Fried Green Tomato Napoleon
I’ve been putting off writing this post.
You know those experiences in life…the ones that totally don’t live up to your expectations? Like high school senior prom, Super Bowl commercials, or The Godfather Part III.
Well, last week we ate at Julep for dinner, and it was…okay. Yes, only okay.
Here goes.
It was a Friday night and before deciding on Julep, I called to inquire about the wait time. Whomever answered the phone replied that there was no wait, and approximately fifteen minutes later we walked into the restaurant. Four or five staff were standing around the front, looked at us, talked among themselves for a few minutes, and then someone acknowledged our presence. (Ben’s mom said on a separate occasion she had tried to dine there before, but was ignored and left.)
As we were passing through the main dining room to the back, I noticed a handful of tables labeled with reserve signs. Reservations probably would have been a good idea after all.
Dinner started out like normal. A waiter took our drink order, drinks were delivered, he took our food order, and we chatted amongst ourselves. The food line-up was the Fried Green Tomato Napoleon and Butter Bean Hummus for appetizers, and the Catfish Taco, Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich, and Julep House Salad with Grilled Chicken for our entrees.
By far, the best dish of the night was the Fried Green Tomato Napoleon. Tangy goat cheese and chunks of crab meat were layered between a stack of fried green tomatoes. The lemon butter was a rich touch, providing a contrast to the crisp tomato slices. We polished it off pretty quickly.
On the other hand, the Butter Bean Hummus was somewhat bland. I could detect the mozzarella, basil and red pepper, but the beans were just mushed beans on toast. No particular flavor stood out.
Ben’s Catfish Taco was good but seemed to be lacking something. I couldn’t taste the jalapeno or cheddar in the tortilla, and the remoulade is a sweet touch but there’s not enough of it. Maybe throwing in some lettuce, coleslaw or some sort of salsa for crunch would help.
My Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich was tasty, but there was a sparse number of steak pieces between thick pieces of foccacia. I wished there was more filling to balance out the bread. Ben’s mom enjoyed her salad, I didn’t try it. However I finished my strawberry side salad which had an ample amount of cheese and the dressing was great.
The food was not outstanding, nor terrible by any means. The situation was further adulterated by our waiter being somewhat scarce, our drinks ran low, we had to ask for rolls after seeing them on another table, and our entrees were served three minutes behind the appetizers.
Going into this, I knew Julep is one of Jackson’s beloved eateries. If another chance arises, their brunch is supposed to be stellar and apparently the fried chicken is famous. Maybe we caught them on an off-day or didn’t pick stand out dishes. No, I’m not a critic and who am I to say?
But there within lies the beauty. I’m an ordinary person documenting my ordinary dining experiences. I’m not paid, swayed…you get the idea.
I stand by my opinion, especially about The Godfather Part III.
Julep
Highland Village
4500 I-55 North, Suite 105
Jackson, Mississippi 39211
Phone 601-362-1411
www.juleprestaurant.com
-
- Fried Green Tomato Napoleon
-
- Butter Bean Hummus
-
- Julep House with Grilled Chicken
-
- Catfish Taco
-
- Grilled Flank Steak Sandwich
I tried the shrimp and grits and the grilled mahi sandwhich. Both were so bland. I can cook better at home. So I won’t be back regardless of any reviews.
Posted by Michael Cutler | December 10, 2011, 2:53 pmThis was a one time story of my experience but I respect your opinion. Often times we can cook better at home.
Posted by Gidget Eats | December 21, 2011, 3:45 pmI dont understand why the staff is put in a negative light. They said there was no wait-was there a wait? Where you standing at the door timidly like you where waiting on somebody or where you straight-up ignored for several minutes?
Posted by realistic | June 5, 2011, 2:51 pmNo, there was no wait. We stood at the front, were looking around for a staff person, made eye contact and were still ignored for several minutes. Enough so, that we thought about leaving. Maybe they had some sort of unknown crisis. Maybe they were discussing the specials. It was just kind of strange.
Posted by Gidget Eats | June 5, 2011, 8:34 pmThe place went downhill after the owners opened Mint – which suffers from the same problems.
Posted by Fat Harry | September 2, 2010, 9:57 amMint had sparked my curiosity, but the most consistent comment I get is that it’s expensive.
Posted by gidgete27 | September 3, 2010, 10:59 amWhen my partner and I are trying to decide where to have dinner, lunch, or brunch….Julep is never mentioned. The food has never been good….and we have given it several chances…but the last time we ate there we had the worst meal we have ever had at a resturant in Jackson.
Posted by Joshua | August 16, 2010, 7:49 pmUgh, I’m sorry to hear when anyone has a “worst meal” anywhere, especially after giving them multiples chances.
Posted by gidgete27 | August 17, 2010, 10:26 amGod father III sigh!
My experiences at Julep have always been mediocre food and poor service. On my last visit, we were one of four tables occupied. There appeared to be an ample amount of waitstaff but no one approached our table. We left after waiting 17 minutes and will not return. My previous brunch experience was poor service and the food was blah..
Posted by KC | August 13, 2010, 12:34 pmHaha, the Godfather Part I and II were so good!…Then Part II happened. Maybe brunch won’t be happening after all, with so many other good places around. Okay food wouldn’t be so bad, if the service was attentive.
Posted by gidgete27 | August 13, 2010, 5:02 pmI feel the same way. The first time I ate there (and I’ve only been back twice) I was very bummed after all the hype I’d heard about that place. I didn’t have a problem with the service, but the food, like you said, is just okay. There’s really nothing special about their award winning fried chicken either. I really didn’t like it at all…
Posted by Sara | August 12, 2010, 2:31 pmHype is exactly the word I was looking for; lots of hype for surprisingly mediocre food. I’d go back, if someone else was paying, bahaha!
Posted by gidgete27 | August 12, 2010, 2:46 pmI had a very similar experience (poor service, just ok food) when I went for brunch. It was a bit better when I gave it another try at dinner, but the food was still not that great. So I’m with you—both on Julep and on Super Bowl commercials.
Posted by YAR | August 12, 2010, 10:30 amI’m glad to know it’s not just me, on either subject.
Posted by gidgete27 | August 12, 2010, 12:31 pm