Review: Jackrabbit Filly

What were your first impressions when you arrived? Jackrabbit Filly feels like a mom and pop diner for the 21st century. Run by a couple who financed the build out themselves, the humble brick building, the thrift-find charms of mismatched tableware, string lights strung on the open ceiling, and bright yellow booths are sweetly welcoming. It's easy to spot Chef Shuai Wang behind the line in the kitchen, and wife Corrie is often your host for the evening, but from looking around at the packed booths and brisk takeout business (and catching a tantalizing whiff of the food as it lands on tables), it's evident these two aren't just "playing restaurant" but have built a restaurant destination on Spruill.

What’s the crowd like? Families, couples, and groups of friends fill the tables nightly. Regulars abound, as this is a neighborhood spot first, destination restaurant second. The place is lively—lots of people greeting one another or just generally having a good time.

What should we be drinking? Beer and wine are available, and the list is robust, but cocktails are the star of the beverage menu here, created with a tongue in cheek vibe but serious in their pairing with the often spicy food. The navy blue bar with its orange stools is a popular spot for neighborhood regulars, too, and an often refreshed cocktail menu that runs the gamut from banana and brown butter wash rum concoctions to sake and absinthe, match the fun vibe of the restaurant perfectly.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss. Most diners cannot imagine visiting Jackrabbit Filly without sampling the karaage (fried chicken). The pro move here, however, is to order lots of dishes—even sometimes the whole menu—and share family style at the table, boxing up what you don't finish for epic leftovers the next day. That's because Chef Wang was a seasoned veteran of restaurant kitchens by his late 20s, and here in his own place, he has dried off his creative wings and flown high, creating dishes that honor his Chinese heritage and at the same time, even sometimes his love for junk food. He's committed to local sourcing (which especially shines bright in seafood and pork dishes), the menu rotates seasonally and at the chef's discretion, and the veggie hash plate, hangover noodles with mushroom ragout and ramen, and pork scrapple are standout brunch dishes in a city that has wholeheartedly embraced it.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you? The kitchen can get crushed on a Friday night here, so ticket times can lag a little if that happens. That being said, it's more of a rarity than a norm. What is the norm, however, is kind service that is used to guiding new diners through their first Jackrabbit experience with their knowledge of dishes and ability to steer palates to pleasing choices. The mood is casual, the servers seem so as well, but that doesn't mean flippancy or lackadasical attitudes tableside at all. 

Who should we bring with us? This is an exceptional first-date experience because choosing dishes together can invite conversation (and it's not too fancy, but good). Industry folks easily will feel at home here, but overall this is a place for gathering together, from families out on a Friday night after work to groups of friends who want to chat more than text. Diners are about regulars, about community, and JRF has that in spades.