Craving an authentic glimpse — and taste — of Memphis? Get to Midtown. Immediately east of Downtown Memphis, Midtown is a collection of neighborhoods where century-old homes blend in with locally owned boutiques and restaurants.
We’ve compiled a shortlist of those restaurants in a variety of price ranges and palates to fuel your exploration of a couple of Midtown’s most vibrant neighborhoods, the Cooper-Young Historic District and Overton Square.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Cooper-Young Historic District
The Beauty Shop
Once you get over the interior (a 1960s-era beauty salon — just ask a staffer to point out where Priscilla Presley used to have her hair done), let the menu at the Beauty Shop wow you with you punchy flavor combos like chicken wings and watermelon dressed in sweet chile lime sauce.
Whether you go for daily lunch/dinner or Sunday brunch, never skip dessert; daily offerings, including a rainbow of gelati flavors, are scrawled on the mirror near Priscilla’s spot. Pro tip: The Beauty Shop gets busier and louder the later it gets, so arrive early or try your luck wedging in at the bar.
Soul Fish Café
You have to get your soul-food fix in Memphis, so do it at Soul Fish Café and walk it off by browsing Cooper-Young’s music, book, and art shops. Order the fried catfish (the batter is light) or the fresh vegetable plate loaded with black-eyed peas, fried okra, and macaroni and cheese. Save room for the house-made lemon pie. For lunch and dinner, this one’s come-as-you-are and family-friendly.
Overton Square
Bari Ristorante
Make a dinner reservation for this stylish wine bar and restaurant in the thick of Memphis’ theater district and Overton Square shops. You could make a meal of the expertly curated wine and cheese lists, or flow through courses of authentically prepared pasta and rustic fish dishes. That’s the Southern Italian way, as chef Jason Severs’ grandmother taught him.
Restaurant Iris
Restaurant Iris is another repurposed home, quaint as can be, a skip from Memphis’ theater district — and one of the best places to eat in Memphis. Locals and critics alike are fans, so make a dinner reservation to see what the fine-dining fuss is about.
Bar-B-Q Shop
Ask any local barbecue connoisseur where to eat in Memphis and you’ll get a different answer almost every time. That’s because Memphis is chock-full of BBQ joints, every one with a specialty. At The Bar-B-Q Shop, that’s the half-and-half ribs: half dry-rubbed with the restaurant’s award-winning seasoning; half mopped with its award-winning sauce, a zingy blend of mustard and tomato.
Like most Memphis barbecue restaurants, the vibe is no-frills — just good barbecue.
Fino’s From the Hill
Flavorful meats, smoky cheeses, aromatic marinades, and crusty bread combine to make Fino’s delectable sandwiches. You could eat in with the workday lunch crowd, but here’s a better idea: Order yours to go and head to nearby Overton Park. Each sandwich is big enough to share during a lunchtime picnic or al fresco dinner before a free concert at the park’s Levitt Shell.
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