Kickback Jack's

Located at 1600 Battleground Ave., Kickback Jack’s offers burgers, sandwiches, salads, entrees and more. Amenities include a plethora of televisions, food and drink specials, karaoke, and a full bar.



Ever since Kickback Jack’s opened in late 2010, its parking lot has been a dense thicket of cars at lunch time. The popularity provoked a visit, and while Kickback Jack’s does not merit daily crowding, it’s easy to see its allure on game days.


The restaurant’s spacious interior is covered with televisions. If JP Looney’s is Dick Cheney’s bunker, than Kickback Jack’s might as well be NSA Headquarters. The unblemished wood tables help sustain the restaurant’s “just opened” freshness.


Moving onto the menu, Kickback Jack’s offers something for everyone, but nothing you can’t get elsewhere. That includes everything from a basket of wings to a steak n ribs combo. The Reuben I tried was spot-on: crispy, melty, and only slightly greasy. A side salad thoughtfully incorporated spinach leaves and bacon bits.

While the food was tasty, neither the quality nor the portion size justified the price tag. Burgers and many sandwiches ran in the $8-10 range. Add a drink or upgrade to a salad and you’re close to paying other establishments’ entrée prices. Service was friendly and efficient, but it’s easy to imagine it being neither with a full house.


On taste and ambience alone, Kickback Jack’s would probably rate higher, but the cost and the central paradox – it’s the kind of place you’d go to watch a football game and the kind of place that’s likely to be too crowded for you to do so – diminishes its attractiveness considerably.


7.25/10