Cocktail barRooftop cocktail bar$$$downtownMon-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-24:00
Hu. Roof sits on the 17th floor of the Hu. Hotel on Madison Avenue downtown Memphis with panoramic Mississippi River views and the city's only all-season.
Signature drink: Whiskey and ginger
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Sunset views west of the Mississippi River are the draw. Reserve a window seat in advance.
Cocktail barDive bar$$$midtownDaily 18:00-03:00
Lamplighter Lounge on Madison Avenue in midtown Memphis is the city's defining smoke-stained dive bar, with cheap beer, a pool table and a relentlessly local.
Signature drink: Beer and a shot
Food: None
Tip: Cash preferred. No food. The 03:00 close pulls everyone in midtown when other bars shut.
Cocktail barBeer garden$$$south-mainWed-Sun, lunch and dinner
Loflin Yard on West Carolina Avenue in downtown Memphis is a two-acre beer garden with three outdoor bars, fire pits, a creek and house-smoked BBQ on long.
Signature drink: Mojito on draft
Food: House-smoked BBQ and small plates
Tip: The yard runs live music weekends. Game nights and big groups fill the firepit seats first.
Cocktail barCocktail bar$$$south-mainSun-Thu 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00
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.
Cocktail barBar$$$cooper-youngDaily 11:00-03:00
Young Avenue Deli in Cooper-Young Memphis runs over 100 beers, a deep tap list with 30-plus drafts, deli sandwiches and a live-music back room since 1995.
Signature drink: Wiseacre Tiny Bomb on draft
Food: Deli sandwiches
Tip: The patio is the seat in spring. Live music most weekends; check the calendar online.
Cocktail barLive music bar$$$downtownDaily 11:00-24:00
B.B. King's Blues Club at 143 Beale Street in Memphis is the flagship of the B.B. Located in Downtown. Order the beer and pulled-pork sandwich.
Signature drink: Beer and pulled-pork sandwich
Food: Southern menu
Tip: Cover charge after 19:00 most nights. Sit upstairs for an easier view of the bandstand.