Sep. 07, 2011 - Issue #829: Capital City Burlesque and Sex Issue 2011
The jerk store called ...
Soda Jerks offers interesting but not overbearing concept
» Hey guys, I found the jerk store
Soda Jerks Restaurant
17520 - 100 Ave, 780.486.5375
Some jerk greeted me at the door when I entered. A nice, friendly jerk, that is—a soda jerk.
People who served fountain sodas in the 1930s and '40s were called soda jerks, a term that's become this restaurant's namesake. Indeed, the word jerk appears on the front of staff members' shirts.
Large, colourful displays of sodas decorate the walls, adding interest to the browns and greys of the interior. I'm not that big a fan of pop, but I can't resist these flavours: should I have the bubble-gum-flavoured soda, or the dandelion and burdock one?
I opted for the bubble gum ($3). When faced with gum or lip balm that smells unusually good, I'm tempted to eat it. In this case, consuming this bubble-gum flavour would actually be legit, so I went for it. The lip balm in my purse breathed a sigh of relief.
When my soda arrived, the first thing I did was admire its colour: electric blue. In fact, it was just a bit brighter than the straw, and tasted exactly as it looked: electric blue. It wasn't too carbonated and fizzy, a sensation that I dislike about many other pops.
For my meal, I went for the build-your-own burger deal ($9.48), which lets you assemble a burger from a selection of different patties, buns, sauces, cheeses, and toppings. You can also add a side ($2.98). Eventually, I ordered a beef patty on a sesame-seed bun, and the root beer BBQ sauce. Root-beer flavouring on a burger? Why not? If I can drink bubble gum, I can also eat root beer.
I also selected the cheddar cheese before deciding on my four toppings for the burger. After going with the fried egg and the bacon, I decided to add spinach and cucumber; after all, I should probably have some veggies with my meal, and the chili-cheese fries on the side likely don't qualify.
The meal arrives really quickly. The burger is huge, the patty is nice and juicy, and I wondered if I'd be able to eat the whole thing. Sadly, I couldn't really taste the BBQ sauce, and I wish a bit more had been put on the bun. I'd never eaten a fried egg on a burger before, but I'm glad that I went with it.
The chili-cheese fries impressed me a bit less—the chili was a bit heavy on the tomato. Still, I managed to eat my entire side dish, but I didn't make it through the entire burger After one last sip of soda—concluding my meal with a sweet touch—there was no room for dessert.
Soda Jerks offers an interesting concept for a restaurant without being overbearing with the theme. The soda menu is impressive, and the service is friendly and attentive.
But next time, to honour Edmonton's summers, I'm going to have the dandelion and burdock soda. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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