Taste Test: Uncle Jack’s Meat House

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Uncle Jack’s Duluth location is Degel’s first restaurant outside New York, and the menu gives a few nods to its new Southern home, including beer-battered okra and stone-ground shrimp and grits. You’ll find the classics you’d expect from a steakhouse: the center-cut filet, the aged prime rib, and a whopping 16-ounce strip, all locally sourced, grass-fed and pasture-raised. The menu staples come with interesting twists, too. The burger—dubbed the “Ooey Gooey Mooey Burger”—is topped with onion jam and buttermilk blue cheese fondue, while the bacon appetizer comes strung up on cast iron meat hooks, accompanied with house-made peanut butter.

Degel, who you may recognize as the host of Food Network’s “Restaurant Stakeout,” had a long history as a restaurateur before his foray into television. In 1996, he opened Uncle Jack’s first location in Bayside, NY, named after his great-uncle and godfather Jack, a family icon who owned a New York steakhouse and speakeasy in the 1920s. Degal’s stellar steaks built a loyal following, earning him the nickname “The Steak Doctor.” He now owns four different restaurant brands, including Jack’s Shack Organic Eatery, and Uncle Jack’s Steak Sandwich Shoppe.

Degel considered many locations across Atlanta, but ultimately chose Duluth for the proximity to the Infinite Energy Arena. Plus, “it’s a great eating city,” Degel told the AJC, “and I love the indoor-outdoor atmosphere.” Visit the new location at 6590 Sugarloaf Parkway, and check out the full menu at unclejacksmeathouse.com