Jack's Cafe — Restaurant in Sparks

We recently visited a well-known local spot that’s got a bit of movie history behind it; let’s just say a certain diner featured in the opening of Hard Eight. After twenty years of anticipation, my fiancé, my son, and I finally made it there for an early breakfast.

Our excitement quickly turned to disappointment. The special my son ordered (chocolate chip banana pancakes;) did not arrive as advertised. Despite the board clearly listing them, we ended up waiting 25 minutes only to get plain pancakes. When we pointed this out, the server denied our request had been placed correctly. Even after clarifying, instead of fresh pancakes, we just got a side of cold chocolate chips and a slice of banana. Not exactly what a nine-year-old is hoping for.

The issues didn’t stop there. My finances over medium eggs were cooked extra runny, barely over easy. They were lukewarm warm. My decaf coffee came out cold, and after a long wait for a replacement, I ended up with regular coffee instead. Cue the unwanted caffeine buzz. Waters arrived only at the end of the meal, and the food itself was a greasy, bland disappointment across the board.

In short, we felt like we were a burden rather than guests, and for an $82 breakfast for three, the experience was far from worth it. It’s a reminder that sometimes the reliability of a chain can beat the attitude and inconsistency of a so-called hidden gem. We definitely won’t...

The Breakfast Spot That Made Me Miss Pop-Tarts

Ah, yes. A glorious morning in Reno, where we strolled into that breakfast joint ready to fuel up for the day. We thought we were getting waffles, chicken fried steak, and some vaguely Mexican dish that I still can’t remember the name of (probably because my brain has been actively trying to forget the experience ever since). What we actually got? A gourmet, high-end microwaved meal you’d expect from a gas station...but at fine dining prices! Yeah, because nothing says "luxury" like rubbery waffles and chicken fried steak that had the texture of, I don’t know, wet cardboard?

Look, I’m not here to hate on cheap food. I’m here to hate on overpriced, disappointing food that charges you like it’s been blessed by Gordon Ramsay himself, but instead tastes like something you'd find in the back of your freezer during a power outage. For $25-30 per person, I expected at least one element to make me go, "Hmm, not bad." Instead, the only thing that raised my heart rate was the price.

And the customer service? Let's just say they put the "sub" in subpar. I’ve had more engaging conversations with my toaster. But hey, if you like paying top dollar to eat food you wouldn’t serve to your worst enemy, this might be your spot. Otherwise, save your money and dignity.

You’ve...

This is my very first review ever. I promise, I’m not a “Karen.” Been a fan of Jacks for years!! First visit in over a year. (Covid). Today’s experience was not great. Facility and bathroom are filthy. Overflowing baskets, dirty toilets, sticky stall walls, floors, doors and handles. There were paper towels-thank you for that. The eating area was also very dirty - floors, blinds, windows, front door, outside front door. Not a welcoming feeling. My husband was good with his biscuits and gravy and ham and eggs. My avocado/mushroom omelet was bursting with mushrooms (not in a good way) with gray mushroom water pooling next to my eggs - not very appetizing. The entire plate of food was also cold. I ended up scraping the mushrooms to the side and eating the avocado on my sour dough toast. I hope this lack of attention is because they are short-handed, however cleanliness in a restaurant is HUGE!! It needs some elbow grease and mindful cleaning. Cleanliness should always be at the top of the to-do-list. The service, as always, was excellent with smiling faces and coffee cups always full, well deserving of a...