jjStacks: Burgers, Fries, Shakes, Local Beer, + Mini Golf in Brookfield

Mini golf out back, plenty of deck seating on the side.

Joe Attonito has his second act as a restaurant owner. In fact, he’s officially over a year into his next phase at jjStacks, where double cheeseburgers, hulking hot dogs, fresh cut fries, shakes, and other sandwiches are the focus.

If Attonito sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. He owned the sports bar, Tiger’s Den, just off Ridgefield’s Main Street for 3 ½ years. “I was looking to get out of the industry,” Attonito says. “While attempting to transition out, I went to work for Jeff Taibe at Taproot, then I got into food sales at PFG (Performance Food Group). I wanted to get back in, so I started looking into getting a food truck.”

Attonito found a truck with the right price tag attached to it but his business partner at the time didn’t want the venture to be mobile. “I didn’t want to do a brick-and-mortar because I know what it takes; you gotta be there every day,” he says. “My partner told me to go look at the old Campy’s Cookout on Federal Road and to let him know what I thought. I saw the place, the property, the deck, the mini golf, and said to myself ‘Oh, man. This is perfect.’ I called the landlord hoping the rent would be too much and it’ll be crazy, and easy to say no. He was so friendly, accommodating, and the price was right.”

And just like that, from sports bar to a few stops in between, Attonito was back operating a sort of sportsy location, if you consider mini golf a sport.

“The Big Stack” is jjStacks’ signature burger. Double beef patty, bacon, double American cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion, tomato, and “special sauce” on a brioche bun.

jjStacks officially opened on August 23, 2020, a scary time to open a spot smack dab in a pandemic, according to Attonito, but he knew he had lots of outdoor seating on the side deck if people felt uncomfortable dining in.

The vibe at Stacks, though, is anything but uncomfortable. It’s a family friendly roadside joint with double stack burgers as its star and plenty of guilty pleasure grub.

Sesame Asian BBQ wings is one of the many flavors here. They have classic sauces like buffalo, BBQ, and garlic parm, and some funkier choices like PB&J, margarita, and a blue cheese/buffalo blend. Have a large group? They offer wings in 50 and 100 pieces.

Past patrons of Tiger’s Den will recognize his crispy, meaty chicken wings with a plethora of classic and creative sauces to choose from, and occasionally you’ll come across a Den special like mac & cheese, but with a jjStacks spin on it, like “Big Stack Mac” with chopped ground beef, bacon, and burger sauce.

“French Stack” with Swiss and sautéed onions

Always get fries at jjStacks

In addition to burgers, fries, and wings, there’s a vegetarian portabello mushroom and onion sandwich, a grilled or crispy chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, and a steak sandwich with homemade cheese sauce. Stacks is also open in the morning for breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, and an oversized fresh fried donut of the day.

There’s a kid’s menu, too, with a couple of the options named after Attonito’s son and daughter, plus Rich Farm Ice Cream available in top-it-how-you-want-it cups, blended up shake style, or in a float with Freaky Dog Root Beer.

If you don’t want Dr. Pepper, don’t fret. Stacks doesn’t only have a handful of cocktails, they carry some local craft beer from Nod Hill, Reverie, and Housatonic. Attonito says he’s working on offering more brews from nearby Broken Symmetry and Newsylum.

Attonito mentioned that jjStacks already screens drive-in movies in the parking lot and has occasional live music. He’s toying with the idea putting a huge fire pit and Adirondack chairs on the front lawn to set the mood for a social vibe.

Until then, treat your family to a game of mini golf in jjStacks’ “backyard,” even if you’re about to dominate and crush their spirits. The winner can always make up for it by footing the food bill.

537 Federal Road; Brookfield
203.885.0074; https://jjstacks.com/