Burger Tour 2023
McKenzie Station Bar And Grill - McKenzie, TN
McKenzie Station Bar and Grill - Burger Stop #1
-by Lucianne Shoffner
Photos by Katijane Shoffner
“My parents, Joe and Denise Sam, were both educators, and they retired. A little before they retired, they bought this building-they got a good deal on it, but had no idea what they were going to do with it. They asked friends, and people in town as to what should go in and everyone said, ‘A Bar & Grill!’.” said their son Brad Sam, who is now thegeneral manager of McKenzie Station. At the time, he was a reporter for the McKenzie Banner. After work he would come over and help, and he fell in love with it. He took over the restaurant full time, “I just really like the hospitality aspect of this place, the goal is to make everyone happy, and feel important.” He laughed, “And I really didn’t think this would happen, but I’ve really gotten into the cooking. I started changing some things, almost one at a time, I started looking at the things we got from suppliers and thought, ‘we can make this ourselves.’ - so almost all of our kitchen is now from scratch.” If they can make it, and make it better than what they can buy, they will do just that!
Their burgers are hand-patted, and the sauces are made from scratch. We had the Whistle Stop Burger and the Macaroni and Cheese Burger on our original visit. They were both so awesome that we knew immediately that this had to be on the Burger Tour. They have a ‘Bourbon Bacon Burger’ on the menu, but Brad likes it with Pepper Jack and a Blazin’ Bourbon sauce. “If someone comes in and asks for something, and we have the stuff to do it - we’ll do it. If they like it and ask for it again, we’ll put it on the menu,” He laughed, “it’s almost like the menu is just a suggestion - we have people ask us to customize things all the time.” His favorite burger is the ‘Hung-over in Cancun Burger’ with cilantro ranch and a fried avocado. Let that be your reason to explore downtown McKenzie, and ask for something ‘OFF’ the menu!
The bar is a little of an afterthought, but that is changing as they have new people behind the bar with a list of specialty drinks they are making.
They have quite a bit of live music coming in on the weekend evenings. They would like to keep that going. “If you are going to the Sweet Tea Festival in McKenzie, you need to make us a part of their visit!” He smiled, anytime things are going on downtown they get a lot of business from the increased downtown traffic.
The kids love the train going around the ceiling of the restaurant. His father is a train collector, and has been for a long time, so they had plenty of trains to use on the track near the ceiling. McKenzie started as a major train hub, originally the town was called McKenzie Station. They have old photos from over a century ago on the wall, as well as memorabilia from the early years. Their train love doesn’t stop there, At Christmas, they do a Polar Express event on the day that the City of McKenzie does their Christmas Events. “We do it for the kids, and they love it.” he laughed, “actually we cease to be a restaurant that morning until about noon We do Hot Chocolate and Cookies, Santa is here, Polar Express is playing on the TV, and of course the Polar Express Train is running around our track.” The kids get to come in and do the crafts, drink Hot Chocolate, and visit with Santa - then they get to ride around town in a special Polar Express Train that the City of McKenzie has made. It’s a very fun day-watch for the Mistletoe Christmas in McKenzie if you want to be a part of it.
Another date to remember is the Annual Boo Bash close to Halloween. To help McKenzie celebrate they do the Monster Mash Burger - a 9 oz burger with bacon and cheese, and mashed potatoes under the bun.
They are closed on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday 4-9; Wednesday 11-9; Thurs & Friday 4-9; and Saturday 11-9. They do lunch on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and hopefully they will be open for lunch every day. In the meantime, take advantage of Saturday!
McKenzie Station Bar & Grill is located at 5 Broadway Street, in McKenzie, TN 38201. Check out their facebook page - but if our cover made you drool, get ready for more and you’ll find yourself making a really quick trip to McKenzie, TN!
Burger Stop #2:
Hops & Barley - Union City, TN
Photos by Katijane Shoffner
Opening in March, 2014, Hops & Barley was a place to bring the whole family. “It’s a little loud, so it’s a great place to bring kids - without worrying about their noise level and letting them have fun,” co-owner Megan Hines chuckled, “we keep it fun and happy, you can get about anything, AND we change up our menu all the time! Sometimes we have repeat burgers, we always try to change things, try really different things - and keep the favorites!” Hines is a mother as well. Her daughter, Presley was along for the interview. “We’ve tried a Snap, Crackle, Pop Burger, and a Lucky Charms Burger - but the more savory burgers are the ones that have staying power.” Their diverse menu includes burgers-including the ‘burger of the month’, sliders, sandwiches, wings-along with a ‘wing sauce of the month’, steaks, chicken, pork chops, catfish - all with unusual kicks to them, that manage to make them amazing! They also have outstanding appetizers with an extra pizazz. Brisket Tacos, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Crab Bites, Pepper Jack Bites, Onion Straws - along with the regular appetizers.
In 2016, they had a fire at their original location, and re-opened in 2018. They couldn’t have done it without the community, staff, and, well, West Tennessee. “We both have degrees from UT Martin, but we had been in the restaurant business for so long, working for other people, that we wanted to put something special together. We put up our own place, cooking what we wanted to cook, opening when we wanted to, so that’s what we did!” Hines told us. She and her business partner, Renee Dillon, have made a very successful business, but it hasn’t been without hard work. They really appreciate their community as well, that has given so much to them. “We’ve never seen anyone band together like they did for us. With family in the area, the St. Louis and Georgia natives decided to stay here, and build their lives in the great family atmosphere that West Tennessee has to offer. And their Union City community has embraced them, “After the fire, we had yard sales, we did so many things so we could keep our employees paid while we were working on the new building.” Hines told us, but there was never a thought to not rebuilding. During COVID, they did free Spaghetti Dinners - all people had to do was call and come by and they would take it out to their cars. We like making people happy, filling people up! You’ve seen our burger sizes, we don’t want anyone to leave hungry!
They are a bar and grill. They have eight beers on tap, they try to keep all of the locally made beer in house - they have about 40 of them. The house-made drink menu is based on Tennessee - they even have one drink that is made of several alcohols and a wine-making the drink ‘murky’, so of course it’s named the Reelfoot Lake! “When we started this place, we wanted to have good beer, and wanted to be the place where people come and relax.” Hines made sure to add, “With the beer and drinks, we can get just about anything someone wants, if they request something we don’t have, we’ll try to have it on hand the next time they come back.” Hines and Dillon both know their customer. “When we first opened, we were both here 24/7, we’re to the point that we don’t have to both be here at the same time - one of us is always here, but we’re finally at the point now that we don’t both have to be.” Hines added.
When asked about how they come up with so many fantastic burgers, she replied, “We come up with the different burgers by just brainstorming. Last month we had pimento cheese burgers, so we had to make the pimento cheese. A lot of times, we start sticking random things together. Some of them are flops, some are keepers - no more rice krispie treats on a burger!” she laughed and made a face. “Every Thanksgiving we do a ‘Thanksgiving Burger’ with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce - all on a burger. We do it consistently every Thanksgiving starting in November. We do a Corned Beef burger every year - we try to keep with the Holiday in the month, or something that matches the season.” She thought for a moment and added, “Favorite burgers are the ‘Who’s your Daddy’ with tons of stuff on it, ‘Cheese Queso’, the ‘Fried Egg’ burger, and [our favorite that we tried] the ‘Buffalo Chicken Burger’ - [with their wonderful Buffalo Chicken Dip on top!]
When you go to Hops and Barley, it’s located at 615 E Reelfoot Ave, in Union City, TN. Their hours are 11-9 Tuesday through Thursday, and 11- 10 on Friday & Saturday. They are closed on Sunday and Monday. Check out their facebook page if you want to look at their menu - or see what the ‘Burger of the Month is!
Stop #3 - Alleyway Station, Halls, TN
-by Elizabeth Griffin Edmonson
Photos by Scott Taylor
Serving up delicious eats, The Alleyway Station is a 1940s retro service station themed burger joint and diner in Halls, Tennessee. The unique atmosphere and mouth-watering menu made it a must-stop location on the 2023 Cypress Magazine Burger Tour. While The Alleyway Station offers some classic diner favorites, dubbed 'Garage Specials,' their half-pound burgers draw a dedicated fan base– they're sure to 'Fill Yer Tank!"
In the summer of 2021, owners Amber and Harry Hopkins started what was then a coffee shop and bakery that served plate lunches with the help of Amber's sister-in-law, Hailey. However, the Hopkins' business grew so quickly that they knew they would have to expand, and fast. Amber shares, "We first opened as a coffee shop and bakery in 2021, in this little three hundred square foot building. There was no room for seating, but we had always done plate lunches and breakfast to go, and it just became so busy that we realized we had to expand. The man who owned this building reached out and said, 'Hey, I think this is perfect for you. Are you interested in buying it?'" After Amber and her husband Harry looked at the building, they knew that it was the perfect fit and that they wanted to keep with the automotive theme of the building. Then, The Alleyway Station was born in July of 2022; they just celebrated their one year anniversary!
Since The Alleyway Station is located inside of what was once an automotive service station in Halls during the 40s, the owners wanted to make sure that the automotive theme was evident throughout the restaurant, paying special attention to preserving the legacy of what was once there. The menu is no exception; it perfectly complements The Alleyway’s rich history. 'Start Your Engines' with appetizers such as Fried Pickles, Jalapeno Poppers, Cheesesticks, or Fried Green Tomatoes before moving on to one of their hearty main courses. Amber says, "All of our burgers are half a pound, except for our Bubba Burger, which is a double, so it's a full pound. They're huge!" 'Fill Yer Tank' with one of their hand-pattied burgers, like 'The Bubba' burger, a double bacon cheeseburger which features TWO juicy patties with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and mayo. Another best-seller is The 'MYAH' Burger, an extra spicy, extra juicy burger topped with special cayenne butter sauce, spicy mayo, grilled onions, jalapenos bacon, and pepper jack cheese. One fan-favorite puts a Southern twist on a traditional burger. 'The Farmer' is a burger topped with a fried egg, shredded hash browns, bacon, tomato, and mayo. Perhaps The Alleyway Station's most unique burger is 'The PB & B,' which is an extra juicy burger patty topped with peanut butter, bacon, and cheese. Don't knock it until you've tried it! Their menu also includes more familiar favorites, like the Signature 'The Alleyway, a delicious burger topped with cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle, tomato, and mayo, for those feeling a little less adventurous. If you are feeling adventurous, be sure to try 'The Big Block'-- a burger served between two donuts instead of a bun and topped with bacon and cheese! The Alleyway Station also offers a 'Learners Permits' menu for the kids. All entrees are served with a 'Side Car,' with your choice of fries, onion rings, spicy fries, and tater tots.
Before you leave, cross 'The Finish Line' with one of The Alleyway Station's signature desserts. They always offer a sweet array of milkshakes, but be sure to ask your server about fresh-baked items available in the display case. Some of their mouth-watering milkshakes include Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Cupcake, Peanut Butter Lover, Chocolate Freak, Cookie Monster, Strawberry Delight, and so many more!
Amber loves interacting with customers; they're her favorite part of the Alleyway Station. She shares, "My favorite part of this is when people come in, and they remember this being a service station and coming in here as a child or working at the service station when they were a teenager. Their eyes will light up with 'I remember when a toolbox sat here' or something along those lines. People will come in and tell us that the food reminds them of the way their grandmother made it at her house when they were kids. I think that's the best part, is hearing stories from our customers." The Alleyway station is decorated with finds from around the City of Halls and includes one of the original Goodyear signs that Amber discovered during the remodel. Other memorabilia consists of a vintage jukebox, a cash register taken from a local store in Halls, and a "Missing Man" table dedicated to our country's veterans and those lost in war.
The Alleyway Station has some exciting additions coming to their menu, such as a slider basket, so be sure to check out their Facebook page for more up-to-date information coming soon! Their Facebook page also includes daily lunch specials and a list of baked goods in the display case. If you wish to visit in person, The Alleyway Station is located at 106 N Church Street, Halls, Tennessee, 38040, and they are open Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 7 pm, Friday from 11 am to 9 pm, and Saturday from 12 pm to 8 pm. So, come on in and Fill Up Yer Tanks!