When I think of Memphis, one of the first things that comes to mind is food. Prior to moving here, I did quite a bit of traveling, both for work and pleasure. Everywhere I went, I took the time to try and find some of the best examples of local cuisine I could. I’m a firm believer that one of the best ways to get to know a culture is through its food. Over the years I have been lucky enough to enjoy many fine dishes of all sorts from around the country, but nothing could ever top some of the food I had in Memphis.
Like a lot of things in town, I’m not sure if most locals truly appreciate what an excellent array of restaurants we have here. One of my faithful guides in my travels was RoadFood.com, a celebration of local, neighborhood eateries across the country. The site never let me down in finding great, unique places to try during my travels. To demonstrate the robustness of the Memphis restaurant scene with a completely unscientific survey: Road Food has 4 entries in Louisville, 5 in St. Louis, 11 in Kansas City, and 19 in Memphis. Even the food mecca of New Orleans only has 22 entries!
With that said, most people only ever eat at a handful of restaurants. There are so many choices in town it can be overwhelming. For many, you find your favorites over time, occasionally try someplace new, but generally stick to what you know you’re going to like when you go out. As a newcomer to the city, I’m embarking on a culinary safari to make sure I don’t fall into that trap, and I’m simultaneously documenting it here at MemphisConnect to help others get a glimpse at what this city has to offer. My guide map will be the excellent website Where the Locals Eat which culls information from a variety of sources to create a list of the 100 best restaurants in the 50 biggest cities in the country. I’ll be eating at each of the places on the list, one a week, and reporting back on how it stacks up. I’m not a trained critic or chef, just a guy who has a good basic understanding of food and has been lucky enough to hone my taste buds at some of the best places around the country.
Any suggestions on where to hit first? Leave it in the comments.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by MemphisConnect, Gladys. Gladys said: RT @elizlemmonds: Which locally owned restaurants should Memphians Amy and Zach visit & review? Please post comments! http://bit.ly/65RKG0 [...]
Since no one will think to mention this little gem, I’m suggesting Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken. It feels like Memphis. Everyone else can mention the usual suspects.
Zach: Good to see you writing and enjoying your time in Memphis. Food/Wine/Drink is a real passion of mine outside of work and Memphis has not dissapointed since we arrived.
Las Delicias on Park has excellent street style tacos in the city (thanks Thomas Whitehead!); Deli Las Tortugas has some of the freshest Mexican I’ve had anywhere out in Germantown.
South of Beale’s new fall menu is fantastic. The best burgers I’ve had in the city source from Neola Farms beef (Interim and Cafe Eclectic); but Belmont Inn and Dyer’s are right there with them albeit in a different preparation. High end check Michael Anthony Kitchen and Bari; really anything in the projectgreenfork stable will be hard to go wrong with.
Lastly, be sure to check out marksmenus.com for a great way to peruse Memphis menus and rank/read feedback on individual items. Great Memphis company helping promote the places that make us unique.
Iris. Best restaurant in town, best chef in town. Actually, one of the best chefs in the country, according to Food and Wine magazine.
Kabob International on Dexter Road in Cordova. Great food prepared fresh daily, and the owners are some of the nicest people around. They have a web site (gotkabob.com) so you can check out the menu ahead of time to get an idea of their selections. They are around the corner from me, and it is my 14 year old son’s favorite place to eat.
One of my favorite fancy lunch spots is Brushmark in the Brooks Museum. Try the Peanut Soup – it’s so good. The burger is outstanding as well.
For quick, cheap, yummy sandwiches – you CANNOT get anything better than Kwik Chek on Madison. Don’t be fooled because it looks like a random convenience store.
Enjoy your safari! Can’t wait to follow your journey and get some new restaurant ideas!
Abyssinia on Poplar. First time there last week and already a huge fan. Not on the list you linked above. Vegetables are better than any Indian I’ve found in town (including Woodlands).
Las Delicias definitely. Pastor tacos, mole enchilada and best guacamole in town. Either location (Mendenhall S of Winchester or Park at Getwell) is good.
Amana Bakery on Winchester near Getwell. Best Middle Eastern in town. Make their own pita bread.
Saigon Le. Much written on this already.
Green Bamboo. Great noodle bowls if you are down in SE Memphis.
There can never be too much said about Abyssinia! Plus the owners are wonderful. I agree with Gregg- the vegetarian platter is amazing. The miser wat (spiced red lentils) is even a favorite of my carnivorous husband.
Los Comales and La Guadulapana on Summer in east Memphis are delicious and cheap. At the latter be sure to ask for salsa verde (if they don’t bring it at first).
I’ve heard great things about Milano’s Pizza in Bartlett and Sakura in Germantown- I can’t yet vouch for them personally but would love to hear your thoughts!
To address a couple of Elizabeth’s comments I prefer La Espiga to La Guadulapana because of their awesome bakery, but I’m not sure if they’re open anymore.
Just had my first meal at Sakura over the holidays and was not only impressed with the quantities but the quality! Great service and wonderful food that I simply could not stop eating. I brought home my leftovers and was munching on them the moment I walked in the door. Definitely a must visit for fans of delicious Japanese cuisine at low prices.
Lotsa good places have already been mentioned…
Abyssinia is a favorite with me too, and the owners deserve all of the free publicity they can get. They’re really sweet people.
Los Tortugas is certainly THE best “Mexican” in town, but it definitely isn’t the Tex/Mex beans and rice that many are unknowingly looking for.
For fried chicken, I prefer Gus’s, though.
Interim is probably the best all-around restaurant we have in Memphis right now, although the new restaurant Grace in Cooper Young is really making a run for that title.
As for best barbecue, Memphis’ supposed “official food,” you will never get a definitive answer. There are too many styles competing all at once here, and several places that stay on many people’s “favorites” list more for their gritty ambiance or alternative cred than for the actual food (and a few that stay on the favorite’s list of the general populace simply because of their 50 year old reputation, rather than because of their food). That said, Central BBQ is a somewhat recent addition to the city, but has proven a strong contender in the ribs category.
And the sushi at Do is better than some of the sushi I’ve had at top Japanese places in NYC.
The above mentioned restaurants are right up there on my list of favs too, although some I have not heard of but will be checking out.
Andrew/Michael Italian Kitchen (on Brookhaven) needs to be added to this list as well as Tsunami. And since it’s tucked away in the beautiful Botanic Gardens, it’s sometimes forgotten but Fratelli’s should be added as a great lunch spot.
Most of the time I go by who’s practicing sustainability in town, and there are quite a few! The Project Green Fork certified restaurants make the choices a little easier! Bon Appetit!
Not on the list, but also delicious & cozy are McEwen’s and Pete and Sam’s.
Memphis is NOT a city with a variety of upscale, decent food. It’s filled with pub grub, chain restaurants and bbq joints. Sorry, by comparison Memphis restaurants are very inferior to many other cities..even southern ones.
Memphis, over the years has managed to run in the ground fairly decent restaurants…some even darn good..for example Wally Joe, Jarrett’s, Cafe Max, Anthony’s,, Bistro 122, Swiss Manor and a few others.
If anyone thinks Memphis, TN is a ‘culinary town’ of excellence, I would think they have never lived anywhere else for any reasonable period of time !
It is NOT competitive with places in St Louis (and suburbs), Chicago, Charlotte, Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Dallas, and even a few places in southside Birmingham and suburban Hoover, Vestavia, Mountain Brook, and beyond.
Maybe people also think KROGER is a great grocery too ?? lol
It depends what you’re used to, and if you don’t know any better, you don’t know any better..
I’ve spoken to some idiots that think HOUSTON’s is an outstanding place to eat….or Folk’s Folly…..sorry, I don’t.
By comparison, Memphis is a rather weak ‘food town’, especially in fresh, inspired and innovative cuisine
That’s my own opinion,, based on years of experience in the city.
Name me two oustanding innovative upscale restaurants located in the allegedly affluent Germantown and Collierville…I’m listening