After 15 years in San Mateo, modern American diner Jack’s Prime is moving – just down the street to The Villa.
The new location of Jack’s Prime, formerly Polynesian restaurant Tokemoana’s, will be renamed Maverick Jack’s San Mateo and will keep its menu (think burgers, fries, salads and sundaes) and ambiance (modernized retro ‘50s) while introducing 30% more capacity for parking. Owner Micheál Mallie closed Jack’s Prime Feb. 25 and decided to relocate it after lease negotiations fell through. He hopes to open Maverick Jack’s San Mateo on May 23, pending inspections.
“We’ve seen so many kids grow up and families evolve and grow, and it’s cool to be able to still be a part of that and not have to give up our core business just because of a lease negotiation that just didn’t work out,” said Mallie.
Mallie, who grew up in Northern Ireland, has had a longtime interest in American diner culture that began when he worked for a summer in Gott’s Roadside (then called Taylor’s Refresher) in St. Helena while visiting a university friend.
“I think it’s part of the fabric of society in the food world,” he said. “It’s the heartbeat of America.”
Returning the following summer to California, Mallie decided he wanted to permanently relocate in 2004, and he became the assistant manager at Gott’s Roadside in the San Francisco Ferry Building. Then in 2008, Mallie opened his own full service diner, Jack’s Prime in San Mateo.
“Naming a business is one of the hardest things because my name is Micheál (pronounced Mehol), which is a weird Irish name, so ‘Micheál’s Prime’ doesn’t work,” he said. “So you have to make something that’s in the vernacular. And ‘Jack’ was always a solid name. ‘Prime’ has all those positive connotations.”
In 2016, Mallie opened Maverick Jack’s in Burlingame, offering the same menu as his first restaurant Jack’s Prime.
“I had partners on the first business, and they weren’t really excited about growing the brand,” he said. “So I started Maverick Jack’s basically as a 2.0 with new branding and new names, but essentially it was the same thing. Same food, drinks, all of the above.”
Mallie’s favorite food item on his menu is the Outlaw, a burger with pepper jack cheese, hickory smoked bacon, crispy onion strings, jalapenos, red onions, house made barbecue sauce and chipotle mayo.
Post pandemic, Mallie said he’s noticed a significant decline in lunch business.
“We’re in the heart of Silicon Valley here, and groups from offices, from tech offices, from gaming companies, would all come by and eat regularly,” he said. “You’d have tons of catering all the time before you even opened. That’s all gone in many respects. So it’s dramatically affected our lunch business.”
Mallie looks forward to reopening his restaurant just in time for graduation season and is happy that he will be able to keep the majority of his staff members, some of whom he said have been with him for 15 years. The new location will also have a clubhouse room for parties and school fundraisers.
“Our goal is to really provide a really comfortable space for families and friends to get together and have really enjoyable burger food that is comfort food for the Californian soul,” he said. “I know that sounds cheesy, but it is in essence that. It’s giving people great food, a great environment. We’re so excited to have everybody back in and to get this place rocking again.”
Maverick Jack’s, 4000 S El Camino Real, San Mateo. Instagram: @maverickjacks.
