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Memphis, TN


JLK

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I leave for Memphis tomorrow very early in the morning. Another work trip. I expect to have a solo lunch before my colleague arrives, and will have dinner with a local either Monday or Tuesday. This leaves me with at least two meals I can influence.

I'm aware of Rendezvous, but what else should I seek out or avoid. I'll be staying downtown at the Marriott, and will have a rental car (although I'd prefer to avoid traveling too much).

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I leave for Memphis tomorrow very early in the morning. Another work trip. I expect to have a solo lunch before my colleague arrives, and will have dinner with a local either Monday or Tuesday. This leaves me with at least two meals I can influence.

I'm aware of Rendezvous, but what else should I seek out or avoid. I'll be staying downtown at the Marriott, and will have a rental car (although I'd prefer to avoid traveling too much).

JLK,

You are staying near the Convention Center. Do not be alarmed, there is really nothing near (i.e. within a couple of blocks of the hotel). All you have to do is catch the trolley and go to the commercial center of downtown for some good food. I have limited my suggestions to restaurants in the downtown area near Trolley stops.

Automatic Slims is always a hit. It is on South Second across from the Peabody. Upscale southern food with a twist. I have taken many a New Yorker, Los Angeleno, San Franciscan etc to Slims with great success. Yum. (83 South Second Street , Memphis , TN 38103)

McEwens used to be a mainstay on my dining out list. If you like wine, apparently they have a really good selection. It is on Monroe, within a 1/2 block of the trolley stop at Main and Monroe. (McEwens) GREAT place for lunch. The bar at nice is always good too... dinner is fine as well, the portions used to be "manly".

I would be remiss not to mention a Memphis tradition of the "meat and three" at the Little Tea Shop. It is the perfect place to get lunch. You will experience Memphis like most who visit do not get to. This is a place where leaders, black and white, liberal and conservative, gather to break bread. Delicious, addictive and I am sure laced with some illegal substance, cornbread. What makes this place even more unique is the owner, Suhair Lauck is a true character of Southern proportions even though she is originally from the Middle East. Her cousin owns the Peanut Shop on Main which is a real treat to visit.

Cornbread or...

Oh and Memphis is home to a Gus' Fried Chicken which was once declared the best fried chicken in the United States by the esteemed food magazine GQ (or some such men's fashion magazine). Having had the chicken from the original Gus' in Mason TN, the Memphis one just doesn't cut it for me. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is skin on the bone (seriously, once I had a breast that had just enough meat to support the skin.) (310 S. Front not far from the Civil Rights Museum)

For BBQ, I prefer Interstate, Central BBQ, the BBQ Shop and Cozy Corner. However, all of these are mom and pop type operations (Interstate, Cozy Corner and BBQ Shop are family run, Central BBQ is a partnership) and sometimes they have off days. However, they are all top of their games for Memphis BBQ. Please do not judge Memphis BBQ by the Rendezvous. It is what it is, and what it is is a tourist place with a great big room to host parties.

I'll add more later but these are the places I most recommend.

Nancy

p.s. Since you asked, I would avoid Felicia Suzannes (not as good as McEwens)

p.p.s. I don't know how long you'll be in Memphis or what your interests are but I have to throw some suggestions out about cultural stuff to do:

1) The National Civil Rights Museum is an incredible museum which addresses both the depressing and uplifiting equally well. Civil Rights Museum

2) Soulsville: The museum of American Soul (Soulsville) Not too far from Downtown, but a cab ride would be required... check with your hotel for transportation

3) Sun Studios: A two room exhibit focused on Sun Records. The studio is available for use for $75 an hour but the tour is significantly less. Sun Studio

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try to make it to Buntyn (2 locations; one in east memphis, the other in midtown) if you want some really good food. be prepared to take some out with you and definitely have the lemonade.

huey's also has awesome burgers of all kinds. also a.schwab (general store) is an awesome place to pick up blues tapes and souvenier-type stuff (in addition to a million other kinds of things. some of the stuff sold in there stopped being mass-marketed in the 50s and 60s).

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I look forward to your report from Blues City. Next time we'll get you to Central BBQ which is da bomb!

Anyway, I think Buntyn is closed. They shuttered a couple of years ago but we stopped going while it was still on Southern because my Mom was shocked that they used canned veggies. The Cupboard is still going strong and is just as much a tradition in Memphis. The Cupboard

Schwabs is awesome. It used to be even more awesome but Mr. Schwab died a few years ago. We used to take field trips to Schwabs back in the day to see how many people could fit in the world's largest pair of jeans. I still like to go in to buy penny candy when I am on Beale during the day.

I forgot about Hueys. They do make good burgers and stay open late. They are also all over the city but unlike the 5 Guys chain in DC, Hueys is a sit down restaurant that serves everything from burgers to fried mushroom. It is pub grub in a family environment. In fact, the founders' families all work for the enterprise. Hueys When my nephew was in Memphis visiting us, we pulled up to Hueys out East on a Sunday night. He said "Aunt Nancy, I do not feel like eating at Hueys tonight because they have music. Everywhere in Memphis has music." It is realy odd but true, even the burger joints have live music in Memphis.

If you ever find yourself in Memphis when there is a baseball game at Redbirds Stadium, most definitely go. Not only is it a fabulous field, you can get really good, and only in Memphis, BBQ nachos.

I thought this link was cool

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i'm so sad to hear that buntyn closed! i hadn't been there in ages, but it's not surprising. i am usually visiting family when i go back, so i hardly get to eat out. the one on southern was definitely better than the one in east memphis. i'm not at all surprised about the canned veggies. you could at least tell that the okra and green beans were canned. i typically forgave them by the time i ate the fish, though.

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I was in Memphis just last week and stayed at the Madison Hotel downtown. If you are looking for something upscale, the restaurant in the Madision, Grill 83, was very good. I had an order of their polenta fries and the pork chop. The pork chop was a triple rib unit that was perfectly cooked with a nice sauce.

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Thanks to all! I was in fact offered box seats to tonight's Redbirds game, but I'm too swamped to go. :) I'm sneaking out for a "business" cocktail at the Flying Saucer soon, but will be chained to my hotel desk for the rest of the night.

We had lunch at Alfred's today which was OK. It was close and convenient to Fed Ex Forum, but I don't think any of us will be racing back. My colleague and I were just glad, at the time, to steer our client and his parents away from the Hard Rock Cafe.

Blues City Cafe for dinner last night was pretty good. We all had the half rack which comes with mediocre Texas Toast, slaw and good baked beans (the portion of beans is tiny). For dessert, the four of us shared two apple dumplings. Served sizzling with ice cream (quickly melting) on top, the dessert is large, delicious and easily shared.

For breakfast this morning, my colleague and I headed to the very casual Cafe Francisco. I liked it well enough, but the place (IMO) crosses the line between quirky/eclectic and dingy/dark/possibly not the cleanest. The funniest part was when I asked the the ultra-thin, tattooed, pierced counterperson if they have breakfast meats (none were listed on the "Sides" portion of the menu). She announced herself as a vegetarian and said "I have no idea. Really." Eventually she located a side of bacon for me so I was content.

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A few years ago I enjoyed a late-night plate of ribs and sides at Blues City (thanks, NCPinDC for helping me remember the name of the place!). I liked their ribs better than Rendezvous, which I tried a couple of nights later.

I also had a good burger and fries at Hueys (thanks again, NCPinDC). Where else do burger joints have live music?

Thanks for your report, JLK, and I look forward to more. Someday I'll get back to Memphis. :)

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Here I am again. :) Tonight I joined a local work associate who has become a friend for beer and bar grub at The Flying Saucer. It's a chain, but a regional one, from what I can tell, and I really enjoyed the many, many beers that were available. In addition to a "Kick Ass Chicken Sandwich" (consisting of grilled chicken breast, pesto mayo, a mix of white cheeses, lettuce and tomatoes on decent foccacia), I had an Abita Amber and another beer I loved: Rogue Rotator. Awesome amber with a deep burnt caramel finish.

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JG: Funny, I am not a fan of Grill 83. Next time you are in Memphis I recommend trying McEwens for comparison. Or the new restaurant at the Hunt Phelan which I have heard is quite good.

On the other hand I love the Madison. It is a great hotel with really good management. I prefer it to the Peabody for a number of reasons except for the ducks. Hope you had a good time... nice to see people doing business in Memphis.

Back to the order at hand:

JLK:

I have been known to have work cocktails at Redbird Stadium! Seriously, I'd go for a few innings and socialize while eating BBQ Nachos.

Having been dragged to the Hard Rock on Beale for lunches and dinners, it is what you would expect. I never went happily.

The Flying Saucer is hysterical. Again, only went there when forced, but I enjoyed the people watching very much.

You summed up my memories of Cafe Francisco to a tee. Oddly enough it is one of two off shoots of San Francisco coffee shops in Memphis. Queztal opened in 2005. It is large, has wi-fi, roasts its own coffee and has a full menu. It is across the street from the Commercial Appeal office on Union so I imagine it has an interesting crowd of regulars.

Butterlamb: that is probably true. I don't remember the food at the Buntyn on Southern as much as I do my mom's seemingly real disappointment when she discovered the canned vegetables. We used to go there all the time though when I was little. Though I always enjoyed the trips to the Cupboard in its old location better. I think there was something more adventurous about going Downtown...

Do you remember Wiles Drugstore? This is a real drugstore with a soda fountain. Great milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. It is on Union not far from the fabulous Memphis Zoo if anybody is thinking about a trip to Memphis with kids, it is great.

To all:

One last note, there is a mini-empire of restaurants in Memphis that Karen Blockman Carrier owns. Each one of them is worthy of a visit: Automatic Slims, The Beauty Shop and Cielo. When Karen moved back to Memphis, she wanted a restaurant like you would find in New York. So she opened Automatic Slims. Well, Automatic Slims (which she co-owns) in New York is a neighborhood bar of sorts. In Memphis it is a really good restaurant. The Beauty Shop is a fun concept with good food in the Cooper Young area. Cielo is one of the most romantic restaurants to which I have been. It is housed in a Victorian Mansion.

Memphis is a great place to spend a long weekend. For a city its size there are more things to do than you can fit in a three day weekend. While it is not New York, I have had meals in Memphis that rival any of the ones I have had in Washington.

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On the other hand I love the Madison. It is a great hotel with really good management. I prefer it to the Peabody for a number of reasons except for the ducks. Hope you had a good time... nice to see people doing business in Memphis.
My business conference was at the Peabody. I briefly contemplated putting some decoys in the lobby fountain and blending in at the lobby bar with my shotgun and .....
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My business conference was at the Peabody. I briefly contemplated putting some decoys in the lobby fountain and blending in at the lobby bar with my shotgun and .....
That is the funniest thing I have read in forever! Laughing even harder because the hotel used to have a restaurant called Ducks. Yes, they had duck on the menu. Used to bother me when I was a kid actually.
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Memphis is also quite easy to get around, whether using the trolley downtown ($1) or driving (12 miles to the airport from downtown - a breeze).

Now I'm in NYC though so until my next trip to Memphis (likely October)...thanks!

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I am on a mission of mercy for a friend travelling to Memphis in October. She is visiting a good friend who is from North Carolina who swears there is no good bbq in Memphis.

Since this is clearly a style issue, my friend wants to try anyway!

Due to scheduling constraints, she needs something somewhat near thr Civil Rights Museum. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Jennifer

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Just came back from 10 days in Memphis. Here are my thoughts on the restaurants I visited:

-Rendezvous, 52nd S Second St. If you like dry rub BBQ ribs, this is the place to go. Staff gets you in and out as fast as they can. There was a waiting line at 9pm; we ate at the bar to eliminate waiting; order was taken and first course arrived under 8 minutes. The sides were pleasingly flavorful here versus most other rib and chicken places we visited. Many consider this place a tourist trap: I enjoyed my entrapment here and willing to do it again.

-MeEwen's on Monroe, 122 Monroe Ave. Contemporary French style food. I had a wonderful salad and seared scallop appetizer and a nice Chardonnay. The scallops were remarkable; the salad was not lacking for flavor either. Decent wine selection; great staff. Would go back.

-Interstate Barbeque (Neeley's), 2265 S third St. I do not know what all the fuss is about. Disappointment reigned at our table. The beef ribs, pork ribs, and pulled pork were good but unremarkable. We were pleased that they had a beef rib offerening, but were underwhelmed with the finished porduct. With so many good BBQ options in Memphis, I do not need to revisit this establishment.

-Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, 310 S Front St. Go there just for the chicken. The crust is crunchy, flavorful, not greasy; meat is moist and flavorful. I have been there twice, have tried several sides, underwhelmed with all of them.

-The Pier, 100 Wagner Place. DO NOT EAT HERE. All around bad experience for all (except wine was good).

-Wangs' China Bistro, 113 S Main Street, #101. Good food, not a destination.

-Pearl's Oyster. Long time establishment. Fresh oysters daily. Great price and preparation. Will go back.

-Bluefin, 135 S Main. Very good Sushi. Very happy with the food preparation and presentation. Upbeat, contemporary atmosphere. Waitress more interested in serving male customers rather than women and families.

-Little Tea Shop. Only open for lunch. The food is good and a good value. The fried chicken was very good and the sides had more flavor than other Memphis restaruants. Would do lunch there again.

-Harry's, located in Arts district. Had their signature Halibut sandwich for lunch. It was perfrectly cooked, the sauce complimented the fish well. Good sandwich, probably would not go back.

-Blue Plate Cafe, 113 Court Sq S. It is edible food only. I like food with a little flavor even in a diner like place. Will not return to this location.

-Peabody Hotel. Had Sunday Brunch. Large selection of flavorful foods. Only a couple of selections were not worth the time or calories; overall creative menu and selections. Would go back.

-Grill 83 at the Madison Hotel, 83 Madison Ave. Had a wonderful cocktail in the bar with very attentive staff. Would go back for a drink. On Thursday nights they have a sunset party on the roof with local band and drinks. Wonderful view of the river and sunset.

-Corky's BBQ. went there a couple of years ago. Was thoroughly impressed. would go back.

I have to go back again next week. Will update list later.

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So, Azami and I are unexpectedly going to be in Memphis for two days while we get our clutch repaired. :mellow: Neither of us has ever been there. Would love recommendations for drinks and dining, reasonably priced (say ~$10-$15 for entrees). We'll eat pretty much anything except peanut-heavy cuisines. Azami would appreciate barbecue recs. :unsure:

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BBQ Shop is great, particularly the ribs. Also, while my wife and I went to Memphis for a weekend a few months ago just to eat barbecue, the most memorable meal we had was at Gus' Fried Chicken. Great breading (which stays on the chicken) with just the right amount of heat. Wash it down with a 40 ounce bottle of Bud.

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We did a decent amount of eating during our three days in Memphis. The first night, we ended up at Tops BBQ (local chain) near our hotel because Interstate is closed on Sunday nights. It was cheap and filling (decent amount of meat, beans, slaw, and bread for $5.35), but not particularly memorable. The slaw was mustardy and not overly sweet (Azami's preference), and the best bits of pork were in the beans. The serving of chopped shoulder itself had little flavor and needed the sauce poured over top of it. We also enjoyed drinks and duck time at the Peabody beforehand.

On Monday, we stopped by Interstate (2265 South Third Street) on our way into downtown. We both had the five-bone pork sparerib platter with slaw, beans, and white bread ($9.50; $9.00 for four-bone platter). The ribs were fantastic. They fell off the bone, but remained moist, probably helped along by their baste of tangy sauce. They had great smoke flavor. Beans were good, but the slaw tasted unfortunately like KFC slaw to me and was too sweet for Azami.

We spent Tuesday sightseeing, stopping by Automatic Slim's (83 Second Street) for lunch. The cook had had to run out for a family emergency, so the host originally told us he couldn't do lunch, but retracted and offered us sandwiches (all $8) to accompany our cocktails. Azami had a mint julep and a cold cut sub, I had a Mojito and a grilled chicken sandwich. Azami raved about his sub: salami, prosciutto, capicola, roasted red pepper spread, oil/vinegar, and fontina, served warm on baguette. My grilled chicken was delicious: chicken breast, pesto, arugula, crisp bacon, and Swiss, toasted on sourdough. Sammiches came with housemade potato chips, which were delightfully thin and crisp, but needed shots of salt and pepper. This place had great atmosphere and featured a local artist's work on its walls.

For dinner, we met up with some local friends who took us to one of their favorite local joints, Amerigo (1239 Ridgeway Road). Amerigo is a local restaurant using locally grown and raised produce and meats, according to my friends. I had grilled salmon with sun-dried tomato butter and a corn/black bean/green bean saute -- really delicious. Azami enjoyed his wild mushroom ravioli. I can't recall what our friends had.

We had been planning to return to the Stax Museum and head to Germantown Commissary for more BBQ before we left town, but the car was finished early and we just wanted to hit the road, having lost three days already. Perhaps on the way back. . .

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We did stop by Germantown Commissary (2290 Germantown Rd. S) on our way back through Memphis. Service isn't anything to write home about, but the place is tightly packed, tiny, and crazy busy, so servers probably don't have time to engage in pleasantries. The food was good and reasonably cheap. I had the 1/2 BBQ chicken, Azami had the pulled pork shoulder plate. Both came with slaw (the sweet kind), beans, a deviled egg, and a dinner roll. Both of us thought our meats were on the dry side (my chicken breast was, anyway; the thigh is in my fridge waiting to be devoured). Azami preferred the hot (and it is hot) sauce to the mild when mixed with his shoulder. GC had the best beans of the three BBQ joints we visited, with a deep, rich, slightly tomatoey flavor. I finished up with homemade banana pudding, which had good flavor, few banana chunks, and some good cookie (poundcake?) chunks.

We were glad we'd hopped off I-40 to try it, but it didn't top our limited personal survey of BBQ. Our overall favorite was Interstate.

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Had some nice meals in the Memphis area recently, the best one being at The Little Tea Shop. I was there in July, but must have forgotten to post about it then. It's a great local spot that only serves lunch (as has been noted above), with changing daily menu specials. The corn sticks aren't to be missed, and go well with the Little Tea Plate; Tuesday's combo was lentils and spinach and two veggies. I stayed veg and got the greens and blackeyed peas (yes, lots of beans and greens). My dining companion was very happy with the fried chicken and cobbler. Definitely worth a visit for some Southern hospitality and good home cooking.

Two meals with large groups were handled well at both The Majestic Grille and The Rendezvous. The Majestic is housed in the location of an old movie theater and old films are broadcast on the high back wall. Their version of a Waldorf Salad, to which I added grilled salmon was fresh and satisfying. The table shared some of the 'signature' flatbreads which were all quite good. Dishes that others enjoyed included the grilled pork tenderloin and the shrimp and scallop linguini. Thumbs up for friendly efficient service at 9:00 on a Tuesday night for a group of 12.

The Rendezvous seated us (again, a large group) quickly and fed us fast, too. Dry rub ribs were good, if not the best I've ever had. I really liked the mustard-based slaw and the server brought us out the sausage and cheese appetizer because we "needed" to try it. A fun spot to check out, if you're in the area.

Another place I tried in July was Flying Fish, a regional chain that serves a variety of grilled/fried/broiled seafood. Reasonably priced and with a menu that should have something to please just about anyone (as long as you're not looking for fine dining).

Not in Memphis, but still in Shelby County, I discovered Talk of the Town in Millington. It's small Filipino restaurant serving traditional fare, including adobo, pancit, and lumpia. The setting is very basic, but the service was friendly and the food was simple, good, and cheap.

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Any new intel on downtown Memphis? I will be staying at the Napoleon and attending a conference at the Westin Beale Street in early November. I loved Automatic Slim's the last time we were there and will have drinks at the Peabody one night. I'm interested in South of Beale and Majestic Grille, possibly also Blues City Cafe.

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