The Original Botak Jones – Beloved Western Stall With Juicy Burgers Reopens at Depot Lane!

Younger folks might remember Big Bern’s American Grill at Timbre+ and Glutton’s Bay, but long-time fans will be familiar with the true OG Western food brand Botak Jones. Founded in 2003, with more than 13 outlets scattered around Singapore back in the day, Botak Jones is now back and better than ever at Depot Lane under the name The Original Botak Jones. 

Detroit native Bernard Utchenik aka Bernie and his wife Faudizah Mohd Ali decided to set up shop at one of their old haunts to reach out to one part of their previous customer base. While they’re still in the midst of receiving their official halal certification, all the dishes are Muslim-friendly. 

Bernie is one of the most jovial people I’ve ever met and he takes a lot of pride in what he does, right down to teaching his staff every preparation step for the more challenging recipes like Chicken Gumbo ($3.50/5.50). He has since taken a step back, and acts as more of a consultant, with Faudizah being the one who plays a more active role on the operations side. 

Ever since their opening, the humble stall has seen astounding queues that stretch across the coffee shop. Initially, it was a bit of a struggle keeping up with the flow of orders which also included delivery orders, especially with such a small kitchen space. But since then, their mini squadron of chefs have been keeping operations going at a smooth and orderly pace. 

On their menu that is written entirely in Comic Sans font and quirky food descriptions, you’ll find a number of hearty American fare made according to original recipes from their heyday. Expect to find classic favourites such as The Botak Burger ($10.50 for a la carte, $13.50 for a set), Chilli Dawg ($13.50), Fish and Chips ($8/15) and Rosemary Lamb Chops ($22.50 for two, $29 for three). 

I was absolutely starving so I decided to take things up a notch with The Double Botak ($16.60 for a la carte, $19.50 for a set). The burger came stuffed with two hulking flame-grilled beef patties draped in melted cheese alongside a handful of crisp lettuce. 

There was no way I was going to manage eating this burger the regular way so I ended up slicing it right through the middle to reveal the juicy patties. Done to an ideal medium-well, the beef was seasoned to perfection. Sinking my teeth into it gave me a sense of comfort and opulence at the same time. If you think this burger is a monster, you should see the towering U-Crazy-What?! ($24.50 for a la carte, $27.50 for a set) that comes with three massive patties. 

Another wildly popular item on the menu is the Cajun Chicken ($7.50/13), topped with melted mozzarella cheese. It’s best to eat it right away while the cheese is still hot! 

The char-grilled chicken was nicely tender and well-marinated with a mix of Cajun spices. Delicious. 

All sets come with a side of Cajun-tossed fries and coleslaw. The crinkle-cut fries were certainly not boring to eat. I’ve never been much of a fan of coleslaw; this one reminded me of the type you can find at KFC. 

Their sides also receive an equal amount of love from customers. The Double-Baked Cheese Potato ($4.50) was my favourite among them. Think of it as a very upscale version of creamy potato salad with cheese mixed in and then topped with more cheese. How can you say no to that? 

It’s really a pity that I don’t live close enough to The Original Botak Jones. Then again, it might be a plus because I can see myself stuffing myself silly on their burgers way too often. Even so, the journey here is definitely worth it and just as the sign says, it’s still pretty damn good! 

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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