When food lovers walk inside the soul food restaurant Jackie’s Place, the first thing they might notice is the overwhelmingly delicious smell of meat cooking right outside the building.
A portrait of owner Jackie Jackson vividly hangs by the counter inside the business.
Jackson’s portrait was painted by Tyler Gordon who’s garnered national recognition for his portraits of celebrities and prominent figures including Kamala Harris and Chadwick Boseman, according to a Dec. 19, 2020 SF Chronicle article.
“You can smell the aroma of them cooking all the meat at the barbecue pit, it’s phenomenal and that is what first attracted me there,” said mechanical engineering sophomore Hiren Patel.
Jackie’s Place serves an array of dishes including fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, catfish and other southern comfort foods. In the family’s eyes, the restaurant’s mission is to serve food with time and quality in mind.
Jackie’s Place first opened its doors in November 2018 in Downtown San Jose off of First Street after Jackson’s children convinced her to open her own restaurant.
Jackson’s daughter and restaurant employee Kiana Jackson said her mom worked as a food caterer for more than 20 years and always wanted to open her own restaurant.
“She [Jackson] always thinks little of herself, she doesn't think much of her food, she just cooks,” Kiana Jackson said. “She just sees a vision and passion and when we first introduced the idea to her, the response was so great at the first grand opening in 2018.”
Since then, Jackie’s Place has been a staple for comfort and soul food in the South Bay.
However, like many businesses in 2020, Jackie’s Place closed its doors because of increasing coronavirus cases in Santa Clara County.
The popular eatery closed from April 2-May 7 last year and the day after its reopening in May, the restaurant was severely damaged from an electrical fire.
After multiple periods of restaurant closures, Jackie’s Place had its first operating day on March 12 since the fire.
Although the combination of the fire and the pandemic shut down business, Kiana Jackson said her and her family remained resilient through it all.
“As far as my family and I are concerned, it was destined to happen,” Kiana Jackson said. “God ordained it to happen, wrote out the script and he allowed it to happen because he knew [Jackson] was going to bring something to the community.”
Jackie’s Place serves an array of dishes including fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, catfish and other southern comfort foods. In the family’s eyes, the restaurant’s mission is to serve food with time and quality in mind.
Patel said he visited Jackie’s Place for the first time during the March 12 grand reopening and was impressed.
“This was the first soul food place I visited in San Jose,” Patel said. “They provided more than a franchise chain that's just trying to get you in and out.”
Shelby Ortiz, an education graduate student and an SJSU American Studies alumna, said the small business was one of her favorite eateries during her time as an undergraduate.
Ortiz echoed the rarity of Jackie’s Places’ food because there’s a lack of soul food and soul representation in the San Jose area.
“I would say that for the South Bay, growing up, if you want soul food you go to Oakland,” Ortiz said. “It is comforting that they had it in San Jose.”
Jackie’s Place is not only well known for its delicious food but also for its customer service.
Kiana Jackson expressed that customers will often call her mom “Auntie Jackie” because of her motherly nature.
“Everyone calls her that because they gravitate towards her,” Kiana Jackson said. “She is that person and that matriarch in the community that people look to and welcome you with open arms.”
Kiana Jackson said she’s happy to share her mom with the community because Jackson takes care of her customers. She said she has seen her mom treat the mayor of San Jose with the same consideration as she treats homeless residents.
Kiana Jackson also said the home-cooked meals are inspired by her mom’s experience as a mother and caterer with a passion for sharing her food.
“I am just glad that everyone is seeing something that I was fortunate enough to grow up with,” Kiana Jackson said.
Despite the obstacles the business encountered, Jackie’s Place is back to serving a large volume of South Bay customers longing for soul food and carefully crafted cooking reminiscent of a family reunion.
