Why You Should Try the New Menu at Jimm's Steakhouse

You know those restaurants that you go to over and over again because you know exactly what you’ll order and exactly how it’ll taste? Those places that are familiar, and reliably excellent? Jimm’s Steakhouse & Pub (1935 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, 417-886-5466) has fallen into that category for years, with a stable menu that always delivers. But recently, the restaurant has done a bit of a menu revamp and is now offering a fun mix of those classics plus new options that are all worth exploring.

While several favorites remain on the menu—like the perfectly steamed mussels in a white wine garlic broth, and the delightfully addictive bacon-wrapped peppadews appetizer—the new dishes give longtime Jimm’s patrons a chance to taste something brand new. 

It was the new stuff that we were most interested in during our visit, so we started with the crab cakes appetizer. It was, undoubtedly, the right choice. These were probably the best crab cakes I’ve ever had. They were hefty and shareable—and absolutely packed with tender, sweet crab meet. My 7-year-old daughter Eloise wasn’t so sure about trying crab cakes, but my 11-year-old son Oliver tasted them and declared them incredible. Between him, my husband Eli, and me, we devoured them. Our server told us that the crew at Jimm’s had spent about a year perfecting the recipe. Before adding them to the menu, they fiddled with the size of the crab cakes and the flavors until they felt they were just right. The effort was well worth it.

In addition to our app, we started the meal with a trip to the salad bar. That’s another of the customer favorites that made the cut when the menu was revamped. As always, every veggie was super-fresh—and who doesn’t love building their own salad?

For  my entree, I ordered the new lemon-pepper encrusted chicken. A large chicken breast is lightly breaded and topped with a bright and creamy lemon sauce that added a lovely lightness to a dish that might otherwise feel a bit heavy. It was served over a bed of skin-on mashed potatoes with asparagus on the side.

One thing to know about Jimm’s: They do not skimp on portions. Between the app, bread service, my salad and this enormous entree, I definitely went home with leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. So did everyone else in my family.

Eli went the steak route, ordering a New York strip that was cooked perfectly to his preferences.  The new menu’s format lets you customize your steak with toppings like compound butter, mushrooms with Gorgonzola, caramelized onions, lobster tail and more. I’m a compound butter gal myself, but Eli tried the mushrooms and Gorgonzola and loved every bite.

Oliver ordered from the adult menu, getting a delicious plate of cedar plank salmon with lemon buerre blanc sauce. He loved it so much he couldn’t wait until lunch the next day to eat his leftovers; he had them for breakfast!

I love when a restaurant offers more kids’ menu options than just grilled cheese or chicken fingers. Jimm’s, in true steakhouse form, offers a kids steak. That’s what Eloise ordered. It came with fries and a trip to the salad bar, and the steak was cooked just as nicely as Eli’s.

Shareable side dishes are one of the features of the new menu as well, so we tried the red wine mushrooms that are presented in a piping hot cast iron skillet and are packed with flavor. They were particularly delish alongside Eli and Eloise’s steaks, but honestly I’d eat these with any meal. I’d eat these as a meal.

We wrapped up our meal with a sweet treat, four boxes of leftovers and plans to return for more of those crab cakes ASAP.