Jack's Just Okay

It was my first time dining at Jack’s Urban Eats Sunday night.  My experience did not blow me away; I thought Jack’s was merely just okay.  It is not some where I would recommend to grab a bite to eat, and this is why:

As a first time diner at Jack’s, walking in was very awkward.  There lacked signs about what to do and a greeting for the employees did not exist, and I stood in confusion for a few seconds while trying to figure out what to do.  In front of me there was a seating area, and slightly to my right, a counter of stainless steel.  After watching other customers I spotted the folded paper menus tucked into special pockets on the wall and realized you go to the counter to order. 

           
    The menu was basic; a tri-fold brochure featuring salads, sandwiches, sides, and drinks.  Also, on the menu it provided a list of Jack’s other locations.  What I noticed was that for any other sandwich place the menu would be posted on the wall, but here it seemed like they were selling themselves as a 5 star sandwich diner.  Unfortunately, it was not. 

                After giving the menu some thought, I thought I would play safe and go with a trusty club sandwich.  This sandwich was $7.75 and did not include French fries or anything else.  It was an additional $1.75 to add French fries and another $2.25 for a soft drink. 

                After I told the food preparers, wearing jeans and a Jack’s sweatshirts or T-shirts, my order I continued down the stainless steel counter to the register.  My total was a whopping $12.78, and at the time I was thinking “this better be worth it.”

I then took a seat in the dining area, which looked like a fancier version of the bench seating at a local subway.  With dim lighting, three rows of bench seats, and a condiment bar, Jack’s was everything but fancy.  Not to mention that the art on the walls did not quite mesh with the overall environment.  
                The painting that caught my attention was a bright pink tattoo-like painting right above the condiment bar (shown above).  It was very distracting. 

Only a few minutes later, my sandwich and fries were delivered by what I suppose you would call a waiter.   What I thought was going to be a large sandwich, since I did pay $7.75 for, was a small round sandwich cut in half.  Disappointment had began, still not a great impression especially after an awkward entrance. 

I started with the French fries.  As a fan of French fries I know what makes a good French fry and a bad one.  Finally as the potato hit my palette I was relieved in knowing that Jack’s finally impressed me.  Jack’s French fries were excellent; great texture, not too salty, not too oily, and as you bit into one it was the perfect balance between crunch and mash. 

Now it was time to conquer the sandwich, and one word wraps up this experience: Messy.  The little bun of bread was no match to hold in the 2 inches of ingredients in between.  Most of the goodies ended up on the plate and fingers rather than into my mouth.   The worst part was that the napkins were insufficient to clean up the mess.  It took me many, many napkins to clean my fingers. 

While Jack’s Urban Eats was not great, it was not terrible either.  I would not recommend to everyone, but I do think it would be a great place for a first date.  Its fancier than fast food and cheaper than a 4 or 5 star restaurant, making it a great combination for a date in the fact that if it ends up being a lame date you have not wasted that much money.  Also, if the date is great Jack's has the perfect enviroment to encourage long conversation and to hang out for awhile perhaps even with a beer or glass of wine to take the edge not only off the date but of Jack's flaws.