Andrea H.
Yelp
I came here late afternoon during the work week. It is across the train tracks. There are two large parking areas. The main lot had a lot of cars, but still had plenty of space. I imagine in pre-covid times, this place must have gotten busy and needed the overflow parking lot across the street, but that certainly wasn't the case when I visited. Both the restaurant and the parking lots are easy to find because "The Iron Horse Grill" is painted in huge letters on the building as well as the wall. You can see it easily from the street as you drive up.
The inside is quite large, including the foyer where they have benches and a hostess stand. There were three employees standing there, some wearing their face masks half hazardly. The young man, with his mask properly adjusted, quickly greeted me and seated me based on my preference. They had offered me a bar seat, but the bar counter seemed busy with people, so I requested something away from the crowd. I'm fully vaccinated, but so was my friend's husband who died just a few days ago after spending several weeks in the hospital ultimately unsuccessful fighting covid. With this breakthrough case on my mind, I was feeling the need to be more cautious.
I was seated at a 2-person, high top table next to the door leading to the patio. I should have realized that this would be a problem because as people passed through the door, it would bang hard against the back of my chair. Thankfully the chair had a high, wooden back that protected me, and I had scooched forward in the chair avoiding being wacked myself. The table was dirty, but the host took the time to get a rag and clean and dry the table. I stood waiting nearby for him to finish. He also took my drink order and said my server would be by shortly.
The young server, wearing her mask as a chin strap, brought my sweet ice tea in this huge, glass, mason jar adorned with a lemon wedge. The jar was adorable! The great thing about having such a large glass was not needing a refrill. It sustained me through my entire meal.
Soon after my drink order arrived, a large basket of complimentary chips showed up. Oddly enough, the salsa was served in a tall fluted bottle not designed for dipping. Thankfully the woman who brought the chips came back with a small bowl that I could pour some salsa into and then use for dipping or double dipping. It was nice that the restaurant offered this free, but it didn't really go with my meal, and I would have been just as happy without it. I could see how it would be a crowd pleaser in most cases if you came with a group and your large party had to wait for their orders to arrive at their table. It would also be nice for those weekend evenings when you are lounging around listening to the band on stage. However, that was not the case today.
My chicken fried chicken smoothered with creamy white gravy and accompanied by mashed potatoes and yellow squash arrived at my table before I had a chance to even make a dent in the chip basket. I wasn't going to bother eating the dinner roll on the plate, but it was presented with some warm honey butter which I couldn't resist, so it got devoured too.
The waitress checked on me a few times and promptly brought my check when requested.
Overall my experience here was good and the food was fine. I could see returning here, especially on an evening when a band might perform. It's a solid choice for Jackson.
