Hickory-smoke dry-rub ribs, soul food, and the city that fed Elvis
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Memphis cooks low and slow over hickory and writes the rule book on dry rub. Pork ribs, pulled pork and bologna sandwiches anchor the city's identity, and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest each May draws teams from around the world to Liberty Park. But Memphis is more than smoke. The city's soul food canon runs through the Four Way on Mississippi Boulevard, Alcenia's hugs in the Pinch District and Gus's fried chicken on South Front Street, with hot tamales on the Delta line and Mississippi catfish never far away. New rooms in Cooper-Young, Crosstown Concourse and South Main have given the scene a second act, while Beale Street and the Arcade keep the old story alive.
Guided tour · 3.5 hours
VIP behind the scenes access to local craft breweries, up to 12 beer samples, a fresh baked snack, and round trip transportation. Led by a Beer Guide who will educate ...
Guided tour · 1 hour
Explore "America's Most Iconic Street" on a one-hour guided walking tour. Learn about the colorful characters and stories that have made Beale Street the "Home of the Blues."
Multi-day trip · 6 days
Picture it, a journey from Nashville to Memphis to New Orleans, recording tracks in iconic studios, walking in Elvis’ footsteps and diving into the food, music and cul...
The plates that define eating in Memphis.
Memphis BBQ nachos are tortilla chips piled with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, sour cream, jalapeños and shredded cheese, the city's defining stadium snack since the 2000s.
Where Central BBQ Downtown, Central BBQ Midtown, The Bar-B-Q Shop
Where to eat Memphis BBQ nachos in Memphis →Memphis Graceland legend: thick-sliced white bread spread heavily with creamy peanut butter, layered with sliced bananas and crispy bacon, then griddled in butter until golden.
Where Arcade Restaurant, Alcenia's
Where to eat Fried Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Sandwich (The Elvis) in Memphis →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Memphis.
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman's Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen runs Italian cooking rooted in Southern ingredients from East Memphis since 2008.
OrderMaw Maw's potato gnocchi with red sugo, a recipe from Hudman's grandmother.
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman's downtown Memphis room pairs Tuscan and Sicilian grandmother cooking with Southern ingredients in the Chisca on Main building.
OrderWhatever pasta they are rolling that night, plus the wood-roasted whole fish.
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.
OrderThe pizza of the night and a board of house salumi.
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.
OrderCrawfish and grits with andouille; a Sazerac to start.
Karen Carrier's Cooper-Young Memphis room sits inside a 1940s beauty salon where Priscilla Presley once did her hair, open since 2002 with a globe-trotting.
OrderWatermelon wings with feta and the Vietnamese pho.
The Four Way is Memphis's defining Black-owned soul food room on Mississippi Boulevard since 1946. Martin Luther King Jr. ate here; the walls show the guests.
OrderSmothered turkey wings, collard greens, mac and cheese, sweet potato pie.
Cobblestone streets, the Mississippi River bluff, Beale Street's blues clubs and the loft-and-bar South Main district. The visitor heart of the city.
Best for: BBQ, Soul food, Cocktails, Late-night
Memphis's small-room midtown crossroads, with the city's densest cluster of restaurants, bars and indie shops around the Cooper Street and Young Avenue intersection.
Best for: Brunch, Cafes, Hot chicken, Vegan
Midtown's restored arts district along Madison Avenue, with theatres, music rooms and patios. Walkable and chef-driven.
Best for: Cocktails, Music venues, Date night
A converted Sears distribution centre at the centre of Midtown, now a vertical urban village with a brewery, bakery, French Truck Coffee and indie restaurants.
Best for: Coffee, Pastry, Brewery
A revived industrial strip east of Crosstown lined with galleries, breweries, Muddy's Bake Shop, the Cove and creative restaurants.
Best for: Bakeries, Breweries, Cocktails
The historic warehouse district south of Beale, anchored by the Arcade, Earnestine and Hazel's and the South Main farmers market on Saturdays.
Best for: Diners, Soul food, Late-night
Memphis BBQ nachos
Memphis BBQ nachos are tortilla chips piled with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, sour cream, jalapeños and shredded cheese, the city's defining stadium snack since the 2000s
Fried Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Sandwich (The Elvis)
Memphis Graceland legend: thick-sliced white bread spread heavily with creamy peanut butter, layered with sliced bananas and crispy bacon, then griddled in butter until golden
Downtown
Cobblestone streets, the Mississippi River bluff, Beale Street's blues clubs and the loft-and-bar South Main district
Cooper-Young
Memphis's small-room midtown crossroads, with the city's densest cluster of restaurants, bars and indie shops around the Cooper Street and Young Avenue intersection
South Main
The historic warehouse district south of Beale, anchored by the Arcade, Earnestine and Hazel's and the South Main farmers market on Saturdays
East Memphis
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
A sample of Memphis hotels from our booking partner, who list 217 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Extended Stay Memphis
Located in Memphis, Extended Stay Memphis is within a 5-minute drive of Golf and Games Family Park and Meth...
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OYO Hotel Memphis TN I-40
A stay at OYO Hotel Memphis TN I-40 places you in the heart of Memphis, a 9-minute drive from Wolfchase Gal...
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WoodSpring Suites Memphis Northeast
When you stay at WoodSpring Suites Memphis Northeast in Memphis, you'll be in the business district, within...
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American Inn & Suites West Memphis I-40/I-55
Located in West Memphis, American Inn & Suites West Memphis I-40/I-55 is within a 10-minute drive of Southl...
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WoodSpring Suites Memphis Southeast
With a stay at WoodSpring Suites Memphis Southeast in Memphis (Southwind), you'll be a 3-minute drive from ...
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Express Inn
Located in Memphis, Express Inn is in the business district, within a 5-minute drive of Theatre Memphis and...
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Comfort Inn & Suites
Located in Memphis, Comfort Inn & Suites is within a 5-minute drive of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and ...
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Comfort Inn & Suites Airport-American Way
When you stay at Comfort Inn & Suites Airport-American Way in Memphis, you'll be near the airport and 6 min...
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AmericInn by Wyndham Memphis East
A stay at AmericInn by Wyndham Memphis East places you in the heart of Memphis, within a 5-minute drive of ...
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Clarion Hotel & Suites Conference Center Memphis Airport
Located in Memphis, Clarion Hotel & Suites Conference Center Memphis Airport is in the suburbs, within a 15...
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Also compare: Holidu in Memphis from USD 82/night · LateRooms in Memphis · Expedia in Memphis
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Memphis, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: April to October. May brings the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Liberty Park, June kicks off Mississippi catfish and Tennessee tomato season, and September wraps up with Cooper-Young Festival weekend. The summer is brutal; lean toward indoor rooms by July.
Local dining hours: Breakfast 07:00-10:30, lunch 11:00-14:00, dinner 17:00-21:30. Many BBQ counters close by 19:00. Late-night is mostly on Beale Street, South Main and Cooper-Young after 22:00.
Tipping: Tip 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants. At BBQ counters and walk-up windows, tip jars are standard; a dollar or two on a plate or a few percent at the register is appreciated. Higher-end rooms expect 20 percent at the floor.
Memphis's signature dishes include Memphis dry-rub ribs, Memphis BBQ spaghetti, Memphis pulled pork sandwich, Memphis smoked Cornish hen, Memphis hot tamales. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Memphis by district. Downtown, Cooper-Young, Overton Square, Crosstown Concourse are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Memphis include Chez Philippe, Erling Jensen, The Restaurant, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Memphis, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Memphis dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.