JTown Kitchen owner believes 'the bigger, the better'

Diners at JTown Kitchen are unlikely to leave hungry. They also are likely to leave with leftovers.

Cheryl Cochran makes big plates for big appetites at the Jeannette eatery she owns with her husband, Christian Weiss.

“It’s been described to me as comfort food. The bigger, the better,” Cochran said about her menu.

She and general manager Maurice Hayden both cook at the restaurant, located at 109 S. Second St.

JTown Kitchen opened Nov. 1, but it was a dream of Cochran’s for years. “I always wanted to own my own restaurant,” the Greensburg resident said.

She and Weiss bought an empty building and the property next door in 2017. It took two years to rewire, paint, make restrooms ADA-compliant and put in new ceiling tiles, floors and counters.

Come hungry

Appetizer options include cheese sticks with sauce, $5; and wing baskets, $8.99.

Salads are topped with grilled chicken or steak and fries for $10.99.

Breakfast is served all day. Options include ham and egg sandwich with hash browns, $6.99; French toast or pancakes with sausage or bacon and hash browns, $7; and the Drakezilla — ham, sausage, bacon, hash brown, cheese and an egg on a bagel, $8.99.

Burgers and dogs include the J-Town Burger, a single with tomato, onion, cheese, $8.99; Jay Hawk Burger, turkey burger, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, $10.99; ultimate, under and hound (hot) dogs — topped with chili, onions and cheese; chili and coleslaw; or cheese and bacon, respectively, each $8.99, all served with fries.

Cochran offers hoagies (Italian, cheese steak and meatball) and sandwiches, including pulled pork and turkey club, all with chips for $6.99 to $9.99. Pizza, stromboli and dinners — chicken tenders, pulled pork, grilled chicken and spaghetti and meatballs — range from $9.99 to $$15.50.

Still have room? Sweet options include milkshakes, floats and pie, $2 to $4.

Faith in the city

A drug and alcohol counselor for years, Cochran says she continued her day job until October.

For a few years, she also had a private practice above the former Keynote Cafe, where she sometimes performed as well.

Cochran sees hope for revitalization in Jeannette, noting endeavors like You Are Here art gallery, which her friend Mary Briggs co-founded.

She hopes to turn the property next door into a dry bar/music venue, similar to the one Jill Sorrels operated with the Keynote Cafe before closing last year.

“I took my grandchildren to Keynote, it was family entertainment,” she said.