My Story

The seeds for Uncle Jack’s Meat House were planted when Willie Degel was growing up as the baby of 4 boys in a lower middle-class family in Queens. From a young age, he heard stories about the New York steakhouse and speakeasy owned by his late godfather and great-uncle Jack in the 1920s. Inspired to own his own business one day, he bootstrapped himself from operating a childhood lemonade stand to running multi-newspaper routes, starting a neighborhood handyman service, and then tending bar before opening his first bar and restaurant in 1988 at the age of 20.

After trials, tribulations, and working hard for 10 years, Willie wanted to challenge himself and take his culinary expertise to the next level. His vision was to create Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse, a small high end establishment dedicated to the true steak connoisseurs. Then in 1996, with both cooking and management skills under his belt, he opened his first steakhouse in Bayside, NY, and named it in his great-uncle and godfather’s honor. The upscale Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse opened to rave reviews, quickly built a loyal following highlighted by local sports stars, celebrities and politicians, and earned Willie the title of “New York Steak Doctor” because of his amazing steak craft.

That success was followed by a second Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse, spinoff concepts including Uncle Jack’s Steak Sandwich Shoppe and Jack’s Shack Organic Eatery, and a high-profile stint as the host of The Food Network’s Restaurant Stakeout in which he helped troubled restaurateurs uncover problems that threatened to sink their businesses.

Uncle Jack’s Meat House Astoria, New York marks the debut of a new Uncle Jack’s brand tailored to today’s interest in natural, organic and sustainable ingredients. It’s the next milestone on Willie’s journey to deliver the ultimate restaurant experience. Whether it’s your first time here or your fortieth, welcome – enjoy – and come back soon. “Customer is King!”