for Chrecale's. i do like Sombra's salads.

 

[The Peeper]

3rd on Ticos, steaks are very underwhelming.

 

[sleepy dawg]

i've never been as impressed with tico's as lot of folks are. also never understood the love for Chrecale's. i do like Sombra's salads.

That's how you know a place sucks. If you're having to justify going to a mexican restaurant because they have good salads, that says all you need to know about this **** hole.

I love Crachelles and Ticos. To me Ticos has the best steaks around. I will admit that Crachelles is over priced, but the food is really good to me.

I also agree with Mint. I hate Mint.

Here's my list of suck:
Mint - I hate Mint. I hate Mint. I freakin hate Mint.
Another Broken Egg - Over priced. Ihop and Waffle house are better. ABE tries to be gourmet, but I just can't justify the prices for what I'm getting.
Applebees - Has gone so far down hill... McDonalds quality at Back yard burger prices.
Chilis - At least the Madison version has the worst service ever. You cannot get in and out in an hour.
Fat Tuesdays - Worst service in town.
friday tuna - More expensive Nagoya. Same owner. Food is good though. No reason to not go to Nagoya though if you're thinking of going here.
Little Tokyo - Last two times I went, there was something wrong with the Sushi. There's too many other good places to go in the area for sushi to eat something that is obviously bad.
Soul Shine - Worst pizza in town. I put this in the category with Little Caesars. I'd rather eat a Totinos. If you want good pizza, go to Pizza Shack.
signas - This stupid uppity place pisses me off. If all of their seats are currently full, you can't place an order for there. You have to order it to go, even though a seat will probably open up any minute. Also they put mayo on every sandwich. Again, there are too many good sandwich places in town to waste my money on this place.
tays - One choice of bbq sauce, and it sucks. If tays would get better bbq, then they would be fine.
Sombra - I wouldn't say I hate it, but it's not that good, and expensive. I'd rather eat at any other Mexican place in town.

 

[fishwater99]

Who wants their steak still cooking when it is brought to the table?

I never understood this, you have to have a napkin to keep the grease from popping up on your shirt.

Also, a steak needs to rest a few minutes before you eat it..

 

[civildawg88]

That's how you know a place sucks. If you're having to justify going to a mexican restaurant because they have good salads, that says all you need to know about this **** hole.

I love Crachelles and Ticos. To me Ticos has the best steaks around. I will admit that Crachelles is over priced, but the food is really good to me.

I also agree with Mint. I hate Mint.

Here's my list of suck:
Mint - I hate Mint. I hate Mint. I freakin hate Mint.
Another Broken Egg - Over priced. Ihop and Waffle house are better. ABE tries to be gourmet, but I just can't justify the prices for what I'm getting.
Applebees - Has gone so far down hill... McDonalds quality at Back yard burger prices.
Chilis - At least the Madison version has the worst service ever. You cannot get in and out in an hour.
Fat Tuesdays - Worst service in town.
friday tuna - More expensive Nagoya. Same owner. Food is good though. No reason to not go to Nagoya though if you're thinking of going here.
Little Tokyo - Last two times I went, there was something wrong with the Sushi. There's too many other good places to go in the area for sushi to eat something that is obviously bad.
Soul Shine - Worst pizza in town. I put this in the category with Little Caesars. I'd rather eat a Totinos. If you want good pizza, go to Pizza Shack.
signas - This stupid uppity place pisses me off. If all of their seats are currently full, you can't place an order for there. You have to order it to go, even though a seat will probably open up any minute. Also they put mayo on every sandwich. Again, there are too many good sandwich places in town to waste my money on this place.
tays - One choice of bbq sauce, and it sucks. If tays would get better bbq, then they would be fine.
Sombra - I wouldn't say I hate it, but it's not that good, and expensive. I'd rather eat at any other Mexican place in town.

You must be eating at different restaurants than me. Friday tuna is best Japanese place in Jackson to me. It is less expensive that most hibachi places. Soul shine is my favorite pizza in Jackson also. Yeah it's pricey but its damn good.

 

[Irondawg]

Fish - I assume you're talking about Ruths?

Soulshine to me is good, but it's not the best i've ever had. I woudn't put it on a "don't eat there" list though. Only eaten at Signa's once and my food was good - that is a slightly weird policy there.

I'll add Anjou to my original list. Not terrible food, but not worth the money. Better places for the same money.

 

[Jimbob Cooter]

I'll play: AMERIGO

Sorry, just not that impressed. Or maybe I just know what real Italian food is.

 

[patdog]

Signa's is good food, but they picked a terrible location. WAY too small. They should have gone in where the Frisco Deli used to be.

 

[NewTweederEndzoneDance]

Little Tokyo sold to the Nagoya folks and Tommy san moved back to Alaska I believe. Since then, Little Tokyo itself sucks balls. Sakura Bana on the other hand, apparently was not sold to the Nagoya group, and is being run by someone else in the original LT family, and it is still good.

I like Soulshine pizza.

That's how you know a place sucks. If you're having to justify going to a mexican restaurant because they have good salads, that says all you need to know about this **** hole.

I love Crachelles and Ticos. To me Ticos has the best steaks around. I will admit that Crachelles is over priced, but the food is really good to me.

I also agree with Mint. I hate Mint.

Here's my list of suck:
Mint - I hate Mint. I hate Mint. I freakin hate Mint.
Another Broken Egg - Over priced. Ihop and Waffle house are better. ABE tries to be gourmet, but I just can't justify the prices for what I'm getting.
Applebees - Has gone so far down hill... McDonalds quality at Back yard burger prices.
Chilis - At least the Madison version has the worst service ever. You cannot get in and out in an hour.
Fat Tuesdays - Worst service in town.
friday tuna - More expensive Nagoya. Same owner. Food is good though. No reason to not go to Nagoya though if you're thinking of going here.
Little Tokyo - Last two times I went, there was something wrong with the Sushi. There's too many other good places to go in the area for sushi to eat something that is obviously bad.
Soul Shine - Worst pizza in town. I put this in the category with Little Caesars. I'd rather eat a Totinos. If you want good pizza, go to Pizza Shack.
signas - This stupid uppity place pisses me off. If all of their seats are currently full, you can't place an order for there. You have to order it to go, even though a seat will probably open up any minute. Also they put mayo on every sandwich. Again, there are too many good sandwich places in town to waste my money on this place.
tays - One choice of bbq sauce, and it sucks. If tays would get better bbq, then they would be fine.
Sombra - I wouldn't say I hate it, but it's not that good, and expensive. I'd rather eat at any other Mexican place in town.

 

[Negative Waves]

Sombra of all places has good ribs. That's all I'll get when I go there now.

Tico's is mediocre. I can cook a steak at the house that tastes 10 times better than their's. Signa's is overpriced for what you get. Smokehouse BBQ is hit or miss. If the owner is there, it's not bad, but if he's not, the food sucks and don't order their bread pudding! Their idea of bread pudding is a piece of uncooked white bread with vanilla pudding on top. I about threw up. Also, Tico's bread pudding sucks too. It tasted like they dumped a whole bottle of ginger in it.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Signa's is good food, but they picked a terrible location. WAY too small. They should have gone in where the Frisco Deli used to be.

Except the Frisco Deli Madison location is an absolute death trap for restaurants. Not sure why, maybe parking? But it is the last place that I'd put a restaurant, just based solely on the fact that it seems like a guarantee for going out of business. There's a crossfit place there now that has lasted longer than some of the eating places. Weird...

 

[patdog]

You're right and I'm not quite sure why either. There have been good restaurants there and they've all failed. It's a little off the main strip, but not much. McAllister's across the street does just fine. But it's no worse a location than where Signa's went in. With such a small space, I can't see how they can make much money anyway even if they're full all the time (which they usually appear to be).

 

[FreeDawg]

I'll take up for Sombra a bit. Not my favorite but you have to understand what you're getting. I prefer not to eat scoop and serve restaurants, which 99.9% of Mexican places are. Everything they do is cooked to order and fresh. They have a fantastic drink menu w/more creative tequila uses than I thought was possible. I don't mind paying a little bit more than the other Mexican places b/c I know my food hasn't been sitting in a steam table for 4 hours. That said, the guy that owns Sombra, David Kahn (sp?) group, is a great restaurantuer and someone I respect a lot. I've heard Sombra isn't doing great and he won't sit on a failing restaurant. He'll change concepts or something. Service can ruin a dining experience and that's the #1 gripe I've heard w/them although its never been bad for me. Not great but not bad.

 

[coach66]

Tico's is on the list, never been impressed.

nm

 

[crushing]

Interesting how Sombra was brought up as underwhelming by many. That was my first thought as well. It's kind of strange because Sombra, Char, and Amerigo, are supposedly all owned by the same guy(s), at least that's what I heard. I love Char and Amerigo. My favorite at Amerigo was the veal lasagna, but they got rid of it for some reason. I love the cheese fritters. Char has a great steak.

 

[FreeDawg]

They are. It's in my post

 

[patdog]

I'm not sure why the hate for Sombra. The times I've eaten there, it was very good. Definitely a step above most of the other Mexican restaurants in town.

 

[dawgman42]

Tico's is where I had maybe the worst steak I've ever eaten. I would question the tastes of anyone that elevates that place.

 

[msu84grad]

The Tuna has swam away...

Friday Tuna has closed down. Sign on front door says "circumstances beyond our control" -- as in there's no one else left in that shopping center and Walgreens will be moving out as well when their new store at County Line and Pear Orchard is finished... At least something is going on in the old Circuit City location...

 

[jacksonreb]

food is interesting. i'm not generally much of a fan of chains and prob wouldn't go to say applebees period, but was playing golf in prattville last weekend and one of our group wanted to go to O'Charley's. had one of the best pieces of salmon i've ever had. who'd have thought it?

 

[barklager]

Jaco's Tacos is the best mexican joint in the metro area. Local with great service. Decent beers on tap as well.

 

[Palmettodog]

Speaking of Mexican joints. Lived in Brandon for a while as a kid and there was

a place in Pearl call Miguels. It was in little trailer I believe, but they had the best damn Chimachangas(sp). Seems like I remeber them having a little VW bug all decked out with Longhorns on the front. Are they still around?

 

[seshomoru]

La Guadalupe

On Old Canton near the County Line Kroger. Don't take a big group. You won't fit inside.

Or buy this: Authentic Mexican and never go out for "Mexican" again. I don't even like to buy salsa anymore.

 

[615dawg]

Here's my worst list.

Sombra. Its not that its the worst food ever, its that it is overpriced. In an area that has decent Mexican restaurants, then it would have to be outstanding to justify paying twice as much. I'll go if someone wants to go, but its not going to be my suggestion.

Pigskin BBQ in Ridgeland. Why does this place get good reviews? It sucks. I literally can't eat it. Tay's is pretty bad, but I'd eat Tay's exclusively before I set foot in Pigskin again.

Tico's. You are insane if you go to Tico's. There are better steaks in chain restaurants. Side note: The best steak I have ever had in Jackson was actually at Monte's.

 

[Irondawg]

Pigskin is hit or miss. I've had some good pulled pork there but I've had some duds as well. Still for a while was the best option for BBQ in the Mad/Ridgeland area that I knew of anyway since Tay's was not good. I'm usually not a chain fan and while it's not super, Dickey's is solid. I tried Haute Pig a few times and wasn't that impressed.

 

[billysteve]

I've always thought the food at Sombra was pretty decent. I just don't think it's worth waiting for an hour on a Friday night, it seems like every time I drive by the place it's packed so it must be doing pretty well. I haven't been there in a year. Izzo's Illegal Burrito in Flowood is pretty good, but I don't want to drive the 30 minutes across town to eat there. I wish Madison would get a quick Mexican express place like that. It seems like every other city in the South has one on every corner but Jackson only has one.

 

[DaRealistDawg]

Sushi in general

When the wife wants sushi at Nagoya, I go ahead and check the cereal and milk situation so I can stop by Kroger on way back if need be for my dinner. Not only to they trot that dishwater soup out to ya like its some specialty, but the price is too damn high. For $6 I can shrimp tempura and get six mini bites. What a 17'n deal** SO basically I order two of those & drink for $15, and I go home and eat again. I would avoid this place like the plague if it wasn't for the wife.

Here is the list:

Nagoya: reasons above
Sweet Peppers: how it is still open I have no idea...Service, food...total ****
Biaggis: i don't know what it is, maybe the goat cheese chicken panini, or pizza, or cannaloni, or the chef-boyrdee tomato soup they serve, it all tastes like crap. Boo this place.
Portillos: why the hell the need for green peas in the Mexican rice??, worst Mexican in town. I wish this place would meet the same fortune as Gatti Town
Broadstreet: only place for lunch when we go where I stare at the menu and wonder what the hell to order
Mansell's Deli: i don't know if anyone ever branched out and ate at their location in CSpire bldg, but dear god...they put hot dog slices in their red bean lunch special, awful. Bldg mgmt kicked them out and opted for Subway...this was major upgrade
Bonnie's @ One Jackson Place: This ole girl gave it a run for her money but her slop was terrible. Health Dept closed her down. Couldn't believe my wife said she still liked and used to eat there. Someone turned her in for no sink and for cooking the food at her house. Surely she paid Parkway/EastGroup rent over the years (i ate there a few times w/ wife from 2006-2007) but the little lunch money she made, you know she reported it ALL to Uncle Sam**
Elite/Mayflower: blue heirs adore this place. Getting old must be great for your taste buds. Like eating a strangers chicken & dumplings- 17n nasty. The Elite's famous enchiladas- not gonna say it
Tays: service is terrible, I make my own drink 1/2 the time and the BBQ sauce is terrible. Haute Pig and Dickeys will run it of business eventually
Amerigos: Not sure if this was before or after the local family bought it back, but the Sysco food I ate that night, I had to send back both different entrees (fish and steak- both for smelling foul) and told them not to send another one.
Up the CreeK: if you ate there, you know

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I'll take up for Sombra a bit. Not my favorite but you have to understand what you're getting. I prefer not to eat scoop and serve restaurants, which 99.9% of Mexican places are. Everything they do is cooked to order and fresh. They have a fantastic drink menu w/more creative tequila uses than I thought was possible. I don't mind paying a little bit more than the other Mexican places b/c I know my food hasn't been sitting in a steam table for 4 hours. That said, the guy that owns Sombra, David Kahn (sp?) group, is a great restaurantuer and someone I respect a lot. I've heard Sombra isn't doing great and he won't sit on a failing restaurant. He'll change concepts or something. Service can ruin a dining experience and that's the #1 gripe I've heard w/them although its never been bad for me. Not great but not bad.

I agree on Sombra. I've always really enjoyed it. That being said, I have friends who can't stand it. Maybe too used to standard Mexican that you can find everywhere else. I can't imagine how much business they have to do to stay in that location. It can't be cheap space...

 

[615dawg]

Tell your wife that you heard that Ichiban had the best sushi in town. At least there's something else for you to eat. By the way, not bad for a Chinese buffet.

Peppers has gone downhill now that you say that. They changed the menu a few months back.

Biaggi's sucks. How could I forget.

El Ranchito is where its at for Mexican. Or their cheaper cousin El Cazadores.

Broad Street is good - but $15 for a sandwich combo is too expensive.

I have a buddy that likes Tays. I don't like it, but I can stand it. Its always just me and him when we eat there though. Dickey's will definitely put it out of business.

 

[Irondawg]

Biaggis does hava nice apple crostada desert. When it first opened I had a few pretty tasty meals there. The last two times it was pretty blah. There is a serious lack of quality italian in the city. Bravo and Fratesi's are good, but beyond that I'm at a loss.

Peppers has really slipped as well.

 

[FlabLoser]

On Old Canton near the County Line Kroger. Don't take a big group. You won't fit inside.

Or buy this: Authentic Mexican and never go out for "Mexican" again. I don't even like to buy salsa anymore.

What is "Authentic Mexican"?

I will say this - nearly every damn Mexican place in Mississippi royally sucks. And they are all jam packed every night. Crazy.

I heard 2nd hand from the Fernando's owner that he tried a real Mexican restaurant in the Jackson area and it bombed because the population has been trained crap known as Mississippi Mexican.

 

[Wooly17er]

I was in a grocery store one morning when a bunch of Mexican women that worked at the restaurant next door were checking out. They had bought ever pack of Beef Tongue the store had. The cashier apparently recognized the ladies from the restaurant next door. She asked, "Why do you always buy the tongue?" This signaled to me that they do this on a regular basis. Her response: "We use for ground beef in tacos." So - there you have it. And it makes sense. Their ground beef is always a little more gray and a little less chunky like Ground Round or Ground Chuck - and it is a little more watery. Beef Tongue.

 

[fishwater99]

I was referring to Tico's, but you are right Ruth's does it too.. The food is better at Ruth's than Ticos for sure..

 

[EAVdog]

thai house

With the other places of recommendation, how about a threat of places to avoid other than fast food.

I'll start.

Sombra - overpriced, mediocre service and really average food. I won't be back.

Mint - gets a carry over from the other thread. I haven't tried it, but 90% of the people i know that have eaten there have not had positive reviews.

Ticos - surprise entry but the last two times I went it was very average and a lot worse that Shapleys or Ruth Chris. I have heard that if you're a regular you get a better steak, but most of us aren't in that class.

Rossini - Italian place on jackson st in Ridgeland that you can get a Groupon for all the time. There's a reason for that. Bad service and below average italian fare to me.

is it that crazy to expect Jackson to have at least one decent Thai joint? And if you think it is good you haven't had good Thai food.

 

[seshomoru]

What is "Authentic Mexican"?

Depends on what part of Mexico your in. Seriously, if you like Mexican cuisine, that book is awesome.

I'd say we have some pretty decent Tex-Mex places in town, though.

 

[fishwater99]

You need to go to Sakura Bana for Sushi, they were the original Little Toyko and the 1st in Jackson.

And get some real sushi(like some raw tuna), not some fried shrimp tempura.
Wash it all down with some cold sake...
The J&L Box is the bomb there..
TNT roll, SST app, Shrimp Lagoon, Krispy Creme roll, Dragon roll,... it's all good...

 

[CEO2044]

Sombra is okay, but agreed with overpriced.

Signa's- a bit overpriced, and I didn't know about the rule where you can only order takeout if everyone's seated. I will say the owner is a young kid and the building was probably what he could afford. I know he'll take suggestions. Really good guy. Just mention it to him.

 

[TheGoat.sixpack]

When the wife wants sushi at Nagoya, I go ahead and check the cereal and milk situation so I can stop by Kroger on way back if need be for my dinner. Not only to they trot that dishwater soup out to ya like its some specialty, but the price is too damn high. For $6 I can shrimp tempura and get six mini bites. What a 17'n deal** SO basically I order two of those & drink for $15, and I go home and eat again. I would avoid this place like the plague if it wasn't for the wife.

Here is the list:

Nagoya: reasons above
Sweet Peppers: how it is still open I have no idea...Service, food...total ****
Biaggis: i don't know what it is, maybe the goat cheese chicken panini, or pizza, or cannaloni, or the chef-boyrdee tomato soup they serve, it all tastes like crap. Boo this place.
Portillos: why the hell the need for green peas in the Mexican rice??, worst Mexican in town. I wish this place would meet the same fortune as Gatti Town
Broadstreet: only place for lunch when we go where I stare at the menu and wonder what the hell to order
Mansell's Deli: i don't know if anyone ever branched out and ate at their location in CSpire bldg, but dear god...they put hot dog slices in their red bean lunch special, awful. Bldg mgmt kicked them out and opted for Subway...this was major upgrade
Bonnie's @ One Jackson Place: This ole girl gave it a run for her money but her slop was terrible. Health Dept closed her down. Couldn't believe my wife said she still liked and used to eat there. Someone turned her in for no sink and for cooking the food at her house. Surely she paid Parkway/EastGroup rent over the years (i ate there a few times w/ wife from 2006-2007) but the little lunch money she made, you know she reported it ALL to Uncle Sam**
Elite/Mayflower: blue heirs adore this place. Getting old must be great for your taste buds. Like eating a strangers chicken & dumplings- 17n nasty. The Elite's famous enchiladas- not gonna say it
Tays: service is terrible, I make my own drink 1/2 the time and the BBQ sauce is terrible. Haute Pig and Dickeys will run it of business eventually
Amerigos: Not sure if this was before or after the local family bought it back, but the Sysco food I ate that night, I had to send back both different entrees (fish and steak- both for smelling foul) and told them not to send another one.
Up the CreeK: if you ate there, you know

The Elite's Chicken Fried Veil (brown gravy) is awesome. Last time I ate a Biaggi's it was good (got some sort of crabmeat ravioli). I like Amerigo too. I do agree with the rest of your list.