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Jack's Country Restaurant
4 reviews for Jack's Country Restaurant
When the "Lady K" and I lived down the street from Jack's we used to go here often not because it was great but its was really the only breakfast place around where we could get a cup of coffee and some scramble eggs.
Now that we have been gone 9 months, we went back today for breakfast for the same reasons. Things haven't changed...
Ya know what you're getting the moment you pull up: simple food, nothing culinary, service with a smile.
If you're in the Des Moines neighborhood, drop on in... there's nothing else. Enjoy!
If you want really decent coffee and eggs, you can go across the street actually, to the Des Moines Creek Restaurant...which is 10x better than Jack's. You will pay more, but it is cleaner & better food - as in, they make things from scratch.
I love dives, I love places where old folks go...but there are reasons: I tend to look for older folks because I like old school food. I like dives if they're hiding something cool. Well, Jack's is just JACK.
There ARE lots of regulars, so here's a story:
Guy comes in, everyone knows him (several people hail regs as they come in ala Cheers, by shouting out the person's name), he sits near me, he calls out his order without a menu. He knows I am new here and he starts chatting...he says, "they call it "the best food in town", I really don't know about that." After placing his order, he says, "you get your food fast, but that doesn't mean it's done." As if on cue, his food comes, he looks it over and sends part of it back to be cooked longer. "I usually do that," he says to me when the waitress walks off. His friend, another reg, shows up a little later; his first comment is a joke about the food. Hmmm. These guys are definitely here for the camaraderie.
My chicken fried "skillet" was pretty gross. It was dumped onto an extra large plate (I guess that's the skillet part). Undercooked, industrial hash browns with undercooked green peppers topped with a cf steak that was supposed to be chopped (nope) and tons of mediocre white gravy. Soggy English muffin on the side. My poached eggs were decent, though. My daughter's hash looked a little better than my food. She said it was "OK". Pretty cheap - 2 coffees plus our entrees were $21.
If you live in the neighborhood and like the familiarity and dives - Jack's might be worth a stop. But we drove out of our way to try it - nonononono!
Jacks is awsome!
It is an old school greasy spoon breakfast spot. I always get the chicken fried steak smothered in gravy with hashbrowns and toast. The atmosphere is quite outdated, but that is part of the charm.
Where else can you get great quality food, good quick service, a cup of coffee and a clogged aorta for less than $9?
My friend asked me to go here, and skeptically I agreed.
It's been a regular low-key breakfast spot since! Usually we bring a few friends along and the crowd is fairly local and older, so we get a couple of stares as we walk in, but after that- good to go.
Beware, the food here is a bit above Denny's quality, so don't expect a 5 star kind of deal, but to be honest- if you come to a "Country Restaurant" you shouldn't expect that to begin with, duh!
My favorite here is the Taco Omlet and Biscuits & Gravy; you absolutely cannot go wrong if you top it off with a Strawberry shake. But be prepared to feel pretty bloated on your way out. It's truly comfort food, and I must say, being a young guy myself- the atmosphere here is super laid back and cool, usually if you're talking about something interesting - someone sitting next to you may starting talking to you so make sure you bring your friendly card.
Overall pass, good chill spot to do breakfast with the boys (or girls)! And EXCELLENT budget breakfast, if you're planning to go to Dennys, go here instead. Better food, possibly lower prices! JCR 4 THE WIN!