Today we’re going to hit the road towards Ashland, VA to visit Jake’s Place. I was a little concerned about going to Ashland, I wasn’t sure how large of a city it was. Thinking about them being so close to Richmond I guess I had them pegged for a large city. Well they aren’t that big and they do have a lot of the small town charm. I do encourage you to check out Jake’s Place on line to see more info about their beginnings.

And just a shout out to Re-Funk-It in Ashland. This is a really unique shop with homemade arts and crafts. Wendy at Jake’s Place suggested we stop and see Wendy at Re-Funk-It so we paid her a visit. This is a pretty cool shop if you’re interested in the handmade items. Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/refunkit/

Another nice spot for those interested in antiques is Hickory Creek Antique Mall. We had actually been there before and really enjoyed it. Never disappointing, even if you don’t find anything. With plenty of vendors the stock is always changing. You can find them at:  https://www.facebook.com/hickorycreekva/

The Restaurant and Staff:

Jake’s Place is a remodeled old historic gas station. They actually had to practically rebuild the place. I must say they did a beautiful job. Wendy and her husband bought the place to bring it back to life. The restaurant has a country décor and it helps you feel right at home. They wanted to also keep the historic value so they kept the name of the old place. When we visited, Jake’s Place had just celebrated their 5^th anniversary. Wendy was wonderful to meet and talk to after our meals. They have really poured everything into making this dream come true.

Our waitress was Holly. Come to find out she’s from Virginia Beach and is the niece of the Malbon Brothers. So yes she put a plug in for them. The

y are on our list to visit. Holly was great. She did encourage us to eat way too much but we probably would have done that anyway. It’s just nice to have someone to blame. She was wonderful.

Starter at Jake’s Place:

Today we started out with an appetizer of Fried Green Tomatoes. Even though it was the end of January they managed to find some great tasting green tomatoes. They come with a honey dip and Feta Cheese. We ordered ours without the Feta. The tomatoes were good with the honey but I liked them better by themselves. Some type of a Southwest type dip might be good but you don’t need it with these.

Tammy’s Choices at Jake’s Place:

Tammy ordered a Two Meat Platter with Sliced Brisket and Burnt Ends. She chose Mac & Cheese and Slaw for her sides. The meal comes with Hushpuppies. The slaw was wonderful. It’s made with just a little sweetness to it. And her mac & cheese was great. It was made with rigatoni pasta and probably had more than one type of cheese in it. Did I mention that both of her sides were homemade? Let me just add here that the hushpuppies rocked too. They were fried up perfectly and were just awesome. I did not ask if they were homemade.

I’ll start with the burnt ends. Jake’s Place prepares theirs differently than most others I have had. Instead of the typical chunks or cubes of meat, theirs is sort of shaved. It definitely had a good smoke and burnt end flavor, just a different style. It was really good and I love the idea that they stepped out of the box to try something unique. The brisket was sliced thin. It also had a nice smoke flavor. It was really tender and both of us enjoyed it. They have done a nice job on their brisket.

And My Choices at Jake’s Place:

I ordered the Rib Combo with Pulled Pork. I had Baked Beans and Hand Battered Onion Rings for sides. Again, both are homemade. The hand battered onion rings were great. They had a heavy batter and fried golden brown. And the beans, well they were just incredible. The baked beans had a really nice thick sauce with lots of smoked meat to season them. You have to get the beans.

The pulled pork was wonderful. It had a good smoke flavor. Jake’s Place does offer sauces. They have a NC Vinegar Sauce and a Sweet Sauce for those who must. I loved mine without sauce. The ribs were St. Louis Style with sauce. Though they were a little tougher than baby backs they had plenty of meat on the bones and were very tasty. I really enjoyed them, sauce and all.

Desserts at Jake’s Place:

Well it turns out that yes, Jake’s Place is another one of those places where you just have to try their desserts. Some are homemade and some are made locally by others. You just have to ask.

Tammy had a piece of Chocolate Pound Cake which was homemade in house. It was fantastic. Her pound cake was served with Ice Cream and a few Peanuts on the side. She did let me have a small bite just to taste it but that was all she’d give up. Well that was ok since I had my own dessert.

I had a slice of French Apple Pie with Ice Cream. The pie is made fresh but it’s done off-site by someone else. This was the best French Apple Pie I’ve had in years. It had a wonderful apple and raisin filling. The crust was perfect. Most pies I don’t care one way or the other about the crust, it just holds everything together. This one was fantastic. And then the icing was to die for. With the scoop of vanilla ice cream I was extremely happy. And even the ice cream comes from a creamery near Lynchburg, VA. No store brand here.

Final Thoughts:

We loved this stop. We have got to get back up there for some of the other items on the menu. Everything was just wonderful. We had a great waitress, Holly, and getting to talk with Wendy was fun. She and her husband have really poured their hearts into Jake’s Place. I also give them credit for keeping the name and maintaining the history of the area alive. They’ve done a beautiful job decorating the place and just making everyone feel at home. Both Wendy and her husband gave up good careers to make this happen. And he was a welder so I feel a bit of a bond with him there. Together they’ve done an outstanding job refurbishing an old building which was a staple in the Ashland area and finding some great staff to work with them. We will be back for more.

Now For Your Thoughts:

Here’s where I ask for you to give us some input. We want to hear from other people who have been to Jake’s Place. How did your visit go?

Locals and regulars are welcome to chime in with their thoughts. What keeps you going back? Please tell us about some of the other items on the menu or some specials. Here’s a chance to let others know how you feel about your local spot.

Just scroll down and leave your comments in the box. I’ll get them posted as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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You can check out their website at:  http://www.jakesplaceashland.com/

You can also find them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/jakesplaceashland/

Enjoy the ride, good eating and thanks for stopping by.