Jackson 20

Breakfast was average at best. Plating was uninspired. Had a better breakfast at the bakery down the street.

5 stars for outside dining in Old Town.
4 stars for their coffee.
3 stars for Breakfast menu. The selections are mundane and few. No pork alternatives for breakfast meat.
The smoked salmon is quite delicious. It’s my favorite here. The pickled onions add some interesting pizzazz to the experience.
The service and staff. Hmmmm. Every time we go we have some odd exchange with a hostess, waitstaff or both. Last Saturday our server literally offered all of the tables around us mimosas. But not for us! (And they weren’t listed on the menu.) It was a bit comical and became more ironic as each new table was offered mimosas. (Of course if we wanted them we would have asked.) Maybe we looked like we already had enough at 9:30 am. It’s ok. We hadn’t planned to start drinking until at least 10:30 anyway.

Staying at Hotel Monaco and received vouchers for continental breakfast (or $ 7 credit towards hot breakfast.)
The buckwheat pancakes that arrived (after 30 min wait) were inedible. I have never had to spit out food in a restaurant. The milk/​cream used had to have been sour/​expired. Even if they’d been made with actual sour cream, I would have enjoyed them (I love sour cream) but these were something else. I made everyone else at the table try them just to be sure it wasn’t me. The decision was unanimous.
I understand that these things happen and the waitress while nice did not seem too concerned about it. After 10 mins, I was asked if I wanted something else. By that time, I had helped my daughter finish her fruit and hash browns, which were very tasty (see I’m not difficult to please!) I also know that it was a Sunday and brunch was in full swing. However… if I am a restaurant manager and a customer says she can’t choke down even one bite of her breakfast because it tastes horrible, I am stopping by the table to apologize immediately and offer to buy her coffee. Just because I was nice about the situation and didn’t throw a fit in the restaurant I feel like providing me with some better than average customer service wasn’t a priority.

My boyfriend and I dined at Jackson 20 yesterday evening (Friday /​/​6pm). We scored the PERFECT seat, both of us were able to sit on the comfy couch and face King Street. We both ordered drinks ~ a beer for him and the Rikki-​Tikki-​Tumba for me. My drink wasn’t what I expected, and our observant waiter noticed… typically I never send a drink back, but this time the waiter asked if I was enjoying my drink and I said, «Um, unfortunately, no». He, without hesitation, said «No problem. I’m sorry the drink wasn’t what you expected. I’ll take care of it. What would you like?» I ordered a delicious glass of Vino and we were in business! It was such a simple, unexpected gesture — I was very impressed!
The food was amazing ~ I ordered the Brisket (it melted in my mouth and the flavor was off the chart, also the horseradish mashed potatoes were divine) and my boyfriend ordered the Kielbasa (the kielbasa was tasty, but the pirogies were the best I ever had!). For dessert we had the chocolate mousse cake and two coffees ~ the three different chocolates contained within the dessert paired really well together with our black coffee.
The only slightly less than perfect moment was the «Simple Salad» ~ the salad itself was fantastic — the sliced pears and house-​made vinaigrette were delicious. The portion size was gigantic (perfect for 2) ~ but many of the arugula leaves were also large and the stems were still attached. Given the amount of salad on the plate it was difficult to cut around the stems and not send salad flying everywhere. All of that said, the arugula was beautiful and the salad dressing was to die for :)
The highlights included our knowledgeable and friendly waiter, Amanour, and one of the Managers who dropped by our table to see how we were enjoying our dining experience. I don’t recall his name, but he was exceptionally friendly and easy to talk with (it felt as though he was a good friend dropping by our table to say, «hi»). I told him my boyfriend and I were the dorky people sitting on the same side of the table, and he told us, «Why not, this is the best view in the house».
Overall great meal and lovely dining experience.

Our family recently went here for brunch. The service was decent and the food was good. It was a busy place, but the staff was accommodating to our baby & endless baby gear. Actually, there were quite a few tables with babies and small children which was a welcome sight at a restaurant with a decent menu.
Everyone in our party enjoyed our meal and service.

Came here for brunch on a whim. It was about 1p on a sunday and place was buzzing. It took awhile to seat even though we had res so they comped us some mimosas. Pretty good start.
We got some basic eggs sausage hash brown dish. Food was decent nothing amazing. Maybe bc the brunch time was winding down or maybe because it was sweltering hot in the restaurant but the servers were almost nonexistent and got our orders wrong a couple times. I dont remember sweating while eating nonspicy food in awhile. We never had our waters refilled. When we were ready for our check we had to ask the bartender bc our server was MIA. Im sure they can do better since its so popular but I have no inkling to come back here with the number of other options in the area

I’m so glad that my friends recommended this restaurant when we visited the DC area.
The restaurant has a very ecelectic design and is built right into a historical town in Alexandria.
The food was delicious. I had the Eggs Benedict and my friend had the B.E.L.T. which was Bacon, Over Easy Eggs, Lettuce, Fried Green Tomato, Brioche, Hash Brown. Both were excellent! Also, I ordered a bottomless mimosa with brunch that was very satisfying.
This is a must stop for food when visiting the Old Town!

Loved this place for brunch! It was delicious!
Busy in a Saturday at 11:45. Would have been a 45 minute wait for two. I got lucky and got two bar seats. The full menu is available at the bar.
They have $ 3 mimosas during brunch. They also serve a large pitcher of mimosas that is $ 25 that makes 18 mimosas.
For food I had their B.E.L.T. It is a breakfast sandwich on sourdough with a fried green tomato, bacon, arugula and sunny side eggs. Large portion and eggs were cooked perfectly. It comes with hashbrowns. Hashbrowns were crunchy and had a good spice to it.
Will definitely come back.

Great lunch!
New bartender, Todd, was wonderful. Hurry he is only there through happy hour

Ordered room service from hotel Monaco, got the ribs which came with mac&cheese and collard greens. I also asked for some bread on the side
Disclaimed, I’m from the deep south.
Ribs– good. A little fatty, but good. Id order them again
Mac & cheese– it was borderline good/​okay. I ate it with no complaints though lol. It was just a little northern for me
Collard greens– not good. No flavor or anything, didn’t eat them
The meal was priced at $ 24 and I paid $ 36, maybe there was a $ 12 room service charge? Idk but I’m asking the hotel later

I have only been to Jackson 20 for brunch… because this brunch rocks. The selection is great, the food is down home and fresh, it’s is in a bustling location, and the service is very good. I love bringing first timers to get the experience and wonderful cuisine. I have never had a bad thing on the brunch menu, and neither has my company. Ever.
The restaurant is located on the hip of the Monaco Hotel. When you need to find the restroom it is on the hall of the hotel and you leave the restaurant. There is an outdoor seating area and also a bar… which seems to have a great happy hour menu… but I digress because I’ve only been here for brunch.
The restaurant has a great set up for intimate seating for one or two, group tables and large group. I highly recommend reservations.

Wow I had a trout fish here for dinner the other night and it was just amazing! Best meal i’ve had! It’s very expensive though but damn the food was good! My friend ordered the steak which looked appetizing too. Cocktails are also very good here. Yum yums.

Really cute place to go and get brunch. We went here without reservations, so we had to sit at the bar. Make sure you make reservations before you come. Even though we were at the bar, I really liked the food, service, and ambiance of this place.
I ordered the bbq pork sliders. They came with an apple cider slaw and fries. The fries were really good and I loved the slaw. I just wish they gave me more slaw. The BBQ pork sliders were okay. The pork was really tangy and after a while I felt like the pork was burning my mouth because it was so acidic. I probably would try something else on the menu next time. My friend got the blt, which she said was really good.
The place was so classy and definitely a cute place to go to.

What an amazing brunch spot. The cocktails were tasty and good — but 11 bucks a flute. The food on the other hand was flavorful and perfect and well priced. My sourdough bacon over easy egg and fried green tomato sandwich was absolutely amazing. My side of grits had cheese and I think some biscuit gravy, which made it so much more than just grits… I can’t wait to go back !

Jackson 20 is hands down the best brunch spot in the DMV. Usually, I’d be afraid to make such a stormy statement but the food, service, and ambience has totally won me over.
I come here for brunch at least once a week and generally stick with the classics — eggs, pancakes, and sausage. Although there isn’t a pancake option, you can order it al a carte. These staples are absolutely delish!
I have also tried other items and have never once been disappointed. This morning I had the B.E.L.T which is over easy eggs, arugula, fried green tomato and bacon on toasted, buttered sour dough bread. It was absolutely heavenly!
There are two things you MUST try here. The first is the hash browns, which are the best hash browns you will ever eat in your life. The Potomac is shredded, the inside is soft and buttery and the outside is crisp, buttery with a high of vanilla. It’s so insanely good! The second is the fried green tomatoes, which are fried in delicious crispy batter and served with a heavenly tangy sauce.
The service here is outstanding. All the wait staff are incredibly professional and friendly. They always remember my order, and they make my day every time I come.
Overall, Jackson 20 is not to be missed. Stop in for brunch and try one of their incredible entrees. Thank me later!

Good food, good service and the brunch food they serve me is delicious. That deserves 4 stars to me. Too bad I had to go to work after, or I would have imbibed in $ 3 mimosas. Our waitress was spot on, attentive and we liked her a lot.
Our waitress recommended the fried green tomatoes and the slow cooked beef brisket hash. My partner decided on the Carolina bbq pork sliders. The fried green tomatoes were delicious and scrumptious. Our entrees were both delicious too. I would highly recommend the hash if you are a beef brisket fan. The bbq was SO good. There was so much flavor it was almost too much!
We’ll be back to do brunch correctly. Watch out mimosas! I’m coming for you!

I didn’t actually eat anything here. Just came down late one night with my brother and some friends to have drinks before my brother got married the next day. The service was good. Tried some of their cocktails and was not disappointed.
I walked by the place again a couple of days later around brunch and it was packed, so that’s a good indication that they stay busy. (Note that this is attached to the Hotel Monaco so I’m sure many of the restaurant patrons were guests of the hotel).

First time diner at Jackson 20 and my party of 5 was especially pleased with their BBQ Spare Ribs. To say the meat fell off the bone is an understatement as it took a steady hand to get the moist and juicy meat from the fork to the mouth. The full rack of Spare Ribs was passed around the table and even those reluctant to try asked for seconds. The ribs came with a sauce or gravy that had a distinct and pleasing apple flavoring (it worked well with both the mashed potatoes and the meat). The only hint of a complaint on the Spare Ribs was there was a small 1 – 2 inch section with charring (⁴⁄₅ at the table agreed charring with BBQ is normal and acceptable — and subsequently eaten).
The Bison Burger with beach fries was a hit. The fries made their way around the table as well. Nothing better than being in a group and still getting your fries served warm/​hot! We each had a bite of the Chocolate Mousse for dessert, can the Pastry Chef just make me a pan of the dark chocolate bottom layer? Wow!
When we asked for drink recommendations, the waiter recommended Port City Brewery (excellent choice) and Jacey Vineyard (another excellent choice). Our waiter was phenomenal and displayed a genuine interest in ensuring our dining experience was perfect. We were greeted and seated within moments of arrival (OpenTable reservations) and just after we’d taken our first bites of the main course the manager came around and introduced himself. Our glasses never went empty and our empty plates sat no more than 60 seconds. I can’t say enough about the staff’s professionalism and dedication to service!
The décor is rustic and chic, yet unlike other places I’ve dined at in Old Town Alexandria, it was memorable (mainly due to the large bronze pig in the entry — go on, pet the snout). I loved that the meat knifes had to look of wood but were in fact a heavy duty washable plastic (sanitary). I also loved the story the waiter told about the kidney beans inside the table sconce (kidney beans replaced kernels of corn, as many patrons tried to make popcorn by holding the corn over the flame.)
So, why only 4 stars? The price to portion (value) was higher than I’d expect for the menu items. Knowing this area has at least three hotels within walking distance makes me wonder if most patrons are tourists (aka tied to the local area for dining options). Additionally, parking in the area can offer a slight challenge as there is a cab stand for the adjoining hotel located immediately in front of the front door (difficult to drop off a person with a disability or just tired legs from a day of walking). Hopefully these two do not discourage other diners as the food and service are still worth the experience!

This place is fantastic for brunch. I totally underestimated the portion size. I ordered the cinnamon raisin french toasts with a side of scrambled eggs and parfait. Delicious!
The waitress was extremely friendly and always checked on our table. Cups were always filled and we had a great time. The overall ambiance of this place is really homey with a bit of class and sophistication. Love it.
The only down side to this amazing restaurant is parking. It’s old town, so obviously this is always an issue regardless. Either way, this is a fantastic restaurant (also a bit pricey) if you are in the area.

***Restaurant Week Review***
Jackson 20 is located inside the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria. I have always wanted to try this restaurant so we took the restaurant week opportunity and ate here for lunch.
We were greeted, seated immediately, and brought water for the table. I like when restaurants leave a bottle/​pitcher of water at the table because then I don’t have to keep looking for water. Which on hot summer days is appreciated.
We looked over the lunch menu and made our decisions. I decided on deviled eggs for my starter, then the lunch line which consists of your choice of protein and side– I chose the pulled pork, cole slaw, and macaroni and cheese. For dessert, we all chose the champagne mango gelato with cookie. My fiancé chose the same dish except he had caesar salad as his starter and baked beans as his side.
The menu has an pseduo open kitchen so if you’re seated at the right spot you can see what’s going on. Our food was paced well and came out relatively quickly. It wasn’t super busy for lunch but there were still a fair amount of diners. The deviled eggs were good, nothing over the top, but still good. The pulled pork was delicious! The barbecue sauce was good, the meat, tender and flavorful, and plenty to go around. The cole slaw was a bit too vinegar flavored for my taste. The mac and cheese was solid. The dessert was a perfect end to our lovely meal. We definitely ate more than we initially planned to for lunch but it was worth it.
Service was good throughout our meal. Our server was busy but attentive to our table. Jackson 20 is a good option for southern comfort inspired food in Old Town.