Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack

To start, I want to say that I've decided to start using more photos in my blog, that is to say I'm going to start using some photos, as opposed to none. So look forward to a whole new era of TPoL.

I finally made it to Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack today, one of the newer barbecue restaurants in Iowa City. My dad was up in town, so he took my brother and his girlfriend and me out to eat. It's great having parents that come to town and take us out to eat, except on the rare occasions when they each come up, and each want to take us out. I like being stuffed silly, but there's something to be said about moderation, as well as spreading out the free meals.

Walking into the parking lot, I could tell I would like this place. The aromas were enough to get my mouth watering, and it just got better as we went inside. It was a nice place, a decent sized dining area and some good decorations on the wall. My dad and I each got the "supreme" sandwich, which had pork, turkey, and beef brisket on it, while Travis and Jonanne split a whole rack of ribs. Each of our meals came with coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread. The food was out to us quickly, which was a nice surprise, and it all looked delicious. I've never really eaten much coleslaw in my life, but I was feeling adventurous, and decided to try some. It was very good, much to my pleasure. Kind of sweet, and crisp. I don't know if it's something that I'll eat on a regular basis, but definitely something that I'll consider as a side on occasion. The baked beans were also good, with onion and pieces of bacon mixed in. The sandwich itself was very good, I'm thinking that next time, though, I'll stick with just one kind of meat. Not that the mixture was bad, I just wasn't really able to differentiate the meats. I ate it too quickly!

They also have 4 sauces to use: regular, 4-alarm, cowboy, and a mustard-based sauce. I had to sample all four. Their regular sauce was good, but my favorite was between the cowboy and the mustard sauces. (I'm not the biggest fan of hot bbq sauce, although theirs was good) The cowboy sauce had a smoky flavor to it, then went extremely well with the rib that I stole from my brother's plate. And the mustard sauce was kind of unique, something I've never really tried. It went really well with the sandwich.

This is a place that I will be going to again, though I'm not sure how often. It's not within walking distance, but not far of a drive, and the prices were ok, but not the cheapest. I've come to expect that from a barbecue place, though. You have to pay a little more for the quality, but it's a price I'm willing to pay.