Jar

Deciding on a restaurant for a special occasion can be a difficult process. What reviews do you trust? How do you accommodate everyone that will be attending the dinner? The list goes on of different issues to address when picking a place where you hope lasting memories will be made. For my birthday I decided on Jar as the memory-maker. Unfortunately, the only memory I made was not to come back.

Jar does a lot of things right. The staff is very welcoming and accommodating; our server had been there for quite a while and directed us through the menu like a pro. The décor of Jar has been considered by many to be a modern take on 1960’s cool, a la Mad Men, and it lived up to the billing.

Comfortably cushioned chairs on rollers, the soft lighting, and the lack of exciting flavors in each plate tempts one to take a nap in between courses, why not the whole meal. I don’t mean to be so cynical; Jar does offer delectable treats like their pudding dessert but once our server informed us of what Jar stands for, Just Another Restaurant, I realized that the place definitely lives up to its name. For someone who has been to a number of great steakhouses and feels they know a thing or two of how a steak should be prepared and cooked, the Kansas City Steak was a huge disappointment for me. Undercooked and lacking proper flavor, it tasted like just another steak. The lamb shank was decent but not memorable, again not much flavor. I can’t actually remember what other entrées we had. Picking up on a theme? Boring and forgettable, that’s what you’ll find at Just Another Restaurant.

I enjoy going out to fine restaurants. They truly are a treat and not something I get to do everyday. That being said, I expect greatness. I expect such a magical experience that I dream of the next time I will get an opportunity to return to that restaurant. Unfortunately Jar is not one of those restaurants. Live and learn they say, and I was reminded of a valuable lesson (among others) on my birthday; looks can be deceiving.

- Jesse