kwik chek is one of my absolute favorite places to eat in memphis. mason mcculley first introduced me to it back in 2001, and as soon as i tasted the first bite of my fireball of freedom i was sold. in the 20 years! that i have been eating there the interior has been upgraded and the menu has been amended slightly, but through it all the food has remained both delicious and affordable. i eat there so often that if i go too long between visits the people who work there get worried about me.

located in an unassuming former convenience store on madison, kwik chek is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. it’s pretty simple and no-frills, just the way i like it, and the sandwiches, wraps, and korean food are all made fresh to order. they’re most well known for their bi bim bap, but for my money that fireball of freedom continues to be my favorite. occasionally i will branch out, but i always come back to the fireball.

if you’ve never been and are in the memphis area and want to check it out, below are some things to note:

• address is 2013 madison ave, right across the street from the blue monkey and in the same building as crazy noodle [kwik chek and crazy noodle are owned by the same people]
• the parking lot is tiny and people don’t know how to park properly, but there is usually plenty of street parking available on both sides of madison
• stand in line and order at the counter: if you are dining in take a seat after you order and they’ll bring your food out to you and you’ll pay at the register once you’re done; if you are getting it to go, you can go ahead and pay while you wait to save some time pro tip: if you know what you want, call it in on your way to save time
• everything is self-service, and in addition to the menu they have chips, snacks, sodas, beer, and various other drinks to grab-and-go
• the line can get backed up, especially weekdays during the lunch rush and pretty much all day on sundays, so be prepared for a little bit of a wait
• don’t trust the menus that are posted online, because most of them are out of date. this one on grubhub seems to be the most accurate, but if you’re not sure what to order your best bet is to go there and order

trust me when i say this place is worth a visit.

xx