Passing by Captain Jack’s on your way to other adventures?
Head west to check out Medicine Lake, where you can swim, paddle, camp, and visit the otherworldly Glass Mountain.
LOCATION
Captain Jack’s Stronghold is located on Highway 139 just south of Tulelake, California.
PRICE
Most dinners cost between $10 and $16, including sides, with a few higher priced items. A basic burger with fries is $10. Lunch is also served.
OUR EXPERIENCE
I’m writing this post at the request of my nine-year-old, J. Captain Jack’s Stronghold is his favorite restaurant. We joke that someday, when he’s an old man, he’ll sit in his rocking chair reminiscing, “I remember the best burger I ever had… It was at Captain Jack’s, and I was nine years old…”
For now, J has come to accept that Captain Jack’s may well remain a distant memory. It’s not exactly on the way to just about anywhere, except perhaps Lava Beds National Monument. We discovered it by chance en route from Crater Lake National Park to Medicine Lake, a remote wilderness area in California’s Cascade Mountains. The plan was to stop at a small Mexican restaurant in the town of Tulelake for dinner, but the restaurant was unexpectedly closed. We needed another option, and fast.
“What else is there?” I moaned. We had a long drive ahead to reach our campsite, so the idea of backtracking was unappealing. Fortunately, according to Google Maps, another restaurant lay just ahead: Captain Jack’s.
We arrived at a nondescript roadside diner minutes later, a little uncertain of what to think. This was during the pandemic, yet no one else wore a mask. Thankfully, outdoor seating was available. The waitress led us to a spacious table on the covered back porch, away from other diners.
Michael and J made up their minds immediately: burgers! T chose chicken strips, while I went with salmon. The meal began with a loaf of homemade bread, fresh from the oven — it was an auspicious start. When our food arrived, we didn’t hesitate for a moment. Sure enough, the burgers were good. Really good. I don’t normally eat beef, but couldn’t resist taking a bite. The meat was rich and flavorful, served atop a homemade bun. Delicious! The combination of exceptional beef on a warm, tender bun was irresistible.
While the burgers were the stars, the other food was good, too — even the salmon. J and I raved over the homemade mashed potatoes served with savory brown gravy. We did wish the fries were a little crispier, although that didn’t stop us from eating our fill. Ultimately, the only disappointments were the overly sweet strawberry sundaes.
We left Captain Jack’s feeling satisfied and content. But why, we wondered, was this remote restaurant named Captain Jack’s in the first place? We went in expecting a pirate theme, but nothing in the decor even hinted at the sea. As we drove away, it hit me. Captain Jack is the anglicized name for Kintpuash, the Modoc Indian chief who, along with a small group of fellow Modocs, sought refuge in a natural lava bed stronghold during the Modoc Wars of the early 1870s.
There is much more to the ill-fated story of the Modoc, but it will not surprise you to learn that they were eventually defeated by the U.S. army. After being forced to flee, Captain Jack and several of his compatriots were captured and hanged. Today, you can visit the stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument.
It’s sobering to think about such a brutal event after enjoying a delicious meal. But it is also important to remember the past, even when difficult. Indeed, this rural area is no stranger to human suffering. During World War II, Tulelake was the site the largest Japanese internment camp in the U.S. Today, the Tule Lake National Monument honors the lives of thousands of Japanese Americans who were forcibly incarcerated here in the 1940s.
This is a lot of tragic history to digest with your dinner. But it just goes to show how when we travel, we discover hidden depths and compelling stories in even the most unexpected places. From the road, there may be little to see in this sparse region, yet it has touched the lives of so many, both those who fought to keep their home, and those forced to create a home out of necessity.
We turned off Highway 139 and headed west into the wilderness. On this trip, we didn’t have the chance to visit Tule Lake National Monument or Lava Beds. Hopefully someday we can return and learn what they have to teach us. When we do, we’ll be sure to stop by Captain Jack’s restaurant, too, hungry for more of the best burgers ever.
