Not too far from the blue-green ocean at Pensacola Beach, the historic downtown Pensacola vibe is quaint, yet vibrant with breweries, shopping, and delicious dining. On one of those picturesque corners sits Jackson’s, a steakhouse staple where Pensacolans go for a good steak, cocktails, and dessert for any occasion. Everything from the decadent chocolate mousse to the crunchy red snapper, fantastic filet mignon, earthy brussel sprouts, to the tender lamb lollipops, plus the cocktails, everything you get at Jackson’s is a food adventure.

What’s better with a steak dinner than a cocktail? We got the fantastic off-menu blueberry martini, as well as the sweet and sassy BAMA Buck. The martini was recommended by our waitress and turned out magical with the tart and tangy berries up front mixed with the citrus and booze on the back. It was a refreshing yet potent sip! As far as the BAMA Buck, with whiskey on the back and the sweetness of strawberry on the front, this cocktail is sweet and boozy. It was just the right balance between the two. I’ll have another, please!

On to the delectable food, we started with the lamb lollipops. The lamb was seriously tender and wonderfully seasoned lamb bites. It was perfectly paired with an earthy, bright shaved brussel and radish salad. These two go so well together with the meatiness of the lamb and the earthy, crunchy of the salad. As far as the entrees, John got the flavorful filet mignon and I got the amazing red snapper, plus we paired it with some delicious brussel sprouts. These brussels are so good the guy next to us said he’s now a brussel sprout believer because of these! We agree, they’re rustic, earthy, tart, tangy, crunchy, and meaty. It’s all the adjectives you want to hear when describing these gems.

For our main entrees, the filet mignon was perfectly cooked medium steak with a tender inside and light grill outside. With the garlic on the top, it ended up being meaty and tangy with the right amount of smoke. But, the best dish of the night was the Red Snapper! Can snapper be decadent? Yes, the very definition of decadent with a ginormous piece of fish that literally melted in your mouth. Topped with a cracker crust that gave it a light crunch, lemon, butter, and herbs, it was simply divine. Crunchy, buttery, flaky.

Even if you don’t have any room, you have to stay for dessert and get the chocolate mousse! It was rich and decadent chocolate base, then a buttery, toffee, crunchy surprise at the bottom. On top an in-house made whipped cream brought it all together. Perfection if you ask me.

What do you want to try at Jackson’s?