Better Than ‘Jake’

By Christopher Malone

The Fireball gnocchi burger: The half-pound burger came with the standard lettuce, onion and tomato. It also boasted bacon, three lightly fried cheese-stuffed gnocchi, homemade pepper jack cheese and Fireball sauce.

Jake’s Grub & Grog, the Oneida River-adjacent establishment in Central Square, has been serving Central New Yorkers with entertainment, food and beer for more than a decade at this point.

To kick off a recent meal at the restaurant, I ordered a crock of French onion soup ($8.84).

I’ve said it before: I could eat soup every day regardless of the time of year.

It’s also great that French onion soup can vary from place to place. Where some are made with a rich and dark broth, Jake’s is lighter in color. Some call for melted Swiss cheese, some with Provolone (this is what Jake’s uses) and some come with a blend for that signature cheesy blanket.

I didn’t find any faults. It wasn’t too salty. The onion and croutons were plentiful, making this a filling soup. Out of personal preference, I added a generous amount of ground pepper.

Let’s talk about the burger of the week at the time of this review and lead into it saying I like to see bar-restaurants try something funky — in the good, let’s-take-a-risk sense.

The Fireball gnocchi burger ($15.60) caught my eye for sure. The half-pound burger came with the standard lettuce, onion and tomato. It also boasted bacon, three lightly fried cheese-stuffed gnocchi, homemade pepper jack cheese and Fireball sauce.

If Jake’s offered this burger before, my bad; it’s my first time here. Still, I haven’t seen a gnocchi burger in my travels just yet.

Yes, the hot sauce was made with Fireball cinnamon whisky. The only hesitation upon ordering the burger was the sauce itself. I find Fireball gross. Despite the label saying natural flavors, it tastes artificial and I don’t consider it a whisky.

Crock of French onion soup at Jake’s Grub & Grog. The onion and croutons were plentiful, making this a filling soup.

The good news, the sauce did not have an overpowering cinnamon taste or smell. It had a nice kick to it, for sure.

Despite being told it was brazen and spicy by another customer, I didn’t flinch with it. It added a great flavor and served its purpose as a hot sauce.

With the meat being cooked to a perfect medium rare, this stacked burger stood tall literally and in the grand scheme of its food niche.

The Cajun haddock tacos (three for $15.60) are something to take note. The description of the special says the seasoned and broiled fish is served with julienne vegetable coleslaw and cheddar-jack cheese in lightly grilled flour tortillas.

The tortillas were grilled perfectly so there was still flexibility with holding and squeezing each taco just so the ingredients didn’t fall out. The buttery cajun sauce of the plentiful broiled haddock blended well with the melted cheese. The coleslaw hidden beneath the fish added a bright sweetness due to the vegetables’ freshness.

Instead of fries, the side was upgraded to macaroni and cheese ($2.08). The creamy and oh-so-cheesy American staple was just right as is. Jake’s has a build-your-own macaroni and cheese entree. There’s the base dinner option and patrons can make it Buffalo-style; plus, protein and veggie add-ons that vary in price.

It’s also not the only build-your-own option the menu boasts.

The build-your-own rice bowl comes with base of rice pilaf with a choice of meat, vegetable and sauce. I chose shrimp, mushrooms, roasted red peppers added on and sweet chili sauce ($15.08). The plentiful bowl is filling and comes with a guarantee of leftovers, which also keep after a couple of days.

The flavor of the large, butterflied shrimp tasted fresh and proved to be an ideal choice for the bowl. The rice was perfectly cooked and the vegetables weren’t mushy. The sweet chili sauce leaned toward the sweeter side with maybe a smidge of spice.

What was most abundant was salt. Yes, the seemingly unavoidable additive does enhance the flavor, yet balance is important.

Add in two domestic beers ($8.84), the total before tip came to $71.32. Jake’s offers a discount when paying with cash.

Jake’s Grub & Grog lives up to its name. It certainly has grog and serves up grub. The year-round bar and restaurant has a lot to offer.

Patrons can always anticipate weekly tunes from local musicians. When then weather gets warmer, it will cater to more people with its outdoor space.