Trip to Memphis, Need Ideas
Hey all,
A few former college buddies and I are making a roadtrip down to Memphis, TN from Milwaukee, WI. We should have all day Friday and Saturday to enjoy ourselves down there. I searched here and other places and came up with a bunch of good food ideas for BBQ and good southern food.
One thing I'm still looking for is food and drink related attractions/must see items. We pondered a pilgrimage to Lynchburg and Jack Daniels, but the 4hr drive would be a whole day affair. From Milwaukee, we're partial to microbreweries or brewpubs as well. Any recommendations are appreciated!
Thanks Serious Eaters!
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15 Comments:
As far as beer goes, The Flying Saucer close to Beale is fantastic, as is Bosco's in Midtown. I am fairly certain they both have websites. Beale itself is mostly a glitzy tourist attraction, but there is fun to be had. There is also a great little restaurant in midtown called The Beauty Shop on Cooper. In general, Cooper-Young is a good neighborhood for bars and restaurants.
Attractions... I would 100% recommend the National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Records, and Graceland. Of those, my favorite by far was Sun, I managed to go on the tour by myself, and it was an amazing feeling to stand in a small dingy studio where so much musical history was made. Also, I here Stax Records is worth checking out. Oh, and if you end up at The Flying Saucer, stop by The Peabody Hotel and see the ducks. If you go at 5:00, you see the show, but the crowd is huge.
pumpkinfiend at 10:47PM on 01/07/09
graceland.
cybercita at 10:51PM on 01/07/09
The very first thing you need to do is run to a grocery store and buy some Blue Bell homemade Ice Cream!!! All the flavors are wonderful but my favorites are Vanilla and Butter Pecan. This brand is only stocked in stores in the South...NOT the midwest the north, the east or the west.
foodismyspeciality at 11:00PM on 01/07/09
Go to www.beeradvocate.com. On the left side of the screen is a feature called beerfly. There are user reviews of beer bars and brewpubs. A quick look seems to indicate that beer-wise Boscos and Flying Saucer are going to be your best bets. Check out the Stax museum, that's on my pilgrimage list.
beersnob at 12:12AM on 01/08/09
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, few blocks south of Peabody Hotel . Stay at Peabody. Rendevouz for BBQ [there may be better but you've still got to go there].
jfitz at 5:02AM on 01/08/09
I can't remember a particular place off hand, but a lot of the BBQ joints in Memphis serve fried pickle chips. If you like salty savory deep fried bites, they are a must have! Darn southerners...they have all the really tasty deep fried things! ; )
dhorst at 7:34AM on 01/08/09
Gus's Fried Chicken. You MUST go there. And I second the vote for staying at the Peabody.
sbelle at 8:55AM on 01/08/09
Buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Wear 'em proudly as you walk down Beale. Have fun!
juliebugsmama at 9:17AM on 01/08/09
If you want to do something artsy, the National Ornamental Metal Museum is a nice stop: http://www.metalmuseum.org/.
Knitter at 9:21AM on 01/08/09
I make a trip to Memphis every year with a group of college buddies. We usually go see a game at the Redbird's Stadium downtown, and we inevitably drink too much on Beale Street.
We always go to Central BBQ for the BBQ Nachos. Pulled pork, liquid cheese, BBQ sauce and tons of other good stuff over chips. No better hangover food out there. And one trip to Rendevous (not crazy about it, but world famous). You could also check out Coletta's, the only place I've ever seen BBQ pizza, I think they have a couple locations.
MixedByHand at 9:58AM on 01/08/09
There are only two breweries here in Memphis. One through Boscos restaurant, which is a small chain. And one named 'Ghost River' which just opened and shares facilities with Boscos. You can get a tour on Saturdays if you call ahead, but its a pretty small operation. Their beer is sold at many restaurants in Memphis though, including Flying Saucer, which is the place to go for microbrews.
As for food, I would second Gus's on Front for their fried chicken. But if you want BBQ, I would say the Bar-BQ shop on Madison or Interstate BBQ on 3rd. If you want ribs, I would go to Corkys (wet) or Rendezvous (dry). Rendezvous has the best atmosphere around, but I think their ribs are hit or miss. Regardless, its a institution worth checking out if you're downtown.
amywoz at 12:11PM on 01/08/09
Interstate Barbeque and get the barbecue spaghetti!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mizbee at 12:53PM on 01/10/09
Automatic Slim's. . . across from The Peabody.
You'll thank me later. . .
Oinkxster at 10:23AM on 01/15/09
Gee, how come no one is giving props to Neely's BBQ?
izatryt at 10:45AM on 01/15/09
Any breakfast suggestions in Memphis?
lemons at 10:49AM on 01/15/09