r/fastfood 7d ago

Discussion Thoughts on Jack’s?

Post image

It’s a regional chain, used to only be in Alabama, but now they have expanded to Georgia, and Mississippi.

In my opinion, they have the best hamburgers and best milkshakes of any fast food chain. Fried chicken is meh, on par with how Hardee’s used to be before it was discontinued.

58 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

17

u/ForukusuwagenMasuta 7d ago

For a moment, I thought Jack in the Box was taking a modern approach and simplifying their brand to just "Jack's".

2

u/prophiles 7d ago

Their current logo, now 16 years old, does emphasis the “Jack” part and make “in the box” a byline.

1

u/Trypticon808 6d ago

I got so excited when I saw a Jack's because I thought it meant this God forsaken corn of the country was getting jack in the box

13

u/elmersglue23 7d ago

I grew up in Alabama I love Jacks. They have a really good seasoning for the French fries I think it’s like salted butter popcorn seasoning. Milo’s hamburgers, also in the south, uses probably the same seasoning. They make their biscuits fresh in house. I would say most people probably go there for their fries or breakfast, maybe the chicken dinner. A lot of old people will hang out in the dining area having coffee and breakfast. Depending on the location they have a lot of charm and good friendly vibes inside. I think there are a few in Georgia but they’re heavily throughout Alabama. Anytime I’m visiting family I’ll stop by for lunch or breakfast. Personally I like the fries, milkshakes and cheese burgers

8

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

2

u/mtommygunz 7d ago

Best summary so far

6

u/Altruistic-Cut9795 7d ago

Our local Jacks are really good. I mainly hit them up in the mornings to get breakfast for my coworkers. I never had a bad experience. The pancakes are amazing, also the biscuits and gravy.

4

u/TehWildMan_ 7d ago

Speed of service is a issue at my local locations: from a casual glance, it appears that their lunch/dinner menu is complex enough that cooking a bunch of different things at once can slow things down a lot if they're short on staff.

Their breakfast is amazing.

3

u/Elegant_You3958 7d ago

I like them and like they're a local chain. Good breakfast and chicken sandwiches.

3

u/ANotSoFreshFeeling 7d ago

Breakfast is good but I don’t care for their burgers or chicken.

3

u/ZodiacMan423 7d ago

They're basically a slightly better Hardee's.

3

u/vaporintrusion 7d ago

Their chicken is better than their burgers

3

u/the_cajun88 7d ago

it’s ok

it’s very ok

i’ve eaten there a few times, slightly above average

2

u/The_Chiliboss 7d ago

They’re ok, but I got sick of them when I worked there in high school.

2

u/GearDarkness 7d ago

Pretty good breakfast, run decent specials. Have decent cheeseburgers. Crinkle cut fries with the popcorn seasoning are good. Cheap fast food

4

u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 7d ago

Never tried but if I ever got the chance to, I prob would

2

u/HolyHotDang 7d ago

Incredible biscuits, probably the best from any chain. I’m from Tennessee originally so I do miss that because I’m out west now and we don’t have them. Their other food is ok but not anything I’d go for but my wife loves it.

EDIT: I just read the post text and they’ve been in Tennessee for a while now. Probably 15 years or so that I know of.

2

u/Dapper_Assistant3710 7d ago

I’m 50, and there’s been a Jack’s in Henderson, Tennessee since I was a kid. It was the only one in the state for at least a couple of decades.

1

u/HolyHotDang 7d ago

I’ve been to that Henderson Jack’s. I was born and raised right around there, I just didn’t know when it was built.

2

u/Dapper_Assistant3710 7d ago

If I’m guessing, I would say mid-80s. Here’s another weird Henderson fast food thing — the McDonalds there used to be experimental. Lots of menu items that never made it were offered there on a trial basis back in the day. And things that eventually made it to the national menu—like the Arch Deluxe—were available there like a year before anywhere else (besides other test restaurants). They stopped doing this maybe 20-25 years ago.

1

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

Huh. Well TIL, will be sure to look for one next time I am up there.

IMO, Dairy Queen and Jacks are tied for the best biscuits. At least my local Dairy Queen, a lot of them don’t have them.

5

u/HolyHotDang 7d ago

That’s interesting. None of the DQs I’ve ever seen have breakfast.

3

u/Bright_Brief4975 7d ago

I have never heard of them, but the name, the colors of the store, the building and shape and even the adds on the window tell me they are trying their best to be a Jack in the Box knockoff.

4

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

They started around the same time.

Jacks decided to stay in Alabama for the most part, (there are 177 Jacks locations in Alabama, for reference, there are only around 95 burger kings).

I can remember Jack in the box being a thing here, briefly. A lot of them I remember closed in the mid 90’s.

2

u/Bright_Brief4975 7d ago

Is the food any good? I eat at Jack in the Box occasionally and their food is nothing special, I would say they are at best just mid tier fast food. If this place has their own thing and was half decent I would try it. Honestly though, almost all fast food is now priced to the point they are competing with more traditional restaurants, and I would rather eat at one of them, or call in advance and pick up food from them for the price of a fast food meal.

2

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

It is my favorite chain. Food seems to be more consistent. IIRC they don’t franchise, every location is wholly corporate owned

1

u/Bright_Brief4975 7d ago

Hmm, If I ever see one then I might give it a try. I'm in Texas, but if we have them, then I just never noticed it.

1

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

It competed with DQ for the most part. AFaIK they don’t exist west of the Mississippi

1

u/lo-lux 7d ago

Nothing like Jack in the box. Jack's expanded in Alabama before McDonald's expanded here.

1

u/jeremiah1142 7d ago

Haven’t until now. Would.

1

u/LawyerDaggett 7d ago

Went out of my way a little to try them a couple of years ago. I liked their burger enough. Though Whataburger was better.

1

u/bgva 7d ago

Thought Jack in the Box was rebranding but TIL Jack's is completely different.

FWIW OP, some Hardee's in Virginia still have fried chicken. It just depends on which one you go to.

1

u/lo-lux 7d ago

Awesome breakfast, good chicken, and comeback sauce

1

u/NMazer 7d ago

Never heard of it.

1

u/diabretic 7d ago

The fact that you said their fried chicken is “meh” is WILD to me. That fried chicken is the best fast food menu item on the planet. The 6 dollar meal deal after 4 is the best deal.

1

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

Maybe the one I have near me is just subpar. I will try it from another location at some point

1

u/diabretic 7d ago

I am lucky, I work walking distance from their flagship location where they train managers and stuff.

1

u/cirkis 7d ago

Burger is solid

1

u/E_in_BAMA 6d ago

Being a native Alabamian, grew up with Jack’s. It’s very good especially considering how big their menu is

1

u/Zookar 6d ago

Jack's is amazing. Wish we had them in Texas. Country steak egg and cheese on a buttery biscuit. Delicious

1

u/blueboykc 6d ago

I think they are out pricing themselves like a lot of other places.

1

u/Wide-Boot-2090 5d ago

Jack in the box left in the 80's on long island kinda miss it

1

u/Clear-Ad-7250 3d ago

Loved this place when I was working on a job site in Alabama albeit about 12 years ago.

1

u/Chopp_US 7d ago

I stopped at one once when I was driving through Alabama. I liked it for what it is and would probably go occasionally if I had some near me. I would’ve liked to try their breakfast.

-8

u/IZZO79 7d ago

Don’t open up and look at the contents of their tacos.

8

u/Boeing-B-47stratojet 7d ago

Different chain

-2

u/IZZO79 7d ago

okay then I take that back.