Where to Eat in Memphis
Make the most of Memphis with this guide to the city's must-try restaurants for barbecue, pizza, burgers and beyond.
Music and Meals
Cozy Corner BBQ
Blue Plate Cafe
The original yellow cottage along Poplar became so popular that two other locations were added for this longtime Memphis breakfast joint, where pancake stacks come fluffy and the biscuits are soft. The Huevos Rancheros are a standout in a newspaper-style menu that includes omelets, oatmeal and anything your breakfast-loving heart could ever want.
Arcade Restaurant
Interstate BBQ
Garibaldi's
A local hotspot which draws loyal University of Memphis alumni long after they’ve graduated, this old-school pizza joint delivers on hand-tossed pies served with a variety of toppings. Step back into the 1980s (or earlier) and experience a place where you can still bust a score on Ms. Pac-Man, share slices of good pie on paper plates and sing along to Purple Rain with everyone else in the restaurant.
Gibson's Donuts
Since 1968, this friendly local doughnut shop has offered its raised and cake pastries to a never-ending stream of customers. Of note: blueberry fills with both blueberry coulis and whipped cream — a local favorite. Best of all, Gibson’s is open 24 hours a day. Booths and tables are limited, so get yours to go.
Central BBQ
When it comes to Memphis barbecue wars, Central almost always ranks in the top three or four. Its magnificent dry-rubbed pork ribs are impossibly succulent, and the popular barbecue nachos (served with pork or chicken, cheese and jalapenos) are an excellent dish to share; the hot chicken wings are also a perennial favorite. The original location offers an oversized outdoor patio as well as an ample dining room.
Gus's Fried Chicken
If you go to Gus’s for anything but fried chicken, you’ll likely soon change your mind. Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt’s fried chicken was well-known to the citizens of Mason, Tennessee: With local support, Na constructed and opened the first restaurant, Maggie’s Short Orders, in 1973. Na’s son, Vernon “Gus” Bonner, inherited the recipe and the restaurant. Family friend and Memphian Wendy McCrory brought the restaurant’s distinctive flavors to Memphis in 2001. Get your chicken with beans and greens and other things, but expect a line, especially when nearby Beale Street is hoppin’.
Payne's BBQ
Sweet and tangy barbecue sauce and an extraordinarily pungent sweet and sour yellow coleslaw differentiate the cheap, comforting sandwiches and plates you’ll get at this old cinderblock stop along Lamar Avenue. Smoked sausages and chopped and pulled pork star on the simple menu, though the best secret may be the sloppy smoked-barbecue sandwiches, served on white bread with a smile and a cheery greeting at the counter.
Dyer's
Since 1912, a single vat of grease (strained daily) has been utilized in the frying of countless millions of burger patties served at this Beale Street institution. In fact, when the restaurant was moved to Beale Street a short while back, a parade commenced in which the fat vat was carefully transported. Many claim this ancient cast iron edifice is the source of the worldâs most unique burger flavor. Get a seat at the bar to watch the burger making in action. (Tip: Turn your burger over when you get it so the top bun gets the grease and the bottom bun doesnât disintegrate).
Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous
A brotherly argument over a meat-and-three restaurant called Wimpy’s started this back-alley barbecue basement in 1948. Originally opened as a beer-and-ham-sandwich joint, the Rendezvous quickly gained renown for its dry-rub ribs. Mr. Charlie’s coal-chute smoker still flavors the air near the Peabody Hotel, and you’ll find the interior packed with individuals visiting from all over the world.
Uncle Lou's
Fried chicken is another thing Memphians argue over. Uncle Lou’s stands out thanks to its own version, which is dunked in a mild or spicy sauce similar to General Tso’s. The piquant and sweet flavor is singular, and is well paired with crinkle-cut fries. Not in the mood for chicken? Consider the Fat Boy, a hot ham-turkey-and-cheese sandwich that’s the perfect Memphis answer to a Monte Cristo.
Las Delicias
Huey's
A specially ground beef blend and proprietary seasoning ensure the always-consistent, hearty and tasty World Famous Huey Burger, a flavor that’s just as Memphis as any barbecue rub. Originally opened as a single-location bar in 1970, Huey’s has launched nearly a dozen more locations across the greater Memphis metropolis. Look around and you’ll see the city well represented through posters, memorabilia and writing on the walls. Look up, and discover a forest of toothpicks in the ceiling tiles. Remember, sharp end out when you’re blowing yours in with a straw.
Paulette's
Quiet elegance and high-end service mark this Harbor Town favorite, which delivers on the promise of romantic, high-end dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Paulette’s serves Hungarian and French dishes alongside regional favorites. Prix-fixe breakfast features choices like Tennessee bacon and sausage, creamy grits and excellent potatoes.
The Lookout
Second Line
Kooky Canuck
Casablanca
Felicia Suzanne's
Part of a budding new culinary corridor in downtown Memphis, Chef Felicia Suzanne Willett reinterprets traditional dishes of the Mid-South as haute cuisine. Duck quesadillas, salmon deviled eggs and a sublime version of shrimp and grits, capture local tradition in gorgeous presentations with familiar flavors at her eponymous Felicia Suzanne’s. The caramelized onion tart, an overlooked item which requires almost 30 minutes of preparation, is a sweet and savory joy you should experience at least once.
Alcenia's
Expect a hug on your visit to this brightly colored shop near the Pyramid, where the Kool-Aid is extraordinarily sweet and the dishes are day-glow and plastic. Fried chicken, meatloaf and fried green tomatoes star on a menu packed with soul food delights such as yams, greens and black-eyed peas. A Saturday brunch with salmon croquettes is not to be missed.
