BBQ – Road Warrior Dining

I have to admit Jack’s was not on my radar when I went to California a couple of weeks ago. Even though I have been there countless times, I had other restaurants in mind prior to my arrival. What a pleasant surprised when the hotel I checked into was less than a block from Jack’s in Pleasant Hill. I tend to not promote a chain restaurant, in the case of Jack’s I’m not certain if you can call them a chain restaurant. Jack’s is family owned. When I was eating there on a regular basis, they had two restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, now they have four. Their web-site touts their dinner menu as Greek-American inspired. You will find everything from burgers to salmon on the menu.

Jack's Zuchini Cakes — Jack’s Zucchini Cakes

Zucchini Cakes have to be one of my favorite appetizers. Jack’s Zucchini Cakes are made with feta cheese, tzatziki, and cucumber-tomato relish. Even though they are deep fried, they are surprisingly light. Jack’s has made it a little harder to share. They used to serve three cakes and now they serve two. Adding to my disappointment, they used to be a little larger. I chalk this up to inflation, trying to keep cost down. Even still, Zucchini cakes are an excellent way to start a meal.

Jack's Fish and Chips — Jack’s Fish and Chips

I have a new favorite Fish and Chips. No need to find an Irish pub if you live within driving distance from Jack’s. The portion size was surprising. Jack’s serves three large fillets of Alaskan Cod dipped in their beer batter. The cod was light and flaky. They serve it with lemon and vinegar or tarter sauce. I found I didn’t need either. I’m not certain my picture does this meal justice, but their Fish and Chips now tops my list.

Jack's Buffalo Chicken Salad — Jack’s Buffalo Chicken Salad

Given that Jack’s was so close, I actually ate their, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. One of my favorites in their salad section of their menu is their Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad. There is no need for an appetizer. I’m certain you will not walk away hungry. The Buffalo Chicken has just enough heat for those of us that like it spicy. But it’s not too spicy, for those that can’t take the heat. I would highly recommend this for anyone who likes chicken wings and looking for a hearty lunch.

Jack's French Toast — Jack’s French Toast

The French Toast breakfast was just ok. Nothing to write home about. Maybe it’s because I have been spoiled by restaurants back home. My first complaint was that the scrambled eggs did not seem fresh. They appear to come out of a premixed container. The French Toast was good, but they have served better. Brunch used to be more of an event at Jack’s. Now it is good, but if I still lived their, I would look for another breakfast spot. Don’t get me wrong, if you are looking for a family breakfast, Jack’s should be on the list.

With four locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, it should be easy to find a Jack’s to visit. I was impressed with the quality of the food and that they have kept the cost down. If I make another journey to the Bay Area, Jack’s will be on my list. Have you been to Jack’s? What is your opinion? Leave me a comment.

On my last trip to Rochester NY, I was told about the Dinosaur BBQ . Given my love of BBQ, I knew on my next trip to Rochester, this is where I was going to eat. I even arranged my flight to ensure I had enough time to go out and eat after arrival.

When you are going to a BBQ what is the first thing that catches your attention when you arrive? For me it is the smoke filled air from BBQ’s preparing mouth watering meats. If you weren’t hungry, you soon will be. Walking up to the Dinosaur BBQ the first thing that caught my attention was the smell of hardwood smoke in the air. My expectation of good food was starting to soar.

Dinosaur BBQ Sampler Plate — Sampler Plate Dinosaur BBQ, Rochester NY

Given this was my first time at the Dinosaur BBQ, I chose the sampler plate to get an overall impression of Dinosaur BBQ’s food. Of the choices I went with pulled pork, spicy hot link, and St Louis ribs. Along with my meat choices I selected grill Cajun corn and mashed potatoes. The sides are an important part of the Dinosaur BBQ meal experience. They were a perfect compliment to my selection. The Cajun corn was good, but the brown gravy on the mash potatoes was something else. Not all brown gravy is equal. Dinosaur BBQ’s brown gravy is thick, with a deep rich flavor. Needless to say I cleaned the dish!

The pulled pork and spicy hot link were good, but the star was the St Louis ribs. When you eat smoked meat, you should see the smoke ring where the smoke as penetrated the meat. The meat on the ribs was smoked all the way to the bone. The pork was literally falling off the bones. Dinosaur BBQ smokes the ribs with a dry rub and then serves them lightly glazed with their own BBQ sauce. From the first bite you taste elements of the smokey flavor, chased by a tangy after taste. If I knew how good the ribs were going to be, I would have skipped the sampler plate and ordered a half rack of ribs. The next time I’m in Rochester NY, I want to go back to the Dinosaur BBQ and try their West Texas center cut Rib-Eye Steak. I just don’t know whether I want to go with Habanero Cook’s Butter, Bourbon Molasses Steak Sauce. We will see when the time comes.

The Dinosaur BBQ is the real deal. If you have a hankering for BBQ, this is definitely a destination worth driving too. There are two considerations when deciding to go to the Dinosaur BBQ; first parking at best sucks, and second, expect to wait to be seated. I went on a Tuesday night at 7:30 and there was a 30 minute wait, unless you wanted to eat in the bar. My recommendation, go early and map places to park. But, definitely go!