Al’s On First

Al’s is the First place to be in Pulaski. Great atmosphere in a toil-​worn warehouse converted to SWVA swanky restaurant and lounge. Menu is large enough to have something for everyone but simple enough that each dish is prepared with intention and attention to detail.
Our favorites are the Cuban and Jacked Up Turkey sandwiches, the (entire portobello) Mushroom Swiss Burger, and The Wedge Salad, made special with house dill ranch dressing and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar with bacon sprinkles. We find the dinner menu a bit heavy for our tastes, but friends love it.
Looking forward to loving Al’s on First as we mature together.

This was the second time we have been here. The first was for lunch, and the three of us really enjoyed our meals. This time my husband and I were here for dinner. We both enjoyed our meals, the food was good, but not great. The salads were great, but the meals were under seasoned. One thing that really annoyed both of us was that they only serve margarine, no butter for the warm buns or the baked potato, even when we asked.

Love this place! The décor is like no other and really stands out in the Town of Pulaski. You would think you teleported to a fancy restaurant in the big city when you walk in the door. Friendly staff and delicious food! Price is what you would pay at chain restaurants if not cheaper. So happy to have nice place for lunch or dinner. I enjoyed the lounge area too! $ 3.50 beers and $ 4-​$ 7 mixed drinks. If you’re in town, definitely put this place on your list to visit. You won’t be disappointed.

Pulaski finally has a restaurant worth bragging on… this place is fabulous!!! And the General Manager, Joe Hodge, has knocked this one out of the park!!!

The rolls seemed like frozen yeast rolls and weren’t anything special. Our waitress was absent for 75% of our meal and the restaurant wasn’t even full. The mushroom burger lacked flavor but the fries were very good. Also ask for the dill ranch because the regular ranch is nasty. The atmosphere is the best thing about this place unfortunately. My husband got the burger with cheddar, bbq, and onion straws and I ate some of it and it was very good.

I really hesitate to write this because I really want this place to succeed. It has been a vast wasteland here in Pulaski for way too long.
I have eaten here twice. Once for lunch, Cuban Sandwich, delicious. Service SLOW. Had to wave arms to get another glass of wine while we waited a half hour for sandwich and salad. There were only 3 other small tables occupied.
Saturday night, after working all day in NC, my friend and I wanted to have a «nice» dinner.
We know there can be a wait for a table on a weekend, so we expected to wait.
Oddly enough, there were empty tables all over when we were told a half hour wait. After the time he said he thought he could seat us, I got up and said «why are we waiting where there are all the empty tables»? He said they were backed up in the kitchen. OKAAAYYY.
Right before us two tables of I would say 10 or so, and another table of 8 just were seated. So I said I guess this means there are 28 orders ahead of us and it would be HOURS before we ate.
The Maitre d was so flustered is was almost comical. When I said we were leaving he said «Come back when we aren’t so busy». Oh Really??? He needs to have a LOT more staff meetings and get that crew in line. Also, sitting in the waiting area on a freezing cold night was no picnic. At least put a bowl or two of crackers out and have bar service out there.
We would like to feel welcome and had more of a feeling that they didn’t care and wished we weren’t there. We live in Pulaski, and we are the people who will keep you open. Not a smile, not a «Sorry to keep you waiting», nothing.

The décor and building are great, probably best in NRV. Some of the cool looking high tables are not comfortable for people with long legs, so we moved to a normal table. Food was fine, we went for dinner. My burger was under cooked, but when it was returned, it was excellent. My husband had a steak, cooked Pittsburgh rare, was ok-​not as blackened as desired, but that is rarely cooked right it the region any way. Waitress definitely needed more experience or training, but we went soon after opening.
They need to open on Sunday! They should close on Monday, instead. Sunday is fanatic for brunch and dinner. We have eaten there once, but if it was open on Sunday, we would have been there at least 3 times by now.
Still best place in Pulaski, by far! Can’t wait for good weather and that patio!

If you want poor service and to wait over an hour for a seat for overpriced mediocre food, then this is your place. They removed food from the table before we were even through eating. So much for mediocre leftovers for the next day that the dog could have had.

Second visit to Al’s was much better. Penne pasta in a cream sauce with peas and spinach. Still under seasoned. My friends got the chopped steak and seemed happy. I hope each visit gets better and better.

Dinner was delicious! We had the artichoke dip for appetizer which was very tasty. The corn chowder was rich and creamy. We both had steak and they were very good too! Mashed potatoes were perfect. Wait staff were very attentive and well trained. The manager walked around and greeted us as well. This will definitely be a regular stop for us!

This was beyond my imagination. The building and the furniture demonstrate what creativity and care can do for old buildings.
13 sandwiches. 4 soups. 4 salads. 3 baked potatoes. 6 appetizers. Burgers. Kids menu. ok that is lunch.
Ready for dinner? How does steaks, ribeye, porkchop, chicken breast, penne pasta, shrimp pasta, fresh grilled salmon, and fish and chips sound? OK. There is also BBQ Shrimp and Grits. Not my style but I grew up in NY.
We loved lunch and felt we were touring a museum and trendy restaurant in a big city when we walked around. Prices are very fair.
WE WILL BE BACK.
This could be an anchor for urban renewal. Big city flair with small town prices. And a bar. I don’t drink alcohol but lots of people do drink responsibly. I like choices. This place is new and will only get better.

Atmosphere was great, the food was fantastic! It’s so nice to have a restaurant in the Pulaski area to dine and the prices were comparable to any other of this magnitude. We will be back!

Wow! Small mountain town, not much going on. .. until now. Jackson Park Inn is a lovely property, old building charm, nice restaurant and bar. Food was well done, reasonably priced, and great atmosphere. Look forward to stopping here again when I am in the area. Great bar also, and soon to open coffee shop. Surprise yourself and get off the highway to enjoy this place.

Lunch was delicious! Our group had the corn chowder, jacked up turkey sandwiches, French dip sandwich and chicken salad sandwich. Everyone was very pleased with how delicious our plates were. We shared the salted caramel brownie for dessert and it was one of the best desserts I’ve had in a while.
The atmosphere is industrial with exposed brick and beams. The artwork and lighting is modern. Nice rustic, wood tables.
I’m so glad this place has opened up. We need more restaurants in Pulaski and looking at the large lunch crowd here it looks like a lot of other people think that too.

Our experience was nothing short of brilliant tonight — and it was the first night the restaurant was doing a full dinner service. I ordered a southern BBQ burger and my girlfriend ordered a medium-​rare chopped steak with green beans and mashed potatoes.
All entrees were cooked to perfection and were the best we’ve had out in a long time. The salad (which came out before as a starter) was large and very fresh. We ordered a beer from their tap selection and both were served at a great temperature. The wait staff was extremely friendly, accommodating, and nothing but smiles.
After our dinner, we headed over to the lounge for a nightcap (or two). The lounge was just as pretty as the restaurant. Truly, this whole venue is a diamond in the rough for Pulaski. The décor is something you would find in a nice venue in Roanoke or any other large cultural hub — upscale, rustic, flawless. The drinks at the lounge were expertly made and the bartender was friendly and engaging.
Every part of this hotel and it’s restaurant and lounge is gorgeous and super clean. It is such an AMAZING addition to Pulaski — I only pray that the town sees that. We drove 20 minutes to get there and after our evening, I would not have hesitated to drive an hour.
I can’t wait to see what else this venue has in store!