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FREMONT, Neb. — A cosmopolitan restaurant with white tablecloths has wiped away downtown Fremont's reputation as a ghost town after dark.
Tim Krause, left, enjoys lunch at the bar at J's Steakhouse in downtown Fremont, Neb., with attentive service from proprietor Jay Siers, who opened the place in June. Diners see J's as a complement to Andy's on First, a popular Italian restaurant that has been a downtown mainstay for several years.Fremont resident Jay Siers opened J's Steakhouse in June, five weeks after renovating the turn-of-the-century Kollmeyer Building at Fourth and Main Streets into an elegant fine-dining facility.
J's Steakhouse still has its original hardwood floors, 15-foot tin ceilings and original brick walls. The dining room seats 70 people, the more casual sports bar seats 65 and a party room can seat 50.
"J's has been a great addition because it creates more activities at night," Carter said. "When you drive the downtown now, you see the streets full of cars, and you see people walking around the downtown."
Siers wants his restaurant to conjure up images of fine dining in Omaha's Old Market or downtown Chicago.
His lunch menu is priced between $6 and $12 and the dinner menu between $13 and $30. His rib-eye steaks and fresh fish entrees — including blue marlin, sea bass and swordfish — are among his most popular entrees.
"We were very price sensitive when we put the menu together," Siers said. "We want people to enjoy a wonderful dining experience without breaking the bank."
