Jack & Ada's Café Restaurant.

I love McDonald’s! That’s an understatement! I could have one every week.  Many times, I have. At first, I hated the gherkins in the Big Mac’s, and would always disregard it to the pack, or give it to someone who wanted it. Yak. But as time went on, and hunger would take over, and by accident I would bite into my burger and into the gherkin. That was eventually in my favour, as I began to like it, until I loved it as part of my delicious Big Mac. I always had the same, Big Mac, fries, and hot chocolate. After many years, I got fed up of Big Mac’s and about five years ago, I changed to the Quarter Pounder with cheese. So, now I have since that day, Quarter Pounder with cheese, fries, and hot chocolate. On my birthday’s since I was fifty, I have chosen not to work, but to have a day off, just for Me Time, not controlled by work, but where the whole day is mine to do as I please. That day consist of going to TKMaxx and McDonalds, on my own and later on, if I am hungry my Husband cook me, my favourite meal, of Fish n Chips! He does the best, and the Best Chips, with onion gravy.

I saw recently on a TV programme, how to get more money out of people, if the Customer didn’t say the size of the meal they wanted, the Sales person, would give them a large, and charge them for it, which I thought was, rather an underhanded way of doing business, but for them, all the extra money made a difference at the end of the day.

After watching that programme, I made a point of saying, “Small or regular,” And adding, “I do not want large.” Even though, I added, “I don’t want large,” I noticed that the price was more, than what I used to pay.  I put that down to, the individual store. But I thought their prices were universal in England? I knew the price was always under £5.

I asked my daughter Meghan on Tuesday, “Would you like McDonald’s?” Meghan replied, “Yes please,” I asked her, “What would you like?” She said, “A Quarter Pounder, with cheese, fries, Cola normal, no ice.” I said, “OK.” I went to the drive thru, and ordered my usual, and hers. It came to over £12!!!! I was shocked and asked her, “Have you done this as a large?” She said, “No, they have gone up.” I decided, there and then, this has got to Stop!! Sometimes in life, you must draw a line, in the ‘sand,’ for me, this was my wake-up call. I still plan to have a McDonald’s on my birthday, that would make it extra special, but to have it just willy-nilly, I decided, no more. This would make it a big decision in my life, as McDonald’s is one of my favourite things I like to eat, both as a eat-in or takeaway.

Last year, someone introduced me to a café. I don’t really go to cafes, to me they are not convenient, and they are not a drive thru, they are easy, fast and quick. Whenever I have been to a café, it is always with somebody else, it is their suggestions, and that way, I have been to quite a few. Every single one of them, I have enjoyed. I have enjoyed the seating, the ordering, the expectation, the table settings, with the various salt, pepper, menus, and sauces. I usually have tea, this I drink, while waiting for my meal to arrive. Once my meal has arrived, I leave the tea.

It is always lovely when the plate arrives, it is true presentation is key. Visual, heat, or lack of it, taste, and size of meal, along with bread and butter, all makes for a lovely or fabulous meal.   

 I was introduced to Jack & Ada’s last year. I was impressed. I was impressed with the cleanliness, of the little café, the friendliness of the staff, the vast items of food to choose from the walled menu posters around, the price, the large disabled loo. Another thing that impressed me was they catered for Vegetarians, Gluten Free and Vegans. The lady that I had gone with, she can only eat Gluten Free food. Her meal looked as delicious as mine. Indeed, at the end of her meal she said, “Now that was delicious.” I replied, “So was mine.”

I then went with other different people. The experience, didn’t ever disappoint. Then when I was in the area, I plucked up the courage to go on my own.  I had asked for, “Egg, Chips, fried mushrooms and onion gravy.” It arrived on a large oval plate. The chips, they were the fattest chips I’d ever seen. The gravy was in a gravy boat. It was absolutely fantastic. I was unable to finish it, the portions were too big for me.  Another time I went on my own, I had fish n chips. Yum.

On Monday I went there for breakfast with a friend, I was told by Paul, the owner, “You can choose five things, any five.” I chose an egg, as rasher of bacon, a sausage, fried mushrooms, and toast.” I had chosen not to eat sausage for over a year or two, as I had gotten fed up of them.  My toast was extra thick, white bread, with butter. My friend had bacon, eggs, black pudding and bacon with brown bread, no butter, and a mug of sweet tea. My friend had the six-item breakfast, mine was the five-item. I had chosen a nice cosy spot to sit.

I didn’t want a drink.  All the food is made to order. Whatever you want, you can have it. They are open six days a week for 7am until 3 pm.

While I am waiting for my breakfast to arrive, I look at the other people, and all the lovely things on the walls.  Each table is quickly cleared and cleaned, ready for the next Customer.

Our breakfast arrived and looked wonderful. Everything on the plate was to die for, especially the sausage. That really surprised me. The food was hot, as it was made for me. My friend who loves to chat, was silence as she tucked in. I smiled inside. This was why we were there to enjoy the food; this is a guarantee. In my opinion, this was a twenty out of ten meal. I couldn’t fault it.

When I had given Paul my order, I hadn’t looked at the price, I had just chosen the number it items that I wanted. You pay then and I was Shocked when he told me the price!!! I could not believe it.  My breakfast cost £3.90! That IS incredible. They also do take away for food and drinks, and if I wanted to take away the same thing it would have cost me £3.50. Where can you get food this good, this tasty, and this cheap? I don’t know. They also do children’s meals and roast dinners to eat in or take away.

There are pros and cons with everything, the only con with Jack & Ada’s is that there is no parking at all outside, because it is in the grounds of the bus station.

I looked on their website for feedback comments and there seemed to be in two groups one group gave them only five stars. The other group, I thought they were been unfair, for that was the Vegan group. They stated how lovely the vegan food was with all the many choices. But they all gave Jack & Ada’s four star because, and this is all of them in unison, because they sell Meat!

Now remember this wonderful café, is perfect in every way shape or form and caters for everyone not just Vegans. The Vegans if they wanted a café that catered for just Vegans, all they had to do was to go next door to the Vegan café, and give them five stars. But guess what, for whatever reason, the Vegan café closed down, maybe, they all went to the better café, where the food is one hundred percent delicious, or maybe there wasn’t enough Vegans to keep it open. I don’t know.  I thought it was sad that they had done that.

Everyone else has given, Jack & Ada’s five stars.  Which is well deserved. When I get round to it, I will too. You can find them at the Walsall Bus Station.