Man Food: The 'Kenny Mother Effing Powers' Burger at The Gallows

There’s a bottom bun too, it’s just buried under a pile of beefy, pulled porky goodness. Photo by Katie Barszcz.

I’ve eaten a lot of burgers in my day, all unique in their own way, but none as dramatic as the “Kenny Mother Effing Powers” Burger ($22) being served at The Gallows. If you’re at all familiar with HBO’s Danny McBride-starring comedy Eastbound and Down, it will come as no surprise that this burger is loud, brash and like nothing you’ve ever seen or tasted before. The dish blurs the line between a burger and just a massive pile of food—but man, is it delicious.

What ends up on the plate in front of you is an ungodly amount of food; it’s a double burger with pulled pork, coleslaw, and bbq sauce, all atop a heaping pile of poutine. It’s about as over-the-top as you’ll find in a burger, but it’s prepared in a non-pretentious way, with ingredients that all manage to make perfect sense together. While $22 may seem steep for a burger, this is a masterpiece that will easily feed two (or even three) hungry diners.

In the hands of any other chef or restaurant, a dish like this would most likely prove to be disastrous. But each component of the “Kenny Mother Effing Powers” burger is skillfully arranged; there’s beautifully smoked and tender pulled pork, a light and clean coleslaw studded with caraway and celery seeds, and a tangy, vinegar-laced bbq sauce that is the real deal. The gravy-soaked fries manage to remain crispy, despite being placed on the bottom of the plate. With so much going on, the beef is almost an afterthought—almost being the operative word here. The regular Gallows burger is so successful because the beef is a robust and dynamic blend that hits all the right notes. Again, any lesser burger and the flavors on this plate would be muddled across the board. But with so much care and craft taken here, it manages to be surprisingly flavorful bite after bite, despite the monstrous amounts of meat and fat. It’s borderline impossible to eat with your hands, so you’ll have to suck it up and use a knife and fork in order to attack this beast a little easier.

A gut-busting delight for sure, the“Kenny Mother Effing Powers” burger may not be on the menu long. But fear not, different versions of a loaded burger sitting atop the consummate Gallows poutine will be on regular rotation, and it is a burger experience you don’t want to miss.

(The Gallows, 1395 Washington St, Boston, 617-425-0200, thegallowsboston.com)