In case you hadn’t heard, Jack’s Oyster House is back on State Street. After more than three years dark, the century-old Albany institution reopened in December under a fast-moving ownership group, with a new team in the kitchen, oysters on ice and a menu that stretches past the expected. A renovation is planned, though it has been pushed out to summer 2027 instead of this June.
Very short verdict so far, seven weeks after Jack’s reopened: The ambition is visible, but the consistency is not. When prices are this high — Jack’s is one of the three most expensive restaurants in Albany — and the history this weighty, the dining experience needs to be better than what’s currently being offered.
Arriving at the restaurant sets a conflicting tone. Entering under the canopy next to the original Jack’s building, you pass the foyer’s fireplace and a wall gallery of familiar faces in photos and articles, only to be met by a dark snack counter that sits awkwardly in the transition. It’s a space caught between ending and beginning. Like many things about Jack’s, this setup may change, according to the owners.
Inside the dining room, however, the mood recalls another era. Black-and-white checkered floors, dark wood paneling, leather booths, amber-glass chandeliers and gold-framed photos of Old Albany lining the walls. The effect is Gilded Age, fitting for a restaurant that dates to 1913. In this room and with this name, oysters feel obligatory, and a $1 oyster promotion from 4 to 5:30 p.m. offers a way in; at a restaurant where a dozen otherwise goes for $42, that’s reason to arrive early…