WTF: No More Keg Chicken??!!

Yes, this is somewhat old news, but frankly, I am still a bit frazzled by it.  For years, we here in River City have been the beneficiaries of a great fried chicken arch rivalry.  If you needed any proof that competition is good for consumers, you needed look no further than Bob's and The Keg for fried chicken.  Both delicious and prepared well.  I preferred the Keg, personally.

The Keg was once an east-side institution.  I recall when it was located on the corner of East 10th Street and Bahnson Avenue.  The location is now a Mint Casino.  It may have been located somewhere else in that general area.  I will have to ask one of of my forkie friends who grew up in Hilltop.  At some point, the Keg moved to the strip mall near the southeast corner of 26th and Sycamore.  Probably not as truly Keggy as the original location, but a neat place to visit.  Every so often when I found myself jonesing for a fried chicken fix, I would wander over to the Keg, occupy a bar stool, order a cold beer, and place an order to go.  The Keg bar, was ALWAYS entertaining.  There were some regular patrons there who easily could have supplied The Jerry Springer Show with months of material.  Loved it.

But alas, it was not to last.  The first only step in what we might call the rise and fall of the Keg was the opening of a second, freshly-constructed location at the T-intersection of 57th and Marion.  Looked nice enough.  I never went in there.  Why would I when I can visit the highly entertaining and conveniently located east side location?  But then, the east side location closed and became the Overtime, yet another sports bar and grille.  This would be the start of the "fall" part of the Keg.  I have never figured out what happened here, but I have theories.  Personally, I think some rocket scientist thought that shiny new 57th and Marion location would be located conveniently enough for those east sider disciples of boasted poultry to hop on 57th and cruise on over.  Buzzzzzz.  Wrong!  And what do we have for our contestants, Johnny?  Not fried chicken!

No one asked me.  I could have told anyone this would happen.  57th and Marion is a virtual dead zone for eating joints.  Need proof?  Exhibit one: Big City Burrito.  Exhibit two: Phillies.  Exhibit three: Inca Express.  Next victim: Zaroty.  (More on that later.)  Only one thing flies in that particular location.  Booze- on-sale and off-sale.  Fogie's, Billy Frog, and the Lie-brary.  I know Sioux Falls isn't THAT big, but it's big enough that people ain't driving from 18th and Bahnson to 57th and Marion.

So, congratulations, Bob, for your Clucking Good victory in the fried chicken battle.  Only a matter of time before I suspect you overtake Sneaky's, apparently a Sioux City institution strategically located in a gas station on West 12th Street.  Besides such a swell location, did I mention Sneaky's is another Sioux City import?  Like Luciano's.  And we all know how I feel about that.