Kenny's Flippin Burgers: Bring a sense of humor and an appetite

We can take for granted a person or an item that we interact with daily, but if you change the backdrop, suddenly they become new again. On vacation, you may notice the way the tropical sunset hits your loved one's face and remember how beautiful you find them. Or maybe when you are hiking and you find a lovely scenic spot to eat and pull out your favorite sandwich, and it tastes better because of all of the fresh air and the view. The backdrop matters.

That's probably why I enjoyed my meal so much at Kenny's Flippin Burgers at the new location at 418 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Located in Scout Hall, Kenny's is in good company, nestled at the end of the building that also contains Speck Pizza and Omakase.

Kenny's Flippin Burgers serves big, crazy, over-the-top food and will proudly agree with that. Inside, a nifty wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling Cardinals mural dominates. The menu has been updated, but my personal favorites were still there. I tried something new, though, and thought that the Kenny's Fantasy Draft was going to be the way to go to try some of the crazy flavors. The Fantasy Draft allows you to choose four of the burgers, and they will be served as sliders, or little burgers. This allowed me to get a taste of four flavors without committing the whole of my stomach to one burger. Perfection.

The sliders came out on a pretty awesome spatula cradle, which looked like a chef had just pulled the burgers off of the grill. Presentation matters, too, and this was definitely a look.

The first slider I tried was my previous-location favorite, the Mr. Miyagi. The little beef patty was topped with a dollop of cream cheese, sweet and sour sauce and a fried piece of wonton. There is crunch, sweetness, creaminess; this burger hits all the right notes. It genuinely tastes like a crab rangoon with a pop of beefy meat, which may sound weird, but it just works — and well.

The next slider in line was the Bubba Gump. A cute little burger topped with queso, pepper jack cheese and two pieces of grilled shrimp, which was about all that would fit on the slider. And man, was that shrimp good! Sweet and tender, it was cooked perfectly, which made the Shrimp Fry Pie look like a solid choice for the next visit. The Shrimp Fry Pie is a mound of fries topped with this shrimp, Sriracha aioli, spices and two types of cheese. My goodness! And if that wasn't enough, you can get it with crinkle-cut fries or honest-to-goodness ribbon fries, just like the ones you get from the fair but with fancier toppings.

Slider No. 3 was the Shiznit, mostly chosen for its name. Anything with a name like that has to be good, right? Topped with Doritos and queso, this slider was like nachos on a burger, a fairly simple flavor, but the crunch of the chips made things interesting. It was a welcome in-between bite to balance out the burgers that had a pop of sweetness.

A close-up of the Bubba Gump and Mr. Miyagi sliders, delightful bites just popping with different tastesSubmitted by Rebecca LaClair

The last slider, the Strawpeño. Topped with cream cheese, pickled jalapeños, and strawberry jam, I was taking a risk with this one. I don't like super spicy, but I'm a sucker for cream cheese, and I'm glad I tried it. The peppers were a little bit spicy, leaving a faint burn in my mouth that didn't hurt but let you know that the peppers were there. Then the cream cheese and sweet strawberry jam helped to mute the burn and let me enjoy the tangy flavor of the pickled peppers. This was my favorite, nudging out the Mr. Miyagi just a bit, with the sweet and tangy combo that will have me thinking about that burger for a while.

I also ordered a boozy shake called My Milkshake Brings All the Boys. Strawberries and cream with a punch of alcohol topped the trip off right. I felt like I'd taken a real tasting journey and left leaving satisfied and content. Next time, I'll try a Drunken Deb, which my server and chef both told me tastes like an oatmeal creme pie. You can also get crazy towering shakes without alcohol if that's your preference.

Anyone who puts the word "badonka" on the menu is cool with me. Bring a sense of humor and an appetite, and Kenny's menu will delight.