I really wanted this place to be good but it was disappointing. Overall, the food was okay. -For appetizers, the foie gras appetizer was decent. The soup of the day was a lobster and crab bisque, which was very tasty but a bit lacking on the meat. -We ordered the scallop risotto and the duck breast for the main course. The risotto was really soupy and reminded us of the soup of the day. It was like 90% liquid and 10% rice. The scallops were only seared on one side and it was over seasoned on that same side; however, they were pretty good and we got a generous amount. Oddly there was also one squid in the dish. The duck breast was supposed to be medium rare, but it came out medium well. There was also one carrot amidst the green beans, which was weird. -The dessert we chose was the peach galette. It was pretty big and could feed up to 4 people. The pastry was really dense. The best part of it was the ice cream on top. Other things we noticed: -The restaurant decor was bland, generic. -I could hear a very loud conversation in the kitchen. It was weird that they were yelling about a hot dog? -The bathroom was clean and had nice thick hand towels, but it was weird that the inside of the toilet lid was completely wet and the seat was all wet too. I guess it was cleaned but didn't have enough time to dry out? -The service was acceptable. Our server was polite and friendly. The food came out in a timely manner. All in all, this wasn't the fine dining experience I was hoping for.
GeorgeB
Everything was great. My only recommendation is to make sure you clean the floor. My wife immediately noticed that the floor looked dirty. Nevertheless, we will visit again and recommend it to friends.
nanddusa
St. Jacques is a reliably good restaurant with traditional French fare. The food & service are consistent. The overall impression is lacking when more ancillary items are considered such as: 1) 4 large window boxes & planters with dead floral material are what first greet prospective diners. 2) The glass on the front door is in dire need of cleaning. 3) Music may have been French-inspired, but did not create a relaxing atmosphere. 4) When making a reservation, the celebration of 2 birthdays was mentioned, but this was overlooked by the staff. It was difficult to not make comparisons to the attention to detail of the previous owners Lil & Lori, who made St. Jacques a Michelin-worthy restaurant. There was a sign on the front door asking for patience, but it wasn't clear what improvements were being made. It may be worth checking out again at a later date.
RebeccaR
From the host to the waiter, the staff at Saint Jacques is fantastic. The food is delicious, I especially enjoyed the fois gras and the homemade ice cream. A great place for date night or to celebrate an occasion with friends.
Joy-traveler
We dined here recently and enjoyed the ambiance and great service. They have some wonderful wines on the menu, mostly French of course. We thought the food could have been better. The lobster bisque was very thick, rich, and tasty. The fish of the day was good but the crabmeat stuffing was mostly bread. The scallops were good but the risotto was overdone and served with a sauce very similar to the bisque. The duck was the best of the entrees we ordered.
Stephanie Rockwell
Very pleased with this restaurant. It was our first time dining and the staff was very friendly. It has a refined but comfortable atmosphere. The food was delicious, especially the lobster bisque, which was a special they were serving and I could have eaten several bowls, and the creme brulee.
Victoria Voight
I have eaten here several times. I have always loved the food but this time I was a bit disappointed. We had two specials, mussels and bouillabaisse. The stew had too much Sage. The mussels were plump but the sauce had very little flavor.
DurhamMom
This is NOT the same St Jacques as 8-10 years ago. Back in the mid 2010s my son's French teacher took her students to St Jacques at the end of each school year. The service was outstanding, the meal/ambience was excellent--you really felt like you were eating at an elegant restaurant. SO-last night, as a treat on his 22nd birthday, we thought it would be sweet to re-visit a special restaurant. As soon as we came to the front door my heart began to sink--the glass was smudged and dirty. The inside had what I call the "dying restaurant" smell. Not sure what it is, but it is not aromatic or appetizing. The service was odd, with servers bustling around and speaking too loudly, when there were only a few tables occupied--another warning bell-very few patrons for the busiest restaurant hour (7pm). The dinner bread was not even a real baguette-it had the taste and texture of white sandwich bread. They only served garlic butter-I think to disguise the blandness of the bread. I had to ask for regular butter (which still had a touch of garlic flavor...?). My meal was literally inedible. I ordered the "confit", which was a layer of zucchini, squash and onions on a bed of quinoa, swimming in what was called a lemon-butter sauce, and topped with mushrooms. It was bland, as if all ingredients had been stacked with no seasoning. As I was chewing something wasn't breaking down--if felt like chewing meet fat/gristle-then I realized it was a mushroom-they must have been cannned/marinated- (and possibly old?)-I ended up having to discreetly dispose of it in my napkin. I did not touch the rest of my meal. I was so embarrassed, because we brought two of his best friends, who I know have good taste. SO disappointing. And we drove 35 minutes from downtown Durham, where we live within walking distance to at least a half dozen excellent restaurants. I don't even want to think about the money spent. SO sad. They should go ahead and close down.
jetting
It has been a while since our last visit. The food was good, but I remember it as better. The chairs were very uncomfortable. Overall, I think it is not the best option for fine dining.
Very enjoyable experience and we had a good time. Being a little critical due to the price point. Three of the entrees were just a bit over cooked, the waitress didn't take orders in the correct order and then when food was delivered, the host placed two meals with the wrong people. I will also point out that only beer and wine is available, no liquor. Lastly, the previous owner had a pate starter available which was the best item on the menu...it is no longer on the menu. Definitely a recommend but for the price point, I would expect a more sophisticated fine-dining experience.
Waited almost 1/2 hour for our desert to go and our leftovers. Arrived at home to discover no leftovers which are generally 1/2 our meal any more. Meal was just ok. Not impressed. Won't be back.
Richard Massong
I have waited several weeks to write a review since the dinners were rather appalling. My wife's escargot was over-cooked and my lobster bisque was very salty. As for the main course, my rack of lamb was ordered medium rare, and came out well done.A friend of ours ordered the same doneness and his was well done as well. The side that came with the lamb was also much too salty. And I like salt. We let the waiter know it was my wife's birthday and she ordered dessert. It came out with Happy Anniversary on the dish. Total lack of control over quality and the little details. Will not be back!!
FredB
Very good food this visit, better than last time, but not like the "good ole days." Waiter was great. Quiet, in part because there were few diners. Disappointed in the escargots two times in a row - don't know what's wrong here. Good place to go for a quiet, intimate dinner. Found a new French wine we like!
Ananya VanSula
Good French restaurant. Quiet. Perfect for date night. We had the scallops and crab cake, escargot, and lamb. We had two red wines: Domaine Paul Buisse and the Cosme, really good.
GlennS
The food was outstanding, the service was exemplary, and the ambience impeccable. This was the first visit for my wife and I as our date night for the month of April. We had a delightful dining experience and plan to return. Thank you!
I really wanted this place to be good but it was disappointing. Overall, the food was okay. -For appetizers, the foie gras appetizer was decent. The soup of the day was a lobster and crab bisque, which was very tasty but a bit lacking on the meat. -We ordered the scallop risotto and the duck breast for the main course. The risotto was really soupy and reminded us of the soup of the day. It was like 90% liquid and 10% rice. The scallops were only seared on one side and it was over seasoned on that same side; however, they were pretty good and we got a generous amount. Oddly there was also one squid in the dish. The duck breast was supposed to be medium rare, but it came out medium well. There was also one carrot amidst the green beans, which was weird. -The dessert we chose was the peach galette. It was pretty big and could feed up to 4 people. The pastry was really dense. The best part of it was the ice cream on top. Other things we noticed: -The restaurant decor was bland, generic. -I could hear a very loud conversation in the kitchen. It was weird that they were yelling about a hot dog? -The bathroom was clean and had nice thick hand towels, but it was weird that the inside of the toilet lid was completely wet and the seat was all wet too. I guess it was cleaned but didn't have enough time to dry out? -The service was acceptable. Our server was polite and friendly. The food came out in a timely manner. All in all, this wasn't the fine dining experience I was hoping for.
Everything was great. My only recommendation is to make sure you clean the floor. My wife immediately noticed that the floor looked dirty. Nevertheless, we will visit again and recommend it to friends.
St. Jacques is a reliably good restaurant with traditional French fare. The food & service are consistent. The overall impression is lacking when more ancillary items are considered such as: 1) 4 large window boxes & planters with dead floral material are what first greet prospective diners. 2) The glass on the front door is in dire need of cleaning. 3) Music may have been French-inspired, but did not create a relaxing atmosphere. 4) When making a reservation, the celebration of 2 birthdays was mentioned, but this was overlooked by the staff. It was difficult to not make comparisons to the attention to detail of the previous owners Lil & Lori, who made St. Jacques a Michelin-worthy restaurant. There was a sign on the front door asking for patience, but it wasn't clear what improvements were being made. It may be worth checking out again at a later date.
From the host to the waiter, the staff at Saint Jacques is fantastic. The food is delicious, I especially enjoyed the fois gras and the homemade ice cream. A great place for date night or to celebrate an occasion with friends.
We dined here recently and enjoyed the ambiance and great service. They have some wonderful wines on the menu, mostly French of course. We thought the food could have been better. The lobster bisque was very thick, rich, and tasty. The fish of the day was good but the crabmeat stuffing was mostly bread. The scallops were good but the risotto was overdone and served with a sauce very similar to the bisque. The duck was the best of the entrees we ordered.
Very pleased with this restaurant. It was our first time dining and the staff was very friendly. It has a refined but comfortable atmosphere. The food was delicious, especially the lobster bisque, which was a special they were serving and I could have eaten several bowls, and the creme brulee.
I have eaten here several times. I have always loved the food but this time I was a bit disappointed. We had two specials, mussels and bouillabaisse. The stew had too much Sage. The mussels were plump but the sauce had very little flavor.
This is NOT the same St Jacques as 8-10 years ago. Back in the mid 2010s my son's French teacher took her students to St Jacques at the end of each school year. The service was outstanding, the meal/ambience was excellent--you really felt like you were eating at an elegant restaurant. SO-last night, as a treat on his 22nd birthday, we thought it would be sweet to re-visit a special restaurant. As soon as we came to the front door my heart began to sink--the glass was smudged and dirty. The inside had what I call the "dying restaurant" smell. Not sure what it is, but it is not aromatic or appetizing. The service was odd, with servers bustling around and speaking too loudly, when there were only a few tables occupied--another warning bell-very few patrons for the busiest restaurant hour (7pm). The dinner bread was not even a real baguette-it had the taste and texture of white sandwich bread. They only served garlic butter-I think to disguise the blandness of the bread. I had to ask for regular butter (which still had a touch of garlic flavor...?). My meal was literally inedible. I ordered the "confit", which was a layer of zucchini, squash and onions on a bed of quinoa, swimming in what was called a lemon-butter sauce, and topped with mushrooms. It was bland, as if all ingredients had been stacked with no seasoning. As I was chewing something wasn't breaking down--if felt like chewing meet fat/gristle-then I realized it was a mushroom-they must have been cannned/marinated- (and possibly old?)-I ended up having to discreetly dispose of it in my napkin. I did not touch the rest of my meal. I was so embarrassed, because we brought two of his best friends, who I know have good taste. SO disappointing. And we drove 35 minutes from downtown Durham, where we live within walking distance to at least a half dozen excellent restaurants. I don't even want to think about the money spent. SO sad. They should go ahead and close down.
It has been a while since our last visit. The food was good, but I remember it as better. The chairs were very uncomfortable. Overall, I think it is not the best option for fine dining.
Very enjoyable experience and we had a good time. Being a little critical due to the price point. Three of the entrees were just a bit over cooked, the waitress didn't take orders in the correct order and then when food was delivered, the host placed two meals with the wrong people. I will also point out that only beer and wine is available, no liquor. Lastly, the previous owner had a pate starter available which was the best item on the menu...it is no longer on the menu. Definitely a recommend but for the price point, I would expect a more sophisticated fine-dining experience.
Restaurantji Recommends
Waited almost 1/2 hour for our desert to go and our leftovers. Arrived at home to discover no leftovers which are generally 1/2 our meal any more. Meal was just ok. Not impressed. Won't be back.
I have waited several weeks to write a review since the dinners were rather appalling. My wife's escargot was over-cooked and my lobster bisque was very salty. As for the main course, my rack of lamb was ordered medium rare, and came out well done.A friend of ours ordered the same doneness and his was well done as well. The side that came with the lamb was also much too salty. And I like salt. We let the waiter know it was my wife's birthday and she ordered dessert. It came out with Happy Anniversary on the dish. Total lack of control over quality and the little details. Will not be back!!
Very good food this visit, better than last time, but not like the "good ole days." Waiter was great. Quiet, in part because there were few diners. Disappointed in the escargots two times in a row - don't know what's wrong here. Good place to go for a quiet, intimate dinner. Found a new French wine we like!
Good French restaurant. Quiet. Perfect for date night. We had the scallops and crab cake, escargot, and lamb. We had two red wines: Domaine Paul Buisse and the Cosme, really good.
The food was outstanding, the service was exemplary, and the ambience impeccable. This was the first visit for my wife and I as our date night for the month of April. We had a delightful dining experience and plan to return. Thank you!