Memphis recommendations?
Will be in Memphis for the cool summer days in July. :)
Where to eat? Love BBQ, regional fare and all that it implies..
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23 Comments:
Corky's BBQ is a must, and if you see fried pickles on any menu, order them!
caramel at 5:27PM on 05/26/09
I would actually skip Corky's unless you want to go just to go. There are plenty of other places to get better BBQ (The BBQ Shop on Madison is great, Cozy Corner on Auction is, as well. Even more "fast food" type places like Central BBQ or Topps BBQ are nice and tasty.) though you can't really go wrong with what you get anywhere.
I will second the fried pickle suggestion, though.
If you want really good fancy food, I would suggest Restaurant Iris.
If you want Vietnamese food I would suggest either Saigon Le or Lotus (which I think is better, but dinner can be an all night affair).
If you want surprisingly good bar-type food, definitely hit up Bardog.
There are plenty of good, authentic Mexican restaurants on Summer Avenue, but the locations are not always ideal.
If you drink beer, you should definitely go to Boscos (they brew their own - and if you see any Ghost River beer served at other places you should order it). You can also go to The Flying Saucer (they just have tons of beer).
I have tons more suggestions, but I'm going to go ahead and stop now. Feel free to post again if you want more or if you have questions about particular places/cuisines.
dbrackst at 6:08PM on 05/26/09
Saigon Le is absolutely my favorite for Vietnamese. Whenever I go home to Memphis, getting takeout from there is my no. 1 priority.
Also seconding @dbrackst: I'm not a meat-eater, but all my local friends who are tell me that Corky's is totally overrated.
The Beauty Shop is fun for brunch if you're into a fun, kitschy atmosphere.
And I love the Cupboard for Southern-style fare: it's a great spot for a lunch of sweet tea and meat-and-three (or, in my case, veg plate). Can't go wrong with their Italian spinach, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, baked apples, spiced beets, corn muffins, yeast rolls, and (I hear) chicken-fried steak. (If you do go, though, listen to my recs as far as the vegetables go...a few other things I've tried have been less than stellar.) What I totally love about the Cupboard is the old-school, down-home vibe; they get a really varied clientele and everyone's friendly.
One generalization I'd make about Memphis cuisine is that you're better off sticking with ethnic or Southern cooking. Yes, there are some good "fancy" places, but to me it's not the best city for spending lots of money on supposedly fine dining.
annatr at 6:43PM on 05/26/09
I know it's about as far from low and slow barbeque as you can get, but Rendezvous is still a great experience imho. Yes it's totally catering to the tourists but I think they actually do great ribs (a matter of taste - don't expect fall-off-the-bone tender).
foolishpoolish at 8:39PM on 05/26/09
I've traveled the country seeking out BBQ (and craft breweries) and Central BBQ is fantastic in my opinion.
koaparlor at 9:47AM on 05/27/09
Lived in Memphis a couple of years now and I have to second Central BBQ and the Mexican places on Summer, especially Taqueria La Guadalupana - fantastic food.
If you're downtown, you may want to try the Little Tea Shop which is a meat and three place, not only is the food good, the free corn bread sticks are awesome. Gus's Fried Chicken is also about the best fried chicken I've had in quite a while. I personally like the ribs at Blues City Café on Beale as well.
Pho Vietnam and Saigon Le have great Vietnamese food. If you want to drive a little (40 min. or so from downtown depending on traffic), Sakura in Germantown, TN has some great sushi and there are options that are distinctly Memphis, like spicy crawfish rolls and deep fried rolls.
Folk’s Folly, Ruth’s Chris and The Butcher Shop have great steaks if you’re looking for something a little fancier (and pricier). For a beer I usually head to Flying Saucer or Celtic Crossing. I think someone mentioned Bardog - I haven’t been yet but it’s been getting fantastic reviews.
Also have to second the fried pickle suggestions and add BBQ nachos and BBQ spaghetti to the list. Yes, I know it's wrong - but come on, it's a Memphis thing!
mag13 at 10:22AM on 05/27/09
It seems to me that many of the famous "got to eat there" places come up short of expectations.
We were recently in Memphis for a wedding and went to Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ. Ordered the sampler platter to get a taste of everything. The pork ribs and BBQ spaghetti were the only items above mediocre.
Didn't have time to go, but heard that the burgers at Huey's are good.
chip71 at 11:13AM on 05/27/09
chip71 - I think you're absolutely right. The hole in the wall places are so much better than many of the famous places.
mag13 at 11:19AM on 05/27/09
Frank's Main St. Market & Deli on South Main St. may not grab your attention as you walk by, but the well-used and battered smoker sitting by the curb should be a tip-off. Frank's smokes their own meats and the Turkey Breast sandwich with wood-smoked bacon and chipotle mayo is decadent, sturdy, and full of meat. They also have an intriguingly eclectic beer selection that is an unexpected treat.
It's definitely one for the "hole in the wall" gang!
marmot at 11:28AM on 05/27/09
My husband and I did a rib tour of Memphis a year and a half ago. We ate at Rendezvous, Central BBQ, Germantown Commissary and Paynes. Rendezvous was a dry rub, and a bit tough, but I did love the atmosphere. Central BBQ was pretty standard good barbecue. Good, but not out of this world good. Payne's was terrible. The ribs may have been good, I can't remember, but the sides were atrocious. The beans seemed to be cooked with white sugar, and the cole slaw was yellow mustard based. The best, by far, was Germantown Commissary. The ribs were slow cooked, dry rubbed, with sauce on the side. Also, I'd recommend you try some tamales while down there. They are on just about every menu. We also had an 8 month pregnant, deaf in one ear waitress at Germantown. She was great!
fyrebelley at 11:51AM on 05/27/09
Leslie Kelly's great "Whining and Dining" blog at http://lesliekellywhininganddining.blogspot.com/ has multiple entries about Memphis eats - just search on Memphis to get posts on some of her favorites [here is a recent post: http://lesliekellywhininganddining.blogspot.com/2009/02/walkin-in-memphispics-from-my-filling.html]
studyzone at 12:02PM on 05/27/09
For some reason, the link in my previous post didn't work (the trailing bracket, I think) - sorry! Here is the correct link:
http://lesliekellywhininganddining.blogspot.com/2009/02/walkin-in-memphispics-from-my-filling.html
studyzone at 12:04PM on 05/27/09
As follow-up on a couple things people have posted...
I would say that Huey's is pretty good, but actually the Germantown Commissary listed for BBQ has a better burger. The downside is they take forever to make, so it's best to order it right when you walk in and they take your drink order.
For sushi, Sekura is really good, but if you don't want to head all the way out east (assuming you're downtown), I would go to Blue Fin on Main Street instead.
Actually, any of the restaurants around Blue Fin would be good choices for delicious food. McEwan's, Circa, Felicia Suzanne's, The Majestic Grill, Grill 83, etc. are all good choices.
Someone suggested the Little Tea Shop. That's actually right next to Bardog (which I mentioned in my first post). I will add that the Little Tea Shop is something of the place to see and be seen at lunch. It's always full of attorneys, and usually has one or two local politicians.
Someone also mentioned the Cupboard. Similar in style to the Little Tea Shop, but a bit further from the downtown core. It also recently got a pretty bad health inspection score, so that's something to keep in mind (though I have never gotten sick eating there).
It's also clear that we have a decent number of Serious Eaters here in Memphis, and we should get together to have a bite/drink at some point.
dbrackst at 2:01PM on 05/27/09
How on earth is a spicy crawfish roll "distinctly Memphis"?
leighana at 3:44PM on 05/27/09
Rendezvous for ribs! Hands down my fav. Corky's has pretty good wet ribs if you prefer them that way.
misterhee at 3:46PM on 05/27/09
I lost ten pounds on my trip to Memphis because it was 105 degrees and I was with people who preferred to eat canned tuna and cheese sandwiches to spending the money on real food. It wasn't a good time, though I did look fabulous in the dress I brought for the wedding that was our impetus for being there.
The best meal of the trip was the bride's father's slow-cooked beef stew. Lord knows I've been trying to replicate it for ... 9 years now.
Stufsocker at 4:04PM on 05/27/09
Leighana - Don't know if you've been there but they use some interesting ingredients and combinations that aren't traditional, the spicy crawfish is just one of my favorites. Just my opinion...
mag13 at 4:32PM on 05/27/09
Best thing I ate in Memphis: barbecue spaghetti from Neely's Interstate barbecue.
July at 7:22PM on 05/27/09
Unless things have changed, the waitresses at Flying Saucer wear tight shirts, schoolgirl skirts and knee high socks.
I absolutely loved it there.
Helldog at 2:31AM on 05/28/09
July - Agree with you on the barbeque spaghetti at Interstate. If I ever go back, that is the only thing I would order.
chip71 at 9:41AM on 05/28/09
what about blue plate cafe on poplar??
they have AMAZING fried pickles & fried green tomatoes, complimentary cornbread and biscuits on the table and they used to have a 5 cent hamburger night back in the day. classic yummy southern food in a country bumpkin-ish setting. i miss it a lot.
laurbelle2 at 3:37PM on 05/28/09
There's also a Blue Plate Cafe just off Court Square downtown, but I think it's only open at lunch. Can't say I'm familiar with any 5 cent burgers, but they do have pretty tasty all-you-can-eat catfish on Fridays and Saturdays (maybe just at night, though).
dbrackst at 6:02PM on 05/28/09
Sweet, I am headed home to Memphis and this thread had some great info!
@laurbelle2 Haven't tried fried pickles at Blue Plate! I can't resist their biscuits and usually stop by before flying back to LA. Love their homey setting.
marieinla at 3:39PM on 05/29/09