Jeanty At Jacks

I can’t believe it’s closed!!!
Romantic ambiance and good service here, food was good except that they were a little too salty. My bf had his first taste of escargot here, it is too sad that it’s now closed. :(

What? CLOSED? Bummer… =(
I came here for Valentines Day dinner (yes yes, I know it was a while ago but I just opened my Unilocal account today). I’ve also been to their restaurant in the wine country, and the menu was exactly the same.
Their tomato soup in puff pastry = one of the best soups you’ll ever have in your life!
Pork chop = WOW. Pork chops are usually not something I would order at a restaurant, but my friend recommended it so I tried it. Unlike the semi-​dry, bland flavors of pork chops at most restaurants, this one was VERY juicy and well flavored. I was EXTREMELY impressed.
Didn’t their sister restaurant have a Michelin star? I’ll have to make a trip out there to taste that yummy pork chop again!

Oh No! They are closed? Sacre Bleu!
I ate here a long time ago for my birthday and I can still taste that tomato soup with the puff pastry. oooh lala! That was heavenly. I can’t believe they closed down already. Would have definitely wanted to go back for more.
Steak Tartare, Duck «Foie Blond» Pâté, Terrine De Lapin, C’est magnifique! Je manquerai votre nourriture, Jeanty!

I don’t know what’s the deal with picking a holiday for a restaurant closure. The last one was Jack Falstaff a day before Mother’s Day. Now another «…Jack» CLOSED right before the Memorial Day weekend. Is there a tax benefit? How do employees celebrate a holiday right after being laid off? I don’t get it. If someone knows why closing on a holiday is a good idea, then please let me know.
I’ll miss this little restaurant
. I always received good courteous service the few times I dined here over the years. Popular place for a business lunch. In my opinion, a better choice than Palio D’Asti across the street. The last time I came here was during DAT earlier this year (BTW another DAT is coming up in June). I was happy to recommend this place for DAT, because the waiters treated you well regardless if you were paying full price or the discounted DAT offer — at a few other «fancy» places they look at you like a pauper when you order discounted items. No fake French accents here, just friendly service. If you want a French waiter, go to Plouf or Café Claude instead. The food was good and the old-​fashioned yet elegant space was adorable. The classy décor and the Toulouse-​Lautrec posters contributed to the pleasant old-​style café ambiance. It’s a multi-​level dining space with both stairs and an elevator. Similarly to Scala’s Bistro, the restrooms are inconveniently located upstairs in the 3^rd floor — the «Pipi room»
= the amusing French sign says: prolonged parking prohibited.
I’ll confess that if given a choice, I’d pick Le Charm or Chapeau for a more affordable traditional French cuisine. But it was always a treat to dine here.
For any SF history buffs: this was the former location of Jack’s
the 2^nd oldest restaurant in SF (since 1864), after Tadich Grill (since 1849).
pics at the table
The famous tomato soup in puff pastry
Delicious & perfectly cooked (medium rare) ribeye steak
Cheese plate sampler

THE MOST HEAVENLY TOMATO SOUP ON EARTH. It was so light, creamy, and savory – the puff pastry put it over the top. I would bathe in this stuff, naked with a ladle. The tomato soup was neither overpriced at $ 7.50 nor overrated at a perfect 10.
My friends and I had dinner at this charming bistro serving basic French the other night. The appetizers were simple – simply divine. In addition to the tomato soup I would swim in, I loved the contrast in flavors and texture of the duck «foie blond» pâté with a port poached pear. The escargots were splendidly served in their shells and smothered with butter and herbs.
For the main course I felt adventurous and ordered the steak tartare. I enjoyed the taste at first, but resented it after a while – the flank steak was freshly ground and lightly seasoned, but eight ounces of it was just six ounces too much of uncooked cattle. I also tasted my friends’ sole meuniere and moules au vin rouge, which were unexciting and unimpressive. Like a lukewarm bath with no bubbles.
I’d like to give this place more stars, but the entrees largely disappointed and the prices were relatively steep. I don’t know why French cuisine is so expensive – I can make everything taste good with a stick of butter and a wheel of cheese, too.
I’ll be back for the tomato soup. Vivre la France for the puff pastry!

Growing up in the City, locals always remember that intimidating restaurant in the Financial District where gentlemen in suits and, occasionally, fancily dressed women would enter for drinks or dinner. Boy, have times changed… The «old boy’s club» has become a destination for the more casual «power lunchers» ranging from the neighborhood workforce to deal makers. In our case, it was just a déjà vu moment with a friend of a lunch of eight years past. We both remembered the menu well and ordered like we did:
Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry (2) — Just like we both remembered, a generous crock of perfectly baked puff pastry, enveloping a tangy sweet tomato cream soup, great work a cool San Francisco day.
Butter Lettuce Salad — Generous portion, but did not try.
Frites — Served warm and served in a white snow cone-​like container, it made for good dipping and munching as we contrasted it with the flavors from the soup.
Coq Au Vin — Small pieces of tenderly stewed chicken in a heavy wine sauce with white onions, mushrooms (I love my mushrooms), and small potato chunks. The wine sauce was a little too heavy for my taste.
They have lunch specials and I was tempted by the Croque Monsieur as well as a short rib sandwich. We were seated in a small room on the second floor, where the tables were densely arranged; I bumped a neighboring diner’s chair several times in adjusting my seat. The service was very good, probably because one of the floor managers personally took our order; not sure whether the waiter on our floor was overwhelmed. With reservations, we still waited about ten minutes before being seated. For those who have difficulty in navigating narrow stairs, there is also an elevator available. Our lunch came to $ 60.00 without tip (including an order of iced tea). Call me sentimental, call me old school. Good food and good memories always last.

Unilocalitude should be a no-​holds-​barred attitude imbibed in each of your Unilocal reviews. And you do not have to be French to do this. Oui, oui.
My non-​Yelper friend Yvon (gasp) told me about her Jeanty’s experience a few days ago, so I decided to give it a whirl for a Friday’s luncheon with Unilocaler May W.
**
Was running 15 minutes late for a reservation at this French restaurant, so as a courtesy, we called ahead letting them know. A female answered the phone and almost spoiled the mood to go here. She said, «I cannot guarantee seating. You are just going have to wait.» Wow, I thought I was in PRE-​SCHOOL for a second there.
Nestled in the Financial District, Jaunty was located in a semi-​busy one-​way street. Didn’t have time to find parking, so had to do valet at an adjacent lot at $ 5 for every 20 minutes.
Entered this cute brick building and found out the greeter was not even French. She had a frown on her face with no smile and no Bonjour greeting. Must be the same girl on the phone. Luckily, the place was not packed yet. We were whisked up the elevator to the top floor.
The atrium with a huge skylight ceiling was awesome. I liked seeing a building towering over us while we dined. Plus the tables were spaced out well and the décor was pleasant. It didn’t seem as stuffy as the booths downstairs.
Got better attitude at a higher altitude. Our server was courteous and friendly. The busboys took our plates away and refilled our glasses and bread promptly.
Enjoyed the tomato soup with puff pastry, one of their signature dish. It wasn’t too creamy nor overpowering. The pastry crust was flaky and once dipped in the soup — genius. The onion soup, however, had too much cheese and it tasted: so-​so.
The cold rabbit pâté as another appetizer was interesting. Looked like spam and tasted like ham. Used that as a spread on the french bread, which was OK. I liked the celery root salad with the pâté, as well.
My flat-​iron steak was not as warm as I expected, but the several sliced pieces of steak were juicy and tender. I gotta remember to eat like a bird, not like a bear. The server had to go up and down the stairs to get the food from the kitchen on the second floor.
May W had the Sole Miuniere Capers with whipped potatoes. It was good but nothing to rave about.
The dessert Crème Caramel, topped with butterfly cookie, was such an «EYE ROLLING» flan, I would return to eat again.
Room for improvement:
1) Bigger is not always better. I liked the experience from Chapeau, when the chef comes out to shake your hands after the meal.
2) Hire a greeter who maintains a cheerful attitude. Avoid MILFs (Morons I Like to Fire).
3) Serve your steak and sole warm not at room temperature. Did it right with the tomato soup.

i ordered from the Dine About Town menu while my friend ordered from the regular menu.
We had:
APPETIZERS:
–DUCK «FOIE BLOND» PATE with a Port Poached Pear … i love pâté and i love foie gras so this is good to me. Delicious. It’s not rich in flavor (would’ve been perfect if it was) but i love the texture. it’s very light, buttery and smooth. texture itself is perfect, couldn’t be better.
–TOMATO SOUP WITH PUFF PASTRY… sour and for some reason it had a cheesy taste to me. i might be trippin’. i did check their recipe for this soup on
and i didn’t see any cheese. so maybe i am trippin’. anyhow, it’s very good.
ENTREE:
–SOLE MIUNIERE Capers, Lemon Butter and Whipped Potatoes … not bad
–PORK SHOULDER… it would be nice if it had more flavor to it
DESSERT:
–LEMON SORBET. very refreshing. cute presentation
–PEAR BREAD PUDDING. it’s good but too rich. we couldn’t even finish half of it.
WINE: we had their house. Cotes du Rhone. it was okay, i do love that it’s a dry finish.
i’d like to go back to try their Steak Tartare and Coq Au Vin

If you didn’t know where you were going, you’d totally miss this little gem.
Apparently, the tomato soup in puff pastry is all the rage. I chose to go with their french onion soup and let my bf have the tomato soup. so that I could enjoy the best of both worlds by poaching. Let’s just say that french onion soup was A+ and the tomato soup was not all that impressive. Sure, it’s better than Campbell’s but it’s not better than the sun dried tomato roasted garlic soup at Caper’s in Campbell. It’s just not.
Their coq au vin was superb as was their steak tartare. If you’ve never tried it, you really must do so here.

After reading all of the great DAT reviews, I suggested to David T. that we give it a try. No reservations, but we took a seat at the bar.
I’ve been suffering from a nasty cold, sneezes, tissue box and all. Mr. Bartender asks if we want drinks, but David requests hot tea for me. He asks, «What kind of tea do you have?» To which the bartender gives David the Hand and says «Wait a minute.» You know the Hand don’t you? Remember back when it was cool to say, «Talk to hand.» Well, that’s the hand Mr. Bartender threw up. I was like uuuuuhhhhh, no you didn’t just throw up the Hand in Jeanty. That was the service in a nutshell.
Food was decent, but I didn’t experience anything remotely close to the DAT reviews. Onion soup was bland with a TON of cheese. My sole had a nice texture, but I was turned off when I took a bite only to find 3 or 4 lemon seeds in the mix. After surveying the lemon slices on my plate, they all still had seeds in them. Needless to say ¾ of my dinner is sitting in my fridge.
David’s beef stew and beet salad (non-​DAT menu items) were okay. Meet was tender, but lacked seasoning. He enjoyed it though and left his plate clean.
Oh, we also ordered a site of frites which were good. What was strange was the saltiness of the ketchup! Super salty.
The superstar of the night was the lemon sorbet. Served in a hollowed out lemon. Nice texture, balance between sweet and tart. Very good.
Eh, it wasn’t that great and I’ve had much better experiences at other french places in SF. Maybe it would have been different if we were seated at a table. I really wanted to like Jeanty, but I was kinda disappointed.

KEITH WAS A DARLING!
Our server was very nice, adorable and very accommodating! We sat on the first level, next to the bar but switched a table over because we were so close to the table next to us and they were loud! Keith was really sweet about it though. Service, overall, was very good! It was slow at times (Keith was busy, walking up and down those stairs!) but that was fine since we wanted to take as long as possible — like how the French do it!
We ordered, if I can recall, the following (NOT the Dine About Town menu):
— Tomato Soup in a Puff Pastry: «lived up to its hype»
— Rabbit Pâté with a Celery Root Salad: huge slice of pâté, light and tasty!
— Pike Dumplings in a Lobster Sauce: sauce was delicious! I could have licked the bowl clean but I held back :(
— Steak Tartare with Frites: YUMMY! Add a little dijon mustard to the side and it’s perfect!
— Beef Stew: I had a quick taste and the piece of beef I had was salty! But apparently the rest of it needed more salt.
— Rice Pudding with Brandied Cherries: DELICIOUS! Inhaled the rice pudding!
Our meal was great! Beef Stew was just okay but I only had a nibble. Great, charming little place to have a nice romantic dinner :)
TIP! If you’re going to order the DAT Menu, make sure you go early because they ran out of the flat iron steak by 8pm!

This is our DAT restaurant for this year! I really love the décor at Jeanty. It’s very old fashioned and you feel like you stepped back in time. We got seated at a corner table upstairs. I actually prefer the upstairs dining area over the downstairs booths.
What I had:
Tomato soup served w/​puff pastry: Ummm. That was yummy! It looks like a chicken pot pie but there’s tomato soup underneath the pastry. The pastry was buttery w/​o being salty.
Grilled flat iron steak w/​frisee salad — The salad looked more like garnishment but it was oh so yummy. There was even walnuts in there! The steak was done just right (not raw and definitely not dry!). Very tender and yummy.
Chocolate mousse crème brûlée — Usually places give you a small ramekin of crème brûlée but Jeanty’s give you a whopping big dish. It’s dark chocolate mousse and not too sweet. Absolutely yummy!
I had a lemonade that they mixed with fizzy water. That was good too.
Overall I really really like Jeanty at Jacks! That was a good DAT choice!

Jeanty at Jack’s transfers you into another world when you step in. Top-​notch service paired with top-​notch food. I can’t ask for more.
+ tomato soup in puff pastry ($ 8.50)
+ steak tartare ($ 17.50)
+ coq au vin ($ 16.50) — a bit heavy, and though not a large portion, can fill you for more than one meal.
All in all, a wonderful experience that I wouldn’t mind going through all over again.

Ciel = une expérience à la fois
Despite my current inclination toward Italians, the recent ventures of the gourmand type has inevitably been that of the French persuasion. Never mind that I am currently sticking to my guns regarding a slight NY resolution of cutting down on my carbs… such petty things fail to influence, especially if the baguette is a perfect combination of sound, texture, and taste.
Jeanty At Jacks flew me back in the time machine back to the quaint and flushed visit to Balthazar during my visit to New York. The stark white linens. Dark mahogany wood. The typical warmth and brasserie-​type pull on the passerby, seduced by the fresh smells of baguettes being brought out of the oven. I can see this, with closed eyes. Ah, to reminisce on delightful previous experiences.
I came here for a lunch date due to the reason that in order to stay afloat, starting the year off with light date ideas. Formal dinners usually come with strong strings and I’m not in the mood to be dealing with over persistent men. I’m happy, however, to report that the lunch menu is as attractive as the dinner menu. I was not in the mood for soup (I’ve read the reviews where the tomato soup was rated well) or appetizers but did proceed with the Sole Meuniere. This was an attempt to cleanse my mind of the various beef induced consumptions as of late. It was a fantastic melding of tender Sole accented slightly by the butter and caper sauce. I appreciated the lightness of the dish: usually sole is overpowered by strong sauces and I do not prefer the masking of the fish.
My date had the Entrecôte Grillee, a grilled rib-​eye steak that came accompanied with fries. It was done to perfection: rare, with a cool center. Hmmm, points for a steak done my style. Tres bien! The fries were typical, just a little more fat to the dish.
Since our obviously heavier than lunch items weighing heavily on the conscience, skipping anything sweet was mandatory. We did, however, decide to go get some espresso nearby, and the caffeine did wonders in keeping me upright for the next several hours rather than passing out due to a food coma.
The waitstaff here are efficient and quick to ensure a nice meal. With their crisp white aprons and apparent European ambiance, all that was needed was the imagination.
I’m quite interested in trying this place for dinner. So we’ll see where this takes me. Otherwise, I’m looking forward to my next visit to NY, where this infatuation with French Brasseries became apparent.

One of the best meals I have had lately! I came here on Sunday night with my wife and parents and we started out with escargot, lamb tounge, oysters on half shell, and sardines.
The lamb tongue served with a potato salad and was very tasty like corned beef. The escargot was good and garlicy, but not as good as Alfreds which I had recently. Oysters were good, but the sardines were actually very tasty.
I also started with a escarole salad with soft boiled egg and pops had the tomato soup which were both very good.
For dinner I had the Sole Meuniere with capers, lemon butter, and whipped potatoes. The portion was huge, basically the whole fish and absolutely delicious. This was the best fish I can remember having. My parents both had the Coq Au Vin which is the chicken, with mushrooms, bacon and red wine with the side of noodles. I had some ot that and it was awesome with the chicken just falling off the bone.
My wife had the pork chop which was overcooked for being medium, but she decided to tough it out literally and eat it. My family all ordered bananna cream pie with raisin rum ice cream and although the shell was a little tough it was still delicious. I had the mixed berry bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and a glass of Dows 1996 Porto for after dinner drink.
The service was great and atmosphere enjoyable for a 2 ½ hour dinner. We had to be a little patient and have a drink for the app’s to come, but after that the food was coming out pretty steady. Price was about $ 300 with tip for the four of us although I was the only one drinking, but very reasonable for this good of quality meal. A few of the app’s were good, not great and the pork chop overcooked. Also the dessert pastry was not cooked properly but overall a 4 ½ stars place.

Awesome French Cuisine
I came here with my girlfriend Jessie for a girl’s night out dinner.
I think I had a beef shank. and it was totally good… very flavorful. perfect texture… and we both had the tomatoe bisque… supposedly nicknamed… heartattack in a bowl. but it’s very tasty. creamy… yummy… rich.
Dessert is great here too… I can’t think of anything that is not good here!
:) Fun atmosphere… LOVE THIS PLACE!

Dining downtown for lunch is always a wicked idea, especially when you have to drive there. If you can get past the nearby parking lots charging $ 14/​hr, there are some nice finds in the area. (Or park in Portsmouth square parking garage for $ 2.50/hr.)
Perusing Unilocal,David S. chose Jeanty at Jack’s for our restaurant of the day. We walked in around 12:30 without reservations and were seated immediately near the front. (Upstairs was all full we were told.)
I had no idea what I should order, entrees included a heavy pork chop and mashed potatoes meal or a ribeye steak with Bearnaise sauce. Looking down the row of tables, three of my fellow diners had their face in the middle of a puff pastry. What could they be eating? The Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry ($ 8.50), that’s what! And that’s how I decided on my lunch choice.
Breaking the puff is only half the fun and you dip your spoon into the rich creamy marigold color soup down below. You can’t help but want to dip your bread into this hearty serving. I’m afraid I’m already getting full and the rest of my lunch has yet to come!
David S. ordered the Pike Dumplings in Lobster Sauce, but they were actually using salmon instead. The dumplings weren’t exactly what one expects when they order dumplings. The fish is already mixed in with the batter and then boiled. His serving of two baby fist-​sized dumplings is plenty as these heavy little buggers can easily fill you up if you eat too many of them.
Next to arrive is my Steak Tartare with French Fries and Croutons ($ 17.50). A huge hamburger-​size helping of raw beef and capers sits center stage on my plate. About six to eight slices of crusty bread surround this meat slab and a lone yolk sits inside its shell right on top of the beef patty. It’s definitely uncooked meat and as I slather a generous helping onto my bread, I feel it lacks a bit of something. Some fresh ground pepper and salt definitely helps this dish as I notice slices of red onion and chives also are in the mixture. (Perhaps a little olive oil will give the meat a little more kick?) Despite being full, I can’t help but finish it all up.
David S. orders the Shortrib Sandwich (‘Kobe Beef on a Brioche Sesame Bun with Creamy Horseradish’ $ 15.00) and it comes with a side of greens and French fries. We both expected a crustier bread for his sandwich, but I guess traditionally it’s on a soft roll. I’m not a big fan of these sandwiches and it lacks the punch I seek. Perhaps my bite didn’t have the horseradish sauce that made David S. smile during the middle of his meal.
Dessert was obviously out of the question, sadly enough.
Service was good — our water glasses were filled quickly and plates cleared at a good pace. The waitstaff was never intrusive when they worked and bread crumbs were taken care of with ease.
Perhaps the next time I have a couple of hours for lunch in the FiDi, Jeanty at Jack’s will definitely be a consideration. Prices are traditionally a bit more than what one pays for a regular weekday lunch, so save it for a special occasion. Or better yet, come for dinner and you can sit on the third floor instead!
3.5 stars.
(I added photos of my lunch in the business profile!)

Magnifique! Had a great lunch at Jeanty at Jacks. Riding the elevator to the third floor felt like a flight to Paris. Great atmosphere and the the skylight even rocks on a cloudy day.
Loved the tomato soup. Loved my porkchop with mashed and spinach. I consider myself a connoisseur of the porkchop and this was tender and flavorful at a 5 star level.
Excellent service, lots of space between tables — a nice white tablecloth joint for the biz lunch. Would love to get one of those private rooms on the middle floors for a sexy rendezvous sometime!

Let’s just say at these prices & w/​no variety, we won’t be back.
My sister & I were invited here by some friends for a nice dinner — being veggies, we had our choice between their famous tomato soup… or a side salad. When we told the waiter we were veggie, he was like, «Hmmm…quel dommage — soupe ou salade?»…no offer to make anything special.
I know, I know — why did friends invite us here knowing we were veggie… all I can say is they probably thought there would have been at least ONE entrée we could have ordered. There wasn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, the tomato soup was outstanding & I did confirm beforehand that it was not made w/​any meaty broth but having saved our appetites for a nice dinner, it was a bit disappointing. Does absolutely EVERYTHING have to be meaty?!
I understand the whole «french thing» but crimeny folks, this is SF & there are veggies… I bet they even have veggies in France too :-)
Having at least 1 main entrée for the vegs would be awesome!

Ate here last night. It was wonderful. The food is [from what I can tell] old school French. That’s what is so good about it, and they do it very well. We had the coq au vin and the pigs feet on frisee lettuce. I swore, I saw the face of God, it was that good.
That atmosphere is also very nice and little formal, but not particularly pretentious. We were there on a sunday night it was all made up of couples, a few families, and groups of older people. Don’t go here if you are seeking something that is hip or happening — the restaurant is too old [literally] and too old school. Do go here if you just want very good French food prepared by one of the older restaurants in the city.
Note — this place also has banquet rooms in the top two floors. It seems like this place also does parties & large groups.