Save Some Room: 8 Memphis Foods, Taken to the Extreme

Save Some Room: 8 Memphis Foods, Taken to the Extreme

It's no secret that Memphis is a great food city. We've got tons of incredible local restaurants serving everything from high-end French delicacies to dollar tacos. And, I don't care what anyone from Kansas or Chicago or North Carolina says, Memphis barbecue is the best.

Memphis is also a great food city because of our culinary inventiveness, especially when it trumps all reason, logic and healthy eating guidelines.

Here are eight ways that local restaurants have taken regular foods to the extreme:

1. The Donut Burger from CK's

Donut Burger from CK's

When the local CK's coffee shop chain got new management, there were a few menu additions, including the donut burger. It's exactly what it sounds like - a burger patty sandwiched between two glazed donuts. It's greasy and warm and sugary and kind of gross. It's also surprisingly edible - if you've got a fork and a friend.


2. The Chunky Dunk from Muddy's Bakeshop

Those of you who don't think that cupcakes can be considered an extreme food should consider the Chunky Dunk. Don't let it's relatively small size fool you. The chocolate cupcake is topped with chocolate icing that's got broken chocolate chip cookies mixed into it.

3. Stoner Pie from the Cove

The Cove's stoner pie is probably the most aptly named dish on the list. It's two beef tamales covered with cream cheese Rotel (like regular Rotel, but with thicker cheese) baked in a casserole dish and eaten not with a fork, but with Fritos. Thank me later.

4. Eight Piece Family Meal from Gus's Fried Chicken

Gus's Fried Chicken, Memphis, Tn

I know that something called a family meal should be consumed by a whole family, but I find Gus's eight piece family meal to be just the right amount of spicy fried chicken for two. It comes with big tubs of slaw and baked beans and a ton of white bread.

5. HEY MEAT! pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe

Memphis Pizza Cafe menu, Memphis, Tenn.

With five different kinds of meat (including two forms of bacon), the HEY MEAT! pizza from Memphis Pizza Cafe is deserving of its capital letters and exclamation point. It also raises a grammatical question - should it be read as an exclamation of surprise (hey, meat!) as a battle cry?


6. Any of the Italian Dinners from Pete & Sam's

Pete & Sam's dinner, Memphis, Tenn.

It's not enough that the Italian dinners at Pete & Sam's come are completely huge. It's the sides that make them extreme. You get your choice of any two, and yes, you can get at two kinds of pasta as sides with your pasta.


7. The Kookamonga Burger from Kooky Canuck

Kookamonga Burger, Memphis, Tenn.

The Kookamonga burger is the definition of extreme - four pounds of meat, cheese, bun and veggies with a side of fries. It's also the only food on this list that has a competitive element: if you can eat the whole thing in under an hour, it's yours for free.

8. Fried Ribs from 10 Bones BBQ

Memphians love barbecue. They also love fried things. The fried ribs from 10 Bones BBQ in Southaven combine both of those loves into one efficient food item. The meat is more tender than a slow jam, and the frying adds a nice crunch.

What extreme foods have you eaten lately?

Comments Make Us Happy

7
Leave a Comment
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
vr
Good list! Although I disagree with #5. We even just had that last night. It is not "extreme" in any way, it is simply a basic meat topping pizza. They don't put *enough* of the toppings to make it "extreme" and the crust is way to thin to be useful. It was tasty - just not "extreme" in any fashion. Before moving here this was one of my favorite examples of "go-big-or-go-home(then-go-to-the-hospital)" eating: http://www.brunchboxpdx.com/menu.php Look at the "Redonkadonk" burger. It is a 1/4 lb hand pressed Angus beef patty, topped with cheese, bacon, ham, SPAM, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and then surrounded by two (2) grilled cheese sandwiches instead of buns. Yes, I have eaten one. I had tried something like your number 1 donut burger too. The Voodoo Burger: http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2009/06/04/enter-the-voodoo-burger #2 and #3 are now on my list to try. #4 is not really extreme unless you just eat too much of it individually - it is after all pitched as a family meal. By that standard then just about any fried chicken place can be "extreme" if I eat the whole family deal all by myself. :) #6 is now on my list too. Looks awesome! #7 well, that is extreme. I haven't even tried a 1lb burger at my favorite place - so a 4lb would just be insane. Speaking of my favorite place, there I would get a 1/3lb burger topped with spicy link sausage, cajun seasoning, and jalapeno jack cheese. Yum. (It is the "Tombstone" minus the salsa and jalapeno peppers - the salsa was to soggy and I don't like jalapeno peppers flavor by themselves so I have them hold those two: http://www.calamity-janes.com/menu/hamburgers.html ) Darn it, now I am hungry.
October 26, 2011 12:59pm
Kendra
All of this looks good - even the donut burger! As often as I go to Memphis I've never branched out to try all of the different foods they have to offer. Your blog makes me want to do that SOON!
October 26, 2011 3:45pm
Lauren
Which CK's location has this burger?
October 28, 2011 8:14pm
Kerry (Admin)
I had it at the one at Southern and Perkins.
October 31, 2011 8:57am
Carrie
I plan on moving to Memphis in the spring, but I am vegetarian and a little scared. Any suggestions for vegetarian-friendly eateries?
November 5, 2011 11:47am
Carrie
Oh wait... I just searched the blog and found some great info on vegetarian eating. :)
November 5, 2011 12:07pm
james
god, if kendra ate one mouthful of this food she wouldnt stay as gourgeous as she does in her profile pic for long
May 20, 2012 2:41am