The Kooky Canuck - Hockey Done Right

WHERE WE WENT:   
The Kooky Canuck

 97 S. Second Street
Memphis, TN 
38103

WHAT WE ORDERED:
Montreal Style Hot Dogs, The Canadian Burger w/ a Fried Egg, French Fries


WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 7
Menu - 7
Presentation -8
Taste - 8
Price - 7
Service - 8
 Overall - 7.5


Atmosphere - The Kooky Canuck is both fun and funky. Walking in you feel like you could have been transported to the Great White North. There are taxidermy deer heads and other game protruding from the walls, and the entire place has the feel of a hunting or ski lodge. The decor is charmingly rustic, predominantly wood, even twigs. It's a slightly small space, but it makes it feel very cozy and home-like. If you're a fan of How I Met Your Mother (which everyone should be), this is the closest thing to the Hoser Hut we've ever seen. 

Menu - The menu is delightfully well rounded. Soups, sandwiches, salads, and sides of all kinds are available. Some common, like a mushroom swiss burger, and some are distinctly Canadian fare. One of those is Poutine, a stack of fries smothered in cheddar cheese curds and gravy. The desserts are incredibly unique. The offer a variety, but the most interesting is s'mores that are deconstructed and brought out with a small campfire where you can roast your own. THE most unique item on the menu however is also the most famous. The Kookamonga Burger Challenge. The burger patty itself if 4 lb, with the entire

sandwich weighing in at a whopping 7 1/2 lbs. You have to finish it in under an hour to win the challenge and receive the meal for free. If you do, your picture will make it up on the wall that greets you as you walk in and will join the company of some of the great competitive eaters like Joey Chestnut and Matt Stoney. Pretty nifty.

Presentation -Everything we ordered was presented in a relatively plain manner. Plain dishes, nothing special. BUT, we do award style points for some of the things we've seen, like the giant skillet chocolate chip cookie and the Birthday Explosion. The s'mores campfire takes the cake.

Taste - Everything was very good! The Candian burger was super juicy, perfectly cooked. The bacon and BBQ sauce complemented each other perfectly and the fried egg with crispy edges was exactly the finishing touch that it needed. The hot dogs were sizeable and dolled up Montreal-style with flavors that melded together perfectly. The fries were exactly right. Nothing is worse than overcooked french fries. These were not. They were crispy and delicious. The only regret is we should have ordered them poutine-style to be more authentic.


Price -The pricing was a little bit expensive, as would be expected from a place in the heart of downtown. You absolutely get what you pay for. The portions are more than enough and the taste is fantastic.

Service - We sat at the bar to watch the hockey game,

because that really is the only place with a decent view of the slightly under-sized TVs. The bartender was attentive and friendly and took very good care of us.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Yes. It would not be a "once a week" place for us, but for special occasions or a giant beer, we would definitely return. And next time we're getting poutine.

Here's a link to their website:  
 http://www.kookycanuck.com/