Editorial Juice Review: Jesse's Embers review

Jesse's Embers has been a great place to grab a steak since 1967, and it's no wonder the small restaurant is still thriving more than 30 years later. A simple menu with quality cuts of meat, chicken and fish satisfies both the meat-and-potatoes lover and the seafood fanatic, without the fancy talk.

The service At 7 p.m. on a Friday the restaurant was full, but we were seated quickly and our waitress was over with two glasses of water almost as soon as our coats were off. She was busy, which may have kept her from being overly personable. But she was efficient.

The atmosphere Walking into Jesse's Embers feels like walking into your grandfather's basement: small, dark space, wood paneling, low ceilings, no windows. The absence of music and TV gave the restaurant a quiet feel at first, but after being seated we noticed just about everyone engaged in lively conversation, which cheered up the place and kept it from feeling stuffy. An open grill, manned by one cook, was the focal point in the small room. Nestled in a corner directly across from the entry made it impossible to miss the occasional large bursts of flames spewing from it.

The menu The menu was as comfortably small as the restaurant itself, with a short list of appetizers, some salad choices, a list of steaks and about five seafood options. All items were grilled.

The food Everything on the menu was familiar, things like ribeye, sirloin, salmon and shrimp. We started with an order of Cajun shrimp which was a bit salty but a perfect size to share. My dining partner tried the Ember's Special, a beautiful cut of sirloin that was slightly more done than his requested medium, accompanied by a baked potato and salad. For the restaurant's "special" dish, this seemed to be the simplest item on the menu. I tried the orange roughy, which was meaty and seasoned with a cajun-style rub, and came with a baked potato, spinach and salad. My Pinot Grigio was $5 a glass, and my dining partner's Amberbock was only $2.50 a pint.

The wrapup Jesse's Embers is a great place to go for a quality, no-fuss meal in a laid-back environment. Its location on Ingersoll Avenue also makes it a great place to grab dinner before heading out to bars in the area.

Receipt:
Cajun shrimp, $8.95
Orange roughy, $15.95
Ember's Special, $19.95
Glass of pinot grigio, $5
Pint of Amberbock, $2.50
Total with tax and tip, $65.04