Cracklin' Jakes

I've been meaning to make it to Cracklin' Jakes for well over a year now.A couple of weeks ago we were actually on our way to another restaurant near Canton, but due to hunger and boredom with the drive, we decided to hit Cracklin' Jakes instead.

Located at 111 E. Valley View Drive in Banner, the restaurant had a cozy log cabin style that I love.

After being greeted warmly and taken to a booth, we took inventory of the menu and decor.

The floors were a neutral tile, which did cause conversation and laughter from a group near the fireplace to echo throughout the dining room off and on through the evening.

There were various animals mounted on the walls and dried flowers here and there, and I really liked the shade of green they chose for their wainscoting.

I ordered a glass of Gnarly Head Zinfandel, which, at $6 a glass, was a nice find. My husband had an iced tea.

For my entrée, I chose the stroganoff, accompanied by the lobster bisque, which was a stretch for me. I've never been a big fan of lobster, even vacationing in Maine, but for some reason the soup sounded good.

I did notice that the stroganoff did not say it was made with bison, which was one of the things I had noted when I wanted to visit the restaurant.

StfRon selected the prime rib, accompanied by salad.

Our first course arrived with bread, and trying the bisque I found it to be excellent. Slightly sweet, creamy and flavorful with tiny flakes of seafood.

StfRon's salad was pretty much standard.

The stroganoff was not the sour cream and sauteed onion and mushroom fare like my mom used to make, but the meat was tender and falling apart and reminded me of a home made pot roast, piled on a bed of boiled noodles.

When we arrived, I was happy to see they had a bread pudding selection on the menu, but we decided to skip dessert and head home.

The waitstaff we encountered, although they appeared young (late teens to early 20s), were very attentive and professional, and made our visit more enjoyable.

If you find yourself near Banner and are looking for a nice sit down dinner, keep Cracklin' Jakes in mind.

November 2009 — Cracklin' Jakes has closed.

May 2010 — Cracklin' Jakes has reopened.
October 2011 — Cracklin' Jakes now houses Boss Hogs