Jack's Urban Eats is a delicious urban treat

Sacramento—the city of trees, rivers and endless corner restaurants, bars and diners—rarely leaves a hungry man or famished woman with a feeling of regret and disappointment. Today, like most days after moving to Sacramento, was no exception.

Keep in mind though, I am a 6-foot-5-inch eating machine. I am usually a tough customer to please in terms of filling the old gullet. The only think longer than my legs, arms and torso is my appetite.

This is why, by seeming intuition, the last item on any menu vocalized from me to a waiter is a salad.

But there is the rare exception to my faithful perception, and today, for an earlier lunch, that exception was found in Jack’s Urban Eats.

Don’t be foolish though, this salad is not your typical lettuce with croutons and a dash of ranch. This salad is a salad suitable for longshoremen, cage fighters, and men raised in the wild by a pack of wolves. Why? Because the salad is drenched in tri-tip steak that is as savory as it is cow.

The western barbeque steak salad took the form of a painter’s palette; so many different fresh ingredients left an array of mixed colors in an unintentional, unorganized pattern.

Chipotle tri-tip, corn, tomato, carrots, jicama, and kidney and garbanzo beans on top of mixed greens drizzled with fresh dill dressing—every ingredient complimenting the next in a true form of a well thought out dish.

How silly of me, I forgot to mention the melt-in-your-mouth fried onion rings that top the already over-flowing salad.

It is not for the lighthearted or the traditional salad enthusiast.

For a side, I ordered the mashed potatoes with gravy. Delicious. Forming the mash into a bowl and pouring the gravy in the middle made for an intriguing dipping system I had yet to encounter.

My lunchtime cohort also indulged in some fresh greens in the shape of a Chinese chicken salad. After a couple of shared bites of my own, I can safely say this place has won me over with salads. I don’t know if I could ever spare a future visit without one. Although the sandwiches look amazing as well, I know what I want.

Salads are just under $10 a plate, but don’t let that fool you. They are big enough to serve two. However, I don’t mess around. I get one for myself.

Jack’s was a mixed scene of youngsters with thick ear plugs to apparent government workers in a suit and tie on lunch break. I’m pretty sure every employee behind the counter had at least one exposed tattoo. It made me feel like I was in my old working days at Urban Outfitters.

But with a great spot located on 20^th and Capitol, in the heart of midtown and only blocks away from the capitol building, a unique mix of government bureaucrats and potential Occupy Sacramento protestors made people watching just as entertaining as the food itself.

Jack’s Urban Eats gets two very big thumbs up from me. Spread the word and preach the gospel—Jack’s is worthy of any and all hype.