Jackson Grill, a longtime south side Milwaukee steakhouse, closes permanently
Jackson Grill, the south side steakhouse that's been in operation for 20 years, has closed for good, its owner said on Facebook.
A Facebook post March 3 had said the restaurant at 3736 W. Mitchell St. would be closed for repairs until March 31.
"Regretfully, we will not be opening our doors from now on, due to high prices for meat, produce and energy bills, plus a lack of being able to find staff," co-founder Heidi Schmidt posted, going on to thank customers.
She opened the restaurant with her husband, the late Jimmy Jackson. He died Feb. 11, 2021, at age 66.
Jackson grew up in one of Milwaukee's best-known restaurants in the mid-20th century — his father owned the steakhouse Ray Jackson's on Blue Mound Road, near what was then County Stadium, from the 1950s through 1984.
Professional athletes were frequent customers, and athletes' autographs on chalkboards were part of the decor there. Displaying autographs was a tradition Jackson continued at his own restaurant.
Jackson Grill had an old-school, classic neighborhood-restaurant atmosphere — bar in the front, dining room in the back — which led some to think of it as a supper club. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackson Grill had been open only three nights a week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"They were primarily a place to go for steaks," said Ron Faiola, the author most recently of "The Wisconsin Supper Clubs Story," which included photos and passages on both Ray Jackson's and Jackson Grill, based on an interview with Jimmy Jackson.
"It was only 30 seats — it was such an intimate place. People loved it for that — relaxed atmosphere, great cocktails," Faiola said.
"I'm glad she pulled the plug instead of trying to do something different," he said of Schmidt. "She went out on top."
Faiola designed the restaurant's website for the couple and became friends with them.
"I would hang out with Jimmy, he would just close and lock the door at night, and we would chat for a couple hours," Faiola said.
RELATED: Milwaukee-area restaurants that permanently closed in 2022
Jackson Grill was also a spot to bump into Milwaukee restaurateurs and elected officials.
"It was a place that people could go and kind of relax. They'd talk a little shop, maybe," Faiola said.
Besides the steaks and ribs the restaurant was known for, it served a seafood catch of the day and Cajun barbecue shrimp, a dish Jackson learned while working in New Orleans.
According to Journal Sentinel files, before Jackson and Schmidt opened Jackson Grill, he operated a casual restaurant in West Allis called Monkey Puzzle in the early 1990s. The 1930 building that housed Jackson Grill previously was Karlovich's Korner, which served menu items such as meatloaf and roast turkey.
Contact dining critic Carol Deptolla at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or through the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Follow her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.
Sign up for our Dish newsletter to get food and dining news delivered to your inbox.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jackson Grill steakhouse closes permanently on Milwaukee's south side