m not what you would call a fan of public television, but after seeing this season's schedule for Check, Please! Kansas City, I've spent the last few weeks suffering through episodes to see the person who suggested U-Gene's Deli & Pizza. It did not disappoint. If the U-Gene's logo to the right isn't creepy enough for you, you should really check out the pile of awful that is their website.I've eaten at U-Gene's numerous times, and I will probably eat there again. I wouldn't say the food is bad, but the fact that anyone would go on a show to vouch for the place boggles my mind. I love Taco Via, I gave it 5-stars on Yelp, but it is a complete shit hole. There are some places that should never be recommended but simply stumbled upon, U-Gene's is one of those places.
The Check, Please! intro sold U-Gene's as the only good alternative a woman from Chicago could find to Chicago-style pizza. U-Gene's doesn't serve Chicago-style pizza or anything closely resembling it. I only eat at U-Gene's for lunch, so perhaps I'm missing the boat since the lady said the pizza isn't as good at lunch. Huh? They make a shitty version of their food just for the lunch crowd? That makes sense. While this lady dished out the praise, the look of disgust from the man who suggested Blue Koi filled me with delight. It almost made me wonder if they aren't allowed to be too harsh on a selection, because that guy looked like he wanted to go off. Had I been on this episode of Check, Please! and asked for my final summary, it would have went something like, "Greasy pizza and crispy sandwiches. Great for helping out with a bowel movement or when you're completely drunk."
My second favorite moment of the show came while they were reviewing Blanc Burgers & Bottles. Best burger is a very hotly contested claim, and while Blanc completely does it for me, I'm willing to accept other opinions. Willing unless you're the type of person who goes on TV to hype up U-Gene's. The lady said Blanc wasn't even the best burger she had that week, and then left us all hanging. If U-Gene's is your favorite restaurant in KC, where is your favorite burger from? Sonic? I need to know.
If you're interested in future episodes of Check, Please! I suggest circling 10/22 on your calendar. Hayes Hamburgers will be featured. The one time I have eaten at Hayes, the grill cook had a custom Chiefs jersey and no teeth, and we watched a woman behind the counter individually slice a ziploc bag of 50 hot dogs. Thank you, Check, Please! for celebrating some of the Northland's finest.
