A Westlake Village Hot Spot

If you live in the vicinity of Westlake Village, you undoubtedly know about Jack’s Deli and Restaurant. It’s been in business since 1977 and is one of the area’s hot spots--open from early morning to late at night, with a menu flexible enough to accommodate the long hours.

Stop in for breakfast and there are a choice of 16 omelets, numerous other egg dishes and pancakes that owner Victor Kreis raves about. We found the Jack’s special omelet a winner--filled with avocado, onions, Muenster cheese, sour cream and mushrooms. The apple, turkey-sausage and eggs combination is also worth trying.

If the clock is moving toward noon, you may want to segue to the salads and sandwiches. There are 14 kinds of hamburgers, lots of hot and cold sandwiches, 14 salads, eight low-fat specialties, four health foods and vegetarian dishes, and a selection of specialty and snack foods. Anyone who can’t find something they want to eat from that spectrum can’t be very hungry.

Having enjoyed “Jack’s special” omelet, we decided to try “Jack’s special” Reuben sandwich. You get a choice of corned beef, turkey, pastrami or frankfurter, grilled on rye bread and served with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. Both the corned beef and pastrami received nods of approval. Thousand island dressing is available on request--a bit strange since it’s typically standard on a Reuben--but maybe that’s what makes it special to Jack.

Their barbecue brisket sandwich had plenty of lean, tender beef piled on a Kaiser roll. The barbecue sauce, which we were told is homemade, was outstanding. We later learned just about everything in the restaurant is made from scratch, including the soups and salad dressings.

Sandwiches come with a variety of accompaniments. I couldn’t get very excited over either the potato salad or coleslaw, but the French fries were excellent.

And the menu goes on. How about a one-third-pound buffalo burger? I also forgot to mention the giant Jack hamburger, two patties, each weighing a half pound.

Then, of course, there are the entrees. I had writer’s cramp before I even got to that page of the menu, but trust me, there’s an ample selection, including some Mexican favorites.

Every other category on the menu is totally outnumbered, however, by the vast listing of imported and domestic beers you might choose to wash the food down.

There are also “Jack’s special drinks” (yes, the menu wording does get a bit repetitive), some of them more like desserts than drinks.

‘Dreamsicle’ Combo

The “dreamsicle” is a combination of orange juice, white creme de cacao and cream. The “schnappaccino” is described as “Kahlua, vodka and a hint of peppermint schnapps with our own cappuccino mix, topped with homemade whipped cream.”

Of the actual desserts, we highly recommend the homemade four-layer chocolate fudge cake. It was moist and fresh with fudgy frosting.

Not everything at Jack’s is ideal. One regular customer complained to us of inconsistency in the food, and service at busy times can wain. On one visit the shrimp in an omelet weren’t particularly fresh, but when we reported this to our waitress, the cost was willingly deleted from the bill.

Such attention to detail keeps people coming back. So does the comfortable turn-of-the-century decor, which features ceiling fans, antique country furniture and funky memorabilia.

Jack’s is a fun place, where the little bar up front is jammed on Friday nights, and both the restaurant and garden room are packed for Sunday brunch. It’s all very casual, unless of course you want to dress up and impress the neighbors and friends you typically run into at this popular restaurant.

Jack’s Deli and Restaurant, 966-2 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village; (818) 889-3184. Open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. All major credit cards accepted. No reservations. Lot parking. Omelets, $5.95 to $7.50; sandwiches, $3.50 to $7.95; salads, $2.95 to $8.95; entrees, $8.95 to $13.95.