Zack Garvin’s Original Steak House

Great Food! Excellent service. The steaks are great. My wife loves the fish. Can be a little spicy, just tell them and they will hold the spice. Love the choices in deserts.

I like Zacks. It is the only «fine dining» experience in town. The owner and staff are very pleasant. The food is moderately good. I love the little bread loaves, butter [real butter is hard to find anymore” and the strawberry butter spread. Their coffee is also good and their deserts are excellent. The prices are a bit high for this area on some things but it is worth the treat once a month or so. Also the waitresses are almost always very pleasant. The only problem I have had with them is that at times they seem to not know the menu and get out of focus. I have had a couple of remarkable waitresses, they are all well groomed and pleasant. I have had experience working as a waitress years ago and had alot of training. I would like to see a training program implemented where the new gals learn the menu well and follow a trainer for a week or so. It justs wastes time for everyone when a waitress has to keep going back and ask. Knowing the product you are serving makes the whole process smoother. Gladys Brierley

Zack Garvin’s is also open for lunch with a totally different menu. Sandwich fare. with fries, chips or potato salad.
The evening menu looked like something I’d like to try, however, I’ll be driving past there next time I’m looking for a place to eat lunch. Chicken Salad on a croissant usually a safe bet, thought the «piled high» with grapes and toasted pecans sounded good, uh… no…bacon so cold it was straight from fridge with white grease clinging to it. Dry chicken salad, cold non-​toasted bread, also dry. Added some mayo… still dry. Fries were really good. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. Maybe try again at night. Others at the table were of the same opinion.

The first time I came he Forest I had a conversation with some of my co-​workers here. They were debating which steakhouse (rib eye) was the best in the Jackson/​Forest area. They mentioned Tico’s, Shapley’s, Zack Garvin’s, and Lee’s Steakhouse. I told them I’d try to go to all of them and settle the score once and for all. My first trip I went to Lee’s and really liked it! Now on my second trip, I drove about 15 miles out of the way to try their steaks here.
First, they’re known for their fried green tomatoes, so I just had to order the tomato fritters, which are the FGT covered with cheese and crispy bacon pieces. That appetizer was so HUGE! The waiter could have warned me about the size, it definitely could feed a healthy party of eight if you have 1 – 2 slices each. I myself only had two slices and boxed the rest. The poppy seed sauce that came with the fritters was very good too. I also ordered the 8 – 9 oz steak (ordered medium), it came with bread and a salad, and I picked the baked sweet potato loaded (pecans, brown sugar, and butter) on the side.
The bread was ok, seems like it was baked fresh but maybe earlier in the day because it was a little tough. The salad was standard but I liked the tomato basil vinaigrette. The steak I was really looking forward to but I was pretty disappointed, they overcooked my steak! I usually have it medium and it looked pretty well done to me. Usually I would have sent it back but the staff was super sweet and at 9PM I was their only customer. So I sucked it up and ate it, the flavor was good but their was no juicy-​ness, no redness, I had to resort to A1 sauce! I am SO ashamed.
Even though my steak was overcooked, I’d still come back. They had more selection to their menu than steaks, maybe I’d try some seafood the next time. I’d also like to try their desserts, I was sooo tempted to try some the last time but I was stuffed! Their ice tea was really good here too, I got the unsweetened one. And the staff was very nice and friendly, so I’d like to come back but I have to try and drag a co-​worker to come with me next time.
So overall count ²⁄₄ steakhouses…
1. Lee’s
2. Zack Garvin’s
Hopefully I’ll try at least one more this week…