Pun City Springs Into Action

This blog hasn't done a fast food review in a long while (an absurd 22 posts), and it's had one that kept getting shelved. So here goes: Jack In The Box!

This blog isn't sure where Jack In The Box originated, but it was in 1951, and it's now based in San Diego, CA. Their website provided the interesting tidbit that they also own Qdoba. Unfortunately, Qdoba seems to have a greater reach than Jack In The Box, which can only be found in 17 states. The closest one to this blog's home is 350 miles and almost 6 hours away.

Pros: Great burgers. Very consistent across locations, mustard on the burgers does not detract from them. French fries are very good, pretty well salted. To date, this blog has not come across poor, or even less-than-friendly service at a Jack In The Box. This may have something to do with the location of the chain, primarily areas known for hospitality or for being laid back. The Oreo Milkshake offered is top-notch. French fries are very good. For some reason, this blog has the impression that there's always ample seating at Jack In The Box. Condiments are easy to grab. Very reasonable pricing, also offers late night dining. Had a food poisoning problem in the 1990s, so you know they're erring on the side of caution these days.

Cons: Mainly locations. 6 hours is a long drive for burgers. Not that this blog is above doing that, but it's tough to keep that pace. Could emphasize special orders more. Only offer 2 non-diet dark sodas (Coke and Dr. Pepper).

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10 fryers. Locations are the main issue here. All other problems are essentially splitting hairs with the combination of quality and convenience Jack In The Box offers. Jack In The Box is essentially what McDonald's should be, if only it hadn't sold out to fringe health-conscious radicals. Rating could improve if they emphasized special orders, added Cherry Coke to the beverage options, and expanded a lot.

Burger-Only Ranking: 7.5 out of 10 fryers. Including mustard while being McDonald-esque in their "special orders take a while" stance is somewhat of a bummer. Meat is occasionally a little tough. Bread is good, onions aren't normally included on the burgers, so that's easy. Could possibly be a little cheaper, but that's a minor concern.