BY TONY CHEONG: Every now and then, I'll review a chain restaurant, just to see if the brand has fallen off a cliff or is maintaining a high standard when it comes to food and service.
Welcome to the 22-year-old Claim Jumper at 7971 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Claim Jumper was a favorite when I was younger (and poorer) because you could order large portions of delicious food from a menu that offers everything under the sun, all at reasonable prices.
Nothing has changed.
BY TONY CHEONG: Every now and then, I'll review a chain restaurant, just to see if the brand has fallen off a cliff or is maintaining a high standard when it comes to food and service.
Welcome to the 22-year-old Claim Jumper at 7971 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Claim Jumper was a favorite when I was younger (and poorer) because you could order large portions of delicious food from a menu that offers everything under the sun, all at reasonable prices.
Nothing has changed.
I went with three family members to celebrate my niece's 10th birthday.
Let's start with the little one. She ordered the chili and steak bowl served in a sourdough round with cheese bread on the side. The bowl was bigger than her head. More importantly, it was hot and scrumptious, spicy enough to offer a quick zing for an aftertaste.
That wasn't the highlight of her night, though. That came after the main meal when our server, James Hanan, with several staffers in tow, brought her a to-die-for red velvet-cake — topped and welled with cream cheese — and sang a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" after gently asking her: "How much do you want to be embarrassed?"
She shook her head to indicate "not much" but the rest of the family trumped her with, "A lot!"
My mother ordered the chili with steak, but no sourdough round. She's not easy to please, but she gave her meal a thumbs up.
My lifelong partner in crime took the healthy route, ordering the all-you-can-eat salad bar.
And what a salad bar it is! Just how I remembered it. He returned to the table with every vegetable available as well as potato salad, a firm pasta in a white sauce and pineapples swimming in yogurt.
In my view, Claim Jumper's salad bar beats most folks' go-to: Soup Plantation. It's fresher, with more creative dishes. Also, it's healthier because Claim Jumper doesn't distract its patrons with seven different types of bread, pizza, desserts and the like.
As for me, those of you who've read my reviews know I'm a meat and potatoes gal. In this case, you can amend that to meat and French fries. I ordered the hickory hamburger and shoestring fries, which were so tasty my niece promptly poached a couple handfuls.
I'm a bit of an elitist when it comes to burgers. I find that most restaurants don't put the effort into this American staple, and don't use their imaginations to make it special. Consequently, I don't often order burgers.
The hickory burger contained lettuce, tomato, pickle and Thousand Island dressing.
But as any burger fan knows, ultimately a burger is about the patty. The question is not "Where's the beef?" but "How's the beef?" Claim jumper does its beef right. Firm but tender. Fresh. Good-sized. Seasoned enough to enhance the taste of the beef, but not so overseasoned as to overwhelm the meat.
Lastly, I must mention the service. James Hanan and Morgan Scrimpsher are real pros. Upbeat, congenial, fast-moving and knowledgeable about the food, no small task since the menu is the size of a novella. You'd be hard pressed to find a type of food that isn't on it.
Here's an illustration of the top-notch service you get at Claim Jumper: There was one small glitch when our food arrived, which I won't go into. Not a huge deal. The chef made a minor mistake. Subsequently, James apologized profusely and was intent on taking the plate back and replacing it. We told him it was no big deal. Subsequent to James' kind treatment, the manager appeared at our table. He also apologized and asked what he could do to make it right. Again, we told him it was no big deal. REALLY.
But man, we were impressed. On top of whipping up a memorable meal, Claim Jumper made us feel like royalty.
