Jake’s Juke Joint, Soon to Open in Northport, is Made for Locals

A Tuscaloosa entrepreneur is weeks away from opening a new venture on the other side of the Black Warrior - a juke joint made for the working people of Northport.

Jake French has worked in the food industry for more than 20 years and has owned the legendary Harry's Bar on Hargrove Road since 2008. He also owned the Filling Station, the Temerson Square fixture that closed last year. 

Now, he's working full-steam ahead on opening Jake's Juke Joint, a new venture up Highway 43 in Northport.

The Juke Joint will be both a restaurant and bar, and French appeared before the Northport City Council on Monday to get approval for his liquor license there.

Get our free mobile app

"I want to thank the city and the folks who work there for really working with me - I was not anticipating it was going to be this big, but I think we're really going to bring something cool and fun to Northport," French said. "I'm super excited and it seems the community around us is very excited."

The council unanimously approved the liquor license after French outlined his vision for the new space.

"I tried to make this place for everybody, but I'm really trying to pay special attention to my local blue-collar workers and my local white-collar workers," French said. "You guys are here 365 days a year, you know? And I'm paying special attention to the good people of Northport."

French said the bar and grill will host entertainment for locals, including dancing nights, and emphasized that the food there will be no mere afterthought to supplement bar operations - they've got a special menu underway.

"The vast majority of our stuff, we're making in-house and when I'm saying in-house - like our barbecue sauce, we start out with apple butter and we don't add any other products, we make it from scratch-scratch," French said. "We've got a smoked poblano ranch that starts with buttermilk and we're cutting up the different herbs and spices, this is not something we're using a pack for. We're smoking these poblanos. They're delicious, a beautiful, fresh flavor. One of our signature items, listen to this, is going to be a smoked bourbon, bacon, jalapeno, five-cheese mac and cheese."

This weekend, French teased Southern Eggrolls stuffed with that same mac and cheese, sour green beans and pulled pork.

French said he and his wife are long-term business partners and are trying up due diligence so small problems with wiring or plumbing don't become massive issues that could disrupt the Juke Joint after it opens, which could be later this month or in May.

The new concept for Northport is under development at 5675 US Highway 43 about two miles north of City Hall.

For more news on Jake's Juke Joint as they wrap up their preparations and get ready to open in Northport and for more exclusive coverage of restaurant and retail development in west Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.