Restaurant Review: Just Burgers and Q

Not a burger connoisseur by any means, I walked into Just Burgers & Q in Santa Clara with little or no expectations for an enjoyable meal. I’m glad to say that I was so very wrong.

Located in the El Camino Shopping Center -- a shopping mall that appears to not have been remodeled since Lyndon Johnson was president -- JB&Q is a small eatery with four tables and the supposed claim of being the only place in America currently displaying a framed poster of Clint Eastwood’s Bronco Billy.

Having walked in with the intention of something small, like a quarter pounder or veggie burger, the Louisiana charm of owner Elliott Gibson worked its magic on me and I soon found myself agreeing to the Supreme Meal Deal: a double burger with fries and refillable drink of choice.

With the soothing sounds of Dr. Dean Edell consulting a call-in hypochondriac about phantom aches and pains serenading me over the Q’s speakers, I ate what might very well have been the best hamburger I have ever had.

The double patties were topped with fresh vegetables and the JB&Q special sauce. One bite in and the burger quickly became messy, but not in a bad way -- it was a good messy like a melting ice cream cone on a hot day…a messy that required you to not only wipe your mouth after each bite, but also your fingers and your wrists.

The accompanying semi-seasoned French fries were surprisingly good. Not those flimsy shoestring fries found in most chain eateries, these were the sizes of a healthy adolescent’s fingers -- but tasted much better.

I took my time eating; I was in no hurry to leave. This otherwise non-descript restaurant had an unexpected sensory-pleasing ambiance: the aroma was that of a backyard BBQ at a family get together, the sound of the spatula clinking out a tune comprised of flipping, turning and scraping was near-melodic.

JB&Q has a lot of great deals for families with budgets who also have a dislike for the fast food fare. A family of five could easily be fed for under $30 with some of Elliott’s special slabs of ribs that come dripping with Louisiana-based goodness.

Whether a person’s tastes run toward pork sandwiches, BBQ chicken, Louisiana hot links or just a rather grand Supreme hamburger, JB&Q has something for almost everyone and will not disappoint. In fact, when I returned home, my dog was extremely pleased with the smell of burger upon my hands and wrists. See? Something for everyone.

In business since 2001, Just Burgers and Q is located at 2141 El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Hours: M, W-Sat 11:00 a.m to 7:00 p.m., T 11-6. Closed Sunday, but it’s a safe bet that Elliott would open up if God called him up for a Sunday take out of ribs and chicken.