(650) 638-1479
Parking: in parking lot and adjacent lot
http://www.jacksprime.com/
Last Visited: August 9, 2014
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
I had never heard of Jack's, but after reading some good reviews about it, it seemed like it was worth a try. As we were driving by, we also noticed Jack's car wash next door. This must be Jack's neighborhood.
From the exterior of the building, the diner theme came through loud and clear. Booths, high top tables, and regular tables fill the space. There were many families in the waiting area, but seats at the high top tables were available, so we were seated promptly and the host was friendly. The menu is pretty simple - appetizers, burgers, and shakes. If you're not into a burger, they have dinner-sized salads too. Lots of folks were enjoying milk shakes, burgers, and fried fare. Fried pickles seemed to be a super popular dish, but it looked heavily battered, so I opted for other fried treats.
- Ultimate Bacon - Cheddar cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, bacon in the 1/3 pound patty, iceberg lettuce, maple bacon mayo - The unique thing about this burger is the bacon in the patty. All of the fresh ingredients are good, but the extra flavor in the patty makes it special. However if you cut the burger in half like I did, you'll find the bacon unevenly distributed, so it's not quite in every bite. Good nonetheless. The onion rings were a $1.50 upcharge, but worth it for the light and crispy batter. The onion rings come with Russian dressing. Good stuff. $12.75 without onion rings
- Whiskey Town Express - Angus beef patty with cheddar cheese, covered in bourbon glazed onions and mushrooms. This patty melt came on toasted sourdough and was topped with mushrooms and onions. It had an overwhelming amount of mayonnaise on it which made it feel and taste greasy so the experience was less palatable. The fries are fresh though - fried nicely on the outside and soft on the inside. $11.95
Burgers run about $10-$13 each, and substituting onion rings or sweet potato fries instead of a side salad or fries costs $1.50 more. You can also be more gourmet and add a fried egg, avocado, bacon, or another beef patty.
Service was friendly and they check on you between your meal. They were good about refilling water too. This is a good stop for a solid burger with fresh ingredients, but it lacked the wow factor for me. The price you pay for the value you get it just ok.
