A quality restaurant is characterized by good food, good service, and an inviting atmosphere to enjoy your meal. Billy Jack’s met all of these criteria as I sat enjoying a “10 Napkin Burger.”
Between the two buns was a plethora of options, ranging from your typical toppings, such as onions and pickles, to the more eccentric, including crab cake and chili. Some of these toppings require an additional cost. The “10 Napkin Burger” with only the free toppings costs $6.99. While Billy Jack’s is not the cheapest of all of the restaurants in Harrisonburg, its menu was still reasonably priced.
My burger, measuring roughly 5 inches tall with a half pound of beef, lots of lettuce, onions, mushrooms, cheddar, and pickles, was quite delicious. Along with a side of fries and a soda, the total cost was under ten dollars.
The restaurant itself uses rustic decor to appear like a country saloon. Toward the top edges of the walls are bottles and other odds and ends to capture your attention. Some rustic advertisement signs line the lower part of the wall, giving the restaurant a cozy feel.
However, things already felt a little crowded with the volume of people. At 6:45 p.m. on a weekday, there was still a wait, and tables are close together in the already small space. Overall, I waited about 15 minutes for my seat, which was not too long, given that I have passed Billy Jack’s on several occasions when lines have been significantly longer.
One thing Billy Jack’s could improve is its method of seating customers. In times of low traffic, customers seat themselves, but when there is lots of traffic, customers wait to be seated. I arrived when they switched over from seating yourself to being taken to your seat. This resulted in some miscommunication, and I was passed over for two other groups before getting my seat. Thankfully, the wait was not long, but maintaining a consistent seating method is important to prevent customers from being skipped or ignored by the service staff.
The music was quite loud and, at times, it could be a bit overwhelming with all of the side chatter, making conversation with my friends and even the service staff a little difficult, but it was not a huge problem. Our orders were executed correctly and we enjoyed ourselves. The service was great with frequent visits by our waiter for refills.
Overall, I enjoyed Billy Jack’s. The food was delicious. The service was good and responsive, although it would benefit from a consistent seating method. The atmosphere of the restaurant gave a good rustic impression, even though the restaurant is a little small. I definitely would consider dining at Billy Jack’s again.
