Where Do The Locals Eat? (Memphis, Germantown: neighborhoods, live in, restaurants)

[Ginsaw]

I thought it might be informative and helpful to list some of the places we frequent with some indication of what neighborhoods. Understand, I'm not referring to 5-Star restaurants here, reknowned chefs or pricey establishments usually reserved for special occasions. Carry out spots will do just fine, so will the less famous places where you don't usually find tourists. In other words, where nearby do we typically gravitate to over and over?

My area is east Memphis, for the most part Summer Avenue east. For carry out burgers and catfish sandwiches it's Hi Pockets Pool Hall (they won an award one year for best burgers or something like that); Jack's Rib Shack (frequently it's a pitcher of draft beer and spaghetti, ribs or tamales); Tops BBQ (there are two on Summer, both east and west of Highland); one of the two Sonics on Summer (fast food's OK for this topic too); Pancho's; Patrick's on Park; and Bryant's on Summer. For a quick snack, Planter's Peanuts on Summer. And the sno-cone place on Waring (can't remember the name) is now serving philly steak sandwiches..I'll have to try that.

About the only thing off limits for this? No fair on eating over the counter at a convenience store...

[Pearlbob]

There is still a Pancho's open in this city??? I did not know that.

Originally Posted by Ginsaw

I thought it might be informative and helpful to list some of the places we frequent with some indication of what neighborhoods. Understand, I'm not referring to 5-Star restaurants here, reknowned chefs or pricey establishments usually reserved for special occasions. Carry out spots will do just fine, so will the less famous places where you don't usually find tourists. In other words, where nearby do we typically gravitate to over and over?

My area is east Memphis, for the most part Summer Avenue east. For carry out burgers and catfish sandwiches it's Hi Pockets Pool Hall (they won an award one year for best burgers or something like that); Jack's Rib Shack (frequently it's a pitcher of draft beer and spaghetti, ribs or tamales); Tops BBQ (there are two on Summer, both east and west of Highland); one of the two Sonics on Summer (fast food's OK for this topic too); Pancho's; Patrick's on Park; and Bryant's on Summer. For a quick snack, Planter's Peanuts on Summer. And the sno-cone place on Waring (can't remember the name) is now serving philly steak sandwiches..I'll have to try that.

About the only thing off limits for this? No fair on eating over the counter at a convenience store...

[strumpeace]

There are at least two Pancho's still in Memphis -- Summer at White Station (full service) and Perkins near the old Mall of Memphis site (fast food).

There's also one in West Memphis (full service).

[DubbleT]

East Memphis-
La Espiga for mexican pastries (inexpensive too!), yummmm. Summer, near Graham I think. There is a restaurant there in the same buliding too, but I never got brave enough to try it.
Used to go to The Cottage on Summer for breakfast years ago, the area has gotten kind of bad but the parking lot seems to stay pretty full on weekends FWIW
Gibsons Doughnuts on Mendenhall to get a late night sugar rush.
Second the vote for the sno-cone place. My kids loved that place.

[lisake]

We live in East Memphis, south of Poplar. Our regular places include Huey's on Poplar, Three Little Pigs (good breakfast in addition to barbecue) and El Mezcal on Perkins. Bogies on Mt. Moriah has awesome bagels, and Memphis Pizza Cafe on Park is the best pizza.

We have young children, so for fast food we like the Taco Bell on Estate and Chick-Fil-A on Poplar--both have indoor playgrounds. When we're short on time and cash, as we often are, a Little Caesar's $5 hot-and-ready pizza fits the bill (Eastgate or Quince & Ridgeway).

And every now and again we HAVE to have some Jack Pirtle's on Mt. Moriah. Their biscuits and gravy are so yummy but are surely high in everything bad for you. DH likes their steak sandwich with everything, including gravy, slaw and pickles (yuck!)

When money's not so tight, we like Jarrett's on Quince, Half Shell on Mt. Moriah and Buckley's on Poplar.

[ColliervilleMom]

Jim's Place, love the atmosphere!
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana (Germantown), bare bones, authentic Mexican
Automatic Slim's Tango Cafe, when I'm downtown.
Mayuri Indian Cuisine, sunday brunch.

[UofMGrad92]

El Mezcal (Poplar and Perkins), Chapultepec (Poplar and Forrest Hill Irene), Casa Mexicana (64 and Germantown by Wolfchase), and Rio Loco on Union downtown for Mexican. Hueys (Poplar or Hacks Cross location), TJ Mulligans (Kirby and Quince), and Buckley's Lunch Bucket (Yates at Poplar) for a burger. The Arcade on South Main is usually pretty good for a meat and three meal when I'm downtown. For a non burger sandwich, I like Lenny's (now a chain but started in Memphis) and Jason's Deli. I'm not too much into fancy dining so I don't have much to add in that area.

[Bowyer]

Cafe Ole' (Cooper-Young) is my wife's favorite 'local' restaurant. I love Lee Kan's in Collierville for to-go Chinese....it's a once a week habit! J Alexander's for to-go salads and their club sandwich, Captain John's barbecue in Collierville for lunch----awesome sandwich, fries and beans. With kids it is usually to-go, no matter what!

[kingchef]

one of my very favorite haunts is edo on summer. i have tried for years to get or figure out their sakura sauce. i believe it is clarified butter, teriyaki sauce, soy, and mayo. try it on scallops, shrimp or chicken. i love their lousiana roll, spider hand rolls, and, i think they have the best bar-b-q'd eel in west tn---even better than the very authentic three or four respectable japanese restaurants in jackson, tn. for great fried chicken, nothing can really beat good ole gus.

[kingchef]

Originally Posted by lisake

We live in East Memphis, south of Poplar. Our regular places include Huey's on Poplar, Three Little Pigs (good breakfast in addition to barbecue) and El Mezcal on Perkins. Bogies on Mt. Moriah has awesome bagels, and Memphis Pizza Cafe on Park is the best pizza.

We have young children, so for fast food we like the Taco Bell on Estate and Chick-Fil-A on Poplar--both have indoor playgrounds. When we're short on time and cash, as we often are, a Little Caesar's $5 hot-and-ready pizza fits the bill (Eastgate or Quince & Ridgeway).

And every now and again we HAVE to have some Jack Pirtle's on Mt. Moriah. Their biscuits and gravy are so yummy but are surely high in everything bad for you. DH likes their steak sandwich with everything, including gravy, slaw and pickles (yuck!)

When money's not so tight, we like Jarrett's on Quince, Half Shell on Mt. Moriah and Buckley's on Poplar.

ilsake, i have not been to the half shell in about four years. they use to have a wonderful fried poboy sandwhich and great softshell crab sandwhiches. do they still? mike curry was the seafood station chef for many years. he was really good w/ his craft...his folks were originally from the lower lousianna coast...mike had a way w/ that crab. i remember several good selections of wine; too, now that i think about it, pretty good whiskey sours, dirty vodka martinis, and single malt scotch. good heavens, i'm beginning to remember too much.