The historic warehouse district south of Beale, anchored by the Arcade, Earnestine and Hazel's and the South Main farmers market on Saturdays.
Speros Zepatos's South Main Memphis diner is the city's oldest restaurant, open since 1919 and once Elvis Presley's regular booth. Breakfast and lunch daily.
Signature: Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, Sweet potato pancakes
Order: Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich; sit at Elvis's marked booth.
Tip: Counter service from 07:00-15:00 daily. Cash and card both fine; no reservations.
Sage Restaurant is a soul fusion room on South Main in Memphis from Chef Eli Townsend, with globally influenced Southern comfort food and a downtown rooftop.
Signature: Chicken and waffles, Catfish
Order: Chicken and waffles; the catfish if it is on the night's menu.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday dinner; the rooftop opens earlier than the dining room on weekends.
Dr. Bean's Coffee and Tea Emporium tucks into the Stock and Belle retail loft on South Main, with a pour-over bar, cold brew on draft and a small-batch.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over
Tip: Sit at the pour-over bar and ask for the current single-origin; the cold brew on tap is the summer order.
Earnestine and Hazel's on South Main downtown Memphis is the city's defining dive, a former brothel and pharmacy with a jukebox, Soul Burgers and ghost lore.
Signature drink: Soul Burger and a beer
Food: Soul burgers
Tip: The Soul Burger is the bar food order. The upstairs is where the ghosts are said to live.
Loflin Yard on West Carolina Avenue in downtown Memphis is a two-acre beer garden with three outdoor bars, fire pits, a creek and house-smoked BBQ on long.
Signature drink: Mojito on draft
Food: House-smoked BBQ and small plates
Tip: The yard runs live music weekends. Game nights and big groups fill the firepit seats first.
Bar Hustle on South Main inside Arrive Hotel Memphis is an intimate cocktail bar with a wall of vinyl, seasonal drinks like the Riverfront Spritz.
Signature drink: Riverfront Spritz
Food: Roman-Detroit sourdough pizza and sandwiches from Hustle and Dough
Tip: Happy hour runs 16:00-18:00 daily. The kitchen pulls Roman-Detroit hybrid pizza from a sourdough that ferments at Hustle and Dough across the lobby.
The Soul Burger at Earnestine and Hazel's on South Main is a griddled patty with caramelised onions, pickles and the bar's mysterious Soul Sauce on a soft.
Try: Soul Burger
Tip: Walk upstairs to the old brothel rooms while waiting for your burger. Cash works fastest.
Ghost River Brewing on South Main in Memphis runs a sustainable craft program named for the section of the Wolf River that vanishes underground.
Tip: Check the taproom calendar for hours; the South Main brewery now runs the full beer list and food.
The Memphis Farmers Market at Central Station Pavilion on South Front Street runs Saturdays April to October with 50-plus farmers, bakers and prepared-food.
Tip: Get there by 09:00 for fresh produce. Breakfast tacos and Lucy J's pastries sell out by 11:00.
Loflin Yard in downtown Memphis runs quarterly Memphis BBQ classes on the South Main beer garden patio, covering dry rub, smoker timing and pulled pork.
Tip: Classes run April through October. Includes a pulled pork dinner and three beers.
Arcade Restaurant on South Main downtown Memphis runs the city's oldest diner since 1919 with sweet potato pancakes and the fried peanut butter and banana.
Try: Sweet potato pancakes
Order: Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich; sit at Elvis's marked booth.
Tip: Counter service from 07:00-15:00 daily; cash and card fine Cash is faster than card.
Earnestine and Hazel's Soul Burger on South Main downtown Memphis is the city's $8 late-night bar burger, griddled with onions, pickles and Soul Sauce.
Try: Soul Burger
Order: Soul Burger with a cold beer; sit at the bar.
Tip: Cash works fastest. The kitchen runs late, food until 02:00.
Arcade Restaurant on South Main downtown Memphis is the city's oldest diner since 1919, with sweet potato pancakes, fried PB and banana sandwiches.
Order: Sweet potato pancakes with bacon.
Tip: No reservations. Sit at Elvis's marked booth for the photo; weekday mornings are quietest.
Earnestine and Hazel's on South Main downtown Memphis runs Soul Burgers and a jukebox until 03:00 daily, the city's defining late-night dive bar.
Try: Soul Burger
Order: Soul Burger with a cold beer; sit at the bar.
Tip: Cash works fastest. Upstairs the rooms run quiet most nights.
South Main Sounds at 550 S Main in downtown Memphis is an intimate listening room for singer-songwriters and acoustic acts, established in 2015 in the South.
Tip: Small room, book ahead. Reservations through the website; show schedule online.
South Main Sounds at 550 S Main downtown Memphis is the city's defining listening room for singer-songwriters, with intimate acoustic shows in a 60-seat.
Tip: Small room; reserve through the website. Sets usually one hour.
Loflin Yard on West Carolina Avenue in South Main runs an outdoor stage in the beer garden with acoustic music sets on weekends, a covered terrace.
Tip: Live music most Saturdays from 20:00. Free to enter; check the calendar online.
Earnestine and Hazel's on South Main downtown Memphis runs Soul Burgers and a jukebox until 03:00 daily, a former brothel and pharmacy and the city's.
Tip: Cash works fastest. Upstairs the old brothel rooms run quiet most nights.