Sassafras American Eatery, Highlands
American restaurant · West Highland ·
Southern cuisine, brunch & lunch, bar, patio, creative drinks
Southern cuisine, brunch & lunch, bar, patio, creative drinks
"Against a quaint Victorian backdrop, this Southern fixture strikes a nifty balance between down-home and extravagant, with dishes such as eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes, goat cheese, and jalapeño cornbread or fried chicken and waffles with both duck-fat gravy and bourbon-pecan syrup. Equally creative coffee drinks and bloody marys start the day off right." - Ruth Tobias
"After closing its Jefferson Park location in March, I found Sassafras American Eatery has relocated to the Highland neighborhood, taking over the former Solitaire space at 3927 W. 32nd Ave. The new spot occupies two adjoining houses with multiple brick-walled dining rooms and a sprawling patio: the first room off the entrance features a lantern-filled fireplace and a long table for larger parties, with the bar toward the back; a hallway splits the house with plant-covered windows that give diners views inside, and a corridor lined with windows fitted with two-tops opens to a wider area with larger tables that leads to an outdoor patio. Upstairs, a library seats extra guests and there's a rooftop patio with an outdoor fireplace for extra nighttime ambiance. The drink program includes a bloody Mary flight of four signature cocktails—the Bloody Maria (house-infused sweet pepper and pineapple tequila with roasted chilies, red tomatoes, and a Cajun spice blend), the Garden Mary (house-infused garlic-dill vodka with red tomatoes, celery, parsley, green onions, and fresh garlic), the Queen Mary (house-infused pickled pepper vodka with green tomatoes, pineapple, green peppers, and serrano hot sauce), and the St. Mary (house-infused bacon vodka with smoked tomatoes and Cajun seasonings)—plus a Lavender Lemonade made with lavender simple syrup and house-made lemonade and a Hurricane with charred citrus rum and a blend of passion fruit, pineapple, lime, and orange juices. Menu highlights include chicken fried eggs and buffalo hash with free-range buffalo smoked over pecan wood, six-minute eggs, and jalapeño cornbread topped with Fresno chili Hollandaise; a barbecue pulled pork slider with pulled pork in spicy Carolina barbecue sauce topped with potato salad and Sassafras pickle chips on a brioche bun; an oyster BLT slider with spicy cornmeal-crusted oysters, crispy bacon, arugula, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette on a brioche bun; a green tomato slider of spicy cornmeal-battered green tomatoes and arugula on brioche; a crispy fried chicken confit served on a bed of collard greens mixed with pork alongside potato salad and a piece of jalapeño cornbread; and a chicken and andouille gumbo with house-made andouille sausage, local chicken breast, and dark roux served with white rice." - Susan Stapleton
"Located at 688 Broadway in Ball Square, Somerville, I learned that Sassafras (formerly Eat at Jumbo’s) — a restaurant focused on vegetarian, vegan, and sustainable foods — has closed after announcing on its website that it had become financially unsustainable, citing major neighborhood construction and the closure of the Broadway Bridge as contributing factors. The message thanked loyal customers and said the owners were evaluating the future; follow-up Facebook posts mentioned possibilities such as hosting a pop-up in the space or starting a meal delivery service. While operating as Eat at Jumbo’s the pizzeria and sandwich shop had been vegetarian-friendly, and it transitioned to the fully meat-free Sassafras in the summer of 2018, expanding the menu with even more vegan and vegetarian options for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch." - Dana Hatic
"A Southern-style breakfast-and-lunch spot that started in Jefferson Park in 2012 and expanded to Colfax Avenue in 2014 (with a third location overlooking Clear Creek near the Golden Hotel) is closing its Jefferson Park outpost and relocating to the Highlands in the next couple of weeks. The new location will occupy the former Solitaire space at 3927 W. 32nd Ave., a pair of adjoining houses featuring multiple brick-walled dining rooms and a sprawling patio; that site housed Highland’s Garden Cafe for two decades before Solitaire’s three-year run of elevated dinners. The menu is heavy on Southern classics and brunch favorites — fried green tomato Benedicts, pimento chicken biscuits, bananas Foster pain perdu, biscuits and gravy, and chicken-fried eggs and buffalo — along with three varieties of shrimp and grits, mac-and-cheese options with pimentos or blackened chicken, and po'boys filled with shrimp, catfish, or oysters." - Susan Stapleton
