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Cactus Jack's serves up fun

BY BECKY MALKOVICH, THE SOUTHERN

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 11:32 PM CDT

DETAILS

What: Cactus Jack's Burrito Shack

Featuring: Barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine

Open: Tuesday to Friday from 4 to 9 p.m.; Saturdays from noon to 9 p.m.

Where: 20035 E. Illinois 15, Bluford

For more information: Call 732-0185

BLUFORD - Those looking for a restaurant with character will find it - in spades - at Cactus Jack's Burrito Shack.

And not just in the food named after the characters of "Gunsmoke," or the cardboard cutout of a cowboyed-up John Wayne, or the feisty miniature donkeys called Billy and Jack, although all are present at the Bluford restaurant.

No, the true character of the restaurant comes from its creators, Mike and Hanan Hawkins.

Mike is a Southern Illinois native and an artist who handcrafts Native American artifacts such as bows and arrows, tomahawks and ceremonial peace pipes. Hanan is a New York native and graphic designer by trade.

The couple moved to Southern Illinois to escape the dirty air in the Arizona valley where they were living and to capture the finest this region has to offer.

"While it was beautiful, the air was getting dirty in the valley. Here, the air is cleaner and there are catfish, white-tailed deer," Mike said.

The restaurant, about five miles east of Mount Vernon on Illinois 15, came about by chance.

"I was driving by here and saw this place. It was a used car lot at the time and they were looking to sell," Mike said. "I saw something here that would make a good foundation, a pallet to start with," he said.

From that vision, the couple created Cactus Jack's, named after an artist friend from Arizona.

The rambling restaurant consists of three buildings surrounded by trees and a pond. Seating is inside and out, where diners can enjoy watching geese, ducks and the occasionally ornery donkeys. A fence is decorated with leather accessories used for horseback riding and driving.

Authentic tepees are scattered on the 10 acres, and a bunkhouse, its interior lined with chalkboards, provides a fun place for "buckaroos" to play.

The western theme continues inside with Mike's art displayed on the walls alongside that of Buck Taylor, who played Newly on "Gunsmoke."

The barbecue and Tex-Mex menu features items like Marshall Dillon, Miss Kitty, Doc Adams and Festus burritos, nods to "Gunsmoke" characters, and a pulled pork sandwich bearing John Wayne's nickname, The Duke.

And if the number of horseshoes placed on just about every possible surface both inside and out is any indication, Cactus Jack's should be the luckiest place in town.

"Someday we're going to have a contest to see just how many there are," joked Hanan, who is responsible for much of Cactus Jack's design.

"We go to a lot of flea markets and antique stores. We went back to Arizona to get a lot of the stuff you see here, and we bought a lot of the reins, old farm implements, wagons and wagon wheels, old gas pumps and western decor here," Mike said.

The restaurant reflects "both of us," he said. Hanan is the brains of the operation while Mike said his job is "to make sure she continues in that role."

The couple came up with all the recipes on the menu.

"I look for good quality and fresh ingredients, and I buy organic when I can. Mike smokes all the meat," Hanan said. "I wouldn't serve anything here I wouldn't serve my family."

The restaurant has already attracted a loyal base of customers and is a work in progress. Future plans include walking trails and a place where kids can "pan for gold."

beckymalk@gmail.com

927-5633