A Sweet Soul Brunch Tribute To CK's At Poplar and Evergreen

Starbucks, you can keep your overpriced yuppie drinks. One place makes coffee that's just fine in my book, it's cheap, the people are real, and it's open 24 hours.

You know the place. CK's Coffee Shop.

Flying so low under the radar, I can't even find an image of it on the web, CK's has been around for a long while. I have no idea who owns it, can't find a website for it, and truthfully I'm not surprised. There's no Wi-Fi access (to my knowledge), and it is only distinguishable from the road by its giant red signs with white lettering. But they do huge amounts of business, faring far better than counterparts like Denny's and IHOP in many areas of the city.

If you're wondering, I can be found spending an inordinate amount of time going to the CK's on Poplar and Evergreen. If you're not in Memphis, you don't know about the CK's Coffee Shop name, how it is indigenous to our part of the country, or how the CK's Coffee Shops dot the landscape from one end of Memphis to the other. Some locations I would never eat a meal in again, some I miss if blink. But the Midtown CK's has always held a special appeal to me for one noteable addition: a jukebox filled with the strains of great soul music.

Nothing in the world can seem as satisfying as a big ol' plate of scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, toast, coffee and orange juice as when it's being served to the overtones of Bobby Womack, Willie Hutch, Marvin Gaye, Denise LaSalle, Bobby "Blue" Bland, or any of the dozens of other choices their particular jukebox offers. It's something unique to this one particular CK's, and I love having that extra 5 dollars in my pocket that I can throw in before sitting down to a meal. That feeling is something words just can't explain.

Here's a little sweet soul brunch tribute to my favorite CK's and their jukebox. Maybe this will make you hungry & you'll head over for a big ol' Paul Bunyan Breakfast. Just make sure you don't tip some chintzy $0.92 or you'll be just another Egg McMuffin eater in my book.

1698 Poplar Avenue (901)278-5404