JACK SALOON OLD PORT

If you’re a foodie & a fan of good music, you need to check out Jack Saloon! Located at 262 St-Paul Est in a historical building dating back to 1712, where you can still see the relics of the fortifications of Ville-Marie, the place offers a very unique decor, carefully segregated into 4 sections inspired by the Civil War. Well curated wall paper & posters ornate the walls of each section, creating an ‘out of a Tarantino movie’ mood & vibe. The live band, the red lighting & the wood all create a warm atmosphere of rock & roll with a western twist!

I had the pleasure of trying out their new menu this past Friday with my fiancé & I was blown away; chef Dave Struggle Boudreau is a magician! He defines his food as “gourmet trash food”, the kind of food you like to eat after you had a couple drinks, but that is meticulously prepared with fresh, quality ingredients! Everything is made on the spot using old style techniques; for example the onion rings are marinated in a homemade sauce for 14 hours, then cooked on charcoal. The restaurant offers burgers, smoked salmon, filet mignon, re-invented tartars, salads, etc. – something for every taste & diet! We started off with drinks: I had the delicious strawberry mojito (highly recommend) and my b/f tried the Jack Saloon beer (I sipped a bit of his, hehe) – we recommend it to people who like amber beer! As an entree, we tested out a tartar trio: a strawberry/knot of wasabi & basil salmon tartar (my bf’s favorite), a ‘Bloody’ beer tartar with clamato reduction, vodka & fresh herbs, and finally my absolute favortie: “Japanese Style” tuna tartar with sesame seeds, green apple & avocado! So much flavor in each of these tartars! I was pleasantly surprised with the beef tartar, as I am not usually a fan, but this one was mouth watering! I love how the chef mixed in strawberries in the salmon tartar – I would never have thought of this combination! I think we finished off this plate under 5 mins – lol. I loved the fact that they give you enough bread for the tartar, usually you get a tiny slice and you need to ask for extra!

After this generous portion of tartar, we sampled this amazing platter of smoked salmon covered with Philly sauce & baby greens, smoked chicken wings drizzled with caramel, the infamous onion rings & cooked chef’s oysters with salsa! Omg, where do I begin? The smoked salmon is the one that stole my heart! I simply could not get enough!!!! So much flavor & perfect combination with the Philly sause & greens – a delicacy! The onion rings drizzled with caramel were a sin – we enjoyed every bite! I understand why they get marinated for 14 hours…The chicken wings were tender & finger licking. And the cooked oysters, well, it was unlike anything we had tried before. We only had raw oysters in the past, so this was a pleasant novelty – very good! 

We thought this was the last of it and we were already completely full, but the chef decided we did not have enough and graciously served us another sampler!  I don’t know how, but we ate every single bite – probably b/c it was too delicious to leave behind, lol. Seared tuna steak, 4 cheese Mac & Cheese & filet mignon! Let’s start off with the tuna steak – this was the winner for us on this platter! It was so tender & the flavor was amazing – a lot of times at restaurants, a seared tuna doesn’t taste like anything, but this one was perfectly seasoned with creamy adobo sauce & avocado, served with fresh creme & wasabi puré. I am a huge fan of mac & cheese & this 4 cheese one was crazy! I enjoyed every bite! I was too full for the chips, so I removed them to fully enjoy the pasta! Finally, the filet mignon was extremely tender and cooked to perfection. It was covered with ancho, guajillo & pasilla chili Bordelaise sauce with butter and dark chocolate – very fancy! The meat was delicious, I found the sauce a bit too sweet, but that could have been b/c I was too full at that point, b/c my bf loved it- need to try it again to better assess :) 

Last but not least, there is always room for dessert! Served in a mason jar, the most perfect, smooth & crunchy on top chocolate creme brulée & an espresso! After that, we were ready to be rolled back home! (lol)

My fiancé & I came to the conclusion that we adore this place and will definitely be coming back! I must admit, we usually hate going to Old Port on the weekends b/c of the parking situation, but the restaurant is located next to a few parking lots & it was quite easy to find parking on the street on Friday around 8pm (secret that is to remain between us alright? Wink Wink)

Overall: Delicious food, great music & ambiance, and an outstanding service! Highly recommended!

To find out more, don’t hesitate to visit their website: jacksaloon.com. Jack Saloon will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary this Wednesday, October 7th, so be sure to RSVP, you will not be disappointed!

Hope this review was helpful! Have a great Monday guys!

Kisses,

WCX

Location: 

Jack Saloon
Address : 262 rue Saint Paul Est, Montréal, Qc
Tel: (514) 564-7980