What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Visiting Memphis. What to do? (1 Viewer)

B

baaloc1968

Footballguy
Going to Memphis to visit a friend. Six of us are making the trip from Michigan. My wife has already said she wants to go to Graceland. I think we are doing a Gibson guitar factory tour too. Any recommendations for other activities? Any restaurant recommendations?

 
I worked in Memphis from Oct 2012 to Dec 2013...but I lived in northern MS, in Olive Branch. Memphis is scary. You will be sorely disappointed....sorely. Don't forget to visit Sun Records, though. Surprisingly, the Memphis Zoo is really attractive. Oh, and the Memphis Redbirds play in a beautiful ballpark downtown near the Fedex Forum and Beale St....after that, meh :yucky:

I would recommend staying in Collierville or Germantown hotels, or hotels in northern MS. Most of the BBQ joints are decent. Tom's BBQ is a nice dive, i think Guy from Food network featured it once.

 
Definitely take the Sun Records tour. Simple yet awesome. Cool gift shop upstairs too.

 
baaloc1968 said:
Going to Memphis to visit a friend. Six of us are making the trip from Michigan. My wife has already said she wants to go to Graceland. I think we are doing a Gibson guitar factory tour too. Any recommendations for other activities? Any restaurant recommendations?
Click to expand...
Get to the hotel and bolt the door and do not go out for any reason.

 
Restaurants I enjoyed when I lived there

Sushi - Sekisui Pacific Rim

Seafood - The Half Shell

BBQ - The Rendezvous

Burgers - Huey's

 
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
SmoovySmoov said:
Restaurants I enjoyed when I lived there

Sushi - Sekisui Pacific Rim

Seafood - The Half Shell

BBQ - The Rendezvous

Burgers - Huey's
Click to expand...
They have the best rib's/sauce/rub I ever had. It is a must stop for me when I go to Tunica.
Click to expand...
Was just there recently. DEFINITELY agree, eat at The Rendezvous a couple times. Another smaller place called Gus's. Fabulous fried chicken, you will want to go back several times.

Lot of people go to Beale Street. We did. It's ok for a night, anything past that might make it seem boring. 5 dollar 30+ ounce beers were cool to walk around with. Maybe you will see the "flippers". Was really cool, but also got old really fast.

We were randomly walking around and came upon some abandoned buildings that randomly had a pop-up brewery going on (Untapped). Kinda doubt you see that. I think it was only there for a couple weeks or something.

Gibson factory is a joke. Don't bother. Everything there is 900% overpriced, and everyone said whatever tour they do is stupid. It looked like it was stupid also.

 
Lots mentioned here already:

Graceland - worth it, loved it

Stax

Sun

Gibson - bleh

Beale - well do it, not sure what to say, I always found it pretty boring, every so often you might find a good blues band

Gus's chicken - this might still be the best fried chicken I have ever had

Rendezvous BBQ - awesome fun, beware of wait times, plan ahead

When you're out at Graceland the place to eat is Interstate BBQ - this is some of the best BBQ around.

The Flying Saucer - great place to get beer, nice looking waitresses/bartenderettes, music.

The hotel next door has a pretty fun party after hours

The Peabody - the duck walk, your wife will like this

Check out the riverside park

Automatic Slim's - food and music and drinks

Felicia Suzanne's - upscale dining, terrific

Mollie Fontaine - on Jefferson

Cooper & Young - worth a cab ride / drive over there for bars and restaurant hopping

- Tsunami - great Asian food / sushi

- The Beauty Shop - new fangled Southern cuisine

I don't think anyone else will have mentioned this but I provide it to you here: - check out the rooftop parties at the Madison and the Peabody, it's fun stuff and they have great views of the River, especially the Madison, I think they are on Thursday nights or something like that.

When you come in, try to take Riverside Drive via I-55 heading North (ie not I-40), this is one of the prettier entrances to a city you will ever see.

I would stay at the Madison Hotel, then the Peabody. The Peabody has a better location, the Madison is much nicer and it has an excellent bar and restaurant.

Enjoy.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
FatUncleJerryBuss said:
SmoovySmoov said:
Restaurants I enjoyed when I lived there

Sushi - Sekisui Pacific Rim

Seafood - The Half Shell

BBQ - The Rendezvous

Burgers - Huey's
Click to expand...
They have the best rib's/sauce/rub I ever had. It is a must stop for me when I go to Tunica.
Click to expand...
I agree. Best BBQ ribs I've ever had. We stopped in Memphis for a night on our last road trip south and for weeks I'd been looking forward to eating there again. We arrived to find out they're not open on Mondays.

:cry:

 
baaloc1968 said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Wife and I will be staying in the Germantown area as our friend lives near Cordova.
Click to expand...
All regions are "ish"... some may be just off that street but are close by...

GERMANTOWN / EAST MEMPHIS

Commissary has been crushed by One and Only BBQ on pretty much every front. Commissary ribs are overcooked, fatty, and still have the membrane intact. That's like cooking pizza while leaving the cheese in the bag. Comissary does one thing right... and it's their shoulder. However O&O even surpasses them in that regard.

One and only BBQ (On Kirby just north of Poplar) is the new favorite of pretty much everyone in town (Central BBQ, Cozy Corner, BBQ Shop, Memphis BBQ Company (in N. Miss) are the other frontrunners. One and Only excels at ribs, shoulder, brisket (at least for memphis). Spicy sauce is the way to go. Slaw is exceptional. There is honestly not a single thing Gtown Commissary does better than One and Only (aside from possibly seating a group of 12 or more). I've eaten at both places a half dozen times at least.

• Mr B's (for a mom & pop no frills steak place)

• Season's 52 (Upscale healthy/fresh dining - sit in bar area (first come first served) for great live piano fri/sat PM).

• City East Bagel (Kirby/Poplar area - Great breakfast chow)

• Owen Brennan's : NOLA style Formal Jazz Brunch w. If in town sunday AM...do this.

• TJ Mulligans : Bar in Kirby/Poplar area. NOthing fancy. decent live music on weekends

• Andrew Michael : Upscale contemporary/creative italian on Brookhaven Circle

• Hog & Hominy : More casual fare also by chef's behind andrew michael

STEAKHOUSE DISTRICT:

Want a steak? Within 1 mile or so of the 240/Poplar overpass you have:

• Ruth's Chris - Chain... had one had em all

• Flemings - Chain... had one had em all

• Capital Grill - Chain... I loved the one in Orlando. Heard 2 bad reviews of this one for some reason.

• Folks Folly - Homegrown local prime steakhouse

• Buckleys - Homegrown steakhouse one step down from above.

DOWNTOWN:

Beale is fine for a bit.. but if you're going for the historic aspect, don't go on Fri or Sat night... it's overrun with tourists. A zoo. If you want a Bourbon type atmosphere, then go at that time. Park above the flying saucer. safe garage with easy access to either Beale (down staircase on east end of garage) or Main Street (Down elevators on West side of garage).

NORTH MAIN:

• Local Gastropub: Fantastic pub with great food and a stellar big beer/bourbon selection.

• Aldo's Pizza Pies: Solid Pizza

• Blind Bear Speakeasy: Great bar with poker topped tables, etc. Excellent bartenders. Tell Jamie (owner) Matt S sent ya.

• Bardog (Off main near the Madison - Great little bar. Aldo is the owner).

• Madison Hotel: rooftop is a GREAT place to get a drink...esp at sunset.

SOUTH MAIN:

• Pearl's Oyster House : Oysters, drinks. seafood. Pretty good stuff

• SOB (South Of Beale) : Great gastropub style chow. One notch below Local in quality and price.

• Arcade Restaurant : Historic Diner... Great breakfast

• Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken ; Best fried chicken ever. No shtick. Dive location with Blues Juke and beers in 40oz bottles.

• Ernestine & Hazels : Historic Brothel turned dive bar. Great place or late night drinks.

2ND AVE:

• Flying Saucer : 200 beers.... bavarian chow... waitresses in short plaid skirts and stockings.... live music in beer garden

• Kooky Canuck : Man vs Food contested Mega Burger called the Kookamunga. Split it 4 ways for shtick

• Peabody and Madison Rooftop Parties (Thursday's I believe... good times)

• Flying Fish : Oysters on the Halfshell.... extra cheap preachers special on Sunday

• Automatic Slims : Best kept brunch secret in town

• Paula Raiford's Disco : Great Bar/Danceclub. Eccentric motown DJ. Beers by the 40oz bottle. Great for all folks 21+

• Rendezvous : In alley near peabody... hit or miss on their ribs. When good they are great. Worth the experience!

• Silly Goose : Martini bar at the head of Beale

OVERTON SQUARE:

A BOOMING area on Madison about a mile or so east of Downtown. Cant stress how many quality restaurants and bars have shot up here over the last year or so.

• Local on the Square: Big 2 story version of the downtown spot. IMO food is slightly less good. Bigger party vibe on weekends.

• Bar Louie : Chain... fun bar with decent food.

• Boscos : Microbrewery / Bar with good food

• Chiwawa : Great fresh mexican street food style place with fantastic patio

• BBQ Shop : Great BBQ

• Mollys LaCasita : More traditional Mexican Tex/Mex style restaurant than ChiWawa

• Blue Monkey : Great bar with live music on weekends

• Babalu : Another trendy mexican taco joint

• Robata Ramen : Brand new japanese/ramen style trendy spot

• Bari : Upscale italian dining

• Second Line : Chef Kelly English's cheaper / more casual spot

• Iris : Kelly English's Main spot... best restaurant in memphis. Reservations out far on weekends.

• Memphis Pizza Cafe : Solid thin crust Pizza

• Celtic Crossing : Down the road a bit toward Cooper Young : Best irish pub in Memphis.

That is a good start... Broad is another district that's exploding right now... Cordova is a whole different animal as well.

That's mostly entertainment/dining... I didn't get into the touristy Stuff like Stax. Gibson, etc. The zoo is exceptional. Levitt Shell has great free concerts (lawn seating. bring chair and cooler).

IF you have any more specific questions I'll be happy to help! :thumbup:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I challenge anyone to find a happier group of grizzly bears than the ones at the Memphis zoo.

ETA: only rating happiness of bears in captivity, not free range bears

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Chapelboy said:
I challenge anyone to find a happier group of grizzly bears than the ones at the Memphis zoo.

ETA: only rating happiness of bears in captivity, not free range bears
Click to expand...
Mem zoo really does try to create decent habitats for a lot of their animals. :thumbup:

 
We went to the zoo today and had a good time. Afterwards, we went to One and Only bbq. All seven of us enjoyed it. Great recommendation. Thanks!

 
We're here until Monday. Going to Graceland tomorrow and then going out in the evening. Not sure what else we'll be doing. Some of the group want to do Gibson tour and hit up Sun records.

 
Should have veered through Cleveland on the way down so that you can tell everyone you visited the real home of Rock n Roll.

:jokealert:

 
We hit Graceland and then Interstate BBQ. We enjoyed Graceland, but we were a little disappointed with the BBQ after One and Only. It was decent but just drenched in sauce so you couldn't get a good taste of the beef or pork.

 
Today started with a trip to Bryant's Breakfast. Food was decent. I was hoping for more from the biscuits and gravy. It was bland to me. We did the Gibson factory tour as one of the guys in our group plays. It was okay. Then we headed to Gus' for fried chicken. That was very good. We hung around downtown for a while and then headed back to our friend's house for the rest of the evening.

 
Bump.

Going in November with my girlfriend. We will be there for four days, and hitting up the USF - Memphis football game.

Is it possible to walk places? I'll be staying at the Madison downtown. I don't mind cabbing it, but I'd like to avoid renting a car. Is that feasible?

 
Vrana said:
Bump.

Going in November with my girlfriend. We will be there for four days, and hitting up the USF - Memphis football game.

Is it possible to walk places? I'll be staying at the Madison downtown. I don't mind cabbing it, but I'd like to avoid renting a car. Is that feasible?
Click to expand...
Downtown isn't bad. South Main is a growing entertainment area, a la Overton Square.

However, I can tell you (and not just because I'm a part-time driver) that Lyft is VERY popular in Memphis. Not sure about Uber, though I'll find out soon enough.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Vrana said:
Bump.

Going in November with my girlfriend. We will be there for four days, and hitting up the USF - Memphis football game.

Is it possible to walk places? I'll be staying at the Madison downtown. I don't mind cabbing it, but I'd like to avoid renting a car. Is that feasible?
Click to expand...
You're doing well staying at the Madison. Hit Beale street one night for a bit but please don't waste your whole time there. See earlier in the thread or PM me for more personalized recommendations.Travel between downtown and other areas will need a cab / lyft / uber. I prefer the latter two as Memphis cabs suck. Public transport is nonexistent.

Ride to the football game isn't going to be much. Be sure to arrive early to tailgate on tiger lane. I have some buddies with tents and you guys can join up if I'm in town and at the game.

Ride to Overton square / cooper young won't be bad either. Great collection of dining and entertainment options there as well.

Age of you guys? Interests? Exact dates of trip? Assuming the weekend of 11/21 but coming in fri out Monday?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
saintfool said:
Miss Mary Bobo's still around? I recall it just outside of the city.
Click to expand...
Only one I know of is in Lynchberg, which is A. home of Jack Daniels and B. northwest of Chattanooga (aka not near Memphis)

 
[icon] said:
Vrana said:
Bump.

Going in November with my girlfriend. We will be there for four days, and hitting up the USF - Memphis football game.

Is it possible to walk places? I'll be staying at the Madison downtown. I don't mind cabbing it, but I'd like to avoid renting a car. Is that feasible?
Click to expand...
You're doing well staying at the Madison. Hit Beale street one night for a bit but please don't waste your whole time there. See earlier in the thread or PM me for more personalized recommendations.Travel between downtown and other areas will need a cab / lyft / uber. I prefer the latter two as Memphis cabs suck. Public transport is nonexistent.

Ride to the football game isn't going to be much. Be sure to arrive early to tailgate on tiger lane. I have some buddies with tents and you guys can join up if I'm in town and at the game.

Ride to Overton square / cooper young won't be bad either. Great collection of dining and entertainment options there as well.

Age of you guys? Interests? Exact dates of trip? Assuming the weekend of 11/21 but coming in fri out Monday?
Click to expand...
The plan was to use lyft and uber almost exclusively. I don't have either in my town, so it will be a new experience.

We'll be coming in Wednesday 11/19 and leaving Sunday 11/23. We won't be hitting up the club scene or anything like that, but may decide to check out any breweries or cool craft bars in the area.

Our big thing is food. When we travel, we plan our trip around what restaurants we are going to and try to fit other things in around our schedule. We won't be hitting up any chains, but I think that your list above is going to be a big help.

My girlfriend also wants to hit up the zoo one morning. Are there any other activities things to do? I'm not really interested in Graceland (unless you really think it's worth doing?) but wouldn't mind a cool museum or two. What do the locals do for fun?

Edit: We're both 25. Would love to meet up if you go to the game. USF is terrible, so it should be a good one for Memphis fans.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Zoo is very solid... Definitely worth hitting.

Graceland: I'll say this... It's a total tourist suck. You feel dirty being herded through the ticket lines, the gift shop, and into the bus across the street. The house isn't that big, and damn it's tacky as ####. THAT SAID, the self guided headphone tour allows it to be really immersive in a way that the old pimple faced tour leader never could. The "memorabilia hall" with hundreds of items is cool, with each item having a code on the headset telling it's story.

It's not a must do, by any stretch. But I'll say I'm not an Elvis fan... I despise touristy kitchy crap... But I've been 3x and actually enjoy it. Take that for what ya will, I guess.

I'll think up some other non bar/dining options as you get closer... Riverboat cruise can be fun. Hrm.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
We have several breweries here... Wiseacre's tasting room is awesome. A good buddy started "Memphis made" last year. He actually gave me a tour of their operations yesterday, but I'm not sure they'll have the tasting room open by then. Will see!

Memphis is seeing a great surge of young talented restauranteurs opening up some solid concepts... It's somewhat of a golden age of dining here in town. More quality non-chain options than I ever recall.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MTskibum
  • Poll
Which vacation lodging option?
Replies
10
Views
528
Dezbelief
Dezbelief
Ministry of Pain
Surprise visit from my son and tickets to the Miami-NYJ game at Hard Rock
Replies
7
Views
391
tommyGunZ
tommyGunZ
BeTheMatch
Calling Los Angelinos - where to eat/what to do next weekend?
Replies
44
Views
827
Terpman22
Terpman22

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top