Crossroads Restaurant The Jacobson Provides Delicious Variety

The crossroads have another tasty treat hidden away in The Jacobson. Tucked behind Lulu’s Noodles and across the street from Nica’s 320, the Jacobson actually proved difficult to find when I visited. If you don’t notice it the first time you drive by, don’t give up just yet — it took me three times of driving by before I finally spotted the front door.

The warm, industrial-cool interior of the restaurant made for a great escape from the cold drizzling rain I had to run through to get inside. I was pleased but surprised that we were seated right away. The restaurant managed to feel more upscale hangout and less sports bar since they made sure to have as many paintings as TVs. The place was comfortable enough to enjoy lunch with a friend, quiet enough to host a civilized business meeting (like the one that was taking place at the table next to me) and big enough to host a family dinner as well. The only reason you couldn’t do every event under the sun at The Jacobson might be because of the slightly inconvenient distance between the crossroads and Prairie Village.

The menu had a good variety, including plenty of sandwiches, salads, flatbread pizza appetizers, burgers and a few vegetarian and vegan options as well. Our waitress later told me that their menu changes seasonally, so their food is really fresh, too. I tried their trio of spreads as my appetizer, and got a tomato and bacon chutney, garlicky hummus and short rib marmalade, all of which were wonderfully satisfying and big enough to have plenty of leftovers (even when split between two people).

The sweet and tender short rib spread was my favorite of the three, but the smoky tomato and bacon chutney was a close second, even for a girl who doesn’t like bacon (I know, I know, I’m crazy). If you love hummus, I’d recommend you try theirs, but speaking as someone who’s not a huge fan of hummus in general, it couldn’t compete with the other two appetizers I tried.

The service was exceptionally quick. It might have just been because it was a quiet, rainy afternoon, but either way, I was really pleased to have our appetizers less than five minutes after we ordered them and our entrees came before we could even finish the appetizers. And let me tell you about those entrees. Before I start, I need to let you know that I’m a sucker for a good tomato soup. So naturally, when I saw “roasted tomato  bisque” on the menu, I knew I had to try it. And I, the connoisseur of tomato-ey goodness that I am, was impressed. It was creamy, warm and just cheesy enough. I even got a slice of deliciously thin, crispy bread to dunk in my soup. So before I even tasted the sandwich I ordered (technically the main part of my meal), I was hugely impressed.

But unfortunately, the sandwich was where the meal fell flat. On the menu, the herb-grilled chicken sounded like my ideal sandwich: with a delicious chicken breast, chewy bread, and a tangy spread, I couldn’t imagine not liking it. When my sandwich arrived moments later, I was excited to try it. But when I bit into it, I didn’t taste the chicken, bread or spread. All I could taste were the huge pile of balsamic onions loaded on top of the chicken. At first the flavor was OK, but after a couple of bites the taste became overwhelming, and I ended up scraping the onions off. The sandwich was way better without the balsamic overload, but I think next time I’ll try something else.

Though my sandwich was a little disappointing, don’t worry. I didn’t starve. I was perfectly happy munching on the fries that came with it instead. Perfectly crispy, just thin enough, and salted to perfection, these fries were the perfect distraction from my so-so sandwich. And they didn’t just give me a small side of them — my sandwich came with a mountain of crispy deliciousness.

By the end of my meal, I was too full to even consider dessert and had an enormous box of leftovers to bring home with me. All-in-all, the Jacobson is a place I would try again, just with a few less onions.