Jose Magallanes's family Memphis-area taqueria in Germantown has run tortas, al pastor and braised meats from a strip-mall counter since 2002.
Signature dishes: Tacos al pastor, Tortas
Must order: Tacos al pastor with house guacamole; add the cochinita pibil torta if available.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The Poplar Avenue East Memphis branch at 6300 Poplar runs the same menu if Germantown is full.
Address: 1215 S Germantown Rd, Germantown, TN 38138, Memphis
Curfew is Fabio Viviani's Union Avenue Memphis room on the ground floor of Canopy Downtown, with wood-fired steaks and house pastas served until late.
Signature: Wood-fired steaks, House pastas
Order: Wood-fired bone-in ribeye with whatever pasta is on the daily list.
Tip: Kitchen runs late by Memphis standards (until 23:00 Fri-Sat). The bar takes walk-ins; the dining room books 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.
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.
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman's downtown Memphis room pairs Tuscan and Sicilian grandmother cooking with Southern ingredients in the Chisca on Main building.
Signature: House-made pastas, Wood-roasted plates
Order: Whatever pasta they are rolling that night, plus the wood-roasted whole fish.
Tip: Booth seats in the bar mean walk-in dinner on most weeknights; the dining room books two weeks out on Resy.
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.
