The Gazette
April 17, 2003
Behind The Plate by Michyle Davis

College Park eatery ends quest to find turkey sandwich

Who would've ever thought that a quest for a turkey sandwich would turn a college student who wanted to be a record producer into a restaurant owner? Definitely not Jonathan King, owner of the Jungle Grille in College Park.

King, who grew up in New York, a deli haven for sandwich connoisseurs, said he "could never find a good turkey sandwich" while attending the University of Maryland. King said his initial goal was to become a hit-making record producer, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he could successfully start his own sandwich shop.

"It started with a yogurt and deli concept," said King, who worked at a yogurt shop for a month before he opened the Jungle Grille in 1986. While driving into the Campus Village Shoppes, customers will immediately notice the red awning and neon lights in the windows of The Jungle Grille. When entering the restaurant, customer are greeted with the ultimate jungle experience: a mural drawn on all the walls displays parrots, palm trees, monkeys, lions, zebras, pandas, giraffes and trees. The Jungle Grille seats approximately 70 people, and offers carry-out and eat-in dining. (Catering is also available for business lunches, social affairs and sorority or fraternity events.)

The customer-friendly restaurant is trendy enought to attract white-collar workers, while being cheap enough to attract students. Because of that, King said, business is steady throughout the week. "During lunch, it's 80% business people, and at night it's about 60% students and 40% families," King said. The menu is massive and offers a wide variety of salads, rice dishes, rotisserie, grill items, sandwiches, pizza and soups that vary daily. The Jungle Grille also offers fresh-baked bagels shipped directly from New York, along with huge muffins and cookies.

"The muffins are a hot item, and people request for them to be shipped from Maryland to New York and other surrounding cities and states all the time," said Laurie King, Jonathan's wife. The selection of muffins varies daily and are available for $1.89 each or three for $4.99. Specialty drinks, made from fruit, yogurt or ice cream, range in price from $3.95 to $4.50. Yogurt and ice cream can be served with a variety of toppings and fresh fruit, including strawberries, bananas, pineapple, kiwi, watermelon and cantaloupe. Deanna Washington of Temple Hills was at The Jungle Grille to pick up lunch. An employee at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, she and her co-workers eat at The Jungle Grille frequently.

"I'm a little addicted," said Washington, whose favorite sandwich is the tuna melt. Washington also spoke highly of King: "He's really nice, polite and knows everyone from my job by name."

Tia Ford of Baltimore was enjoying her first Jungle experience. Ford tried The Jungle Grille's chicken breast, topped with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms and cheese for $6.95.

"This is so delicious. I won't hesitate to say something isn't good," Ford said. "But I will have to make a trip back up here, everything was so fresh." Apparently, The Jungle Grille takes customer service very serious. "We'll make it right," King said, "so nobody leaves here unhappy."

The Meal

I started with The Jungle Grille's homemade chips, which are fried to a light, golden crisp and served hot for $1.19. I followed with the chicken breast club, which came highly recommended by King. The sandwich is topped with bacon strips and Muenster cheese, and is offered on homemade white or seven-grain french bread for $6.95. After barely finishing my sandwich, I tried the Caesar salad, known as the "house specialty."
The dressing definitely makes the salad, and the croutons are an added plus. Customers can add grilled chicken breast, tuna salad or any deli meat.

Much like an actual jungle, where survival is left to the fittest, expect only the best from The Jungle Grille.