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Let me start out with this: there are a lot of restaurants in Memphis that purport to have truly good food, but there are a select few that deliver on it. It is never worth wasting your money on mediocre food if there are places that will deliver excellence every time.
Caveat: If you think Chili's is good food and Huey's has the best burger, you probably won't have a problem eating anywhere in Memphis. If you live in one of the white flight, uber-sprawl zones like Collierville or Cordova, your options for local dining are almost entirely restricted to what is mostly canon fodder. Of course, there are also "institutions" that can get away with the food equivalent of murder because of religious loyalty from patrons.
Also, as far as I'm concerned, the only chain in Memphis worth actively patronizing is Chic-fil-A.
The absolute best food in Memphis is at Restaurant Iris in Midtown. It is absolutely so much further ahead of anything else in the city. A 3-course dinner for two can be had for under $100.
As for "high end," this is probably the category with the worst offenders. How dare they claim to serve excellent food, under-deliver on this promise, and then charge you $50 a person for the opportunity to eat this sludge? Processed or frozen products, sub-par produce, sub-par meat, slow snotty service, lukewarm food, are all things you'll experience in these supposed "fine dining" restaurants. If I can produce better food in my kitchen at home, you should close your doors. My patience for these charlatans runs thin, but there sure are a large number of them willing to take my money.
Places NOT to bother wasting your money: Chez Philipe, Flight, Folk's Folly, Spindini/Elfo's/Grisanti's, Mesquite Chop House, Capriccio, Butcher Shop, Fleming's, Ruth's Chris, Paulette's, Automatic Slim's, Owen Brennan's, Spaghetti Warehouse, Texas de Brazil, and Grove Grill.
Also, Houston's claims to be high end, but is actually pretty much awful.
Places to bother wasting your money: Iris, McEwen's on Monroe, Erling Jensen, Grill 83, Interim, Circa, Grace, Tsunami, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Paulette's, Felicia Suzanne's, and River Oaks.
While Bonefish Grill and J. Alexander's certainly don't belong on the previous list, they are actually quite good and if you're in Cordova or Collierville, those are basically your options for fine dining. Amerigo in E. Memphis is also alright.
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Due to our socioeconomic status, the majority of food in Memphis is going to be in the medium and low-price spectrums. If I were on visiting, this is where I would focus my sights, as Memphis has MUCH to offer in this respect.
Places to avoid: Pete & Sam's Restaurant, Spaghetti Warehouse, Coletta's, Pearl's, Buckley's, Pa Pa Pia's, Bennigan's (jaw-droppingly terrible), Side Street (used to be good), Old Venice, Abuelo's, Macaroni Grill, The Rendezvous, Majestic Grille, Kooky Canuck, Sole Restaurant, Shogun, and of course the requisite horrible chains: TGI Friday's, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, O'Charley's, PF Chang's, Carrabas, Joe's Crab Shack, and Hard Rock Cafe.
The good list: Bosco's, Sweetgrass, South of Beale, Bluefin, Edo, A-Tan, Brooklyn Bridge, Bari, Ciao Bella, Osaka, Bhan Thai.
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Now the big one... the huge list of the lower price range places.
Absolutely awful (not including major chains here): Cracker Barrel, Miss Polly's on Beale, The Pig on Beale, Alfred's on Beale -- ok pretty much ANYTHING on Beale (save Dyer's), Molly's La Casita, Jason's Deli, McAlister's, Los Compadres, Pancho's, Exline's, Wang's Express, Wang's Mandarin House, Renee's Sandwich Shop, CiCi's Pizza, Danver's, Rafferty's, Dixie Cafe, Perkins, Tasty Buffet, Sidecar Cafe.
Pretty bad: Blue Plate Cafe, Local Gastropub, Zinnie's, Belmont Grill, Neely's BBQ, Interstate BBQ, Top's BBQ, Fox & Hound, La Baguette, Rio Loco, Cafe Ole, Arcade Restaurant, The Half Shell, Garibaldi's, Belmont Grill, Bronte Bistro, Earnestine & Hazel's, East End Grill, Newby's, Pig-N-Whistle, T.J. Mulligan's, Westy's, Pei Wei, Hunan Palace, Gridley's.
Acceptable: Huey's, Blue Monkey, R.P. Tracks, Central BBQ, Bogie's Deli, Kwik Chek, Swanky's Taco Shop, Mellow Mushroom, El Porton, Happy Mexican, Au Fond, Young Avenue Deli, Memphis Pizza Cafe, A&R BBQ, The "Chinese Sub Shop," Corky's BBQ, Bryant's Breakfast, Germantown Commisary, La Playita, La Guadalupana, Fino's Deli, Milano's Pizza, Ghengis Grill, Flying Saucer, Lenny's Sub Shop, Beignet Cafe, Las Delicias, Soul Fish Cafe, Ubee's, Flying Fish, The Cupboard, Eat Well, Panera, Abner's, Abbay's, Newk's, Zaxby's, Jimmy John's, Mosa.
Great: Cockadoo's, Brushmark, Little Italy, Whole Foods Market, Fresh Market, Payne's BBQ, Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana, Miss Cordelia's, Gus' Fried Chicken, Pho Hoa Binh, Jack Pirtle's Fried Chicken, Dyer's, Cozy Corner, Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken, De Ja Vu, "Asian Grill" in Germantown, and Chang's Bubble Tea (well-kept secret).
Cream of the Crop: Trolley Stop Market, Bardog, Brother Juniper's, Frank's Deli, The BBQ Shop, and Cafe Eclectic.
Ladies & Gentlmen, please give a warm welcome to Fred Koeppel
Seafood? Did someone say seafood? Anyone know where I can get a nice giant steaming pot of mussels, with pommes frites and a good Belgian beer? I've been going through serious withdrawals since I've moved. Alas, I didn't see mussels on the Reef's menu.
Let me start out with this: there are a lot of restaurants in Memphis that purport to have truly good food, but there are a select few that deliver on it. It is never worth wasting your money on mediocre food if there are places that will deliver excellence every time.
Caveat: If you think Chili's is good food and Huey's has the best burger, you probably won't have a problem eating anywhere in Memphis. If you live in one of the white flight, uber-sprawl zones like Collierville or Cordova, your options for local dining are almost entirely restricted to what is mostly canon fodder. Of course, there are also "institutions" that can get away with the food equivalent of murder because of religious loyalty from patrons.
Also, as far as I'm concerned, the only chain in Memphis worth actively patronizing is Chic-fil-A.
The absolute best food in Memphis is at Restaurant Iris in Midtown. It is absolutely so much further ahead of anything else in the city. A 3-course dinner for two can be had for under $100.
As for "high end," this is probably the category with the worst offenders. How dare they claim to serve excellent food, under-deliver on this promise, and then charge you $50 a person for the opportunity to eat this sludge? Processed or frozen products, sub-par produce, sub-par meat, slow snotty service, lukewarm food, are all things you'll experience in these supposed "fine dining" restaurants. If I can produce better food in my kitchen at home, you should close your doors. My patience for these charlatans runs thin, but there sure are a large number of them willing to take my money.
Places NOT to bother wasting your money: Chez Philipe, Flight, Folk's Folly, Spindini/Elfo's/Grisanti's, Mesquite Chop House, Capriccio, Butcher Shop, Fleming's, Ruth's Chris, Paulette's, Automatic Slim's, Owen Brennan's, Spaghetti Warehouse, Texas de Brazil, and Grove Grill.
Also, Houston's claims to be high end, but is actually pretty much awful.
Places to bother wasting your money: Iris, McEwen's on Monroe, Erling Jensen, Grill 83, Interim, Circa, Grace, Tsunami, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Paulette's, Felicia Suzanne's, and River Oaks.
While Bonefish Grill and J. Alexander's certainly don't belong on the previous list, they are actually quite good and if you're in Cordova or Collierville, those are basically your options for fine dining. Amerigo in E. Memphis is also alright.
-------------
Due to our socioeconomic status, the majority of food in Memphis is going to be in the medium and low-price spectrums. If I were on visiting, this is where I would focus my sights, as Memphis has MUCH to offer in this respect.
Places to avoid: Pete & Sam's Restaurant, Spaghetti Warehouse, Coletta's, Pearl's, Buckley's, Pa Pa Pia's, Bennigan's (jaw-droppingly terrible), Side Street (used to be good), Old Venice, Abuelo's, Macaroni Grill, The Rendezvous, Majestic Grille, Kooky Canuck, Sole Restaurant, Shogun, and of course the requisite horrible chains: TGI Friday's, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, O'Charley's, PF Chang's, Carrabas, Joe's Crab Shack, and Hard Rock Cafe.
The good list: Bosco's, Sweetgrass, South of Beale, Bluefin, Edo, A-Tan, Brooklyn Bridge, Bari, Ciao Bella, Osaka, Bhan Thai.
-------------
Now the big one... the huge list of the lower price range places.
Absolutely awful (not including major chains here): Cracker Barrel, Miss Polly's on Beale, The Pig on Beale, Alfred's on Beale -- ok pretty much ANYTHING on Beale (save Dyer's), Molly's La Casita, Jason's Deli, McAlister's, Los Compadres, Pancho's, Exline's, Wang's Express, Wang's Mandarin House, Renee's Sandwich Shop, CiCi's Pizza, Danver's, Rafferty's, Dixie Cafe, Perkins, Tasty Buffet, Sidecar Cafe.
Pretty bad: Blue Plate Cafe, Local Gastropub, Zinnie's, Belmont Grill, Neely's BBQ, Interstate BBQ, Top's BBQ, Fox & Hound, La Baguette, Rio Loco, Cafe Ole, Arcade Restaurant, The Half Shell, Garibaldi's, Belmont Grill, Bronte Bistro, Earnestine & Hazel's, East End Grill, Newby's, Pig-N-Whistle, T.J. Mulligan's, Westy's, Pei Wei, Hunan Palace, Gridley's.
Acceptable: Huey's, Blue Monkey, R.P. Tracks, Central BBQ, Bogie's Deli, Kwik Chek, Swanky's Taco Shop, Mellow Mushroom, El Porton, Happy Mexican, Au Fond, Young Avenue Deli, Memphis Pizza Cafe, A&R BBQ, The "Chinese Sub Shop," Corky's BBQ, Bryant's Breakfast, Germantown Commisary, La Playita, La Guadalupana, Fino's Deli, Milano's Pizza, Ghengis Grill, Flying Saucer, Lenny's Sub Shop, Beignet Cafe, Las Delicias, Soul Fish Cafe, Ubee's, Flying Fish, The Cupboard, Eat Well, Panera, Abner's, Abbay's, Newk's, Zaxby's, Jimmy John's, Mosa.
Great: Cockadoo's, Brushmark, Little Italy, Whole Foods Market, Fresh Market, Payne's BBQ, Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana, Miss Cordelia's, Gus' Fried Chicken, Pho Hoa Binh, Jack Pirtle's Fried Chicken, Dyer's, Cozy Corner, Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken, De Ja Vu, "Asian Grill" in Germantown, and Chang's Bubble Tea (well-kept secret).
Cream of the Crop: Trolley Stop Market, Bardog, Brother Juniper's, Frank's Deli, The BBQ Shop, and Cafe Eclectic.
Great list and for the most part I agree -although I have not eaten at all of these restaurants. I had a decent experience at Iris, did not blow me away to be quite honest but I can say it was probably the best I've had yet in Memphis (moving from Boston we've become a tad picky since there are just so many good places up there). We received the best attention ever at Flight and I commend the waiter but not too fond of the gimmicky 3 in 1 dishes. I think Las Tortugas should be considered cream of the crop IMO, Gus's is great and I'm not so sure about Cafe Eclectic, good but not COTC. Bosco's was alright but at brunch some dishes fell flat.
Great list and for the most part I agree -although I have not eaten at all of these restaurants. I had a decent experience at Iris, did not blow me away to be quite honest but I can say it was probably the best I've had yet in Memphis (moving from Boston we've become a tad picky since there are just so many good places up there). We received the best attention ever at Flight and I commend the waiter but not too fond of the gimmicky 3 in 1 dishes. I think Las Tortugas should be considered cream of the crop IMO, Gus's is great and I'm not so sure about Cafe Eclectic, good but not COTC. Bosco's was alright but at brunch some dishes fell flat.
I spent time in the Northeast and I'm pretty particular about Italian food, particularly Neapolitan pizza. I've tried many in the area and enjoy Ciao Bella and Brooklyn Bridge's pizza, but the most consistent pizza I've had in greater Memphis is Russo's New York Pizzeria in Germantown. It's as close as I've found to pizza baked in a coal fired oven in a Boston or New York pizzeria.
If you are from Boston and like the pizza served up by neighbohood pizzerias you may enjoy it.
Las Tortugas "Deli Mexicana" has exceptional Mexican food similar to what I grew accustomed to in Southern California and down on the Baja. The proprietor Pepe is a fine gentlemen who's always charming and hospitable. However, I don't like the seating arrangement. When it's crowded you often have to stand with your tray in your hand and ask someone who's finished dining to kindly give up their seat. If Las Tortugas had a better seating arrangement I would likely dine there every week!
Gotta add one to the list. Asian Palace. This place is amazing for great chinese food. Having grown up in North Jersey, and eating in NY's Chinatown probably a thousand times, this place is on par with the best chinese in NY. I would eat at this place everyday.
I spent time in the Northeast and I'm pretty particular about Italian food, particularly Neapolitan pizza. I've tried many in the area and enjoy Ciao Bella and Brooklyn Bridge's pizza, but the most consistent pizza I've had in greater Memphis is Russo's New York Pizzeria in Germantown. It's as close as I've found to pizza baked in a coal fired oven in a Boston or New York pizzeria.
If you are from Boston and like the pizza served up by neighbohood pizzerias you may enjoy it.
...
Pizza is good at Russo's. The service is so-so. Once ordered, sat down and waited, and waited, others coming later getting served and waited. They had lost the order.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BusDrvr
So bad you listed it twice? I think you're crazy...I love getting lunch there.
Actually agree with most of your list though.
The Belmont Grill at Popular and Mendenhall: great atmosphere, good service, okay food.
[quote=bjh;21946968]Pizza is good at Russo's. The service is so-so. Once ordered, sat down and waited, and waited, others coming later getting served and waited. They had lost the order.
Overall, I agree with you about the service at Russo's. Most of the servers are young kids from the 'burbs who really haven't been trained very well in the "art" of waiting tables. I waited tables in college and learned quickly that more often than not attentive and good service = a good gratuity. I'm from New Orleans where 20% is the standard tip especially if you are a regular, particularly the neighborhood establishments. I'm more than happy to tip well for good service but won't return to a restaurant if the service is poor.
There are a few good servers that are attentive at Russo's and we try to get seated at their tables.
Brooklyn Bridge belongs on my "great" list, most of the time. The servers can be great, but have been inconsistent.
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Brooklyn Bridge
