At the beginning of January, Jack Ruby’s Saloon & Grill opened in the West End, a mere stone’s throw away from the former Texas School Book Depository building and its infamous sixth floor. And why not? Lee Harvey’s in The Cedars has been thriving for over 20 years, after all. One can only assume that the Carlos Marcello Tavern is in the works, but until then, we decided to check out this new entry into an area that has lost a bit of its luster over the years.
Parking was easy to find on this sunny Saturday noon, which might be a reflection of the chilly temperatures that day. At the corner of Ross Avenue and Record Street, Jack Ruby’s exterior perfectly matches its West End surroundings with red brick and a wrap-around elevated wood-planked porch. We were warmly welcomed by staff upon entry and had our pick of seats within the space that offers bar seating, booths and tables, as well as a small stage for the live music.
We started with a signature drink, the perhaps unfortunately named Jack Ruby shot. The mixture of Jack Daniel’s bonded rye, Banhez mezcal, grenadine and lemon juice arrives in a double-shot-sized glass. It had an interesting flavor profile if a bit too heavy on the citrus notes. Maybe they missed an opportunity not using Bulleit Rye. If you’re going down that road, why not fully commit?
For a starter, we went with the Jack Ruby nachos. These come with cheddar cheese, avocado, queso, cilantro, tomato, onions, crema and pickled jalapeño, along with the protein of your choice (smoked brisket, smoked chicken or pulled pork) atop either tortilla chips, tater tots, chicharrónes or fries.
We opted for the brisket and traditional chips, which turned out to be pretty … pretty good. It was a very large serving: the menu does say "shareable," we just missed it. The generous portion of moist and meaty shredded brisket was topped by a dollop of guacamole. We had to ask for a box when we left.
Our main selections were a Texas Dawg and a classic cheeseburger, both of which come with a choice of fries, tots or chicharrónes. The large hot dog was dressed with chili, queso and red onions on a toasted bun, a twist on the typical chili cheese dog. The tots we chose for the side were plentiful, golden crispy nuggets of goodness. We had to ask for a box for these as well.
The cheeseburger’s patty was a quarter-pound short rib and brisket mix served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and choice of cheese, in this case, Swiss. It was flavorful enough, but a quarter-pound patty when at least a third-pound (if not a half) has become the norm made for a somewhat skimpy burger. The house-made chicharrónes, however, were wonderful and plentiful, and even better after splashing some hot sauce on them from one of the three varieties at each table. Again, we had to ask for a box to take them home.
This place has many positives: The staff is very friendly and eager to ask and answer questions, it has live music, happy hour drink and bar bite specials are available every day from 4 to 7 p.m., and it is in the West End, an area that still has a lot going for it. It has a fairly extensive bourbon and Texas whiskey selection, with about two dozen each, and there's a Chicago hot dog on the menu.
1710 N. Record St. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Parking was easy to find on this sunny Saturday noon, which might be a reflection of the chilly temperatures that day. At the corner of Ross Avenue and Record Street, Jack Ruby’s exterior perfectly matches its West End surroundings with red brick and a wrap-around elevated wood-planked porch. We were warmly welcomed by staff upon entry and had our pick of seats within the space that offers bar seating, booths and tables, as well as a small stage for the live music.
We started with a signature drink, the perhaps unfortunately named Jack Ruby shot. The mixture of Jack Daniel’s bonded rye, Banhez mezcal, grenadine and lemon juice arrives in a double-shot-sized glass. It had an interesting flavor profile if a bit too heavy on the citrus notes. Maybe they missed an opportunity not using Bulleit Rye. If you’re going down that road, why not fully commit?
For a starter, we went with the Jack Ruby nachos. These come with cheddar cheese, avocado, queso, cilantro, tomato, onions, crema and pickled jalapeño, along with the protein of your choice (smoked brisket, smoked chicken or pulled pork) atop either tortilla chips, tater tots, chicharrónes or fries.
We opted for the brisket and traditional chips, which turned out to be pretty … pretty good. It was a very large serving: the menu does say "shareable," we just missed it. The generous portion of moist and meaty shredded brisket was topped by a dollop of guacamole. We had to ask for a box when we left.
Our main selections were a Texas Dawg and a classic cheeseburger, both of which come with a choice of fries, tots or chicharrónes. The large hot dog was dressed with chili, queso and red onions on a toasted bun, a twist on the typical chili cheese dog. The tots we chose for the side were plentiful, golden crispy nuggets of goodness. We had to ask for a box for these as well.
The cheeseburger’s patty was a quarter-pound short rib and brisket mix served with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and choice of cheese, in this case, Swiss. It was flavorful enough, but a quarter-pound patty when at least a third-pound (if not a half) has become the norm made for a somewhat skimpy burger. The house-made chicharrónes, however, were wonderful and plentiful, and even better after splashing some hot sauce on them from one of the three varieties at each table. Again, we had to ask for a box to take them home.
This place has many positives: The staff is very friendly and eager to ask and answer questions, it has live music, happy hour drink and bar bite specials are available every day from 4 to 7 p.m., and it is in the West End, an area that still has a lot going for it. It has a fairly extensive bourbon and Texas whiskey selection, with about two dozen each, and there's a Chicago hot dog on the menu.
