Six Forks Burgers brings quirky fun, nice prices, tasty burgers and dogs

Six Forks Burger Company opened last fall in Shelby Park.

From a food truck specializing in chicken has grown a local burger joint that’s getting some pretty fair buzz.

Six Forks Burger Company, located in Shelby Park at 1270 South Preston St., was opened about six months ago by Troy King and Selena Johnson. The couple also were the founders of POLLO – A Gourmet Chicken Joint and another business called Derby City Mobile Kitchens.

They seem to be onto something with Six Forks, which is exactly what we were hoping for when we checked it out recently: a quirky, bright neighborhood eatery with splashes of color and a fun vibe at every turn. For starters, church pews line one wall for seating, while just above them, visitors sign their names and leave a note. Word must be spreading far as well as fast, as we spotted signatures from Maine, Washington, D.C., and Colorado.

The floors and table tops are paint-splashes in a red and black theme, which helps offset the mostly white walls and high, white ceilings. Everywhere one looks, there’s a fun – sometimes a bit risqué – message. The unisex bathrooms are marked with signs that say, “Doesn’t Matter, Just Wash Your Hands.” Inside, you’ll find a sign facing the toilet that says, “Be Sweet, Wipe Your Seat.” There’s a Six Forks t-shirt on the wall that proclaims, F@?k Your Diet. And a note on the tip jar says, “Just Put the Tip in.”

But what you go for is the food, right? Six Forks is built on a “build-your-own” platform, starting with a “Lil Burger” (a single patty) to a standard, two-patty burger. You can also get a turkey burger, bison burger, Beyond vegan burger or an “Exotic Beast” burger, which is a blend of wild boar, elk, bison and wagyu beef.

It truly gets wild from there, with 30-plus topping choices, ranging from relish to smoked ham, including several house sauces such as Asian peanut, chocolate bourbon, raspberry chipotle BBQ and one called Hot Shit.

There are also some “Chef’s Select” burgers, not to mention a menu of hot dogs (one is called the Divine Swine Dog), a handful of sandwiches and sides like stir-fry collard greens, twisted corn and thai chili potato salad.

We kept it pretty simple, getting a single burger, a chili cheese dog and a couple orders of French fries. As we waited for our food to arrive, King walked over and thanked us for coming in. I couldn’t help asking him the background behind the name “Six Forks.”

He told us it pays tribute to the couple’s six children. He told us it is sort of a Brady Bunch arrangement, with four children coming from his previous relationship, one from Johnson’s and one the couple had together.

“We had five forks,” King said, chuckling, “then we had an ‘oops’ baby. God has a sense of humor.”

The food came out in red plastic baskets lined with red and white checkered liners, the burger topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato, and the dog a beef dog that extended well outside the length of the bun, swimming in melted cheese and chili and wrapped in a poppy seed bun. Chunks of onion rested on top. We also got sides of raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce, Hot Shit and a spicy guacamole sauce for dipping.

While the burger wasn’t huge, it was flavorful and fresh, topped with fresh, crispy vegetables. For the $5.30 price tag, we were plenty satisfied (although next time we’ll go for a double, for twice the fun). One bite into the chili cheese dog, cheese and chili were everywhere. Eventually it had to be finished off with a fork.

Delicious and messy, the frank at the heart of that beast was especially good and was an experience worth repeating. (Although, I would like to suggest the name be changed to the “Six Napkins Dog.”) The seasoned fries were plentiful, flavorful and perfectly cooked. We got two orders and easily could have split one. As for the sauces, they frankly were all winners, making us curious to try more. This should be said, however: The Hot Shit is more savory medium heat than palate scorching fire. Don’t be afraid.

We highly recommend Six Forks for a laid-back, price-friendly lunch or dinner. You can also now get homemade desserts. Enjoy the meal, sign the wall, then travel a few blocks and hit Logan Street Market for a drink.