Eating around Memphis has been getting really fun in the last few years as the foodie scene has taken hold and attracted some really amazing restaurants. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world, and experience great food in places like SanFran, NYC, Chicago, Europe, etc. So, when I offer up the premise that Memphis has some really great places to dine, I hope you’re own experiences will jive with our recommended favorites.
Hog and Hominy is probably our favorite spot in town right now, and their sister joint next door, Porcellino’s (craft-butchery and cafe) is fantastic as well.
Best pizza in town is hands down Memphis Pizza Cafe–there was a time when this family was there probably 3 times a week.
Our default hangout place is Huey’s–we’ve consumed our weight several times over on their veggie burger, which is the best I’ve had anywhere in the world.
If Rach and I are hanging out for a special night, Flight has always been our go-to. We’ve also become big fans of Restaurant Iris and Second Line.
Best vegan spot in town is Imagine, run by a really delightful couple (Adam and Christy). DejaVu also has an incredible vegetarian/vegan menu.
Favorite fancy Italian is Bari and for a more casual scene you can never go wrong with Pete and Sams.
Our favorite breakfast stop is Brother Juniper’s. We also enjoy Cafe Eclectic and City East. We have been into brunching the last few years, and while we tried dozens around town, Boscos is definitely our favorite.
If we are dining by neighborhood, our favorites in Cooper-Young are Young Ave Deli for a snack, Celtic Crossing for drinks, Tsunami for a nice meal, and Mulan Chinese (in our opinion the best Chinese in town with Wangs a close second). This is a great part of town, and we always take out-of-town friends to this neighborhood to eat.
In South Main, we love South of Beale, and more recently have been enjoying Double J. We, like any good Memphian, have paid our homage to Cheesecake Corner more times than we care to count. Blue Monkey is a great place to hang out, and the Arcade is a must for anyone and everyone living in or visiting Memphis.
Downtown, we like Flying Fish for something quick. Automatic Slims is a great place to hang with friends, and more recently on the scene that we really like is Local. And if you’re in that tiny nether-region between South Main and downtown, you have to get some Gus’s chicken.
And just on the edge of downtown (Medical Center area), you can find a couple of our favorite spots in Memphis–Trolley Stop and Evelyn and Olive (I might have my last supper here!). A little further south you will find the best Thai food in Memphis at Bhan Thai.
We like everything on Broad, period. My personal favorite is the Cove!
A few other spots around town… If you can find it, Mister B’s is a delight. And while we are on the category of “if you can find it”, one of our favorite Japanese spots is Edo (on Summer, but tucked away). In that same area you will find quite possibly the coolest thing to happen to the Memphis food scene in decades–Elwood’s Shack.
I usually take the time to vote on the Memphis Magazine and Flyer annual reviews. When asked about the best chef in town I’ve always cast my vote for Jose Gutierrez. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never had an Erling Jensen dish that was less than amazing, and I do think Kelly English is all that and a bag of chips, but the cuisine at River Oaks has just always blown me away.
I’ve also been trying to write more Yelp reviews of late. Like every other human on the planet, I love the Internet and I found myself always being a consumer of info and reviews, not so much a contributor–trying to remedy that! If you’re interested in more detailed reviews of some of the good folks mentioned here, visit my Yelp page. Also, be sure to follow @choose901 and @ilovememphis.