Jamie’s Bar and Grill
427 Broadway Sacramento, California
You could drive past Jamie’s Bar and Grill 100 times without realizing it was even there. Located at 427 Broadway, Jamie’s is not extravagant by any stretch of the word. Other than a green awning there isn’t a sign that would attract the eye, and without the large concentration of cars surrounding a vacant lot, I probably could pass it fully knowing where I was going.
Some people might look at the bland exterior and be turned off, but for me this is a great sign. I’m a simple man, and all I need is good food.
I had heard tales of Jamie’s for a while now, but always from the middle age professionals not my peers. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and then from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., which explains the latter. On the Wednesday afternoon, I made it out to the place, and it was filled with khakis and collared shirts. I was definitely the youngest person in there by 15 years. The bar (to eat no doubt) was completely filled and a line of a few others waited for their turns. I was immediately seated and taken care of from the start. Off the bat, I was immediately at home in the dimly light restaurant of maybe 20 tables. There weren’t any windows so light was minimal, and the huge mounted Bison head really ties the room together. It was easily recognized that most of the clientèle were regulars, which is always a testament to a restaurant’s food.
Their menu was one page and very straight forward. I had heard good things about their burger and steak sandwich, but it all sounded good to me. All the menu items were sandwiches of some sort, with a few salad options and some specials, which mostly consisted of sea food, but the $15 price tag sounded like they were more of a dinner thing. All sandwiches came with a choice of fries, onion rings or salad and were mostly in the $7-9 range.
After much debate over the hot turkey sandwich, which came with mash potatoes and gravy, I sided with “Jamie’s Club.” It sounds a little boring I suppose, but the food was far from that. Obviously catering to the lunch crowd, the food came relatively quick. Served on a large plate, the entire surface was covered with thinly cut and crispy (and flakey but not over cooked, which is good!) fries and a monstrous sandwich. Between lightly toasted slices of fresh sourdough they managed to fit avocado, tomato, lettuce, chunks of white turkey meat and recently cooked bacon. It was impossible to taste it all with one bite, so I had to plan my bites accordingly”¦or maybe I’m just weird like that.
So many things made the sandwich great, but the turkey was the stand out flavor. Carved straight from the carcass, the meat was moist and cut in thick slices. They definitely weren’t shy with the portions either, which was greatly appreciated. Aside from the turkey, and again I’m a simple man, but the tomato was peppered. This might not sound like a big deal, but it added a distinct taste. And more than that, it showed that they were actually mindful of what they were doing and not just mindlessly throwing stuff on bread. The bacon was greasy and hot, not heat lamp hot, and did what bacon always does: make whatever you’re eating that much better.
They had me before I walked in, and the food was everything I had imagined it would be; simple and awesome, with quality ingredients and hearty portions. I will be undoubtedly be going back to Jamie’s on a regular basis, and just may have a new place to eat/drink before a River Cats game.
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