jack's - bowdon, carrollton & tallapoosa, Georgia

It was the day before Christmas and the roads in Carrollton were packed as people rushed to squeeze in last minute shopping. But as I slipped into Jack's in Carrollton (below) for a quick bite I felt as if time had slowed.

A couple of cars were in the drive-thru and someone was paying for their order at the counter. A half-dozen patrons sat in the restaurant chatting with friends or staring blankly out the window. Otherwise, there wasn't much happening and the crew seemed to be moving at a very casual pace, perhaps anticipating the big holiday just a day away.

After making sure the restaurant accepted debit cards (they do) I ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit and the largest soft drink they had. I cringed slightly as I watched almost five dollars sucked from my checking account.

Glancing around the interior while I waited for my order, it was nice to see that the tables, seats, and floors were in very good shape. The restaurant was quite clean and a number of free-standing tables and chairs in the center of the store make it easy to accommodate large parties that want to sit together.

It took more than five minutes to get my biscuit and the cashier apologized several times. At the table, I opened the wrapper only to find the biscuit so badly crumbled that I would have to eat it with a fork and knife. I thought briefly about taking it back to the counter but didn't want to wait again so I grabbed some plastic and dug in, thankful that I wasn't trying to eat this while driving.

Right away another shock hit me: onions. Now I've not had a breakfast biscuit with onions before but maybe this was Jack's twist on things. Nevertheless, I quickly scraped them off to the side. Maybe someone's burger order simply got too close to my biscuit, I thought.

After all that, everything was cooked nicely, the biscuit was moist, and the food temperature was just right.  All is well that ends well so they say.

The risk of popping into a restaurant just once and then writing a review is that you can stumble on a rare down moment in an otherwise well-run operation.  So a few days later I dropped in on the Jack's in Bowdon, Ga (right).  This was a much different restaurant in terms of design. The stacked rock and neon sign inside gave this store a touch of class and made it seem a little more finished.  My order, simply a large Diet Coke, came fast from a cheerful employee.  A little better, I thought.

 

A week after my Carrollton visit, I and my four boys stopped by the Jack's in Tallapoosa (below).  The store here is the same simple but clean interior design as the Carrollton store though it looked quite different from the outside.  Things were a little busier here but our five orders came quickly.  The one cross-up was a double cheeseburger that came as a bacon cheeseburger.

 

The kids and I enjoyed the food - no complaints there.  But the lack of a playground, theme, fun characters, or an entertaining kid's meal package seemed to disappoint them.  One of my boys noted innocently that "there isn't anyone in here under 40".  (Having just turned 40 myself I stifled a protest and simply nodded.)  However, the point was well taken and as I recollected my visit to the Carrollton and Bowdon Jack's, I didn't remember seeing many kids there either.

 

In the end, I felt comfortable that the slow service and food problem that I experienced at the Carrollton store was not typical.  Nevertheless, something seemed to be missing at all the stores and I still can't quite put my finger on it.

 

Likes: Very clean stores, decent food, predictable experience, chairs and tables that can be rearranged

 

Dislikes: Not as kid-friendly as some of the other fast food chains, food seemed just a touch pricey, something seems to be missing from the atmosphere

 

Rating: It'll Do

-- Stephen W. Beam, WestGeorgiaDining.com