"The baked potato had sorbet scoop sizes of butter and bacon bits."
(in 4 reviews)
"This is perhaps the BEST steakhouse I've ever been to."
(in 7 reviews)
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Jess & Jim's Steak House
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
12 reviews for Jess & Jim's Steak House
Review Highlights
The second you walk in, you see accolades displayed all over the wall so immediately the bar was set really high. The atmosphere and decor are like a throwback to the 1970s, probably when they had their last renovation. But why really care about decor when you're really there for the food?
The boy and I decided to order a top sirloin steak and burger and split them, along with a cup of steak soup and the salad that came with the steak. We also ordered fried onions.
The salad was just that. Iceberg lettuce with a couple tomato slices, cucumber and carrots. Your average salad. The steak soup would have been pretty decent if it hadn't been way too salty.
On to the entrees. I first had the burger which was a pretty decent quality of beef. I just wished it didn't come in a bathtub's worth of oil. I thought it was way too greasy and wish I had patted it down, but would probably need a whole paper towel roll. The amount of meat was ample and extended way past the bun, so you wouldn't be left with extra bun. The steak was a definite winner. It came on a sizzling plate and was soft and tender. Not the highest end steak but it was pretty tasty, if not a little oily. I couldn't help but devour it. And the fries that came with it were so good, we ended up taking them home. Awesome fries.
Service was great and the waitress was attentive, filled up our glasses and checked in on us.
As a tip, http://restaurant.com offers a discount for them if you order two steaks. And order the steak with salad and fries.
For the price, I don't think you'll beat this for a steakhouse. The place is HUGE, but the design is old school and reminds you of a joint from the 1970's or early 80's. You'd never realize that it is that large driving by. It also abuts train tracks so you get to watch freight trains or hear them while at dinner. Pretty cool. They also have a lot of private parking. I found the restaurant to be a little off the beaten path.
As you walk in, DO NOT miss the "aquarium" with the various steaks they sell. You'll be able to figure out what the steak cuts look like before you order them.
We were seated rather quickly (we had called in an hour ahead of time since they do that versus take reservations). Our waitress paid a lot of attention to us and was quite nice. We appreciated the other staff as well. All the diners seemed to be having a good time. It's a casual establishment, not fine dining.
We ordered:
Top Sirloin medium - Good cut that was pretty lean. I don't like meat that has large pieces of fat. Tender. However, it wasn't marinated or spiced well and they didn't have steak sauce on the table. I did enjoy it, but it could have been better. It was also a bit greasy. Good size cut.
Burger Medium - It was very juicy and marinated well, but a bit greasy. HUGE, however!!!!!
Fries-AMAZING! We both LOVED these fries. They were salted/spiced up well and went quite well drenched with ketchup, but would have been still amazing without any condiments. I truly enjoyed devouring them. They were just right. They give you a huge serving.
Side Salad-I also enjoyed this. The french house dressing was just right. I don't like the creamy french. Good size salad.
Grilled Onions-Done perfectly. Not drenched in butter like a lot of ones are at your typical steakhouses. Perfect on the burger, steaks or just eaten plain. MMMM GOOD. Also a good size serving.
Steak Soup-Not impressed. Too salty/boulion like. Not enough beef in there, but real pieces of steak. They can improve this.
All in all, for the price we paid, we got a LOT of food and good quality. The staff provided excellent service.
The only suggestion I have is, if you have a gift certificate or some other promotion, discuss with the wait staff before ordering. Apparently they don't consider burgers entrees (only steaks), even though they were HUGE and a meal by themselves.
We'll be back to enjoy more! We'll pick a different cut of steak next time.
The decor is a little dated, but it does add to the ambiance in my opinion. The prime rib is fantastic, the potatoes are huge and the place is just a classic.
I have to second Kev L's high praise for the cheeseburgers here. Came in for lunch a couple of days ago while on a visit from the Bay Area, and had the best cheeseburger anywhere, ever (and I'm not all that young, and I've been around). The quality of the meat was extraordinarily high (I'm guessing they grind steak meat on-premises). It was wonderfully juicy. The quantity of meat in the patty was a bit overwhelming despite our having come hungry, but it still disappeared. I'm generally not an eater of cheeseburgers but this was a great experience.
I'll also add that our server was charming and attentive and gave us some good advice on how to order (big patty, so medium gives the results you'd expect from medium-rare), and it's always a pleasure to do business with a locally-run family-owned business such as this. I hope to return to KC in the near future to try the steak, in the hopes that it is equally amazing.
Wow. Just wow. Not enough praise for this place! We took our 1 year old here when the sitter backed out on us- we were not going to let that ruin date night!! Can I just tell you, they made us as a family feel like part of their family!! Our server even cut up the beets for Emma to eat (and Emma LOVED them) so that we could enjoy our salads!
Now- moving on to the MEAT!!! The BEST steak in KC, possibly the world as Playboy once said! I am not sure how/why they taste so good.... and I know this sounds silly, but I think pride and love of what they do make it taste better! The steak was so tender, Emma could chew it no problem! The baked potato (loaded of course) was out of this world! Even reheated nice the next day! So did the steak for that matter! There is nothing greater then enjoying a wonderful meal with loved ones and this place makes you feel at home! Even the other guests are friendly! Don't get me wrong, if you want privacy/romantic dinner, you will get it! It was just an amazing experience all the way around. Should get 50 stars!!!!
As mentioned, this is a steakhouse in every sense of the word. There are other items on the menu, but the best thing and focus of everything is steak. This is also the only mid-range steak house in KC I've ever really enjoyed. Its in that space between a chain like Outback or Longhorn and the super fancy steak houses. The other midranges like Hereford or J Alexander's just don't do it for me.
The steaks are all very good. And of course if you are bargain hunting for great food, the hamburger is amazing. I would suggest to people that they order a larger cut of steak. They usually have two sizes of most cuts, but the larger one is thicker and tastes better. So even if you'll have leftovers, it's probably worth it to go large. But the thinner cuts are still very juicy and have great texture too.
The decor is very much old home style. Everything has that kind of 70's decor, little bit shabby edge to it, but everything (except the ceiling tiles) is clean and well kept. The service was also very solid. I was not blown away by it, but everything came as ordered, drinks refilled quickly, and everyone was very friendly. So if you are looking for a great steak without paying $50 for it, this is a solid choice.
This is Kevin. It's Wednesday and it's 4:39PM. I cannot believe what I just heard.
One of my co-workers (I will not say his name) just said he had the best hamburger of his life. FOR SIX DOLLARS.
What Is also shocking me right now is he just told me the establishment was called Jess & Jim's and that it was on 135th and Holmes.
I immediately have just remembered that the Pitch and other KC restaurant critics mentioned that Playboy once recognised this place as the best steakhouse on the planet. And yeah, they do have $90 steaks, and it is a pretty serious steakhouse.
I was waiting for tax season to go here since obviously great steakhouses have great prices. But if my co-worker, (In particular THIS Co-worker) says it is the best hamburger he has ever had in his life, I am immediately compelled to go find out.
This guy absolutely destroys all restaurants when he reviews them. He's also failed to give me the name of any establishment here in the KC area that he actually likes. Today, history has been made.
If this guy loves this place, I therefore must find out too! within 24 hours, I will edit this post.
UPDATE: As promised!! Thursday 1:45PM
HOLY FRIGGIN COW!
Man. It should be illegal to serve a hamburger this big! I mean it's insane! I just went with 12 of my co-workers (Many who post here on yelp) and it was a resounding total vote that this is the best burger place in Kansas City. BY FAR.
Even one of the most devout Westport Flea-Market fans had to concede, that this place has the better burger. And what makes it so drop down, hands down the winner, is the fact that the total price for this 16oz godzilla of a burger with cheese and stupid tasty fries was exactly $6.60!!!!!
Get the word out and get out to this joint. The lunch menu is available on Saturdays too!
I've traveled far, and experienced many steakhouses. This is perhaps the BEST steakhouse I've ever been to.
The last time I went, I challenged myself to a 40oz porterhouse steak, accompanied with pickled beets, steak soup, buttered mushrooms, and possibly a couple other items. I downed it all, and everything was incredible (though 2 pickled beets were enough for me)
No pomp, no pretentious, just warm friendly staff, and unbelievably delicious food. The railroad track outside just adds to the small town atmosphere that I've grown so fond of.
If you're anywhere in the vicinity, and like your steak, this place is a MUST.
Been here twice about 5 years ago after reading about it in a magazine. I still dream about it once a year and am still looking for a comparable steakhouse. The theme here is meat. (I asked for the soup choices and they offered me steak soup.) The baked potato had sorbet scoop sizes of butter and bacon bits. The filet mignon wrapped in bacon was just dripping with yumminess. The restaurant is family run so it doesn't have the pretentiousness of other steakhouses. The portions were unhealthily large and the prices were reasonable for what you get.
The best part of the place, they have a wall of fame recognizing their regular customers for years of patronage. I wonder how many of them have had heart attacks? If you're ever in Kansas City, definitely stop by this establishment next to the railroad tracks. Hmm...I also wonder if they get to choose their cuts straight from the livestock cars?
My family lives nearby and we've enjoyed the steaks here for the last 10 years. I fell off the wagon as a vegetarian and landed with a mouthful of the richest, juiciest prime rib I've ever had in my life. The atmosphere is great--very family friendly, and the waitress even hugged me for ordering a glass of milk with my dinner (I was 25 at the time, and it tickled her!). It really doesn't get better than this place for steak, and I rarely order steak out anymore--after all, I'll just be disappointed after having had the best at Jess and Jim's.
Jess & Jim's Steak House
Mike and Debbie VanNoy, Owners
517 E. 135th
Martin City, MO 64145
Dear Fabulous Jess & Jim's Team,
May I begin with a humble apology! With all the letters I have written to new and some not so new, fine dining establishments, in and around the Kansas City area, it has taken me over 19 years to send you folks a formal thank you! My hats off to all the great folks at Jess & Jim's, who faithfully continue the VanNoy family tradition of offering exceptional service, reasonably priced extraordinary foods to thousands of hungry and satisfied diners! What makes many of us long-time faithful, Jess & Jim'ers, is one undeniable fact: The VanNoy family has never seen the need to skimp on quantity nor compromise the quality of remarkable food.
It seems the only thing more loyal than the countless number of happy returning customers are the many dedicated employees, who have faithfully served at Jess & Jim's, some for over 40 years. What a blessing to witness, neither daughter nor son, Ashley and Mikey have taken the VanNoy name for granted! With a beautiful smile, always pleasant, outgoing, hard working, and ready to serve, Ashley's can-do attitude, quickly tames even the most meticulous, or grumpiest of eaters! But Dan is just as skilled, or Anne, or there is the Great and Faithful, Betty and Bernie. Knowing the menu backwards and forwards, every waitperson is pleasant, personable, and professional.
And with generous pours of fine libations, Bartender Scotty, does his part in pleasing folks.
Always cooked to perfection, Jess & Jim's is known for their hand cut, quality steaks. But the only thing better than their huge, loaded, twice baked potatoes, is their secret, old family recipe of fresh, steaming-hot, pan-fried chicken! The most flavorful in all of KC and the best I have ever tasted! With a grand salad and always homemade dressings, and of course, a good bottle of vino from Ashley's new and extensive wine menu, well, feasting just can't get any better than this!
More times than I can remember, and never once being disappointed, Cheri and I thoroughly enjoy each relaxing and pleasurable visit to Jess & Jim's!
Please be assured, for years we have done our part to tell others about your wonderful restaurant and the fine, fun crew who graciously serve at Jess & Jim's!
Very Pleased "Cheers" Customers,
Woody and Cheri Woodward
If you want the best steak in town, go to Jess and Jims. I've lived in KC forever, and we can't find a better steak...we've tried. They are huge and tender, always perfectly cooked, and the best thing about the place is that it's down-to-earth and casual. You can see people in cowboy hats and prom dresses and feel comfortable in each. Their baked potatoes are HUGE but please, don't try to eat all the butter that comes on them. That can't be good for your heart. They have a bar that is relaxing to sit back and enjoy a strong cocktail in; we've been known to retire there for after dinner drinks a time or two. There is nothing presumptuous about this place; everything here is basic and tasty, and the waitstaff is super friendly and welcoming. For dessert I'd try the turtle cheesecake...once you've eaten the loaded baked potato a few more calories couldn't hurt! This is definately a place to take out-of-towners if you want to show them a true KC, old-school western place that cooks a mean steak.
