Jim’s Steak House

One star for service — the service was great what you would expect from a steakhouse. The medium-​rare ribeye steak came back medium-​well. Beef and Blu states it’s a filet mignon with blue cheese they fail to mention it is smothered in brown & white gravy and on toast. We question whether the filet was actually a filet it seemed more like a sirloin/​New York. The calamari was over battered, undercooked, and unidentifiable. The portion was massive. We sent this back barely touched. The Side Salad was dinner sized and not a side. House vinaigrette was very good and there was lots of variety and color in the salad. It’s just too big.

The restaurant is an old school steakhouse with large chunks of meat, huge sides, and a loud atmosphere. It was a great throwback to another generation in that sense. My Ribeye was cooked to perfection and was exceptional. The salad was a very large salad plate and was oddly put together. It included peas, cabbage, lettuce, and green onions. But they werent mixed together, even though the dressing was poured over the entire salad. It was strange. But then again, I dont go to a steakhouse for the salad!
Our drinks were decent enough, though my Manhattan was not mixed or shaken before it was poured into the glass, which makes for a strange tasting drink. In general, we enjoyed our meal, and I am sure that I will be back if I come back to Peoria.

Jim’s is an old fashion steak house. Great food, great atmosphere-I’ve been to Morton’s, Gallagher’s and Smith and Wollensky and Jim’s is definitely in their league!

I came here for the first time yesterday for lunch with a few co-​workers. The restaurant itself is an old school type of steakhouse and was fairly nice inside. The décor is classic old steakhouse and fairly well kept. The service was really good.
We had the lunch buffet so we did not get a chance to try the steaks. Both peple I was with are locals and have been there many times and they really like the place for a good steak.
The buffet was not big but there was plenty to eat. They had roast sirloin in au jus which was tasty but not overly tender. There was a lagnasa which I did not try but the others did and liked it. The roast pork with sweet potato mash looked good and had a decent taste but the loin was a bit dry and thus chewy. The roasted chicken breast with sundried tomato and cheese was also that way. There was a meditreanaen mushroom side dish that had cheeses and kalmata olives in it and it was excellent. The fresh green beans were also quite good. Then I tried the she crab soup. It was pretty good but a bit bland that a touch of salt helped. The salad bar part of the buffet had 6 different salads that included some nicely done specialties besides the tossed version, which did have lots of veggies in it as well.
And last but not least the desert table had 6 large pies of differnt types. They looked great but I was at the point I could not eat another bite so I had to pass. Many folks were partaking and enjoying as I looked around the room.
The buffet is well worth the price even if was not perfect and I would try it again. As well I would like to try the steaks here sometime.

I was visiting my parents in Peoria, and they suggested we go to Jim’s Steak House for dinner. When my brother & sisters were included, we made up a party of 11, and were seated in the «conference room,» which was fine. Our orders were taken; drinks were distributed; the salads came out. They were extremely cafeteria-​esque, being chopped lettuce, grated carrots, some sliced red cabbage, one grape tomato and an entire green onion on top. The vinaigrette I’d ordered was exceedingly sweet and the salad was literally swimming in it.
When the entrées arrived, the waitress (in removing it from the trolley) dropped my mother’s plate on the floor. This is an honest mistake: these things happen. But what happened next mystifies me.
The waitress said she’d bring another entrée out so my mother could take it home in about 30 minutes and then proceeded to leave her without anything to eat.
Let me repeat that: in a RESTAURANT, a business that serves food, the waitress made an error and then left the patron without anything to eat while everyone else had just been served. In what alternative universe is this considered acceptable?!?
So using our bread plates, those of us at the table took pieces of our meals and gave it to my mother (who then had a meal and could eat with us).
As I was eating my own meal, a bus boy came by and refilled water glasses as someone else started removing plates — including my baked potato which I wasn’t finished with. I was still eating — still had filet mignon on my plate — and they were removing my food while I was eating. The restaurant was not packed — they didn’t need to get rid of us so that they could turn the table and get more people in – so this urgency to clear the table while we were eating was totally unnecessary.
About the time we were ready to leave, the waitress emerged with a styrofoam take-​away container wrapped in cellophane and gave it to my mother.
The dropped meal — and the fact the restaurant didn’t simply provide a new entrée IMMEDIATELY was never dealt with — they didn’t even take the cost of the meal off the tab.
Given there were 11 of us and each entrée averages $ 35, the bill total had to have been in excess of $ 450 once drinks were added. $ 450+ and my mother was handed the meal she’d ordered in styrofoam AS WE WERE LEAVING.
I don’t even know how to wrap my head around this «service» or why the manager didn’t remove the cost of the meal. Yes, mistakes are made — but this is so far beyond the pale that it defies rational explanation.
Other Unilocal reviews have said «overpriced» (yes), «unimpressed» (yes).
To this list I’d add that the waitstaff is «clueless».
This restaurant has no business pretending to be upscale and charging $ 35 — 55 per entrée and then treat the patrons as if they were an afterthought.
Bad, bad, bad.

Nice atmosphere with a friendly staff. The food was excellent I had the twin steak medallions that were excellent and cooked to protection. We sat in the bar piano area and it was really to dark for eating which I guess that was our mistake.

My boyfriend and I went here for valentine’s day and they had a great special going on for two steak dinners but I opted for the salmon which was cooked to perfection and came with a great salad that was above your average lettuce and carrots. The atmosphere of this place was also very intimate and dimly lit. Our waitress also brought out an assortment of desserts to choose from and they offered a full bar for those who enjoy a drink with dinner.

I have to say I came away extremely impressed with this restaurant. My wife and I dined here on Valentine’s Day. We both enjoyed immensely the service, food, and environment. I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to budget conscious individual, but I would say it is a must try at least once kind of place. I expected to enjoy a good meal, but came away with an «Experience.» We will be back soon, and I plan on trying all their different steaks before moving on to graduate school in California.

Have come here many times over the years for dinner & it’s always been great. It’s what I consider to be a classic steakhouse. The staff is excellent, including one very nice lady (whose name I’ve sadly forgotten) who has waited on me multiple times over the years.
The food is well prepared with plenty of different options & the drinks are made well.
The lighting is low, yet more than sufficient to read the menu.
The background music (piano/​harp) are both enjoyable at a very satisfactory volume & they really help to enhance the experience rather than detract from it as some places do.

One of the best places I’ve ever eaten! Try the Brittney salad dressing.

So, I only had the lunch buffet, so I can’t really say whether the steak here is worthwhile, but I would skip the buffet if I would ever be back in town. I wandered around the courthouse area looking for something other than a bar or a sandwich shop for a while and found nothing. Maybe I should have headed further in the other direction? Even consulting Unilocal on my phone didn’t reveal many other choices and a Chinese restaurant that they claimed was right here just didn’t exist.
So, I figured how bad could a steakhouse be? First, being in a basement gives me pause. In Chicago, that’s where the rats and bugs hit first, so you never want to eat in a below-​ground restaurant. The lunch was $ 11.95 and really had limited options. There were two bowls of salad (regular and Caesar), some raw veggies, and some large chunks of pepper jack and cheddar cheese along with some rolls and crackers. Then for entrees they had chicken fajitas, prime rib (VERY well done) and a fish filet with panko (?) crumbs on top. There were over done green beans, some potatoes and a minestrone soup. For dessert there was pecan pie, caramel apple pie and some cookies and brownies.
It was just past noon and already a lot of the trays were empty. It’s not really the quantity, but the tasteless quality that makes me give this low marks.
I’ve only been to Peoria three times and I have to say I remain unimpressed with the food options.

This place is one of my favorite places to eat. The food is consistently good and doesn’t disappoint. I get the NY Strip about every time I come and it is thick and juicy. I also enjoy having drinks here after my meal. Deserts are delicious as well.

heard this place was the bomb but i dont see what the big deal is yo. its too dark in there, food is mediocre, and way overpriced for what i received. oh yeah delivered some products there before and the cook was sweating over the grill. watched the sweat drip right onto the food … if your steak is a lil salty you know why folks… its no better than texas roadhouse or logans and longhorn blows them away… go to any of these places instead bitches and use the money you saved on a movie afterwards cuz trust me the kitchen is disgusting!!!

great Steak, truly done wonderfully, much better then I expected. They did okay with their service and provided a great overall experience.

Dine by candlelight at Jim’s! This is a special place we often frequent for its holiday brunches. Easter brunch offers a seafood spread with raw bar, salad bar, your choice of lamb, ham, roast beef and turkey. Typical side dishes accompany the holiday fare. Desserts galore and the soothing sounds of a harpist makes brunch an experience for everyone to enjoy. Brunch was pricey, but well worth it.

My husband and I went to Jim’s steakhouse and had a wonderful time. I had the filet and crab and my husband had bone in filet with side of crab. You also have to try the twice baked pot. they are the best. The crab is huge best in town the steaks were cooked to perfection. We will be back. The service and bar was great as well. Best time we have had in a long time. Thank you Jims’s.

Overpriced and not high quality. Stuffed mushrooms were made with imitation crab; not what I would expect from a restaurant that advertises itself as exclusive. My steak Diane was lukewarm, and the filet medallions were chewy. The service was slow, and the bartender gave me sprite when I asked for club soda with lime. The women’s bathroom was rundown. The bill was $ 99.70 for two of us. I don’t mind paying that if the food and service are worth it.

The Steak House by its very nature is not a fast food, brightly lit, noisy diner, with loud music and screaming children. It’s a quiet, dimly lit space, with soft, low key, or no background music, that features a full ala carte menu, a wine and liquor list, and table service. It is where one has time to enjoy a drink and salad before the main course is served. Waitstaff is attentive.
This is Jim’s. The difference is the dry.aged.beef. You won’t find it at Ruths’s Chris, or any other steak house in Peoria. The dry aging of the beef served at Jim’s is not the norm found in most restaurants.
Peoria is not tony Manhattan or sporty Chicago. It is a research and STEM city in the Midwest. It’s a place where a guest is treated fairly and one can eat well for far less than $ 300 per plate. Those who complain generally do not understand commercial food preparation or how it is plated in a fine dining setting.
Excepting of a very few salads, the dressing can be served on the side. Crab Legs should be served with a tool called a ‘claw cracker’, or if requested it can be served without the shell. Blue Cheese alone is a strong, creamy, cheese made from cow’s milk that is only slightly milder than horseradish. It will enhance a green olive, and overpower fowl, beef, lamb, fish and chicken. The staff should be able to answer 99% of the questions asked about the food or liquor served. The kitchen should be able to meet 99% of «special requests» — although it may delay table service for up to 20 minutes or longer on a busy night..
Jim’s Downtown Steak House is the ultimate fine dining in a public setting. The other option for fine dining in Peoria is a private club. Very often private clubs have reciprocal agreements with similar clubs in the United States to meet their member’s needs when visiting. Ask your club before traveling
There are several restaurants in Peoria that serve a good prime steak. Sky Harbor, Lariat, Three25, and Alexander’s come to mind. For those who want the ambiance of a true ‘old school’ steak house for meetings with small groups of friends, or a business lunch, Jim’s is hard to beat. It’s convenient to business, the two court houses, the main library, and the medical district.
Jim’s is convenient to everything downtown. From the theatre district to the Peoria Riverfront one can listen to live Jazz, visit museums, take a cruise on the the Spirit of Peoria, take a trolly tour of historic Peoria, or sleep on a feather bed.

I would bump this up just a little from 3 stars, but can’t quite reach 4. We have been to Jim’s several times over the last several years. There seems to be potentially a downward trend, but I sure hope not. However, the filets we had were top notch. Done perfectly to the ordered medium-​rare.
This visit started a little weird, as we had to stand by the hostess stand for literally several minutes waiting for someone to come check us in. It did give us a chance to do a visual recon of the wine locker, which proved to be important. We (two of us) were seated in the corner which was OK. The table of five next to us were a little rowdy but generally not bad.
The menus we were handed were pretty low quality, with one actually torn along the fold with a bunch of stains on the back. Not the high quality one would expect here. We asked for a wine list, and as we scanned it we noticed at least two that were not on the list that we visually spotted while waiting. I asked if there was a secret wine list, and the waitress was open about there being some that were not on the list. So we ordered the one we saw (05 Silverado Merlot). I was very surprised by the temperature of the wine. I know they aren’t aging wine, but it really seemed to be too warm, close to room temperature. Not terrible for serving, but a little warm to be sitting in the locker day after day. I would definitely not order a high end wine.
Orders went in, food came out. Like I said, the filets were awesome, and really bailed out the evening.
Will likely return, as it is in the corridor of our travel to family, but it won’t be a priority like it has been in the past.

Best place to get a steak in Peoria County. Jim’s is where the rich and famous eat when they’re in town for the evening.
Excellent for business entertainment and the food, staff and atmosphere are rated 5 stars in my book.