Jack In The Box

Stinky much?
I feel bad for the staff there because all the homeless-​es go here to eat and use the restrooms.

I appreciate that, for a fast food burger place, Jack In The Box has a couple of non-​burger menu items that I like: Chicken Fajita Pita and Chicken Teriyaki Bowl. Today, I was stuck in rush hour traffic in NW Portland, so I headed for a nearby Jack In The Box for a cheap dinner and to wait for the traffic to die down. I had a Chicken Teriyaki Bowl, and, as usual, I had no complaints at all. It’s quick, cheap, tastes good, and is healthy. Yes, it’s «healthy» because it has lean grilled chicken breast meat and good veggies (broccoli and carrots) on rice.. .a well balanced meal. Anyway, when in the mood for a good cheap ($ 4.69) teriyaki fix, Jack In The Box is a handy destination.

Note: Eventually everyone dies of a heart attack — The Coroner
It’s good cheap food for a good price.
Pros: Accepts competitors coupons (Big Plus), Open 24 hours, breakfast served all-​day, clean establishment. Free Wifi. Good cheap food. Ok customer service.
Cons: 30-​minute seating limit, Transients outside establishment (Not JITB fault), small restaurant area makes ordering sometimes difficult during rush hour.

I don’t eat a lot of fast food. But when I do, I really like Jack-​in-​the-​Box. I like that I can get a breakfast sandwich any hour of the day. I will like the fact that they have delicious seasoned curly fries. I also like their chocolate shakes — most often the reason for my visit. This location happens to be very convenient for me, so why only two stars?
About 30% of the time, they fail to deliver on the shakes. And I’m not talking about quality, they actually fail to provide an actual shake. Usually it is machine cleaning, so they can’t make shakes for 30′ or so, sometimes there are other machine problems. I have varied my visits between 8pm-​midnight and still seem to regularly encounter this problem.
I finally decided to post this because in addition to the regular occurrences, this is now the 2^nd night in a row. Last night, machine cleaning at 9:00ish. Tonight, just completely out of chocolate syrup apparently. Sweet Jesus I just want to buy your product! Why are you making it so difficult and unpleasant?

Love my fast food.
Jack usually is pretty consistent, but we found from location to location the questions get answered very differently.
The location in NW is always very nice and friendly.

Whoa. Each time I go to this J-​Box, my mind is blown. First time was food poisoning. Second time was extremely soggy food. This time there was no menu for the Munchie Meals, and the speaker was so crackly I could not understand the employee. I had to settle on something else because I did not get to choose between options. Like really, no menu? C’mon corporate. When I got the food home, i opened it up to both fry orders being half full containers of really old fries. I think I’ve had enough of this location, finally.

I completely take back my earlier review about the friendly service. I went and got a paper this morning and went to Jack’s to read it while enjoying a cup of coffee. Sure the coffee isn’t great but the price is unbeatable. You pay a dollar and get a free refill. I had almost finished my first cup when it sprung a leak. I go up to the counter and showed them the defective cup and ask if I can get a new one for my second cup. They tell me they can;t replace it and if I want a new one I’ll have to pay another dollar. They acted like I sabotaged the cup on purpose. The only reason I go there for coffee is because its a block away. I guess I’ll just do without.

I don’t eat at Jack in the box at all but we did have to stop here due to my niece threw up in our car… so I went in to get some items to clean her up and our car. I ran in and out very fast. Next thing I knew a worker had come out with rags and more and actually helped me clean the car etc. She said «I have little ones myself so I understand » … I really did appreciate her and just wish I had gotten her name before we left and if she ever gets online to read reviews I hope she knows that she was very helpful. This incident did happen several months ago.

The chocolate shakes are great but at 1,000 calories my body doesn’t need it that bad but still they are great on a hot day.
Stuffed jalapeño are the best with buttermilk dipping sauce, got to love the hot.
Staff is ok, drive through can take awhile because everything is made to order.

Yo yo yo! Like that Susan Powter chic used to say back in her seemingly never-​ending late nite infomercials in the 90s: STOP THE INSANITY! This is Jack in the Box, and truly, you will never, ever, ever, in a billion trillion years, get a more accurate description from a business as to what you can expect from them each and every blippin’ time. Regardless of what combination of menu items you order, you will still wind up with… JACK. In the box. So when I saw that this Jack in the Box had a FOUR STAR (!!!) cume, I knew I just had to do my humble part to run a much-​needed check, up in heah!
That I’ve spent money more than once at this place is a testament to the absolute dearth of acceptable late night/​all-​night chow in town, as well as «just a pinch» of self-​loathing. Jack in the Box is so much more — or should it be, so much LESS— than just cheap fast food, bad-​for you in all the unfunny ways. I love breakfast, morning noon and night, but these breakfast menu items are an affront to good taste, and better judgment. First time, shame on you, Jack n the Box. Every other time after that: Mutha-​living, Mother-​grabbing’ shame on me for thinking it’d be any different — let alone better.
Repent, and sin no more, Jack in the Box!

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a vegetarian. And I lived in San Diego. And yet I’d never been to a Jack in the Box until this past week. And I loved my grilled cheese and fries.
I used to drive by their corporate headquarters a few times a week, I’ve even had milkshakes that coworkers had bought for me. I had no ill will towards Jack or his Box, but I just hadn’t ever been exposed to the quality of the food.
To be fair, it’s obviously fast food, and it’s as mediocre as good fast food should be, but this was In-​N-​Out quality taste and prices. The fries were actually crisp, full of flavor, and cheap. The sourdough the grilled cheese was on was great, and the cheese was crappy enough to remind me of elementary school. (That’s a good thing, somehow.)
Above all, the staff was friendly and seemed motivated. I’ve worked in fast food, I’ve eaten it, and I rarely run into a staff that seems to give half a crap. These guys do.
I’ll be back. I promise.

I’m a man of taste, class and little pocket change. I take my girl on fancy dates to the Jack in the Box by the freeway.
After a disheartening non-​motorized late night run-​in with this particular location, we came back for Free Taco Day (Aug. 4^th, for all you non-​believers) backed up with a few JBCs and a Chicken Sandwich. It’s the old Value Menu standbys that make it for me. I’ve fond memories of Jack in the Box from my college days when the RA would spend hall funds on bags upon bags of smooshed buns that hugged preprocessed meat. We were an upscale kind of residence hall. But this restaurant has always been one of my top chains.
So on this particular occasion, I was very enthused to not only get free tacos, but also to have my order taken by a fast food worker who had not succumbed to the utter despair and cynicism that is often found in this nation’s drive-​thru restaurants. She was happy to take our coupons for spongy taco-​products and called out my number with a smile. She even told us to have a good day on our way out when our dine-​in experience was over. Next time I need a dollar chicken sandwich (and that is more and more often), I might just make the trek down to the freeway and order up a bag full of memories.