Things to do in Memphis
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Sun Studio
Sun Studio doesn't look like much from outside, but this dusty storefront is ground zero for American rock and roll music. Starting in the early 1950s, Sun's Sam Phillips recorded blues artists such as Howlin' Wolf, BB King and Ike Turner, followed by the rockabilly dynasty of Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and, of course, the King himself (who started here in 1953). Today packed 40-minute guided tours through the tiny studio offer a chance to hear original tapes of historic recording sessions. Guides are witty and full of anecdotes; many are musicians themselves. Pose for photos in the old recording studio on the 'X' where Elvis once stood, or buy a CD of the …
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National Civil Rights Museum
Housed in the Lorraine Motel, where the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr was fatally shot on April 4, 1968, is the gut-wrenching National Civil Rights Museum. Five blocks south of Beale St, this museum's extensive exhibits, detailed timeline and accompanying audio-guide chronicle the ongoing struggles for African American freedom and equality in the US. Both Dr King's cultural contribution and his assassination serve as prisms for looking at the Civil Rights movement, its precursors and its indelible and continuing impact on American life. The turquoise exterior of the 1950s motel and two preserved interior rooms remain much as they were at the time of King's death, and …
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Graceland
In the spring of 1957, the already-famous 22-year-old spent $100,000 on a Colonial-style mansion called Graceland. Priscilla Presley (who divorced Elvis in 1973) opened Graceland to tours in 1982, and now millions come here to pay homage to the King and gawk at the infamous decor. The King himself had the place redecorated in 1974; with a 15ft couch, fake waterfall, yellow vinyl walls and green shag-carpet ceiling - it's a virtual textbook of ostentatious '70s style. Elvis died here in 1977, killed by heart failure in the upstairs bathroom. Throngs of fans still weep at his grave, next to the swimming pool out back.
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Pink Palace Museum & Planetarium
The 1923 Pink Palace Museum & Planetarium was built as a residence for Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders and opened in 1996 as a natural- and cultural-history museum. It mixes fossils, Civil War exhibits and an exact replica of the original 1916 Piggly Wiggly, the world's first self-service grocery store. It also has an IMAX theater.
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Memphis Zoo
The world-class Memphis Zoo hosts two giant panda stars, Ya Ya and Le Le, in a $16-million exhibit on native Chinese wildlife and habitat. The Northwest Passage section is home to polar bears, sea lions and eagles. Other residents include the full gamut of monkeys, penguins, African wildlife, etc. Imagine an animal, the zoo probably has it.
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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.
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Brooks Museum of Art
At the park's edge is the Brooks Museum of Art, with an excellent permanent collection encompassing everything from Renaissance sculpture to Impressionists like Renoir to abstract expressionists like Robert Motherwell.
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Overton Park
Stately homes surround the rolling acres of Overton Park, where the Levitt Shell was the site of Elvis' first concert, in 1954. Today the newly reopened band shell hosts free concerts all summer.
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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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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.
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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.
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Memphis Redbirds
This American Automobile Association (AAA) minor-league affiliate of the St Louis Cardinals baseball team plays at AutoZone Park April to August.
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BB King's
A full restaurant serving ribs and Southern favorites, BB's is better known for its friendly fun-seeking crowd and great live music.
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Woodruff-Fontaine House
The grand 1870 Woodruff-Fontaine House, which carefully preserves Victorian clothing and furnishings.
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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.
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Rum Boogie
Huge, popular and noisy, this Cajun-themed Beale club hops every night to the tunes of the house blues band.
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Young Avenue Deli
This Midtown hipster favorite has food, occasional live music, and a laid-back vibe.
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Hi-Tone Cafe
Near Overton Park, this funky little dive balances pool-shooting with live music.
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Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Wanna get funky? Head directly to Soulsville USA, where the 17,000-sq-ft Stax Museum of American Soul Music sits on the site of the old Stax recording studio. This venerable spot was soul music's epicenter in the 1960s, when Otis Redding, Booker T and the MGs and Wilson Pickett recorded here. Dive into soul-music history with photos, displays of '60s and '70s peacock clothing and, above all, Isaac Hayes' 1972 Superfly Cadillac outfitted with shag-fur carpeting and 24-karat-gold exterior trim.
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Restaurant Iris
Chef Kelly English richly deserved his Food & Wine Magazine 2009 Best New Chef award. Since opening Iris in 2008, his avant-garde Creole menu has been sending foodies into paroxysms of delight with playful entries like a 'ham and cheese' of fried Camembert and tête de cochon (roast pig head). The setting, in a green cottage on a residential Midtown block, is so low-profile it feels like a speakeasy.
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Full Gospel Tabernacle Church
If you're in town on a Sunday, put on your least-wrinkled pants and head to services at South Memphis' Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, where soul music legend turned reverend Al Green presides over a powerful choir. Visitors are welcome, and usually take up about half the pews. Join in the whooping 'hallelujahs, ' but don't forget to tithe (about $1 is fine).
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