It seems new eateries tend to fit into one of two categories in the past few years: those celebrating the local, organic good-for-you food movement, and those throwing the health food culinary revolution out the window and opting instead for stick-to-the-ribs grub. The Joint on Preston, now open, unequivocally belongs in the latter.
Proudly serving up extreme junk food, The Joint on Preston is on a mission to take all your guilty pleasure favorites and turn them on their heads. In doing so, they’ve offered a menu that’s at once completely familiar yet wholly innovative. What’s better is that their execution in preparing the dishes is as impressive as their imagination in thinking them up, evidenced by the fact that neither myself nor my pal and dining companion could try a dish without emitting an admittedly gluttonous groan.
The sheer excess of the Cheesus Crust Almighty (pictured right), a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with ooey-gooey mac n’ cheese, was wholeheartedly appreciated by our bellies while I also applauded the Rock-a-Billy Taco, a pizzelle-like waffle filled with smoky pulled pork and creamy coleslaw. In their Britney Pickle Spears I found the first deep-fried pickles I’ve ever enjoyed, as both the batter and the pickle remained crunchy instead of becoming soggy like the counterparts in other restaurants across the city.
Not just for omnivores, the Meat is Murder! pick is a satisfying snack of three savory and soft falafels, served alongside their signature Bollywood sauce. Management at The Joint is also currently working with producers to add a gluten-free bun option in the near future.
Speaking of the Bollywood sauce, you’ll quickly learn that The Joint takes their condiment game very seriously. Neither a Heinz nor a French’s label in sight, two guaranteed mouth-watering picks from me to you are the Bollywood sauce – like butter chicken without the bird – and the bacon jam, because well, it’s a jam made of generous chunks of bacon. Enough said.
The devil really is in the details at The Joint on Preston. The collage wall (pictured right) by the kitchen, filled with hand-cut pictures of the famous and infamous, from The Beatles to Ted Bundy was just one of the touches I enjoyed the most. (I also predict this to be a hot spot for many Instagram selfies to come.) One of the owners pointed out copies of decades-old ticket stubs from concerts in the city from such artists like Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel scattered in the collage that were generously offered to them by a local collector.
Across from this is their graffiti wall, where all guests are encouraged to leave their mark or chuckle at the messages of past patrons.
From the free pinball machine to the old-school Pepsi fridge where you choose your beverage to the open kitchen, it’s a decidedly cool place to escape the office for lunch or end your Saturday night with some elevated munchies. The casual locale with a definitively retro punk vibe succeeds at bringing you back to high school days, hanging out in the basement of your friend’s house, where the Coke cans were a-plenty and the French fries were a-tasty.
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