Day-by-day eating plans for Memphis. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

The Memphis BBQ pilgrimage ★ 4.7

BBQ traveller, two days2 days

A weekend built around the Memphis-style dry-rub canon: the basement at the Rendezvous, the chopped pork at Payne's, the Cornish hen at Cozy Corner and the BBQ spaghetti at the Bar-B-Q Shop.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: downtown ribs and chopped pork in South Memphis

    Morning
    Breakfast at the Arcade Restaurant downtown, 540 S Main. Sweet potato pancakes and Elvis's marked booth.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Payne's Bar-B-Que on Lamar Avenue, 1762 Lamar. The chopped pork sandwich with mustard slaw is the order. The line moves; cash works fastest.
    Evening
    Dinner at the Rendezvous off Monroe Avenue, 52 S 2nd. Order a full slab of charcoal-broiled dry-rub ribs and a cheese and sausage plate to start.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Cozy Corner Cornish hens and BBQ spaghetti midtown

    Morning
    Coffee and pastry at French Truck Coffee at Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse. Light start before lunch.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Cozy Corner BBQ on North Parkway, 735 N Pkwy. Order the smoked Cornish hen and the bologna sandwich. Idiosyncratic and unmissable.
    Evening
    Dinner at the Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue, 1782 Madison. Half slab dry ribs and a side of BBQ spaghetti, invented here in 1987.

Memphis soul food, blues and civil rights ★ 4.6

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend pairing the city's soul food canon with the blues clubs of Beale Street and a pilgrimage to the National Civil Rights Museum on Mulberry.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: South Memphis soul food, Beale Street blues

    Morning
    Breakfast at Alcenia's in the Pinch District, 317 N Main. Fried chicken and a hug from B.J. at the door.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at the Four Way on Mississippi Boulevard, 998 Mississippi. Smothered turkey wings, collards and sweet potato pie. Then walk the National Civil Rights Museum.
    Evening
    Dinner at Itta Bena above B.B. King's on Beale, 145 Beale. Mississippi catfish and shrimp grits. Live blues downstairs at B.B. King's after.

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Cooper-Young brunch and South Main night

    Morning
    Brunch at the Beauty Shop in Cooper-Young, 966 S Cooper. Watermelon wings under the salon hair dryers. A vintage Memphis room.
    Afternoon
    Walk Cooper-Young: Java Cabana for coffee at 2170 Young, browse shops, then a snack at Soul Fish Cafe on South Cooper, 862 S Cooper.
    Evening
    Dinner at Catherine and Mary's downtown on South Main, 272 S Main. Then nightcap at Earnestine and Hazel's at 531 S Main for the Soul Burger and jukebox.

Modern Memphis: Cooper-Young, Crosstown, South Main ★ 4.5

Repeat visitor, three days3 days

Three days in the city's new-wave food rooms, away from the BBQ canon and into Italian-Southern, fine dining, third-wave coffee and craft beer.

  1. Day 1: Friday: Cooper-Young arrival

    Morning
    Breakfast and coffee at Otherlands Coffee Bar in Cooper-Young, 641 S Cooper. Veggie scramble on the patio.
    Afternoon
    Lunch at Hattie B's Hot Chicken on Cooper Street, 596 Cooper. Hot quarter dark, pimento mac. Walk Cooper-Young shops.
    Evening
    Dinner at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in East Memphis, 712 W Brookhaven Cir. Maw Maw's gnocchi. Wine at the bar.

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Crosstown Concourse and the Memphis Farmers Market

    Morning
    Memphis Farmers Market at Central Station, 567 S Front. Then breakfast at Sunrise Memphis on Jefferson, 670 Jefferson. Breakfast Po' Boy.
    Afternoon
    Lunch and coffee at Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave. French Truck Coffee, Lucy J's Bakery and the Curb Market grocery.
    Evening
    Brewery hop at Wiseacre downtown, 398 S BB King Blvd, then Crosstown Brewing at 1264 Concourse for taproom beer. Late dinner at Curfew downtown on Union Ave.

  3. Day 3: Sunday: brunch, South Main and a tasting

    Morning
    Brunch at Magnolia and May on Mount Moriah, 718 Mt Moriah. Fried chicken and French toast.
    Afternoon
    South Main walk: Arcade Restaurant at 540 S Main for coffee, Earnestine and Hazel's at 531 S Main for a Soul Burger, browse the South Main shops.
    Evening
    Dinner at Catherine and Mary's downtown, 272 S Main. Pasta and a wood-roasted fish. Cap with cocktails at Old Dominick Distillery, 305 S Front.

Itineraries in Memphis, FAQ

When is the best time to eat in Memphis?

Peak food season in Memphis is year-round.

What time do people eat in Memphis?

Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.

How does tipping work in Memphis?

service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.

What is the one dish to try in Memphis?

Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Memphis rewards trust.

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