Jack Brown’s Burger and Beer Joint Review
April 30, 2009 • By Zach Weaver, The Breeze
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After a gut-busting research trip in New York to sample up to six burgers per day, Aaron Ludwig and Mike Sabin developed the simple, yet calculated Jack’s Brown burger.
It started back in 1985.
“We came up with the concept when we were 15,” Ludwig said. “We always joked about opening a burger stand.”
Ludwig, an owner of Function 4 Sports, a local sporting goods store, along with friend and partner Sabin, a corporate chef from Miami, recently pulled the idea off the shelf and decided to start Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint.
The childhood dream finally came true when Jack Brown’s opened on April 4th on 80 South Main St. downtown.
Jack Brown’s adheres to a familiar maxim: “Keep it simple, do it right.” This minimalist approach is clear the moment one steps inside. The main room, including the bar, grill and fryer, is only 11 feet wide and 36 feet long from the window to the bathroom. A single table sits in the front window and the remaining seating lines the bar. The menu consists of five items: hamburger, cheeseburger, the daily special, fries and fried Oreos. The exception to the simplicity is the beer list, which offer 60 varieties and a rotating selection of drafts.
Jack Brown’s is a bit pricey— a burger and fries run near eight dollars— but the taste is spot on. As a fan of toppings I was at first skeptical of the minimalist approach to the burgers, but the meat had a satisfying taste and the special sauce was so good that I am now willing to concede my tomatoes and onions. The crinkle fries have a pleasing texture, are tactfully seasoned and well worth the extra cost. The food is also light enough to avoid the adverse side effects and the eventual regret of other burgers.
In the three weeks since it’s opening Jack Brown’s has already attracted a following. Among the regulars is Jess Velanzon, a local insurance claims adjustor.
“I try to make it in once a week,” Velanzon said. “I like it because it’s small and personal, and the Oreos are to die for.”
The burgers are made from a domestic Kobe beef known as Wagyu beef. To give an original feel, Jack Brown’s has a proprietary relationship with their Wagyu supplier, meaning competitors won’t be serving it.
Jack Brown’s burgers are distinct for their lack of traditional toppings, a regular burger coming with nothing but a side serving of Jack Brown’s sauce “You can get lettuce and tomato anywhere,” Ludwig said. “We wanted our burgers to be different.”
Like the food, the restaurant’s image was also meticulously planned. The interior is something of a sharp and smokeless replica of a western dive with a disco ball and a clean restroom. Unlike similar restaurants with themed décors, Jack Brown’s avoids coming off as manufactured thanks to several personal touches. The bar top is made of a 200-year-old white oak from the Ludwig family property. A series of photos line the wall, chronicling the tree’s life and eventual fall, and the wall itself is made of boards from the family barn.
The restaurant can only hold 38 and the limited size can make it difficult to find a seat, but the confined space and dark, hardwood motif create an appealing atmosphere. Jack Brown’s bartender and JMU graduate student Gabrielle Olko enjoys the intimacy.
“The great thing about it being a smaller place is you get to know people,” Olko said. “Pretty much everyone at the bar ends up talking to one another.”
Jack Brown’s will soon open a side patio and a private bar upstairs to accommodate more customers.
Open to 2:00 a.m. every night, it is also frequented by downtown restaurant employees stopping in after work.
Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint is light years beyond a fast food combo meal in its minimalist yet high-quality approach to an American classic.
Contact Zach Weaver at weaverzc@jmu.edu
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