BOWLED OVER BY BIG JAKE'S IN MOSCOW...
MOSCOW, January 26, 2015 - Over the weekend, I decided to take my wife out to eat. I've been hearing some noise about Big Jake's Western Dive and, after hearing all kinds of good things about it, I decided to take my wife and order up what I perceive to be Jake's very best. Big Jake's used to be the Chuck Wagon Cafe'. Polk Countian Mark Jones and his son, Jacob Jones bought the establishment and kicked it up a few notches. When I asked what some of their specialties were, I was floored when they told me that they had stuffed baked flounder. So I ordered it. My wife (Angel) ordered a filet mignon, and just to make sure that we absolutely feasted, I ordered a huge ribeye steak. I asked to meet Jake and in about 30 seconds I was talking to Jacob Jones. Shortly after that, his dad, Mark Jones came walking up. They were about as nice of people as I've ever met.
They allowed me to take pictures. I have to say, everything that I saw was impressive (and I've got the pictures to prove it). One of the nice things I noticed about Big Jake's was that, being what folks call a "Mom & Pop" establishment, their dining area is a very relaxing laid back atmosphere. I have to be honest, I was expecting good food. What I wasn't expecting was food that was Five Star. Until this trip, I was convinced that there wasn't a restaurant in Polk County that would count as Five Star.
For starters, Big Jake's only uses USDA Prime and Select cut meat. What is prime cut? The word "prime" is a quality grade given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to describe the highest quality beef and other meats (veal and lamb) in terms of tenderness, juiciness and flavor. This meat quality grade is given based on a combination of marbling and maturity. Marbling (or flecks of fat within the meat) adds flavor, and younger beef produces the most tender meat. "USDA Prime" is not just someone's opinion, it's an actual designation given by the USDA. Jake's serves USDA Prime meats and USDA Select. YOU CAN EXPECT NOTHING LESS.
For seafood, most of Jake's is fresh seafood. They've got flounder (however you like it), fresh jumbo shrimp, fish of all types (including red snapper), crabs and crab meat, and MASSIVE king crab legs.
Additionally, Jake's serves hand cut (never pre made) chicken fried steaks. They serve chicken (fried, grilled, or baked). Jake's also has a salad bar.
Big Jake's also serves beer and wine.
Back to Our Dining Experience...
When they brought our food I couldn't believe how absolutely delicious it was. The baked flounder was stuffed with a crab meat stuffing (real crab meat). My wife's filet mignon was so tender that she was cutting it with her fork. We were bowled over. The steaks were cooked over an open flame, seasoned, and had a nice grilled scorch. After feasting on stuffed baked flounder and steak with all the trimmings, we (believe it or not) indulged further and split a home made Mississippi Mud Pie. On top of all that, the customer service was top notch. Honestly, I don't know how they do it, but they do. If fresh, first class, five star food is what you want, you don't have to drive out of Polk County to get it. You need to check out Big Jake's Western Dive in Moscow.
Needless to Say...
I was so impressed, that I asked their permission to do a column about my experience at Big Jake's. They confidently told me to go ahead. Why did I do this column when Big Jake's is not one of our advertisers? Because I was just that impressed.
Willie P. Openshaw, Editor
Big Jake's Western Dive, Moscow Texas
Hours: Wednesday - Saturday, 8am - 9pm
OPEN VALENTINES DAY AND WILL HAVE A VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL FEATURING STEAK AND LOBSTER ALL WEEKEND.
