December 28, 2007
by Karen Persson of The Columbian

Jett Burger Cafe’s namesake burger has two patties — each a third of a pound of lean beef — Swiss and American cheese, four strips of bacon and all the trimmings. Here, it’s paired with crinkle-cut fries and a 12-ounce banana old-fashioned milkshake. (JANET L. MATHEWS/The Columbian)

Why: Jett Burger Cafe has much more than burgers on the menu. The restaurant’s faithful patrons stop in for burgers, deli sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, bento, espresso and desserts as well as breakfast, which is served all day. The emphasis on variety extends to the selection of burgers, which are enhanced with a wide range of ingredients from eggs to Thousand Island dressing.

Atmosphere: Jett Burger’s motto — “One bite and we gotcha!” — is painted across the double entry doors. Inside, diners can pass the time playing pool, darts, arcade games or browsing local handmade items for sale. Black-and-white check floors, mint green walls and steelblue upholstery fill the expansive room, which once housed a home furnishings store.

The burgers: All are one-thirdpound hand-pressed lean beef served with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and potato chips unless otherwise noted on the menu. The eponymous Jett Burger is the only double-decker on the menu and includes Swiss and American cheese, 4 strips of bacon, and all the other trimmings. There are 15 burgers in all.

What I tried: The battered codfish sandwich was bland, which I attributed to the absence of tartar sauce. It had ample lettuce and mayonnaise, and the coating on the fish separated from the fillet; this caused the ingredients to slide.

The Bar-B-Que Burger has a teriyaki flavor because it’s topped with a Hawaiian barbecue sauce. The meat on the burger was grilled to well done, caramelizing the sauce. Thick-sliced tomatoes and plenty of large-chopped iceberg lettuce topped the burger.

The soup of the day — chicken noodle — was a basic broth and noodle (reminiscent of Campbell’s), with bits of onion and white chicken meat. If you are watching your salt intake, this might be a good choice. The chicken flavor was mild and the onions had been cooked so long that they turned to jelly. French fries were crinkle-style and jazzed up with seasoned salt.

Quick take: Most impressive was the attentive, friendly and accommodating service. The building shows its age and the temperature is on the cold side, which robs it of coziness and cools off the food rather quickly. My head tipped when I overheard a patron reply, “Perfect as usual,” when the waitress inquired how everything was.

Cost: Burgers are $4.75 to $8.75 (add cheese for 25 cents, fries or tater tots for $1.00). Bento is $4.95 to 8.45. Soup is $2.25 a cup or $3.75 for a bowl. Chef and grilled chicken salads come in small for $5.95 or large for $6.95. Breakfast starts at $3.50 for oatmeal and toast and reaches to $9.25 for K’s four-egg combo omelet (ham, bacon, sausage, mushroom, onion, bell pepper and cheese plus choice of toast or home fries). Sandwiches are $4.50 to $7.75. Children’s menu selections are $3.25 to $4.95. Old-fashioned milkshakes are $2.75 for 12 ounces. or $3.75 for 20 ounces.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Where: 3531 S.E. Second Ave., Camas.

Contact: 360-335-1430.