Charlie Vergos' RendezvousBarbecue restaurant · $$ · Downtown
Down an alley in a basement since 1948, and still the loudest argument for dry rub over sauce. Charcoal ribs, a lamb-chop looking rack, waiters who have worked there for decades. Closed Sunday and Monday, so plan around it.
Open since 1977 and the pick most Memphis people make when nobody is watching. Get the barbecue Cornish hen, which almost nowhere else does, plus the BBQ spaghetti. Lunch and early dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday.
735 North Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38105
Payne's Bar-B-QueBarbecue restaurant · $ · South Memphis
A converted gas station serving the chopped pork sandwich with mustard slaw that people fly in for. Cash-friendly, no frills, tiny hours. Lunch only, Tuesday through Saturday, and it sells out.
1762 Lamar Ave, Memphis, TN 38114
The Bar-B-Q ShopBarbecue restaurant · $$ · Midtown
Home of Dancing Pigs sauce and the ribs on Texas toast. The BBQ spaghetti here is the version other places are copying. Family run, comfortable, and less of a scene than the downtown places.
1782 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Central BBQ$$ · Downtown
The most reliable BBQ in town and the easiest to get into late. This location sits a block from the Civil Rights Museum. Order the nachos on house-made chips even if you already ordered too much.
Breakfast in Memphis
Sunrise Memphis$ · Victorian Village
Breakfast all day, biscuit sandwiches, and a counter line that moves. Local art on the walls and no pretense anywhere. The right move on a morning where you need food fast and cheap.
Brother Juniper'sBreakfast restaurant · $ · University District
A nationally recognized breakfast joint that is still just a small room near the University of Memphis. Order the San Diegan. Expect a wait, and know they close by 1pm.
3519 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN 38111
The Beauty ShopNew American restaurant · $$ · Cooper-Young
Karen Carrier built this in the salon where Priscilla Presley got her hair done, dryer chairs and all. Weekend brunch is genuinely good, not just a gimmick, and the room photographs itself.
966 Cooper St #5611, Memphis, TN 38104
The Majestic GrilleBar & grill · $$ · Downtown, South Main
A 1913 silent movie house with the films still projected on the wall while you eat. Weekend brunch runs 11 to 3 with a solid bloody mary. Central to everything downtown.
145 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103
The Arcade RestaurantBreakfast restaurant · $ · South Main Arts District
Memphis's oldest cafe, open since 1919, with the neon and vinyl booths intact and Elvis's corner booth still there. Sweet potato pancakes are the order. Open 7am to 3pm daily and it fills up on weekend mornings.
540 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103
Steaks in Memphis
Folk's Folly Prime Steak HouseSteak house · $$$$ · East Memphis
Memphis's classic prime steakhouse, dry-aged beef and old-school service.
551 S Mendenhall Rd, Memphis, TN 38117
Porch & ParlorSteak house · $$$$ · Overton Square address; also Medical District
The Southern steakhouse Memphis leans on for a real night out. Prime beef, a serious bar, and a room that feels like an old house someone spent money on. Reserve, it fills up.
2125 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Flight Restaurant and Wine BarFine dining restaurant · $$$$ · Downtown, South Main
Everything comes in threes, small portions of three dishes with three wines poured to match. Sounds fussy, eats great, and the steak flight lets you try three cuts instead of committing. Walking distance from the downtown hotels.
39 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103
Char RestaurantSteak house · $$$ · Highland Row
A Southern steakhouse where the sides matter as much as the beef, so get the filet with crab claws and the mac. Live piano in the bar from 5:30 to 8:30 nightly, and they serve lunch, which most steakhouses here do not.
431 S Highland St #120, Memphis, TN 38111
Seafood in Memphis
The Half ShellSeafood restaurant · $$ · East Memphis
Running since 1973, which in a landlocked BBQ town means they earned it. Oysters, fried catfish, etouffee, and rotating weekly specials. Dark, clubby, full bar, good after a late show.
688 S Mendenhall Rd, Memphis, TN 38117
Soul Fish CafeSeafood restaurant · $$ · Cooper-Young
The catfish plate people actually mean when they say fried fish in Memphis. Po'boys, hushpuppies, three vegetables on the side, pie at the end. Casual enough to walk in alone.
862 Cooper St, Memphis, TN 38104
Coastal Fish CompanyFine dining restaurant · $$$ · Shelby Farms Park
Sits right on Hyde Lake inside Shelby Farms, so it is the one seafood room in Memphis with a view worth the drive. Flown-in fish, a real raw bar, and a patio at sunset. Book ahead on weekends.
415 Great View Dr E, Memphis, TN 38134
The Second LineRestaurant · $$ · East Memphis
Kelly English's New Orleans room reopened in Laurelwood in April 2026 after leaving Overton Square. The fried oyster salad and the po-boys on Leidenheimer bread flown in from New Orleans are the point. First come, first served, no reservati
4550 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38117
Top Tables in Memphis
Restaurant Iris$$$$ · East Memphis
Kelly English's flagship, French-Creole fine dining that's been a Memphis special-occasion staple for years.
Folk's Folly Prime Steak HouseSteak house · $$$$ · East Memphis
Memphis's classic prime steakhouse, dry-aged beef and old-school service.
551 S Mendenhall Rd, Memphis, TN 38117
Char RestaurantSteak house · $$$ · Cooper-Young
Steaks and Southern-leaning plates in a sleek Cooper-Young dining room.