Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint (Harrisonburg, VA)

80 S. Main St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801, USA

 

Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint is exactly that: a small chain of beer and burger restaurants with, currently, six locations in Virginia, one in Birmingham, AL, and one in Nashville, TN. They really only serve burgers and beers as well as fries (regular and sweet potato) and fried oreo cookies. I visit the original location in downtown Harrisburg, a college town home to James Madison University. It is very tiny: one round table (seating four) and bar seating for some 12 people. There is a larger outside patio, but this (May!) day it is cold, wet, and windy. Consequently, even on a Thursday at 3.30 PM, it is packed and the wait is at least 15-20 min. Reluctantly, I decide to order out and eat in my car, as I am on a long drive and tight schedule.

I get The Shocker ($6.99), which is, without a doubt, the spiciest burger I have ever eaten. It is just a burger with grilled fresh jalapeño and habanero peppers and shocker sauce. Perhaps the pepper jack cheese smoothens it a bit, but I don't eat cheese, so not smoothening for me. The burger is so spicy, you hardly taste the meat and bun, which are both great (comparable to Shake Shack). The fries ($2.25) are thick wrinkle cut. I am not sure whether they are prefab, but they are perfectly fried and tasty.

VERDICT: 89/100

I am not sure whether I can judge that well, as my mouth is still on fire, but from the little my taste buds could tell, this is very good stuff! I will certainly be back to try another burger.