Stephen Montoya
Ever since I began watching the TV show “Cheers”, I’ve longed to find a place, or bar rather, where everybody knows my name. Maybe since I moved around so much as a young adult, I never really had the chance to discover such an establishment. I basically chalked it up to TV shows being a fantasy and for my part, bad timing. But that all changed when I recently entered a local establishment called Jack’s Place, formally known as Chubby’s Burger Shack located at 7914 Camp Bowie W Blvd.
The second I entered this bar; I was greeted with a smile from a server named Jaqueline nicknamed JJ. She immediately asked me my name and began talking with me like I was a long-lost relative she’d just reconnected with. After a few minutes of shooting the bull, JJ handed me a small menu with three meal options on it. The term less is more is thrown around a lot these days, my only hope was that this leaned on the more side. The options were thus, pizza, burgers, and chicken wings. I went with option number two, a flamed-grilled burger with the addition of bacon for good measure.
Stephen Montoya
After my order was placed, I looked around this once bustling bar to take in its ambiance. The setting was like something out of a novel. It was a clean establishment with two bar sized pool tables, and a shuffleboard table located on the north side of the dining room in front of the open kitchen. I could almost see the ghosts from Friday nights past still leaning up against the pool tables, waiting for their turn to shoot.
The bar seemed to stretch for a mile as JJ, my gracious host, kept me engaged in conversation almost like she was interviewing me for a story. A few minutes later, the smell of flame broiled hamburgers filled the air giving me flashbacks to backyard barbecues of yesteryear. The smokey notes of freshly cooked meat hung heavy in the bar as JJ walked my burger basket toward me like a plate of fajitas at a Mexican restaurant. The hamburger was still sizzling as I gazed at this simple but effective restaurant food staple.
Besides the bacon, the rest of the burger was pretty straight forward with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mustard. I took the onion off and dug in. The burger had an awesome outer layer of char that crunched as I took my first bite. The inside of the patty was juicy, which added to the overall flavor when combined with the rest of the accoutrements. A simple helping of Lays potato chips accompanied my burger, which added to the backyard vibe I was already feeling. Jack’s Place owner Scotty Hooten sat next to me at the bar in a seat that had a plaque that read Dave Tucker in gold letters. “Oh yeah, we have our regulars, and this is just a testimony to how much loyalty we share,” Hooten says while looking at some mail.
When I was done eating, both JJ and Hooten shook my hand and thanked me for coming in. I may have walked in a stranger, but I left with everyone knowing my name. So, if you are ever on Camp Bowie West Blvd and hungry, stop into Jack’s Place. Chances are you won’t be a stranger by the time you leave.
Holes in the Fort Rating Scale
Ambiance: Out of 5 – 5 (This place has the look of a what I would imagine Fort Worth’s version of "Cheers" looking like.)
Service: Out of 5 – 5 (The staff and owner made it a point to introduce themselves to me and make me feel welcomed.)
Food: Out of 5 – 4 (The burger had a bit more char on it then I like but that’s what makes it authentic to dad’s grilling skills.)
Price Point: Very economical (most of the food on the menu is around $10.)
Do: the charbroiled burger. This classic choice is pure Americana in a basket.
Don’t: sit in Dave Tucker’s spot at the bar. I mean the plaque is there for a reason.
(Holes in the Fort is an ongoing series that highlights some of the city’s best local food spots.)
