The mid-city stretch between the I-240 loop and Germantown along Poplar, Sanderlin and Mendenhall, with the city's high-end steakhouses and shopping centres.
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman's Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen runs Italian cooking rooted in Southern ingredients from East Memphis since 2008.
Signature: Maw Maw's gnocchi, House-made pastas
Order: Maw Maw's potato gnocchi with red sugo, a recipe from Hudman's grandmother.
Tip: Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner. Reserve on Resy two weeks out; the bar takes walk-ins.
Ticer and Hudman's wood-fired pizza and charcuterie room in East Memphis runs a Southern-Italian playbook on a covered Brookhaven Circle patio since 2012.
Signature: Wood-fired pizzas, House charcuterie
Order: The pizza of the night and a board of house salumi.
Tip: Brunch on Sundays runs until 14:00 with biscuits, ricotta and bacon-fat doughnuts. Patio first.
Chef Kelly English's Restaurant Iris in Memphis moved to Poplar Avenue in 2022 with a tighter menu of New Orleans Creole built on Mississippi seafood.
Signature: Crawfish and grits, Pork belly
Order: Crawfish and grits with andouille; a Sazerac to start.
Tip: Lunch service was added with the move; the four-course tasting menu is the steady bet at dinner.
Char Restaurant in East Memphis on Highland Street runs USDA prime steaks, crab cakes and a piano bar in a polished modern Southern steakhouse format.
Signature: Prime steaks, Crab cakes
Order: Char's prime filet with the crab cake starter.
Tip: Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10:30; the piano bar starts at 18:30 most weekday nights.
Mortimer's East Memphis neighbourhood room near Walnut Grove has run pub burgers, Greek salads and bread pudding since 1985 at Perkins and Walnut Grove.
Signature: Cheeseburger, Bread pudding
Order: Cheeseburger with onion rings; bread pudding for dessert.
Tip: Open weekdays from 11:00; the bar fills with regulars at 17:00 and the back patio is the seat to grab.
Coastal Fish Company sits on Hyde Lake in Shelby Farms Park in Memphis with day-boat oysters, grilled fish and a long sunset patio over the water. Opened 2019.
Signature: Day-boat oysters, Grilled snapper
Order: Half-dozen oysters and the whole grilled snapper.
Tip: Sunset tables face the lake; reserve at least a week out for Saturday dinner on OpenTable.
Dave and Amanda Krog's Brookhaven Circle Memphis room Dory moved from tasting-only to a full a la carte menu in 2024, with ambitious New American cooking.
Signature: Daily catch, Tasting plates
Order: Whatever the chef sends as the catch of the day.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only; reservations on the website fill out weeks ahead for Saturdays.
Belle Meade Social is a Perkins Extended East Memphis bar and restaurant pouring craft cocktails and serving modern American steaks and salads, opened 2023.
Signature: Wood-grilled steaks, Craft cocktails
Order: Bone-in ribeye, dry martini, the seasonal salad.
Tip: Sunday brunch starts at 11:00; the bar takes walk-ins on weeknights and the patio is the seat in spring.
Pete and Sam's East Memphis Park Avenue room has run red-sauce Italian for the Bomarito family since 1948. White tablecloths, vinyl booths and a steady clientele.
Signature: Spaghetti and meatballs, Pizza bianca
Order: Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, a pitcher of house red.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner; closed Mondays. Reservations advised on Friday and Saturday.
Mosa Asian Bistro on White Station Road in East Memphis runs a Chinese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese menu from a strip-mall favoured by chefs on their nights off.
Signature: Beef pho, Spicy Korean noodles
Order: Beef pho and spicy Korean noodles.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seat; the room fills with regulars after 18:00. Closed Mondays.
Hen House on South Mendenhall in East Memphis runs country fried chicken, chicken and waffles and Southern comfort dishes from a converted house with a side patio.
Signature: Country fried chicken, Chicken and waffles
Order: Country fried chicken plate with biscuits and gravy.
Tip: Open daily; the small patio fills first on warm days and the wait can be 45 minutes at brunch.
Mahogany Memphis is a Black-owned, women-owned Cajun-Creole room in Chickasaw Oaks Village on Poplar Avenue with crawfish étouffée and blackened catfish.
Signature: Crawfish étouffée, Blackened catfish
Order: Crawfish étouffée and blackened catfish, with a glass of red.
Tip: Reserve on the website for dinner; Sundays book up first for the Cajun brunch.
Tops Bar-B-Q is a Memphis chain of drive-in BBQ counters since 1952, with chopped pork sandwiches, onion rings and the city's signature cheap drive-thru BBQ option.
Signature: Chopped pork sandwich, Onion rings
Order: Chopped pork sandwich, onion rings, sweet tea.
Tip: Drive-thru and counter only, no dining room. The Summer Avenue branch is one of the oldest still standing.
Central BBQ's Poplar Avenue East Memphis room runs the same dry-rub ribs and pulled pork as the original Midtown branch in a larger dining room with easy parking.
Signature: Dry ribs, Pulled pork nachos
Order: Half slab of dry ribs and a basket of pulled pork nachos.
Tip: Easier seat than Midtown or Downtown locations; Sunday lunches fill the room first.
Belltower Coffee on Highland Street near the University of Memphis is a tall converted bell-tower café with a honey-lavender latte and study-friendly loft seats.
Signature drink: Honey lavender latte
Tip: Tuesday to Sunday open until 18:00; the loft seats up top are the best spot to work.
French Truck Coffee Highland is the second Memphis branch of the New Orleans roaster on Highland Row near the University of Memphis with espresso, drip and pastry.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: Crowds run on student schedules; mid-mornings and afternoons are emptiest.
Brother Juniper's near the University of Memphis on Walker Avenue has run breakfasts in a tiny house behind a white picket fence for over 30 years. Lines form.
Signature drink: Drip coffee with omelettes
Tip: Tuesday to Sunday breakfast only; closes 13:00 weekdays, 12:30 Saturdays. Get there by 08:30.
Cxffeeblack in Memphis is Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson's coffee roaster and cafe with an Ethiopia-direct supply chain, serving single-origin pour-overs.
Signature drink: Ethiopia single-origin
Tip: The roastery doubles as the retail cafe; weekend hours are limited so check the site.
La Baguette on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis has run French baguettes, croissants and pastries from a Laurelwood storefront since 1976. A cafe sits next door.
Tip: The almond croissant is the regular order; the lunch sandwiches use the bakery's own bread.
Worth the queue: Almond croissant
Frost Bake Shop on Perkins Extended in East Memphis runs the city's longest-running scratch bake shop with layer cakes, cupcakes and the signature strawberry cake.
Tip: Pre-order custom cakes a week out. Walk-in cupcakes and cookies daily.
Worth the queue: Strawberry cake
Gibson's Donuts on Mount Moriah in East Memphis has run hot doughnuts 24 hours a day since 1967, with apple fritters and the city's late-night sugar fix.
Tip: Hot fresh batches come out around 04:00 and 16:00 daily. The drive-thru runs around the clock.
Worth the queue: Apple fritter
Cxffeeblack in Memphis is Bartholomew Jones and Renata Henderson's Black-owned coffee roaster with Ethiopia-direct sourcing, pour-overs and an East Memphis cafe.
Tip: The roastery cafe doubles as the retail counter; subscription coffee ships nationally.
Sources from: Ethiopia
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail
Belltower Coffee on Highland Street is a Memphis-grown roaster and cafe with three outposts, the signature honey-lavender latte and a single-origin retail line.
Tip: Subscription beans ship monthly. Cooper-Young is the second cafe; bean roasting happens at Highland.
Sources from: Honduras, Ethiopia, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Drip, Whole bean retail, Subscription
Belle Meade Social on Perkins Extended in East Memphis runs craft cocktails, a smart American-leaning wine list and modern Southern plates from Williamsburg Village.
Signature pour: Loring Pinot Noir by the glass
Wine focus: American craft, Old World cellar
Food: Wood-grilled steaks and bar plates
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins; weeknight half-priced wine bottle deals run on Tuesdays.
Acre Restaurant in East Memphis on Perkins runs one of Memphis's deepest wine lists alongside seasonal small plates, with the bar pouring growers and rare Burgundy.
Signature pour: Burgundy by the glass
Wine focus: Old World deep cuts
Food: Seasonal small plates
Tip: Skip the dining room for the bar's snack menu; same wine list, faster service.
Hen House on South Mendenhall in East Memphis runs a wine bar attached to a chicken-and-waffles room, with Southern wine focus and full glass-pour program.
Signature pour: House sparkling by the glass
Wine focus: Southern wine, by-the-glass focus
Food: Country fried chicken plates
Tip: The wine list rotates monthly; Tuesday wine club nights run with sommelier tastings.
Hog and Hominy on Brookhaven Circle in East Memphis pours Italian and Southern growers' wines by the glass alongside wood-fired pizza and house salumi on a patio.
Signature pour: Etna Rosso by the glass
Wine focus: Italian and Southern, growers
Food: Wood-fired pizza and salumi
Tip: Sunday brunch runs a sparkling-focused list. Bar seats first.
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen on Brookhaven Circle runs a deep Italian cellar with rare regional bottles, alongside Ticer and Hudman's Southern-Italian menu.
Signature pour: Barolo by the glass
Wine focus: Italian, Old World, deep cellar
Food: Pasta tasting plates
Tip: The bar takes walk-ins and lets you order from the full menu; somm-guided pairings come on request.
Las Tortugas Poplar in East Memphis runs Jose Magallanes's Germantown taqueria menu from a Poplar Avenue branch, with tortas and tacos al pastor at counter speed.
Try: Tortas and tacos al pastor
Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash and card both fine. The Germantown original at 1215 S Germantown Rd is the easier seat.
Agricenter Farmers Market in East Memphis runs at the Shelby Farms agricultural research centre, with farm-direct produce six days a week May to October.
Tip: Larger and cheaper than downtown markets; bring cash. Drive from downtown takes 20 minutes.
The Memphis Italian Festival runs three days at Marquette Park in East Memphis at the corner of Park and Mendenhall, with the grape stomp, gravy contest and Italian-American cooking demos.
Tip: Kids 10 and under and active military free. Thursday night is the cheapest entry and least packed.
The Memphis Greek Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on North Highland in Memphis runs the first weekend of May with souvlaki, spanakopita and 67 years of tradition.
Tip: Adults $5; ages 5 and under free. Lines run shortest right at the 11:00 open.
Sur La Table's Laurelwood Memphis cooking school runs hands-on classes from Asian pan stir-fries to pasta-making and knife-skills nights in a teaching kitchen on Perkins Extended.
Tip: Buy ahead online; weekend dates fill first. Date-night class is the easy first booking.
Viking Cooking School in East Memphis on Quince Road runs a full schedule of hands-on classes in the Viking demo kitchen, with BBQ, knife skills and Southern weeknight cooking.
Tip: BBQ classes fill three months ahead. Knife skills is the steady booking; wine pairing nights too.
Cxffeeblack in East Memphis runs coffee tasting and brewing classes from the roastery on Bowen Avenue, covering Ethiopia origins, pour-over technique and cupping.
Tip: Pre-book on the site; classes run monthly at the roastery. Includes coffee to take home.
Tops Bar-B-Q on Summer Avenue is the Memphis BBQ chain since 1952 with chopped pork, onion rings and a complete BBQ plate for under $10 at a drive-thru.
Try: Chopped pork sandwich and onion rings
Order: Chopped pork sandwich, onion rings, sweet tea.
Tip: Drive-thru only at some locations; no dining room. Ten city outposts.
Brother Juniper's near the University of Memphis on Walker Avenue runs a tiny breakfast house with omelettes, biscuits and 30-year regulars queuing at the door.
Order: Omelette with side biscuit and gravy.
Tip: Tuesday to Sunday, closes 13:00 weekdays. Get there by 08:30.
Magnolia and May on Mount Moriah in East Memphis runs the city's Thursday-to-Sunday brunch since 2020 with fried chicken, French toast and bottomless mimosas.
Order: Fried chicken and French toast with mimosa.
Tip: The Williamsburg Village patio is the Sunday seat. Brunch After Dark on Saturdays.
Hog and Hominy on Brookhaven Circle in East Memphis runs Sunday brunch with bacon-fat doughnuts, biscuits with ricotta and wood-fired plates from a covered patio.
Order: Bacon-fat doughnuts and biscuit with ricotta.
Tip: Reserve on Resy for the patio. Brunch runs Sundays only; arrive at 11:00 for the easier seat.
Char Restaurant in East Memphis on Highland Street runs Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10:30 with crab cake Benedict, prime cuts and a piano in the corner.
Order: Crab cake Benedict with grits.
Tip: The piano starts at 11:00 on weekends. Reserve via OpenTable.
Belle Meade Social on Perkins Extended in East Memphis runs Sunday brunch with modern American plates, steak and eggs and craft cocktails at Williamsburg Village.
Order: Steak and eggs with biscuits and gravy.
Tip: Patio seats face the village green. Walk-ins fine on Sunday brunch.
Gibson's Donuts on Mount Moriah in East Memphis runs hot doughnuts 24 hours a day since 1967, the city's late-night sugar fix with drive-thru open around the clock.
Try: Hot apple fritter
Order: Apple fritter or glazed buttermilk bar, hot from the rack.
Tip: Fresh batches at 04:00 and 16:00. Drive-thru open all night.