Cactus Jacks Brings Big Comfort Food to Rawlins

A moist brisket sandwich and a serving of creamy macaroni and cheese can turn a fuel-and-go stop into a proper meal. At Cactus Jacks in Rawlins, barbecue shares the table with chicken-fried steak, burgers, ribs, fish and chips, and other familiar American plates that have a welcome way of settling a long-drive appetite.

The restaurant shares its building with the Peppermill Bar, making it a recognizable stop on the Rawlins route. Its sign can be a little easy to miss, particularly from the road, but the Peppermill building is a useful landmark when you are looking for it.

Inside, Cactus Jacks has an older, clean, character-filled look rather than a polished contemporary restaurant design. The Old West styling gives the dining room a little personality without requiring a theme-park commitment from anybody who simply wants lunch.

Barbecue is one of the stronger reasons to pull in. The brisket sandwich is notably moist and flavorful, a straightforward road-food pleasure that does not need much embellishment. Honey BBQ sauce is a favorite accompaniment, bringing a sweeter note to the smoky, savory side of the menu.

There is more than one way to build a barbecue meal here. A pulled pork sandwich and a brisket plate provide alternatives for diners who would rather use a fork than work through a sandwich, while mixed barbecue platters make sense when choosing one meat sounds unnecessarily restrictive.

Ribs come with barbecue sauce and have been served tender enough to pull easily from the bone. For a table that prefers a little variety, a mixed appetizer or sampler platter offers another route into the barbecue-and-comfort-food side of the menu.

Cactus Jacks is not solely a barbecue stop. Chicken-fried steak, chicken-fried chicken, burgers, chicken sandwiches, salmon, shrimp, fish and chips, and other hearty American standards give a mixed group plenty to work with.

The chicken-fried steak is especially suited to the full comfort-food treatment, with creamy macaroni and cheese and garlic mashed potatoes among its notable pairings. The mac and cheese is a recurring bright spot: rich, creamy, and exactly the sort of side dish that can become more than a side dish.

Chicken-fried chicken arrives in a generous portion that nearly fills the plate. It is the kind of order that makes a diner pause briefly before deciding where to begin, which is not a bad situation to find yourself in after a stretch of highway.

Chicken tenders with hot, crisp fries keep things simple for diners in the mood for something familiar. Potato salad takes a milder approach rather than a sharply vinegary one, and side salads bring fresh cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and croutons to the table.

The indoor dining room works for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with seating that can accommodate solo travelers, families, and larger groups. It has the useful flexibility of a roadhouse stop: somebody can order barbecue while another person goes for fish, a burger, or chicken-fried steak without anyone having to compromise too much.

Televisions in the dining room are kept off, supporting a more conversational meal. That small choice suits the room's relaxed, old-school character, especially after hours spent in a vehicle or waiting through a layover.

Service is friendly and helpful, with menu suggestions available when the barbecue choices and comfort-food plates begin competing for attention. Drinks are kept filled, another modest but appreciated detail when Wyoming driving has left everyone thirsty.

The menu day begins before the barbecue plates take over. Breakfast service includes bacon cooked crisp to order, a small but useful detail for people who have strong opinions about bacon—and most people do.

At the other end of the day, a brownie with vanilla ice cream offers a classic finish. After ribs, brisket, or a plate of chicken-fried steak with mac and cheese, nobody needs a complicated dessert argument.

Cactus Jacks suits the practical rhythms of travel through Rawlins: a substantial meal, familiar choices, indoor seating, and an atmosphere with more character than a generic roadside chain. Many meals fall in the roughly $10-to-$20 range, though totals naturally depend on what reaches the table.

A free parking lot has offered ample space, and dinner has not required reservations. The restaurant's broad menu also makes it handy when one person wants brisket, another wants a salad and fish with tartar sauce, and somebody else has already decided that hot fries and chicken tenders are the only sensible plan.