Hammer Jax opened at 902 West Main Street in Yadkinville.
Kristian Russell | Yadkin Ripple
YADKINVILLE — Opening a restaurant is never easy, opening a restaurant in a middle of a pandemic is even harder. One restaurant in Yadkinville took on that task, and so far they have made the most of it. Hammer Jax opened their doors to the public on June 12, and they have had non-stop business since opening weekend.
Located at 902 West Main Street in Yadkinville, Hammer Jax Sports Bar and Grill brings the flare of a Winston-Salem type restaurant to Yadkin County. As soon as you walk through the front doors, one feels right at home. The staff is friendly and welcomes you with smiles on their faces, ready to serve you in any way possible.
“I have been a chef for 11 years. Being head chef at Hammer Jax is great. The owners offered me a job and I took it,” said Head Chef Dalton Swaim. “I cook with love, I make sure that everything that goes out to the customer is really good. I don’t want to serve anything that does not taste good.”
Along the back wall of Hammer Jax sits the bar, which is one of the main features of the restaurant. Hammer Jax offers a variety of beer, wine, and liquor which makes the restaurant unique in its own way. Hammer Jax offers wine from two local wineries, Sander’s Ridge and Weathervane. Each winery has a variety of over five wines to choose from.
“The food is great,” said Wayne Smitherman, a consumer at Hammer Jax. “It is great to have an establishment in Yadkin County that offers you a beverage of your choice.”
Along with the drink selection, Hammer Jax has come up with a way to make themselves even more unique.
“The owners said they wanted to do a challenge, so I said don’t worry let me handle it,” said Swaim. “Everything but the kitchen sink is on the Sledgehammer. I have added to it every time someone orders it. We have only had two people complete it out of the 18 that have tried it.”
The Sledgehammer is piled high with a variety of different meats, appetizers, sauces, and anything else that comes to Swaim’s mind. On the menu, the sledgehammer is as follows; spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion rings, tater tots, cole slaw, grilled mahi mahi, bacon, chicken tenders, pickles, fire cracker bites, bacon jam, fried egg, cheese curds, America cheese blend all topped on three regular beef patties between three pieces of buttered Texas toast. The Sledgehammer is served with a side of fries. If the consumer can finish everything on their plate within an hour, the burger is free and their name goes on the wall of fame.
“It is a great sandwich,” said one consumer, Keith Russell. “Everything on it is cooked perfectly and it all tastes great. It is something I would definitely order again.”
Hammer Jax offers burgers, steaks, chicken, wraps and quesadillas, seafood, and a plethora of appetizers.
“I just want something that people cannot find in Yadkinville, or even Winston,” said Chef Swaim. “ I am trying to bring something that is “Winston like” to Yadkinville, but that is obviously a lot better.”
On Hammer Jax’s Facebook page, the restaurant has already made an impact. With 40 reviews listed, the average review is a 4.5. The positive reviews talk about how great the food is, how wonderful the staff is, and how great it is to finally have a sports bar in Yadkin County. Although there are many positive reviews, there have been a few negative reviews sprinkled throughout the page due to a sign on the door of the restaurant. The sign mentions a dress code, and that did not sit well with a handful of people in the community.
“We have had a lot of talk about the sign on our door,” said Swaim. “We are an upscale sports bar. We are basically a restaurant with a bar. We don’t want anyone in here who is going to act out or cause a scene. We want to cater to the families of Yadkin and the surrounding area. We want to make people feel comfortable. I still want the families to be able to come in here with their kids and feel like they are at home.”
Even though Hammer Jax has already had to deal with opening during a pandemic and drama on their Facebook page, the restaurant is thriving. People from all over the county and surrounding areas have made their way to Hammer Jax to enjoy the great food, drinks, and atmosphere that has been missing from Yadkin County.
Hammer Jax is open Friday – Monday, 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. To place to-go orders, the number is 336-677-5299.