As the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll and home of the blues, Memphis has become an entertainment destination that has brought with it a cosmopolitan array of dining choices. With a reputation as the pork barbecue capital of the world, Memphis also boasts fare as diverse as Pacific Rim, 5-star French, prime steakhouses, wine bars, Mediterranean and distinctly Southern. The restaurants below have been classed into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations.
Dollar symbols can be interpreted as follows:
$$$$ (over US$70)
$$$ (US$35 to US$70)
$$ (US$20 to US$35)
$ (under US$20)
These prices include starter, main, dessert and a bottle of house wine or equivalent. Not included is the sales tax of 9.25%. Sometimes a gratuity (usually 15%) is added to the bill. If not, a tip of 15-20% for service is customary.
GourmetChez Philippe The Peabody Hotel’s signature restaurant has a menu featuring French and Asian dishes. The hot lobster bisque with vichyssoise martini and shaved truffles is the most incredible martini you will ever taste. The restaurant is the city’s most opulent and romantic. Classical music adds to the quiet elegance of impressive, travertine marble columns, chandeliers and mirrors, and larger-than-life murals. Main courses range from melt-in-the-mouth roasted marinated lamb loin to Ahi tuna in a spicy, crisp coating. No meal is complete without the Grand Marnier soufflé and a glass of cognac or port. The wine list is extensive, with an expensive range of French wines. Reservations recommended.
The Peabody Memphis, 149 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 529 4188.
Website:
www.peabodymemphis.com Price: $$$$
Itta Bena Designed like a Speakeasy above B B King’s Blues Club, with access through a secret passage, Itta Bena is Memphis’ best kept dining secret, mostly discovered by word of mouth. Exotic Mediterranean ambiance is created with carved wooden panels and wrought iron from Afghanistan, and archways and candlelight suffused with blue light reflected through tall windows from Beale Street. The evolving menu of Beale Street’s newest and only fine dining restaurant is worthy of the most discerning palate. She-Crab soup and jumbo grilled scallops are not to be missed. The white chocolate cheesecake is quite possibly the best in town.
B B King’s Blues Club, 143 Beale Street
Tel: (901) 578 3031.
Website:
www.bbkingclubs.comPrice: $$$
Paulette’s The perfect place for a pampered romantic evening out, Paulette’s is modeled after a French country inn, complete with antiques, exposed beams, dim lighting and traditional European paintings. Enjoy live piano music at weekends and during the popular Sunday brunch. Indulge in fresh lobster at special rates every Friday night. The delectable menu of French and Continental dishes such as mouth-watering southern blue-crab soup, juicy angus filet mignon with julienne vegetables, or honey-curry marinated pork tenderloin, are accompanied with their famous popovers with strawberry butter. Save room for the kahlua-mocha pie, made with a pecan-coconut crust. A popular spot for the theater crowd.
2110 Madison Avenue
Tel: (901) 726 5128.
Website:
www.paulettes.net Price: $$$-$$$$
BusinessBrushmark Restaurant Popular for business lunches or the cultural crowd visiting the impressive Brooks Museum of Art
, the restaurant overlooks the greens and trees of Overton Park, with outdoor seating available during warm weather. Produce is fresh and dishes artfully presented. Arugula and shaved fennel salad, with grilled shrimp, avocado, radishes and pomegranate vinaigrette is a favorite, complimented by a good wine selection. Open daily for lunch (except Mondays), and every Thursday and the first Wednesday of each month for dinner to coincide with museum activities.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Aevnue
Tel: (901) 544 6225.
Website:
www.brooksmuseum.orgPrice: $$-$$$
TrendyAutomatic Slim’s Tonga ClubEclectic and artsy décor sets the mood for this vibrant downtown restaurant. Cuisine is Southwestern and Caribbean with a touch of Memphis and Manhattan. Perfect ambiance for business lunches, with Ray Charles-style background music. Sit at one of the zebra-covered bar stools for one of the many flavored martinis at the bar before dinner, when the hip night crowd rocks to upbeat 1980s and 90s music. Dishes range from the wicked voodoo stew for the adventurous, to whole fish served Caribbean style with mango and hot pepper salsa. Keep your eyes open for Hollywood celebs who occasionally stop by when in town.
83 South Second Street
Tel: (901) 525 7948.
Price: $$-$$$
The Beauty Shop A 1960s style beauty shop turned into a trendy restaurant in the Cooper-Young Historic District is the brainchild of artist and culinary entrepreneur Karen Blockman Carrier. Patrons can dine in refurbished hair-dryer chairs, enjoy the privacy of original booths enclosed by glass block walls, or sit on stools at the raw bar. Global cuisine with a Mediterranean touch offers mouth-watering selections such as the crispy duck and pomegranate vinaigrette and panzenella salad. Triple-layer cakes are homemade by a nearby bakery. Food is tasty and innovative, but service is very slow.
966 South Cooper
Tel: (901) 272 7111.
Price: $$-$$$
Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro Ideally located in historic Overton Square in the heart of Midtown Memphis, Le Chardonnay has the city’s largest wine list and is a great spot for a pre-theater glass of wine for those visiting the Playhouse on the Square or taking in a movie. This popular bistro-style restaurant is known for its scallops carbonara, smoked chicken with ravioli, scampi portofino, and gourmet pizza from the wood-fired stone oven. Perfect for an intimate lunch or dinner.
2105 Overton Square Lane
Tel: (901) 725 1375.
Website:
www.lechardonnay.comPrice: $-$$
BudgetThe Arcade Memphis’ oldest restaurant sits opposite Central Station in the recently revitalized South Main Historic Arts District. Owner Harry Speros continues his grandfather’s tradition begun in 1919, charming his customers with his friendly, personal attention. The restaurant features home-style breakfasts, plate lunch specials, Mediterranean-style fresh salads and hand-tossed pizzas. A daily special is the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, a favorite of Elvis, who was a regular customer. The signature Mystery Train Sandwich was named after the movie, one of many which have used The Arcade in location shoots. Don’t miss the hand-dipped chocolate sundaes with three generous scoops of ice cream. Breakfast and lunch daily.
540 South Main Street
Tel: (901) 526 5757.
Price: $
Java Cabana Cooper-Young’s first coffeehouse, now owned by former employee and welcoming barrista Mary Burns, is a wonderfully eccentric place to stop. A comfortable, odd collection of easy chairs blends with the 1950s décor, inviting patrons to sip on a gourmet cup of java or snack on tasty sandwiches or desserts while reading a good book. Local and regional art for sale adorns the walls. Poetry readings are held every Thursday night, and there’s live music and jazz on weekends.
2170 Young Avenue
Tel: (901) 272 7210.
Price: $
Neely’s Bar-
B-
Que Barbecue is a religion in Memphis - small wonder that it is known as the pork barbecue capital of the world. Patrick Neely and his brothers serve up some of the most delicious and tasty barbecue in Tennessee. Award-winning ribs and their signature BBQ nachos top the menu, though Pork, beef, chicken, turkey, wings and even BBQ spaghetti all get a look in. The only barbecue available seven days a week downtown.
670 Jefferson Street
Tel: (901) 521 9798.
Website:
www.neelysbbq.comPrice: $
Personal RecommendationsDishIn the trendy Cooper-Young district, this Mediterranean tapas lounge, the only one of its kind in Memphis, offers a delectable selection of hot and cold tapas in a bohemian atmosphere. Dine in intimate corners or stretch out on comfortable lounge beds for a more low-key dining experience. After 2200, the dinner crowd dissolves into a late night party scene, complete with DJ and dance floor, till 2400 on Mondays and Tuesdays, and 0300 the rest of the week. Excellent food and service at affordable prices. Ideal for a short snack or romantic rendezvous.
948 South Cooper Street
Tel: (901) 276 0002.
Website:
www.dishmemphis.comPrice: $$
Peabody Sunday Brunch
Voted best Sunday brunch in Memphis, the Skyway atop the Peabody Hotel affords an elegant setting for this sumptuous feast. Artistic displays of salads, seafood, pasta, fresh-baked breads and pastries, exotic pâtés and smoked fish. Omelettes, waffles and Eggs Benedict are cooked to order, while chefs carve from roast beef, lamb and pork. Desserts are a decadent work of art. Musicians even play requests while servers pour unlimited mimosas and champagne.
The Peabody Memphis Skyway, 149 Union Avenue
Tel: (901) 529 3668.
Website:
www.peabodymemphis.comPrice: $$$
Tsunami Located in the growing enclave of restaurants clustered around the intersection of Cooper and Young. Owner and chef Ben Smith’s Pacific Rim cuisine transports diners to exotic locales. Small plates are a welcome menu option - half-size portions of regular mains. Patrons are encouraged to order several dishes to enjoy a variety of tastes. Speciality desserts baked to order. Extensive wine list from the Pacific West Coast, Australia and New Zealand. Reservations highly recommended. Dinner only.
928 South Cooper
Tel: (901) 274 2556.
Website:
www.tsunamimemphis.comPrice: $$$
Nightlife:The bars and clubs of Memphis are so lively that some people come here for the nightlife alone. There is little differentiation between bars and clubs, as practically every venue has live music at least a couple of nights a week. Beale Street is the hub of activity and is lined with clubs that stay open until the early hours. While drinks in Beale Street clubs might be a bit pricier than at other outlets, they are not outrageously expensive.
Clubs charge a small admission fee but on Friday nights during the summertime you can buy a wristband from the
Blues City Café on the corner of 2nd and Beale Street that will get you entry to all the clubs along the street. Dress can be as casual as you wish, although you might want to make a bit of an effort, seeing as the Memphis crowd loves to dress up - and flash their flesh. The minimum legal drinking age is 21 years old and you might be asked for proof of your age. Some bars on Beale Street are open till 0500.
Nightlife is not restricted to Beale Street. The Pinch Historic District in Downtown has several popular restaurants/bars and the area around Overton Square in Midtown is also worth investigating. Weekly updates of events in the city can be found in the
Memphis Playbook (website:
www.commercialappeal.com), a free local paper.
Bars: While it can hardly be termed just a bar, the lobby of the luxurious
Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Avenue, in Downtown Memphis, is an essential stop for anyone visiting the city. It is the most elegant venue in town and the best place for people watching. The busiest nights are Thursday evenings, during the summer, when rooftop parties are held. Attracting a young, fashionable crowd is
Sleep Out Louie's, 88 Union Avenue, a popular oyster bar and place to pose. More down-to-earth places are
Silky O'Sullivan's, 183 Beale Street, an Irish theme bar where you can get a chilled Guinness, and
Zinnie's, 1688 Madison Avenue, a well-established, no-nonsense bar in midtown Memphis. If you want a burger along with your beer, head for one of the branches of
Huey's, said to serve the best burgers in town, along with Sunday night live jazz and blues. You can find them at 1927 Madison Avenue, in midtown, as well as 77 South Second Street, Downtown.
Clubs: Old-fashioned cars are out in front of the red, white and blue building that houses
Raiford's Hollywood Disco Lounge, 115 Vance Avenue, where the dancing stretches into the wee hours. Another good dancing alternative is
Club 152, 152 Beale Street, Downtown's premier place for techno, house and alternative dance music. Live music and the hottest local bands are popular with the younger set.
Backstreet, 2018 Court Avenue (website:
www.backstreetmemphis.com), is the largest gay club in Memphis.
Live Music: Practically everywhere in Memphis has live music at least a couple of nights a week, so your main problem will be deciding where to go. Beale Street is the starting place for anyone wanting to check out the Memphis scene. Perhaps the best known but also most touristy place is
B B King's Blues Club, 143 Beale Street (website:
www.bbkingbluesclub.com), owned by the legendary musician.
More popular with the locals is
Ernestine and Hazel's, 531 South Main Street. This one-time brothel is now a lively joint with late-night rhythm and blues and rock music. You can also try
Rum Boogie, 182 Beale Street (website:
www.rumboogie.com), which attracts national big-name blues bands, and offers something for all ages on its three floors.
Silky O'Sullivan's draws a crowd to hear its dueling pianos Thursday to Saturday nights. The
Benchmark Hotel, opposite The Peabody, features live jazz every Wednesday night. For the ultimate in cool blues, take a taxi to
Wild Bill's, 1580 Vollintine Avenue, a smoky, no-frills juke joint that's so good the locals like to keep it to themselves.
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