Category: Shenanigans

Cereal Killer Cafe || London, UK

What in the world is this place??

Cereal Killer Cafe is one of the weirdest places I’ve ever been to. Ever. But weird in a good way.

Cereal Killer Cafe is a restaurant on Brick Lane in the Whitechapel district of London. Restaurant is kind of a lofty term for what CKC is though. The whole place is 90’s breakfast cereal themed.

Uh…tell me more?

Everything in this place is built for maximum nostalgia. If you were a child in the 90’s, this cafe is about to come for that nostalgia button and flog it to death.

In fact, it’s so 90’s themed, that the way my colleague and I found it was when we looked across to the other side of Brick Lane and wondered what the place covered in VHS tapes could have possibly been.

Featuring used VHS tapes

Just looking at the menu, we got a pretty big clue what we were in for:

My coworker and I decided to get different menu items so that we could spread out across this menu as best we could. I opted for the corn flake crusted grilled cheese. They went for the fruity pebble fried chicken.

But how’s the food?

That depends entirely on what you get. I got the grilled cheese.

Y U M

It came with a side of pizza sauce, and buddy let me tell you…this was a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was, but not only was it way more delicious than I thought it would be, I was also inspired to consider changing the way I make my own grilled cheese at home. I haven’t done it yet, but this was very good.

The fruity pebble fried chicken on the other hand was a little less good. And it was almost entirely because of this->

Toothpaste basically

Upon ordering the fried chicken, my coworker was given an option of sauces. They opted for whatever this was called. It looked, smelled and tasted like children’s toothpaste. It was an affront to good taste, and was not appreciated among the two of us. But we did get a good story out of it.

Interior Decor

Imagine you’re a kid in the 90’s, and someone with money comes to you and says, “hey kid, I’m going to build a restaurant, and I need your help. Tell me everything you want in a restaurant in detail, and I’ll build exactly that.”

Well, you might want, like a stack of milk crates with TVs in it playing your favorite cartoons. Done.

You want all your favorite hard-to-get cereals proudly displayed in a custom display case with a custom wall light. Donezo, big guy.

Why stop there? You want your bed with authentic space jam sheets to be used instead of seats so you can take a nap right after you eat a 1000 calorie grilled cheese. Fuckin’ A right you do, little buddy. You got it.

In so many ways, Cereal Killer cafe is like a dream come true. But not all those childhood dreams are as good as an adult as they sounded when you were a kid.

Final Verdict

Would I go again? Heck yeah, I would. I don’t think I’d go by myself because this place is really meant to be enjoyed with other people, preferably people who haven’t experienced it yet. If you happen to see one, give it a try and see what you think. The worst thing that can happen is you get a good story.

Posted on by hexa 0

Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium || Atlanta, GA

Both The Red Phone Booth and Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium are two of the most defining locations of Atlanta night life to me. Does that make me lame? Maybe, but probably not.

A good choir girl armed with darts.

Why Should I Go Here?

Sister Louisa’s isn’t a speakeasy, but it’s fun as fuck to go to. It’s irreverent and iconoclastic, but that’s part of the fun!

So I’ve heard

Sister Louisa’s has an backstory for itself that they elaborate on much better than I ever could. The story involves a wayward nun by the name of “Sister Louisa” who left her convent to start this bar. And what a bar it is.

The interior decoration is a bit haphazard, but the attraction of the place is in its humor. They have free ping pong tables to satisfy all of your drunk ping pong/beer pong needs on the second floor.

If you go on a Wednesday night, you can participate in one of the most unique karaoke nights you’ll ever experience. Although the karaoke song list is limited compared to a professional karaoke bar, the music is played live by a skilled organ player.

A man in plaid sings Alanis Morisette to live organ music

If you’re not the type who’s brave enough to take the neon “Fuck Fear” sign seriously enough to stand up and sing in front of a crowd, Sister Louisa’s offers audience members choir robes for you who want to sing along. It adds a layer of fun and interaction you don’t always get from karaoke.

Some girl in a choir robe during karoke night.

Can I Take Clients Here?

I mean, I did…but it has to be a certain type of client. They have to have a good sense of humor and be willing to put up with the atmosphere of this place.

Where it is:

Sister Louisa’s lives in Edgewood at 466 Edgewood Ave SE.

You know you’re in the right place when you find the box for “prary quests” on the front door.

Reservations?

No such thing at Sister Louisa’s.

Price:

Very cheap.

What To Wear:

Whatever you feel like. Anything more than casual will feel overdressed.

What To Drink:

Sister Louisa’s is known for their sangria. The sangria flows like the rivers of the Nile bringing a similar degree of culture with it.

Sister Louisa’s isn’t the place to go if you want to drink anything except swill that’s cheap and will get you quick drunk. If you feel like drinking beer and having a wild night, check out this dive. It’ll be worth your time.

Atmosphere:

Sister Louisa’s has a somewhat edgy, but playful milieu. If you take your religious beliefs seriously, you’ll probably find Sister Louisa’s low-key offensive. If on the other hand, you have a healthy sense of humor that will allow you to laugh a the more performative aspects of Christian religion, you’ll probably have a good time here.

The interior decoration is a bit haphazard, but not dirty. You won’t forget that you’re in a dive bar, but you’ll be having too much fun to care about the rough edges if you don’t appreciate that sort of thing.

TL;DR Verdict:

Sister Louisa’s checks a lot of boxes for me personally. It’s a bar that doesn’t take itself or anything else seriously. Nothing and nobody is special at Sister Louisa’s.

Sister Louisa’s encourages everyone who enters to take the advice of the glowing pink neon sign on the second floor that says “Fuck Fear”. This bar wants their visitors to step out of their shell and learn to laugh at themselves. If you’re not having the kind of day where you’re in the mood to do that, maybe go to Hard Rock Cafe or something instead.

Posted on by hexa 0