Jack In The Crap

I've been debating the past few months whether or not I should cover food on this blog because it's not really media. After reading the Mayor of Claycord's website http://www.claycord.com/, I've been inspired to do a little civic duty. One restaurant really has annoyed me to the point I actually want to say something about it: Jack In The Box in Vallejo CA on Marine World Parkway. This is located in a spot that used to be busy (the intersection of HWY 29 & 37) but restructuring of the highway has killed off a lot of traffic in the area. Still, it's in a convenient spot for my wife and I to pick up food now and then.

First, a little background. One, I love Jack in the Box. I love the range of food selections, that they're open late, that they serve mozzerella sticks (usually you have to go to a fancy place, like Lyons or Dennys, to get one of those). Second, the Jack in the Box at that location has history. Throughout my childhood Jack in the Box was there serving good food, even when they blew up the clown (a sad day, 'cause I missed that damn clown). Third, I love their advertisements with Jack as a faceless CEO living the high life. Fourth, there are two other Jack in the Boxes in town and they both kick ass. So what's wrong with this one?

What's wrong is they never give you the right food and often hear the order wrong. When you order salads, they're perpetually out of the dressing to your salad but have the dressing to the one you didn't order. On another visit, I ordered the Chicken Club salad and they ran out of croutons so they gave me the spicy Southwestern crunchies instead. Recently, I ordered a chicken sandwich and got home to find out it was a burger patty. Everything else was the chicken sandwich except the part that made it chicken.

My wife has had just as bad luck at this place. She ordered a Diet Coke and was given ice tea that tastes like cardboard instead. She places her order at the drive thru and sees items appear on the confirmation screen that sounds nothing like what she ordered. She had to repeat her order of a side salad and large Diet Coke three times for them to get that right on the order screen. After making her order, she pulled up to the window and watched the customer behind her go through the exact same thing. My wife asked for Ranch dressing and was given Bacon Ranch instead. The sad part...the drive thru was being run by the Shift Supervisor!

Like I said at the start, I have a history with this place and have gone to this location for half my life. But we're done with this one. It's like the part in Lethal Weapon 2 where they go through the drive thru and Joe Pesci rants about what happens in there. I don't feel like quoting it word for word, but if you've seen the movie you know what I'm talking about.