Since moving to Los Angeles, one of the more obvious culture shocks has come from the change in prevalent fast food chains. One of these, which I will reliably see driving 10 minutes in any direction, is Jack in the Box. Jack in the Box has always confused me a little bit, due to its sheer amount of products. I tend to think of them as Sonic 2.0, with a combination of foods that don’t seem to all belong in the same restaurant. However, its popularity, as opposed to a recent downturn in Sonic’s quality, made it an undeniable need to try.
Since beginning to do the research for this article, I have been to Jack in the Box three times. Over that time, I have tried a vast array of items off of the menu, and been able to determine what I think its strongest items generally are. Based on that, I’m going to do one of my favorite things: make a ranking! From best to worst, here are the Jack in the Box menu items that are totally worth the trip.
Tiny Taco Box
Originally, my friends and I found this item very funny, due to how unique the product is. Who would ever want a box of mini tacos? The answer is me. Somehow Jack in the Box’s taco quality doesn’t go down just because the size did, and I loved getting to snack on these throughout my day.
I also had the chance to try both the new birria mini tacos, as well as the regular mini tacos. Both of these remained at the top of my list, although my overall favorite may just have to be the birria. Even in this tiny form, Jack in the Box nails the birria flavor, and I’ve found myself craving it for weeks after.
Regular Tacos
One of the main consistencies I noticed with Jack in the Box is the quality of all of the tacos. I think this is probably the product Jack in the Box has the most success with. These aren’t the most authentically Mexican tacos you’re going to have in your life, but that’s not what I need them to be. After all, this is fast food at the end of the day. And these hard shelled tacos definitely at least have enough seasoning to make the flavor undeniably familiar.
The low price of the tacos for the flavor is also part of their appeal. Specifically, the chain offers two tacos for 99 cents, a price that truly can’t be beat. Being able to get two pretty solid tacos for so cheap makes this an easy go-to fast food favorite.
Smashed Jack
I’m not the biggest burger fan in the world. Don’t get me wrong — I enjoy a good burger on the right occasions, like the 4th of July and other summer parties. But it’s never really been my typical order when eating out. So when looking at Jack in the Box’s menu, I was instinctively looking for the more unique offerings in that department. How do Jack in the Box burgers differ from other fast food establishments?
The answer seemed to be the smashed burgers. This follows the popular smashed burger trend in the broader food world, of pressing down a burger to make it more crispy and melty. While Jack in the Box has many different variations of this sandwich, I just tried the regular Smashed Jack. This completely proved any preconceptions about my distaste for burgers wrong. This was a uniquely buttery burger, with a good combination of pickles and onions that made this one of the best fast food burgers I’ve ever had.
Spicy Chicken
I’ve heard people complain about Jack in the Box’s chicken sandwiches, and just chicken in general. They’ve called the sandwiches boring, which I think is a common problem when it comes to this type of sandwich. Because it’s a bit less common than a burger, I feel as if chicken sandwiches aren’t given much room to differentiate themselves from each other. However, I enjoy few things more than a spicy chicken sandwich, and I felt like this one held up. It definitely wasn’t anything new, but held a nice level of spice and general flavor nonetheless.
Curly Fries
The curly fries are definitely one of Jack in the Box’s most popular items — certainly enjoyed over the regular fries. I wouldn’t disagree with that assessment, per se. These are good fries. The flavoring adds a little bit of kick, and the curly fry holds a good amount of structure to prevent potential sogginess. But ultimately, they just couldn’t stand out as much on their own as some of these other products.
Egg Rolls
One of the other items on the menu that fascinated me was the inclusion of egg rolls. Not only does this seem incongruous with everything else, but egg rolls just don’t tend to be a fast food item. Unfortunately, I can see why. This was one of the oilier egg rolls I’ve had in my life, and my stomach certainly wasn’t happy with me after. This is definitely not the restaurant to get egg rolls at.
I still have plenty of Jack in the Box items I need to try. Specifically, the wings are really fascinating to me, and I find it hard to believe that the same fast food chain could master both tacos and chicken wings. However, I think part of the fun of Jack in the Box is the sheer amount of food they offer. You can never truly be bored with a menu like this.