Jack in the Box

They've come East. We didn't have any idea until Mark was driving along and saw one. That's right, Jack in the Box is here.

While Josh had never been to a Jack in the Box, Mark had "enjoyed" their burgers when he was younger and living and working in L.A.

Opened in 1951, Jack in the Box is the offspring of Robert O. Peterson's original Topsey Drive-In which he established 10 years earlier. This was the first restaurant chain to utilize a two-way intercom system for drive-thru ordering. Mark remembers "speaking into the clown's mouth" which was a major ad campaign element.

While in the early days Jack in the Box was trying to go toe to toe with that other west coast fast food chain, McDonald's, by 1980 they began switching their target advertising away from the families with little kids and more toward a more affluent 20 and 30-year-old market. It seemed to work as Jack in the Box continued to grow and morph away from the traditional fast food burger joint.

Today, with well over 2000 locations, still mostly in the west, Jack in the Box has finally migrated to our area with two local restaurants: 5234 Ridge and 7425 Tylersville in West Chester. You can also find them on the web at http://www.jackinthebox.com/

Burger

We went in with Mark feeling nostalgia and Josh feeling a bit of trepidation at the thought of another ramped up fast food joint. We decided to order up their top of the line Sirloin Burger. We were pleased that they took our order and then like a growing number of newer burger chains, handed us a placard to put on the table so our food could be delivered.

It wasn't that long before our food was delivered hot off the grill and out of the fryer. The first thing we both noticed about our burgers was that it actually tasted fresh, not like most chains that ship frozen patties across the country. The second thing we noticed was that these were some peppery burgers. Now don't get us wrong, we both like some pepper on our burgers and these surely were made to please us. But be forewarned, if you are not a fan of pepper then you might want to stay away from this burger because it is a major flavor component.

The burgers were big and juicy and, to be honest, were much better than what we honestly were expecting. Granted they weren't on par with our favorite burger joints around town or even with our favorite newer style burger chains, but these were pretty darn decent burgers, especially considering the price and how quickly we were served.

The fries were fairly standard but also tasted fairly fresh. Oh, they were frozen mass produced fries but they were cooked just right and weren't sitting around getting mushy under a heat lamp until they were bagged.

Overall we were surprised by our Jack in the Box experience. We were left with the question of whether all the burgers were that peppery or that was just something they did with the Sirloin Burger. Maybe we'll have to go back some time and check out another of their burgers, like their classic Jumbo Jack with Cheese.

O'Charlie's

Back in 1969 Charlie Watkins opened a restaurant near Vanderbuilt University in Nashville. Now, with more than 200 locations strewn through 18 states in the South and Midwest, O'Charley's is a recognized staple among the numerous casual dining choices. Currently there are several locations in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. To find the one nearest to you check out their web site at http://www.ocharleys.com//.

With a menu and decor that would be familiar to anyone who ever set foot in one of these style restaurants, O'Charley's has little to set it apart from all of those other chain dining establishments.

Burgers

Offering up a 100 percent ground beef half pound burger, O'Charley's is right in the game with say Max and Erma's (who, by the way, is owned by the same parent company). The burgers and fries were good, there was nothing about the seasoning or flavoring that would offend the average guest. The quality, the service, everything was good and neither of us could really come up with anything bad to say about our experience at O'Charley's.

Except that it was exactly the same as all of the other similar chain restaurants. Try one for yourself and maybe you'll become a fan. For us, though, the determining factor would be which of these cookie cutter spots is closest.

Win Place of Show

You would think a bar and grill called Win Place or Show would be located near a race track. For us, probably down in Anderson Township by the river or maybe in Northern Kentucky by their track. But no, this neighborhood joint is in West Chester. In fact you can find it at 9933 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd (or on line at http://www.wpssportsbar.com/).

This is the absolute definition of a neighborhood joint. When we ventured in around lunch hour the place had about a dozen regulars who were chatting away about guitars and what it was like to be a weightlifter before everyone discovered steroids. There was a different show on each of the televisions including a Mexican soap opera (unfortunately with the sound turned down).

We plopped down at the bar, grabbed a soft drink (yes, even though it was just a touch past one most of folks there had a beer in front of them) and looked through the menu. It was nothing special, mostly bar food, some burgers, fish sandwich, chicken wings and the like.

Burgers

A sign outside assured us that this place was "famous for burgers." With this kind of spectacular atmosphere we couldn't wait to dig in. So we ordered up cheeseburgers with our choice of condiments and waited. It didn't take long before plump, juicy burgers were put down in front of us, along with a huge side of French fries.

These burgers were good; big and good. Not great mind you and nothing neither of us would think would make a place famous. Still, they were better than any run of the mill chain restaurant (of which we have sampled our share). The meat was fresh, the buns were fresh and the fries were very tasty indeed.

If you are anywhere near West Chester you owe it to yourself to stop in the Win Place or Show sports bar and grill. They may not be truly famous for their burgers but the atmosphere and the regulars more than make up for it. This is our kind of joint.

Logan's Roadhouse

Back in 1991, Lexington, KY saw a new steak house open up. Now with headquarters in Nashville, TN, there are close to 250 locations in 23 states. Most of the restaurants are company owned with just a handful of franchises.

Known primarily as a steak house where the beef is cooked over a mesquite grill, there are currently two Logan's in the Cincinnati area. You can find your nearest Logan's off their website at http://logansroadhouse.com/Default.aspx.

They have an extensive menu that is heavy on steak and ribs but has offerings for just about everyone. In fact, they have six burgers alone. Add to that a bucket of peanuts at every table and it's a good bet that customers are going to walk away full.

Burgers

Sticking with our regular program we ordered up the basic cheeseburger with our choice of condiments. Logan's refers to their burgers as steak burgers since they are a blend of Black Angus sirloin, chuck and steak (wait, isn't sirloin a cut of steak? What other kind of steak meat are they using here?) and include what they call natural spices.

The burgers arrived on a grilled bun, plump and juicy. One bite and you can taste the quality meat and the added flavor of the mesquit wood. Trust us, when we grill burgers out in our back yard we will use a combination of hickory and mesquit wood. There's something about the smoke that cooks into the meat giving it that extra quality. Don't get us wrong, a good flat top grilled burger can be amazing but the wood can really kick it up a notch or two.

But beyond the wood flavor there isn't much that separates this burger from any of the others at similar restaurants. Yes it's good, quite good for a chain burger in fact, probably one of the better chain burgers we've had, but at the cost you can do better at one of our favorite local joints. And save some money, too.

Still, if you live fairly close to one of the two Logan's (near 275 and Colerain and at Eastgate), you should give this restaurant a try. It's worth checking out if only so you can toss your peanut shells on the floor.