It was unusually warm on ‘Fat Tuesday’ and as we were driving down Stone Drive, we thought it would be nice to have something new.
I was kidding Danny with the old song lyric for a NIN song where the singer sings…’there’s nothing like the thrill of something new.’ Of course, now we attribute that sensation to “dopamine“, but we liked the notion anyway.
The first thing you notice about Cootie Brown’s in the old Kingsport Mall Commons is the kooky decor. It’s a bit key west, texmex and mardi-gras. As you walk in, they’re signature cheery style is a color explosion as the walls are lemon-colored with blue tiles and the employees all wear tie-dyed t-shirts to boot.
I sat down at an arty table with pink flamingos and was greeted immediately by Nikki.
The Cootie Brown Menu is epic. There are so many menu items here that it’s gonna take anyone a good bit of time to make a decision because they do have an interesting collection of dishes – everything from salads, seafood, pasta, gourmet pizzas and breakfast too.
The prices in this restaurant are such that a lunch is gonna cost at least $10 and dinner could go as high as $25. An iced tea is $1.69 and appetizers and desserts run anywhere from $4 to $9.00.
Cootie Brown’s seems to have a good beer and wine selection too and when I finally ordered my bratwurst sandwich, I sure could have drank a cold brew, but never on a work day. I also ordered a Caribbean black bean dip with nachos. My friend ordered a ham and swiss.
It wasn’t long before the food came out and the bean dip was pretty good. The bratwurst included ‘spiral’ potatoes which were really potato chips in a spiral (edges crisp and centers soft). The enjoyed the german sausage on an open-faced sandwich and the sauerkraut was pretty tasty too. The meal was overwhelming (or maybe it was the bean dip), so I had to ask for a box.
My friend was a little underwhelmed with his ham and swiss and although we both enjoyed the food and the theme at the restaurant, our $30 lunch was a little more than we would like to pay.
Nevertheless, Cootie Brown’s is a great extension to Kingsport’s restaurant scene and they are even serving breakfast, so if you’re looking for a new tasty thrill, check out Cootie Brown’s in Kingsport Commons in front of Goody’s. I’ll be back and next time, I’m having a beer.