Restaurants in Memphis
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A
Arcade
Elvis used to eat at this ultra-retro diner, Memphis' oldest. Crowds still pack in for sweet-potato pancakes and cheeseburgers.
reviewed
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B
Blue Monkey
- Memphis, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
Locals flock to this relaxed Midtown hang for savory pub food with flair (including delectable homemade potato chips), drinks specials, and nightly live music.
reviewed
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Alcenia's
The only thing sweeter than Alcenia's famous 'ghetto juice' (a diabetes-inducing fruit drink) is owner Betty-Joyce 'BJ' Chester-Tamayo – don't be surprised to receive a kiss on the top of the head as soon as you sit down. The lunch menu at this funky little gold- and purple-painted cafe rotates daily – look for killer fried chicken and catfish, melt-in-your-mouth spiced cabbage and an exquisite eggy custard pie.
reviewed
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Bar-B-Q Shop
Chopped pork on grilled Texas toast and barbecued spaghetti (just try it) are house favorites at this friendly neighborhood spot, whose spacious wooden booths are popular with families.
reviewed
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C
Dyer's
Dyer's legendary deep-fried burgers, fried using the same (continuously filtered) cooking grease since 1912, will sound far less disgusting when it's 3am and you've been sucking back beers on Beale St all night.
reviewed
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Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles
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Sweet Grass
Contemporary Low County cuisine (the seafood-heavy cooking of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts) wins raves at this sleek new Midtown bistro. Shrimp and grits, a classic fisherman's breakfast, is a crowd-pleaser.
reviewed
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Cozy Corner
Slouch in a torn vinyl booth and devour an entire barbecued Cornish game hen, the house specialty at this pug-ugly cult favorite. Ribs and wings are spectacular too, and the fluffy, silken sweet-potato pie is an A-plus specimen of the classic Southern dessert.
reviewed
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D
King's Palace Café
Jazz and blues filter through the tony dining room while contented customers happily devour award-winning gumbo and other Cajun specialties.
reviewed
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Payne's Bar-B-Q
We'd say this converted gas station has the best chopped-pork sandwich in town, but we don't want to have to fight anyone. Decide for yourself.
reviewed
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E
Tops Bar-B-Q
With many locations, including this one in Midtown, Tops is a longtime Memphis favorite for those hungering for cheap no-frills barbecue. Keep a napkin handy.
reviewed
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F
Leonard's
The lunch buffet here is popular with downtown office workers, though lord knows how they get any work done afterwards. Pile on the turnip greens, corn pudding, hot-buttered peaches and - oh! - the most succulent, aggressively spiced ribs.
reviewed
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G
Sleep Out Louie's
This is the kind of place you can go by yourself, take a seat at the bar and make new friends. The menu features delicious burgers, po'boy sandwiches and fresh salads, along with oysters on the half shell. A small courtyard offers outside seating.
reviewed
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McEwen's
Don't let the drab stucco exterior fool you: join the upper-crusty professional set for excellent eats with nary a BBQ in sight. Lunch is a steal, with treats like oven-roasted vegetables on focaccia served up in the butter-yellow dining room lined with original landscape paintings; dinner brings pan-seared halibut in coconut ginger broth.
reviewed
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Restaurant Iris
Chef Kelly English richly deserved his recent James Beard Award nomination, one of a pile of accolades he's accumulated since opening Iris in 2008. His avant-garde Creole menu sends foodies into paroxysms of delight, with playful dishes like a 'knuckle sandwich' of tarragon-flecked lobster, or an oyster-stuffed steak 'surf 'n' turf.' The setting, in a turreted cottage on a residential Midtown block, is so low-profile it feels like a speakeasy.
reviewed
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Automatic Slim's Tonga Club
This sleek, artsy bistro has fusion fare like jerk duck and coconut shrimp, and huge, crayon-colored cocktails.
reviewed
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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
Fried-chicken connoisseurs across the globe twitch in their sleep at night, dreaming about the gossamer-light fried chicken at this downtown concrete bunker. On busy nights, waits can top an hour. So worth it.
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Pig on Beale
Slow-smoked pork ribs slide off the bone at this Beale St BBQ joint. You can get wet or dry ribs, served up with classic creamy coleslaw or corn on the cob…and plenty of napkins.
reviewed
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Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q
Two words: barbecued spaghetti. It's just as weird as it sounds, but not half bad. Jim Neely's ribs and chopped-shoulder sandwiches are superb, and the atmosphere is homey and family-friendly.
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M
Blues City Cafe
Coined 'the best meal on Beale', the Blues City Cafe is a great choice for chowing on some good old Southern fare while listening to local bands. Take you're pick from ribs, steaks, tamales...whilst listening to live music Tuesday to Sunday.
reviewed
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Huey's
Pass through the graffitied foyer and under the Xmas lights to get the best burger in town, at this lively Huey's location nearest the Beale St action.
reviewed
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O
Brother Juniper's
Trek down to the University of Memphis for a straight-up good eatin' Southern-style breakfast in a kid-friendly joint. Omelets, biscuits and grits oh my!
reviewed
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Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Tucked in an alleyway off Union Ave, this subterranean institution sells an astonishing 5 tons of its exquisite dry-rubbed ribs weekly. Friendly service and walls plastered with historic memorabilia make eating here an event. Expect a wait.
reviewed