Jimmy's Famous American Tavern strives to serve up traditional American dishes but with some creative twists that will surely leave some lasting memories on your palette!
When I was invited for a tasting here, I was so impressed by how everything tasted so delicious! Everything burst with flavor with each bite. No lie! It's as if each fry and meatball and shrimp was caressing my tongue, holding onto it so I could properly savor it all.
Pictured below is the Jimmy Burger - Applewood Smoked Bacon, Jalapeño Jam, Southern
Pimento Cheese | $18
It also comes with a side and but I decided to add Parmesan-Truffle Fries for just $1.75!
The indoor of Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, a.k.a. JFAT, in Brea is stunning. Love all the lights, the festive decor, the homey feeling and also the wall painted with the U.S. flag!
FAMOUS
Grilled Apricot-Chile Glazed Salmon Spinach, Corn, Boiled Egg, Tomatoes, Garbanzo Beans,
Crispy Onions, Bacon | $22
‘Buffalo Style’ Certified Angus Beef Meatballs: Spicy Wing Sauce, Honey-Garlic Ranch | $12
These meatballs were seriously so good! And I love the spicy kick from the sauce too!
New England Style Clam Chowder and comes with Potato Chips | Cup $6 / Bowl $9
This clam chowder bowl was definitely one of the better clam chowders we have had. Okay, it was pretty good. But I wouldn't say that it completely shined compared to the other delicious dishes! Could be better! But! I think for a bowl at $9, this is worth it since they give you a good amount and there are actually some whole clams in the soup!
Town Dock Calamari with Crispy Rosemary, Sage, Serrano Chiles, Spicy Remoulade | $14
These were bomb! They don't use the odds and ends of the squid but instead use the actual body for the meat. The calamari here stands out from other restaurants for that fact. So delicious and meaty! I love the sauce it comes with too!
Here is Kevin squeezing...some lime?
The dining space here is sooooooooooo #aesthetic !
There is also outdoor dining too. It was such a beautiful day outside! I am wondering why we ate inside instead of outdoors.... Was it cold.. that day?!? (Can't remember)
Tequila Shrimp Pasta – Green Chile Pesto Cream, Charred Corn, Pepitas | $20
This was hands down my favorite dish. The pesto cream was so flavorful, it was like a flavor bomb of pesto cream exploding in my mouth. Seriously! This was one of the dishes I told myself I just had to finish instead of taking it home as leftovers. It was soooooooooo delicious!
Pictured below is the Jimmy Burger - Applewood Smoked Bacon, Jalapeño Jam, Southern
Pimento Cheese | $18
Maine Lobster & Shrimp Club - Avocado, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce, Toasted Brioche | $19
damn... LOOK AT ALL THAT LOBSTER MEAT! YAAAAAAS! And the amount of avocado! Don't you just wanna start drooling??
Santa Fe Honey-Poblano Pesto - Grilled Chicken, Roasted Corn, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Avocado, Pecans | $15
I don't usually get flatbreads because.. it's a lot of bread for me. I am all in for the meat, you know? But decided to try this flatbread since it had so much stuff packed in on it! And I am glad I did. This thing also burst with flavor.
Hey JFAT, you sure know how to pack everything with flavor, don't you!
I actually dined at another restaurant the day after this and ate a flat bread there. It was nothing compared to this Santa Fe Honey-Poblano Pesto from JFAT. Seriously, the other restaurant which shall not be named because it seriously had one of the worst flat breads ever, gave me new appreciation for this flatbread !
Reflections
Some places boast freshly squeezed lemonade. I don't believe them. JFAT also boasts on serving only freshly squeezed lemonade. I also didn't believe them. So I just had to ask to confirm. Many people will still say they do even if you ask but obviously you can taste their lies.
JFAT did not lie. Their lemonade was amazing. How do I know this? Spoiled `ole me drinks freshly squeezed lemonade almost everyday freshly squeezed by my momma.
The lemonade here was so fantastic, we didn't wanna leave until we finished it all.
Kevin is also picky with his lemonade too. We really hate that concentrate stuff like from Minute Maid. But... dang! JFAT! YOU DONE DID IT! Your lemonade is A+
We also brought our Kirimi-Chan to play with us! (One of the new characters from Sanrio created after Gudetama)
‘Bananageddeon’ – Fresh Bananas, Pastry Cream, Pecan Blondie Crumbles, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Sauce, Candied Pecans, White Chocolate, and Whipped Cream | $12 (Serves 2 or more)
Jimmy's Famous American Tavern is one of those places you should visit at least once when you are craving good `ole American food.
At JFAT, I can tell that all the dishes are prepared thoroughly with the customer satisfaction in mind. Kevin and I were lucky to be invited as guests to try a variety of dishes and none of them disappointed us! Seriously! I was a bit skeptical at first seeing the prices because.. this place ain't no joke. There are many restaurants that have expensive prices but mediocre food. This place is on the pricier side with dishes at around $15-$25. But at JFAT, you actually get what you pay for: Quality!
Make Sure To Savor Every Bite!
Every dish had a burst of flavor. Seriously! I was delightfully surprised because I had no idea what to expect. I mean, it better not be tasteless for that amount of $$ ...right?? One of my favorite dishes was the Tequila Shrimp Pesto Pasta! It was one of the best pesto pasta dishes that I have ever had. The pesto cream was excellent and did not hold back. If you love pesto, you must order this! The flat bread was amazing too! I don't usually like flat breads...but it's probably because I never had any good ones. JFAT changed my mind.
Now Open In The Village at La Floresta in Brea - An Up And Coming Dining Plaza To Be On The Lookout!
This plaza is poppin` already. With well-known restaurants like Slapfish and Mendocino Farms and also Whole Foods Market, Jimmy's Famous American Tavern surely fits right in! I heard from some friends living nearby that this is definitely going to be the hangout spot soon with new developments happening! I'm excited!
What We Ordered at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern
So Kevin and I ordered quite a lot... here's the rundown:
- Lemonade that's freshly squeezed? YES! I thought it was just "freshly squeezed" as in squeezed some time ago that was once fresh and using it as like ... technically it is freshly squeezed... BUT NO REALLY THOUGH. This was one of the best lemonades I have ever had aside from the lemonade my mom makes and that lemonade stand my neighbor's daughter sometimes runs (so cute)! Get that lemonade!
- definitely recommend!
- Jimmy Burger - Applewood Smoked Bacon, Jalapeño Jam, Southern Pimento Cheese | $18
- that Jalapeno Jam is the star here. We actually didn't get a chance to eat this burger fresh and had to take it to-go. Usually the taste isn't as good and the burger is... well meh. But surprisingly, eating this burger as a leftover (remember to toast, not microwave) was still so satisfying! I love the kick of spice fro, the Jalapeno Jam! Burger patty itself was still juicy!
- Garlic Fries
- amazing. Huge portion and the garlic flavor and cheese together is so good! I am a huge fries fan!
- Truffle Fries
- omgggggggg so much better than most places! I love how it's doused in truffle sauce! I wish JFAT was closer so I could just order the fries to-go alone... and eat them at home haha!
- way better than the truffle fries from GD Bro Burger!
- Grilled Apricot-Chile Glazed Salmon Salad - Chile Glazed Salmon Spinach, Corn, Boiled Egg, Tomatoes, Garbanzo Beans, Crispy Onions, Bacon | $22
- This was a huge salmon salad! Unfortunately, we didn't eat it fresh and had it as leftovers. After toasting it, we only ate the actual salmon and egg. I am sure the salad itself would have been delicious with all the toppings like bacon and stuff! Anyway, the salmon itself was delicious! Nothing too special since again we were just eating the salmon but it is noteworthy that the fish was still moist and not overcooked!
- ‘Buffalo Style’ Certified Angus Beef Meatballs: Spicy Wing Sauce, Honey-Garlic Ranch | $12
- ummmm... can we order more of this? This was amazing! It was like mini burger patties in ball shapes. Does that make sense? haha The sauce was spicy! Like... damnnnnnnnn did my taste buds just get punched by one-punch man?? Okay, it wasn't incredibly unbearingly spicy at all. It was just the right amount that would send spice-lovers to paradise. This was also great as leftovers (luckily we also ate it fresh too!)
- Totes recommend this!
- New England Style Clam Chowder and comes with Potato Chips | Cup $6 / Bowl $9
- One of the better clam chowders Kevin and I have had! I think this chowder does give you bang for your buck though because there are actual whole clams too! Some places give super little... and with its and bits of clams but JFAT, you're legit.
- Town Dock Calamari with Crispy Rosemary, Sage, Serrano Chiles, Spicy Remoulade | $14
- amaaaaazing. Crispy and meaty! Why can't all calamari be this way? It's because most are made with the tentacles. JFAT uses the actual squid's body for this dish so that's why it tastes more full and meaty! $14 may be pricey but actually they give you a loooooooot here. Great to share!
- Tequila Shrimp Pasta – Green Chile Pesto Cream, Charred Corn, Pepitas | $20
- OMG MY MOST FAVORITE-ST THING EVER EVER! I seriously dream of this sometimes.
- Hope the photos in the beginning of this article of the shrimp pasta seduced you enough to get your butt over to JFAT. This is the winning dish for me.
- Pesto cream on point
- Fat Juicy shrimps on point. However, you only get like 5 shrimps
- Maine Lobster & Shrimp Club Sandwich - Avocado, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce, Toasted Brioche | $19
- Was surprised by the amount of lobster. Very generous!
- Unfortunately, this was our least favorite only because we particularly don't like too much tarter-sauce / mayonnaise sauce. The sauce was very... fluid? Liquidy? Instead of creamy. If there was less sauce.. we would have for sure finished this! But we were over it after a few bites.
- Also a bit greasy :(
- Santa Fe Honey-Poblano Pesto Flat Bread - Grilled Chicken, Roasted Corn, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Avocado, Pecans | $15
- One of the best flat breads ever! Okay, I'm not one to judge since I rarely order flat breads but the mesh of flavor in this from the roasted corn and grilled chicken all on top of thin bread was great!
- We actually ordered flat bread from another restaurant the day after and it did not compare at all. That other place lacked in so much flavor and the flat bread itself seemed to just be ingredients slapped on each other. After that experience, I realized that great flat bread might be a dime in a dozen. JFAT is that dime.
- ‘Bananageddeon’ – Fresh Bananas, Pastry Cream, Pecan Blondie Crumbles, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Salty Caramel Sauce, Candied Pecans, White Chocolate, and Whipped Cream | $12 (Serves 2 or more)
- this dessert was insane! So so huge! The fresh bananas went well with all the nuts, chocolate, salted caramel sauce and more! It ended the luncheon on a good note for sure!
YES, I WOULD COME BACK!
Overall, I will have to come back to Jimmy's Famous American Tavern in the future. It's one of those spots I'd recommend to anyone wanting great quality American food! I wouldn't go here often myself, because oh man.... prices are expensive. But I would return for sure! Someday!
JFAT supports farms and ranches and fisheries that are guided by principles of sustainability. I love how most restaurants are heading towards this direction so props to JFAT!
Stay Connected:
Address to Jimmy's Famous American Tavern - BREA
Village at La Floresta
3325 E Imperial Hwy
Brea, CA 92823
For more locations, click here.
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