Seeking Memphis Recommendations

Does anyone have any good ideas of inexpensive places to eat in Memphis? Our group is 11 adults and 2 kids. I would appreciate suggestions that are both kid friendly and not, as they will not always be joining us out. Also, any suggestions for bars, venues, late-night, etc. would also be appreciated. Thanks!

If you make it downtown, I recommend Rendevous. It's a funky old BBQ joint that is a cross between Pat's and Cunningham's(before it burned down). On Beale St. The Rum Boogie Cafe serves up pretty tasty Gumbo and red beans and rice. Also on Beale is Dyer's, famous for their burgers. Way out in the burbs on Germantown PKWY is also Corky's, another BBQ place(and my wifes personal favorite.)

[Robin Garr]

Does anyone have any good ideas of inexpensive places to eat in Memphis? Our group is 11 adults and 2 kids. I would appreciate suggestions that are both kid friendly and not, as they will not always be joining us out. Also, any suggestions for bars, venues, late-night, etc. would also be appreciated. Thanks!

Beth, if Ron Johnson happens along today, he lived and worked in the restaurant biz in Memphis and can help a lot.

Also, I have a very good friend who lives in Memphis, and I'll ask her to come up with a list for you. She's a flight attendant, though, and flying this week, so I may not be able to get back to you on this immediately.

But wait, there's more! Karen told me about a funny, useful Memphis blog by a woman who dines out with her children and reports on her experiences. Click:
<b>Dining With Monkeys</b>

Finally, the Memphis Flyer is MEM's equivalent of LEO and has pretty good dining and drinks reviews. Link to their Food & Wine index:
<b>Memphis Flyer</b>
The Commercial-Appeal, not a Gannett paper, has a better reputation for quality than the CJ, not that this is saying a lot. Still, here's a link to the CA's dining reviews:
<b>Memphis Commercial-Appeal</b>

We were in Memphis last year for a convention. We stumbled on this little place a block from the Marriott called Westy's. They had lots of cajun food, but offered blue plate specials and everything else under the sun. We liked it so much we went twice! Something like a 4 page menu! It's in an old building and is really fun. They have live music on weekends. Very kids friendly and something for every taste, for sure.

You should take the kids to the Peabody to see the ducks in the fountain

http://diningwithmonkeys.blogspot.com/

Based on my experiences with Memphis, Rendevous is NOT a great place to get BBQ. It is one of those places that everyone knows about, but the food is way overrated.

Based on past experiences, Rendevous is one of those "tourist traps" where the food is just o.k., but the history/ambiance is neat.......

Corky's has really good BBQ, but it is a chain restaurant. You can go to your local Kroger and pick up some of their ribs in the frozen food section.

The Elvis Presley mansion is worth seeing. It is somewhat underwhelming by today's standards, but there was only one Elvis.....

Thank you, thank you very much!!

If you are driving, be very careful on I-70W, there always seem to be troopers on the look out.

You should take the kids to the Peabody to see the ducks in the fountain

I remember the ducks.....my lady friend fell in the fountain, went wading or some such got wet. We did not waste anytime in the lobby after that.

Hi Beth! I am from Memphis originally & lived there for 29 years before moving to Kentucky. To eliminate confusion, Rendezvous is NOT on Beale but off of South 2nd on Escape Alley, very close to the Peabody. Anyone in that vicinity can point it out to you. And the Vergos family would kill me for saying this as they are all close friends of my family but you should know it is always way overcrowded and there is always a huge wait. It could possibly be very stressful with children. However, very nearby in downtown is the Beale Street area where the baseball stadium and pro-basketball arena both reside. This area is full of all types of restaurants and interesting sights of downtown Memphis. You'll find some original stores (A Schwabbs) and some newer places to get a bite (Flying Saucer) but plenty to choose from. It does also make a difference which part of town you are staying in. Memphis is pretty spread out and the travel from the East End (near Collierville) is a good 45 minutes from the downtown area itself. And then there's parking. As for the best barbeque from a native Memphian, it's Topps. There are a fair amount of them spread all over town so they should be easy to find. Corky's and Rendezvous have decent barbeque and have become quite commercial. Topps is still very hometown and just honest exceptional barbeque. If you want some more information, feel free to post back and if you want, we can talk. I'm always happy to help anyone heading to my hometown with what to's & what not to's! My entire family is still there so I haven't missed a beat since I left!

Based on past experiences, Rendevous is one of those "tourist traps" where the food is just o.k., but the history/ambiance is neat.......

That was my exact thought.

Lots of good advice here. Rendezvous is above average bbq, but nothing special. It is a neat place top visit once. I prefer Cozy Corner for my bbq, but the others mentioned here are all very good. BBQ Shop in midtown is good also.

wow. ron, you've brought a huge smile to my face. cozy corner is my best friend's favorite but i've (thus far) refused to eat at the bbq shop in midtown because it wasn't there before i moved away. did you ever try payne's? or neely's? or interstate? i recenty took dallas (volare) to memphis with me & we did what turned out to be an abbreviated tour of the above listed including topps...he wimped out after the fourth stop. he's a chef! that cracked me up. anyway, his favorite was topps also. the styles in all of them are so unique and not just for the barbeque but the beans and slaw as well. i miss it. i haven't yet found barbeque i love here in kentucky. western kentucky is interesting and not bad at all but just not the same zest, individuality and character i luckily grew up with back home.

Michelle, I've been to all of those places, and all are good. I really like Topps also. BBQ Shop is the real deal, and it didn't hurt that it was right next door to my apartment!

you and i were neighbors...i lived at 31 north cox, just the other side of overton square, for years. i also worked for squash blossom market, first on evergreen and then union avenue, as grocery buyer for nearly 10 years before moving here. and i do hear that what you say about the barbeque shop is true. all my friends aggrivate me for not trying it. i will next time i'm home. and i promise i'll do it with an open mind. what other restaurants did you love?