Author: Meghan Stuthard

Ben Earhart is the self-proclaimed best bartender in Memphis, the “crazy Tennessean” who mans the bar at Kooky Canuck and serves as the gatekeeper of the best happy hour Downtown. We headed to Kooky Canuck to watch the draft and talk Canada with Earhart and owner Shawn Danko. It seemed only fitting that we talk basketball with Danko — who relocated to Memphis from Toronto — and get the opinions of Memphis’ second-most famous Canadian now that our most famous Canadian is NBA champ Marc Gasol.

Kooky Canuck is known for its big menu items, most notably their various “Challenges,” including the Kookamonga, King Kookamonga, and Humonga Kookamonga, a $99.99, 25-pound meal to be consumed between no more than four people in under 60 minutes. Those who claim victory over the burger earn a spot on the wall of fame and a free meal. The burger challenges might’ve made them famous, but there’s more to this place than the food. When it comes to all things bar-related, Kooky Canuck does it big and cheap.

Justin Fox Burks

Ben Earhart

Happy hour is from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and features a house wine, well mixed drink, or domestic beer for $2.50. A 34-ounce Molson Canadian sets you back a mere $5 at any time. Ten dollars will get you a craft beer of the same size. Interested in a 34-ounce cocktail? It’s $9.99 all day every day, pal. And a 12-ounce pour of a house wine, literally a pour to the brim of the standard wine glass, is $6.99. With these deals, you, too, can be drunk enough to nearly fall off a bus during a parade in your honor.

Speaking of Gasol’s now-legendary drinking antics after earning a ring with the Toronto Raptors, what would owner Danko’s poison of choice be if he needed to tie one on while bussing through the streets of Toronto? “Canadian whiskey, absolutely,” he says. He prefers Forty Creek, but clutched in his hands is a bottle of Wayne Gretzky’s proprietary booze that he’s giving a shot. Canadian whiskeys are normally blends and, in Canada, they’re often referred to as ryes, despite the absence of rye in almost all of them, Danko says. Earhart reappears with Forty Creek Copper Pot, a Canadian whiskey with a maple finish that he asks us to try. Maybe it’s the effect of the 34-ounce beer I’m enjoying, but the maple-y Copper Pot is almost as delightful as my beloved Jameson.

Danko is quick to point out Memphis-Canada connections, including Canadian politeness’ similarity to Southern hospitality. The Memphis Grizzlies now have two Canadians with the addition of Brandon Clarke (the other being Dillon Brooks). Danko also shares that Kyle Lowry’s first meal, upon moving to Memphis, was at Kooky Canuck. His favorite memory of Gasol came a few years ago at the Grizz Gala in Tunica. As he posed for a picture with Gasol, Danko accidentally grabbed his ass (we’ve all wanted to do it, so shout-out to Danko for getting the job done) and then, as is custom for our polite Northern neighbors, apologized profusely.

Kooky Canuck’s drink specials are the shining star of this place, but its most prominent feature is the décor. The inside is full of deer, moose, and caribou heads. Where does one acquire this substantial collection? “Bachelors getting married,” Danko deadpans. While I might be here for the booze and taxidermy, it’s worth noting that Kooky Canuck also has a substantial menu and a kitchen that stays open late. On weeknights, the kitchen is open until 1 a.m. and the bar until 3 a.m. On weekend nights, the kitchen is open until 2 a.m. At the Cordova location, it’s open until 2 a.m. every night of the week to accommodate those unfortunate suburbanites who don’t have a plethora of late-night dining options.

Interested in finding out how many $9.99 34-ounce cocktails you can consume under the watchful eyes of a dead moose? Head to Kooky Canuck and vie for a coveted seat at Earhart’s bar. You might end up in the warm embrace of your new favorite Canadian whiskey and with that much more in common with your recently departed Memphian-turned-Canadian.

There is a bar far enough away from the Highland Strip to avoid the undergrad crowd, but close enough to find a philosophy grad student boyfriend that challenges your parents’ conservative beliefs. It’s a bar free and clear of an entertainment district, but still within walking distance of Taco Bell. It’s Lucchesi’s Beer Garden, and it has some bitchin’ neighborhood bar amenities to offer.

The Beer Garden, located at 84 S. Reese, is just off Poplar behind Raffe’s Deli. The two were once connected but are no longer affiliated. Raffe’s daughter, Basma, now owns the Beer Garden with her husband, Tony Lucchesi. The Beer Garden serves up some awesome food out of a tiny kitchen adjacent to the bar including the Big Bad Blake, a panini that holds the honor of being the most expensive sandwich on the menu, and the Triple H, which the Flyer‘s own Michael Donahue proclaimed to be the best sandwich he’d had in 15 years.

While we as Memphians always celebrate cheese fries and other cheesy pub fare, a bar menu full of falafel, hummus, and gyros is a welcome change-up. The amenities don’t stop with a distinct and delicious menu, either! Pinball is quickly ascending on my list of favorite bar sports, and the Beer Garden has three pinball machines: Batman, No Fear, and The Champion Pub. I’ve never laid eyes on The Champion Pub anywhere else, and it’s just delightful. You get to fight a guy named “Knuckles O’Brien” with a ball.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

If pinball and gyros don’t do it for you, maybe the specials will. Tony has Happy Hour all day on Sunday from 3 to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. He and Basma also have a Wednesday pint night and $1 off all bottles and cans on Tuesday nights. Yeah, $1 off bottles and cans! Finally giving the omnipresent “draft night” a run for its money. Of course, the Beer Garden is a beer-only establishment, which is probably implied by the name for the more astute reader. And the beer is everywhere! It’s stacked in the corner near a sign that says “Smile, there’s beer.” It’s piled next to the record player where Tony is spinning an Elvis Costello record. They’ve curated an excellent selection, including local brews, a delicious pineapple cider, and a sour from Earthbound Brewing called “Fuzzy Pickles” that is pretty damn good.

Although the beer selection might be the selling point for someone to visit for the first time, it’s the camaraderie that keeps this place busy. Blake, the sandwich’s namesake, and Kevin are two of the bar’s regulars. Kevin started coming by when he lived in the neighborhood over 10 years ago. He says the Beer Garden is the kind of place where you can make it what you want it to be, whether you want to join in on the conversation or sit alone. That being said, “There are no private conversations at this bar,” Kevin adds. He and Tony also told me that a lot of nights when there’s nothing else on, they watch all the eclectic sports, like professional darts and curling. For all of us who, during the Olympics, took to Twitter to express our undying love for the sport of curling, this should be welcome news. Wondering where to watch it year-round? Look no further, curling fans.

From the pinball to the food to the pineapple cider and pickle beers, The Beer Garden’s amenities offer something for everyone. Tony and Basma allow it to change with the times, too. They’ve rearranged the kitchen nearly 10 times to better accommodate the ebb and flow of orders. In 2015, they cut out indoor smoking (but still allow it on the patio). They’ll put the sound on for some games and then other times, like the night I visited, it’s the Grateful Dead that you’ll hear. The regulars embraced me, as I get the impression they’ll embrace anyone who is willing to join in on the conversation. The conversation is, after all, the most important amenity.

Lucchesi’s Beer Garden, 84 South Reese, (452-3002), beergardenmemphis.com