A sandwich shop backed by one of Terre Haute’s most respected steakhouses should’ve been an easy win. At 12 Points Public Market (a place we already love) it felt like a guaranteed new favorite. But sometimes the places you’re most excited about are the ones that surprise you the most.

Locally owned Jefes’s Five sits inside the 12 Points Public Market—an energetic little hub with four small restaurants, local art, and frequent live music. It’s exactly the kind of place where a classic sandwich shop should thrive.

Cherokee and I love the Public Market. We’ve spent plenty of evenings splitting a pizza from Zen Pizzeria and grabbing a cold drink from 12 Pints Pub. So when the owners of J. Ford’s Black Angus—one of Terre Haute’s most respected steakhouses—announced they were opening a sandwich shop, we were all in. Mediterranean Diet or not, we still enjoy a good burger when the moment calls for it.

And the early reviews? Glowing. That only fueled our excitement.

First Attempt

Our first attempt was unsuccessful. Our date night met their sign: Closed Due to Running Out of OUR delicious buns..

Not ideal, but honestly? It made us even more curious. If a place is selling out of buns, surely something good is happening.

Chris’ Turn: Smash Chz Burger

A few weeks later—success. The lights were on, the doors were open, and I was ready for a Smash Chz Burger. Cherokee had her eye on the crispy breaded pork tenderloin. And tots. Always tots.

I love crispy tots. They nailed the crispiness, but they were also swimming in a puddle of grease. Most restaurants let fried food drain before plating; these looked like they skipped that step entirely.

Surely the burger would redeem things.

I’m not picky about burgers. Smash, thick, barbecued, turkey, black bean—I’m an equal‑opportunity burger enjoyer. And with Jefe’s pedigree, I expected something memorable.

I should say something positive here: it was a classic American cheeseburger, true to its name. The burger was topped with American cheese, something that is nearly plastic and does not deserve to be on a burger. The “delicious” bun they ran out of before? Looked (and tasted) like a pretty generic honey hamburger bun. A mass produced generic bun.

This is where expectations meet reality. My high hopes were dashed. My stomach hurt from the greasy tots. The burger was bland, slightly enhanced by their “special” sauce but generally devoid of quality beef flavor.

Cherokee’s Turn: Breaded Tenderloin

Cherokee is a potato aficionado. She treats fries the way I treat burgers: with open‑armed enthusiasm. Her verdict?

“They were fine.”

Not exactly a glowing endorsement.

The tenderloin was bland. For the uninitiated, a proper Hoosier tenderloin is often expected to have pork paper thin with twice the breading, easily occupying a quarter of the table and comically adorned with a bun. Jefe’s Five took the other approach to a tenderloin. It was something closer to a German Schweineschnitzel, a thick breaded pork cutlet. Neither approach is inherently wrong as long as they’re done right.

I stole a bite. It was one of the blandest tenderloins I’ve had.

Cherokee is still thinking about a sketchy Mexican food truck in an even sketchier neighborhood. If you’ve tried the one near 13th Street and Locust, please report back.

Final Thoughts

I wish I had more to say. Honestly, I’ve already given this review more thought than the food originally inspired.

We’re big supporters of locally owned restaurants. It’s part of why we love Big Thorn and why we enjoy the 12 Points Public Market so much. That makes this review harder to write.

We genuinely wanted to love Jefe’s Five. The expectations were high. The food didn’t meet them.

Maybe they’ll find their footing. Maybe we’ll try again someday. But for now, this one missed the mark.