I walk in on a sunny, cool Saturday afternoon and hear the chatter of hungry people inside and out, and smell the delicious roasted chicken. This is Jacks Urban Eats, Loehmann’s Plaza: a restaurant with a modern, retro feeling and tasty food.

The concept is quite simple; one gets in line and orders their choice of salad, sandwich, or chicken strips, while watching their chicken or turkey carved in front of them. When ordering a salad, one picks 6 yummy toppings, such as tomatoes, onions, cheese or fruits, and a dressing, not including meat, which costs extra. I ordered a mixed green salad coated with balsamic vinaigrette and freshly sliced, grilled chicken. I randomly picked 6 toppings, one by one, watching the man toss them into my salad. In goes the red peppers, pickled onions, shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, tomatoes and finally grapes. My salad looked fun, and I couldn’t wait to try all the ingredients! Although some would think adding grapes to a salad is an odd choice, the sweetness balanced out the tangy vinaigrette. The dressing coated the greens well with a tart taste and strong garlic flavor, but at some points, I just had to say “Whoa!” because the garlic was overwhelming. Although the flavor was a bit too strong, the amount of chicken was not. With about a half a cup of small cubes, the salad was very balanced. The chicken had that grilled taste of a barbeque, but was a little dry and not as juicy as I like. Although the chicken was a little dry, the croutons soaked up the abundant dressing which created a pleasant, juicy texture, soft but then crunchy, small and edible. The salad was a flavorful surprise that I couldn’t stop eating! My other main dish was a Club sandwich containing crunchy greens, red onions, avocado, crispy bacon (which I adored), cold cheese, sliced tomatoes and turkey (my choice instead of chicken). The inside of the sandwich also was smothered in honey mustard. In every bite I took, I tasted the mustard; however, the inside of the bread absorbed it and began to get soggy. Gripping the sandwich was a challenge.

The textures in this sandwich made eating it more enjoyable and pleasurable. The veggies and protein in this sandwich had great textures that made it even more delicious. The bacon had a great, crispy and flaky taste which contrasted with the abundance of honey mustard. Another texture that complimented the sandwich was the cheese. It was a cold, smooth slice of Swiss cheese, which was a plus in the sandwich. Jack’s turkey reminded me of Thanksgiving turkey, which I found intriguing. Just like Thanksgiving at my house, the turkey was sliced in front of me, behind the counter. The turkey had a roasted, soft, mild taste, and I could just imagine coating it in cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving Day. 

Fries don’t usually end up on a plate at Thanksgiving, but in this case, they are a great addition to this Club sandwich. The hot fries are crispy and flavorful, with the perfect amount of salt cooked into them and coating them. They were crispy on the outside and meaty on the inside. Another of my favorite foods to play with is mashed potatoes. (But playing with them is never approved by my mother). I like to twirl my fork around in the mash when I don’t want to eat it, but at Jack’s I didn’t have time to do that because I couldn’t STOP eating it! The creamy, rustic style mash, (with the skins still on) was filled with the flavors of sour cream and chives. Every bite was full of the taste of sour cream plus a hint of chive, and when I got a bite of the green vegetable, I experienced a burst of flavor. Addicting, the mash is full of skins and chives which added a crisp texture that doesn’t always come in regular mash.

Macaroni and cheese, another side dish, is definitely a comfort food. With the right cheese and noodles, a luscious food is created. Jack’s Mac & Cheese has the looks, but not the taste. Creamy cheese covered the Fusilli noodles and attracted my eye. With a few dashes of salt and pepper, the Mac & Cheese tasted better. My appetite decreased once the noodles got cold, so I decided to stop eating it. 

My final side was florets of broccoli strewn with clumps of cheddar cheese. This side had that healthy broccoli flavor that not all kids enjoy, although with the cheese, it’s tastier, but with the same, tender texture. The actual flowers were soft, but the stem was hard. I have never really been the biggest broccoli fan, so this side was not very appetizing to me.

I would recommend Jack’s Urban Eats to kids who like to have a variety of foods to choose from and like a fun environment. I would give Jack’s Urban Eats four stars out of four stars. I highly recommend this fairly priced, easy, enjoyable restaurant for carnivores

and herbivores.