Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Memphis

Memphians who work downtown have been lunching here since 1918. This is the best of Southern home cooking. Plate lunches offer standards such as fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, catfish, greens with hot sauce, black-eyed peas and wonderful cobblers for dessert. Sweet tea (iced) is the authentic drink with Southern food and your best bet here. No beer or wine is served. The decor, like the food, is designed to be homey and comforting in the middle of a stressful day. Works by local artists hang on the walls, adding to the feeling of being in someone's cozy home.

Enter the Tamp & Tap and breathe in the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee. The coffee shop serves delicious cups of coffee alongwith fine flavored eats like sandwiches, pastries and muffins. beer and sodas are also served here. The decor is tastefully done up and gives a cheerful feel. Do walk in and allow the pleasant staff to take care of you.

The Majestic Grille has a long history in Memphis. A century ago, it was known as the Majestic No. 1, a theater that played silent films. It has since been renovated and turned into a restaurant, but it still plays old movies on a projection screen so you can enjoy a show while you dine. The restaurant is involved in the arts, and inside, you'll find local artists' work featured. With a full bar, this restaurant is the complete package. Come for brunch and enjoy mimosas and bloody Mary's. On the menu, you'll find flatbread pizzas, burgers, steaks, and pasta dishes.

Dyer's Burgers may not be the most glamorous place to dine in Memphis, but it's survived since it's opening in 1912 because the burgers are out of this world. The burgers come in singles, doubles, and a stack of three patties and three slices of cheese. The secret to making such mouthwatering burgers? They've been using the same grease for the entirety of the restaurant's 100 year history. Add some fries or onion rings and a drink to your order, and you're in for a satisfying lunch.

The first Gus's opened in Mason, TN, way back in 1953 and has since then been a huge landmark, thanks to the magic fried chicken they serves. Their Memphis is located on Front Street in Downtown and continues the tradition of serving delectable, spicy and succulent chicken. Open all week, from 11a onward, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken offers a fantastic Southern fare. There's a good selection of sides such as baked beans, cole slaw, mac and cheese and much more. The prices are delightfully low, service is great and offerings are truly worth the title - world famous!

This hot spot used to be a pharmacy, was also rumored to be a brothel upstairs. Now Earnestine and Hazel's is leading the revival of the South Main area. Music and the jukebox (rumored to be driven by ghosts) at the bar bring in the late-night crowds and the famous soul burgers keep them satiated as they listen. Weekend nights feature a piano bar upstairs early in the evening, R&B or jazz later and, often, late night jam sessions with local musicians. The clientèle changes as the evening goes on, with the action really starting around midnight. On Sunday afternoons, there is live music from a variety of local groups. Ghost tours of the haunted rooms upstairs draw curious thrill seekers.