DeeJak’s Restaurant

Several months after this property’s former tenant Michael Angelo’s Pizza closed, a still vacant lot concerned me. Michael Angelo’s offered Monroe THE closest thing to NY pizza… and regulars absolutely took advantage of this and their great specials. How did business fail to take off when everything from food quality to portion sizes to general service were all seemingly solid? For some reason, in my mind, no subsequent eatery could ever be substantial enough to replace Michael Angelo’s in my heart.
Little did I know that a family would give their dream a go and not only fill Michael Angelo’s shoes… but walk in some brand-​new ones of their own. And though they’re walking on admittedly «safe» ground in terms of overall fare [which — needless to say — might be best considering Monroe’s overly conservative food scene compared, say, to Austin, TX], dish execution for classics even simple as wings is on par with IF NOT slightly better than established eateries in the area like Buffalo Wild Wings.
Chef Jacqueline and her husband Demetrius [well as their two wonderful daughters] have taken considerable steps kicking their exclusively family-​run restaurant into high gear. Solid marketing and word-​of-​mouth are what need the most help at the moment. One thing’s for sure, however: THEIR FOOD DOESN’T NEED ANY HELP. To test their «basic, universal, any-​restaurant-​can-​do-​that» skills, I started off by simply ordering an 8-​wing (honey chipotle w/​light ranch) app. To judge their supposed best, I settled on the chef’s personal favorite Chicken Alfredo. And to gauge their follow-​through, I finished off with a cookie-​and-​muffin dessert pair.
To say that their wings are perfect would, literally, be an understatement. Each wing was crispy as heck yet tender like no other I’ve tried before. Full-​flavored seasoning plus a full-​bodied, sweet and savory sauce coating all made for an ideal wing experience, least in my mind. [Also: THEIR WINGS ARE MUCH LARGER than those offered as apps at other places in the area.] My main entrée couldn’t have been more succulent nor satisfying; bacon was even thrown in for good measure. And as for my cookies and muffins… let’s just relish these words — freshly baked, hot & steamy, buttery, moist. Jacqueline’s oatmeal & white chocolate cookies and banana nut muffins are out-​of-​this-​world. Notably dense yet very fluffy. I could eat my entire weight’s worth of them if that was possible. And no, I don’t care that I’d probably die from doing so.
Come over and support DeeJak’s! You’ll be pleasantly surprised with their lunch specials, not to mention completely full with but half of your meal. (Still have tons of leftovers!) And don’t get me started on their salads. SUPER FRESH, especially when tossed in their in-​house bacon-​honey-​mustard-​citrus vinaigrette.
Rating specifics (i.e. 1 – 5, low-​high)…
— Overall recommendation = 3.75
— Food taste and quality = 4.5 (I’m still floored by how «loud» the flavors are for such a relatively quiet place… not always the case with every big-​city, high-​rated eatery)
— Portion size = 4.25
— Price = 3.25
— Atmosphere = 2.5 (cozy but extremely plain/​bare at the moment… the occasional music is much appreciated, however)
— General service = 4.75 (fast and attentive!)
— Waitstaff = 4.75 (amiable, conversational, helpful)
— Location = 3 (though the strip DeeJak’s sits in is boring, parking’s nice and plenty)