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.

The Landing

Being in a river city, there's something special about sitting along the banks of the Ohio and enjoying a good meal. One of the iconic East Side places to do just that is The Landing. Located at 401 Front St. in New Richmond and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Landing-Restaurant/169814667101, The Landing has been around for as long as Mark can remember, serving diners a well rounded menu with views of the Ohio River.

Recently, we were in the New Richmond area and decided to stop in The Landing for lunch. Being the middle of winter it wasn't the best day to enjoy the ambiance of this place. But it was rather warm for the season and the sky was clear and bright so sitting inside the restaurant by a window and enjoying the view of the river added to our experience.

When we entered we were a little concerned to see a For Sale sign in the window. Many times there are various reasons for a restaurant to be up for sale. One reason for The Landing to be on the market, surely, is that fact that, sitting right on the river, it is often flooded in the spring time. We don't know the real reason but an impending sale often drops the quality of a restaurant's food.

Burgers

We opted for this blog's usual, the standard cheeseburger with the extras of our choosing. Since there was hardly anyone in the place we could hear and, yes, smell our burgers being grilled up fresh.

Maybe it was the trepidation of a failing, for sale restaurant that had lowered our expectations but when the burgers were served we were both very pleased at how fresh and tasty they were. Thick, tender and juice, the meat was cooked just the way we each liked it. While there weren't a huge number of options we still felt the quality of the extras, with the possible exception of the buns which seemed to be maybe a day old, was quite good.

The bottom line is that we were glad that the For Sale sign didn't scare us off. No this burger probably won't crack our personal Top 10 list but it's worth a trip down to the river to give it a try.

If you have never been to The Landing, you should probably give it a try. If you can, head that way in the spring when the patio is open and before the bugs come out. 

Shake Shack

What rose from a single hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Mid Town Manhattan, is one of the most tasty, and rapidly growing little burger chains around. Shake Shack has spread to half a dozen locations in New York and has drifted off into cities up and down the East Coast and even over seas.

In 2004 a food vendor, Union Square Hospitality Group, won a bid to put in a permanent kiosk in Madison Square Park and rather than the hot dogs they had been selling started cooking up burgers to order. It became so popular that people demanded more locations. USHG was glad to comply.

To find a Shake Shack near you (and believe me, you really should) check them out on the web at http://www.shakeshack.com/. The one my daughter, Alli, and I went to is located at 8th Ave. and 44th St. It was the middle of the afternoon and there was still a line of people waiting.

But it moved fast. You walk up, place your order and then wait for them to fix your food fresh.

Burgers

I ordered up their "classic" Shack Burger and when it arrived it was so juicy and perfectly cooked, the meat literally was melting in my mouth. Between their light seasoning and their "Shack Sauce" there was a slight twang with each bite. The burger was delicious.

Alli ordered up the Shroom Burger, a portobella mushroom fried up and stuffed with Muenster and cheddar cheese. And when I say stuffed I mean totally stuffed. I took a bite and admitted that it was actually better than their regular all beef burger. Now granted, I like shoorms but never once thought that a mushroom would actually be better than a delicious all beef patty. 

Oh the fries are pretty ordinary and while we didn't imbibe the menu offers up what we have been told are great frozen custard delights. Many people were enjoying them even on this cold March day. And there were lots of people enjoying the food at Shake Shack (including someone that Alli said is YouTube famous). 

There isn't much more to say. If you're in New York, do what the locals are lining up to do, and grab a burger at the Shake Shack. 

Mercury Bar

On a recent trip to New York, one where Josh stayed at home to deal with work and school, I decided to stop in and check out a couple of burgers from the Big Apple.

For full disclosure I have to admit that I'm friends with the owners of the Mercury Bar. We met Bruno and Daniella before they opened this place and were running a restaurant called the Joshua Tree. It was the summer following the attacks of 9/11 and a very young Josh walked up to Daniella (who for those who aren't familiar with many restaurants in NYC, was standing out front trying to bring people into the establishment) and said, "Hi, my name's Josh, thanks for naming your restaurant after me." We were fast friends ever since.

Bruno and Daniella have since closed the Joshua Tree (they got a tremendous offer for the building). But before that they had already opened the Mercury Bar. Located at 959 Ninth Ave. near 46th St. and on the web at http://mercurybarnyc.com/media/mercurybar.html, the Mercury Bar features the same menu and great food as the old Joshua Tree.

My family and I have eaten there many times. I've taken co-workers there and even some locals. People I know who are visiting the city I will send there. I've had most of the items on the menu but until this trip I hadn't tried the burger.

Burger

Yes, I'm biased toward this restaurant. I liked the atmosphere of the Joshua Tree better since this is exactly what it is called, a bar and so is more raucous and lively. Still, the food is always top notch. Bruno runs a very good kitchen.

The burger is huge. It is fresh, thick and juicy, cooked to order. Since it is NYC everything can be found fresh and Bruno manages to find it. The garden was as fresh as you could imagine for a cold March day. Lightly seasoned the meat was tender and savory and by the time I was about half way through I was afraid to set it down for fear that it would fall apart.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't the best burger I've ever had. It's not even the best item I've had on the menu. But if this burger were served in Cincinnati it would be one of our top 10 for sure.

If you are ever in New York, don't be shy about checking out the Mercury Bar. I always do but, as I said, I'm pretty biased.