Picture "borrowed" from City-data.com
We stopped by Jaspers Café in Medford in our way back to California. I had researched Medford restaurants before we left and Jaspers got very good reviews – plus I’m always in the mood for a burger.
Jaspers offers the most extensive selection of burgers I have ever seen in my life, a couple of dozen at least. They also have tons of different hot dog combinations and sandwiches. In addition to offering different topics and combos on the burgers, from your regular patty & cheese to those covered with mole sauce and pot stickers, Jaspers offers several burgers made with more exotic meats. These include relatively common choices as Buffalo and Kobe Beef, but also elk, antelope and venison. Of course Mike and I had to try those burgers, which definitely was a mistake.
I had the “Widowmaker” burger ($8.20), which came with a 1/3 lb Himalayan antelope patty, covered with bacon, cheddar cheese and a peanut butter chipotle BBQ sauce. It definitely sounded interesting to me, but it was a total miss. I’ve eaten all sorts of wild meats in my day (and this reminds me I want to post a list of them) and have generally liked them, but Himalayan antelope had an off, gamy taste which I didn’t like. The closest thing I can compare it too is Indian goat meat (which I also dislike). As if that wasn’t enough of an issue, the meat was incredibly dry. I really don’t think I’ve had a drier burger. Perhaps fortunately I couldn’t really taste the meat or the other ingredients unless I made a special effort (and I did, because I wanted to see what antelope tasted like) because the flavor of the sauce was overwhelming. Really, that’s the only thing I could taste. It wasn’t bad, the BBQ sauce is pretty tasty, but it made the whole burger one-note. Needless to say I would never order this again.
Mike had almost as bad luck with the burger he ordered. His was elk and also suffered from dryness and an overwhelming sauce, though at least the elk meat itself was tasty.
Both kids had plain cheeseburgers. Camila liked it well enough, but Mika considered it the worst burger she had ever had in her life and didn’t eat much of it. It definitely tasted differently than other burgers, the taste of the meat might have been gamier. I thought it was OK, though it needed seasoning but Mike thought it was quite good – then again, he likes his food undersalted. We ordered fries and onion rings, both very tasty.
Another problem with Jaspers is that it’s a tiny place. I don’t think more than a dozen people can be seated inside (they also have outside tables). We stopped there around 3 PM the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the place was packed. It was pretty cold waiting outside, but fortunately we managed to grab a table before our burgers came.
In all, I’m glad I tried the burgers but I would definitely not eat them again. I’m curious enough to go back and try one of their whacky combinations with a beef patty, but given that Mika didn’t like them I probably won’t.
Jaspers Café
2739 N Pacific Hwy
Medford, OR
541-776-5307
http://jasperscafe.com/
M-Th 10:30am til 7pm
F-Sa 10:30am til 8pm
Sun 11am til 6pm
Marga’s Restaurant Reviews – Outside the Bay Area
Marga’s Road Restaurant Reviews
JASPER’S
As you have reviewed Jasper’s, I must review your review of Jasper’s. You take on a great responsibility when boasting your personal opinion on the stage of an open public forum. Especially about such a delicate thing a someone’s business. Especially such an obviously successful business. Did you forget to consider this? And, to base such quick and harsh judgement and criticism from such a tiny sampling would be like a reader, such as myself, condemning you permanently as another ignorant blogger hack whose obvious lack of qualifications and experience only serve to advertise the fact, and is an instant flag to “foodies” or any poor reader who happens off the legitimate trail of quality sites, that they’ve taken a wrong turn and are wasting time (can you say “Back Button”?). By the way, if success is any indicator of greatness, maybe the fact that most of the time during business hours at Jasper’s you have to fight your way to the counter through an ocean of Jasper’s lovers just to be one of the lucky ones to get your order in. Needless to say, that’s because it’s worth it. I can think of only a handful of places with popularity and success like that… and they’re all in L.A.. I’ve only read one of your reviews, and according to your criteria, I should never read any ever again and should condemn the rest, if any. And, I should recommend doing so by saying so in a public forum. Only here, folks have read your review and my review of your review (more – an unfair rebuke on your part). So, the readers reading this have read both reviews, but, they haven’t tried a juicy dripping delicious Jasper’s hamburger, have they? So, they won’t be able to make a proper judgement unless and until… they do! Well, I recommend doing so. And, I’m a big dieter. But, when I want to jump off the wagon and reward myself, there is NO better place to go than Jasper’s! Warning: The menu at Jasper’s does not contain all the combinations of burgers and hot dogs and sandwiches which they have created over the years, but, you can still ask for them, and they’ll make them special just for you. Trying these burgers and sandwiches is addictive! You will find months and years worth of anticipation and pleasure as you try each different burger, hot dog and sandwich. The biggest challenge at Jasper’s: Try to find a favorite. Just TRY!
Wow, you are bitter. Like it or not, people will have different opinions about a restaurant. I’m sorry you don’t like mine, but c’est la vie. The great thing about the internet is that if you don’t like one reviewer, you have a million others to chose from.
And no, I don’t think success is an indication of greatness. If that was the case, there would be no finer restaurant than McDonalds.