By Jim Stanford on August 23, 2011
MacPhail's cheeseburger and fries. Everything was fresh and filling.
After all the chatter about whether the most anticipated opening of a burger joint in Jackson would MacPhail, I had to experience the place for myself.
So on a recent evening, following a whitewater run down the Snake, two friends and I convened at MacPhail’s in the old Taco Bell location on Broadway. We arrived just after 9 p.m., so it was a relief to be seated. (One of my pet peeves about Jackson is a lack of eateries serving late, besides the Brew Pub.)
The restaurant has been redone nicely, but the interior is small and a bit loud. Perhaps some funky music would help. We had no problems with service; it had been a busy night, yet we were greeted promptly and all our needs met. Beer was poured in a frosty glass. There were munchies on the table to pass the wait.
My burger was large and satisfying. Fries were homemade, a tad greasy (as fries tend to be). Cheese on the burger was sharp cheddar. My two friends are teachers; one graded his burger A- and the other gave his cheese steak B- because he didn’t like the bun. Perhaps he should have ordered a burger, anyway. We left stuffed, for about $16-18 apiece.
MacPhail's, which took over the former Taco Bell on Broadway, has generated quite a buzz in its first month. Cheeseburgers cost $10 and beers $4.
Afterward, I met the owner, Bruce, who is trying hard to get every detail right. His outdoor service is limited by town rules, but he has retained some of the Taco Bell tables and set a few others by Flat Creek. A good strategy might be to call ahead (307-733-8744) and order takeout, then sit at these tables.
The hubbub about this place has been amusing. After all, we’re talking about burgers. If you have a problem with one of these joints, cook your own! As much as I enjoy going out every now and then for one, the best burgers I’ve had are at the Stanford Ranch.
And … despite rumors to the contrary, The Bird is still open and serving burgers south of Jackson at the old Steak Pub/Huey’s location.
Thanks for the scouting trip to MacPhails. I do have to admit, after being on a super cleanse diet for the last couple of weeks, that photo should gross me out… but sadly, I now want a burger. Thanks a lot, Jim!!
This supports what I’ve heard, Jim, thanks. Bruce does deserve every chance the locals can give him to succeed. Have you tried Pinky G’s, Jim? Great place for after-hours; good pizza, good crowd, too.
That’s next on my list. I like to give these places a little time to get open and rolling, plus I’ve been too busy and avoiding most of town, anyway.
“…avoiding most of town anyway.” Roger that.
Cheeseburger Factory Star Valley still has a great burger, maybe I am biased due to my childhood spent eating them everyday.
I have learned an important life lesson…NEVER try out a restaurant during their first week of operation. I hope they have things straightened out by now. I had a horrible wait; at least 40 minutes. I had to catch a waitress as she flew by to place my order. The fries were limp and greasy. When I complained, I got a wacky explanation of why they couldn’t serve them crisp and that some people like them that way! Unbelievable. First rule of food service…never argue with the customer!
I have to agree with John S – I made the mistake of visiting MacPhails too early. The best I can say is that I will try it again. The family and I headed over while ousted from our house due to a new floor going in. The Mrs liked her burger, the oldest son liked his hot dog – but son #2 and I had middling fare at best. And the fries both regular and sweet potato were just downright awful. I forwarded a review to Bruce and was pleased that he responded quickly and with out making any excuses. I will try this eatery again – and wish them luck.
Passing thru, I spotted this place far off the road. Medicore service, slow chef, and dry burger. The owner was annoyingly loud. Bun was too big for the size of the meat. Try Zins in Tucson for the real deal!
I partly agree with howard. We are there a month or so ago. There were four of us and we sat outside underneath a speaker blaring AWFUL ’80′s country. The service was ok and the burgers were pretty good, but the fries were just so-so. The owner however became obnoxious! He came over to say hi and ended up talking to us for about 45 minutes while we were trying to eat. After he found out we lived here, he began complaining about all of the hoops the town makes you jump through for parking, #seats, etc. and how disgusting it was remodeling the building. During this mostly one-sided discussion, he began dropping f-bombs. The f-word doesn’t bother me at all and it’s a word I use a lot in casual conversations with friends, but we just met the guy and he’s dropping it on us while were trying to eat at his restaurant! I did bring up the loud and awful country music and her pretty much said too bad, I like it. Needless to say, we WILL NOT be back.
Bomb burgers. Cheap beers. Owners cool. $10 says Mike V is the owner of Bubbas. Any takers?!
Sorry, I don’t own Bubba’s. Wish I did! That place is a money maker!
$10 says JDowl also posted a comment in Jim’s other MacPhail’s article under the name V420. Any takers?!
http://www.jhunderground.com/2011/06/14/burgers-sizzling-as-high-end-biz-macphails/comment-page-1/#comment-77886
They are indeed one and the same. I checked the IP address.