photograph by karen pulfer focht
Ragged but right: the ethos of Earnestine & Hazel’s, and of the city where it stands. The storied dive bar on South Main — like the city of Memphis — never set out to be “on trend.” Unapologetically authentic is more like it. Around here, peeling paint and grit aren’t problems: they’re hallmarks. It may be ragged, but it’s right.
The bar and the city celebrate the humble and the time-tested, like cold beer and barbecue. Both stay off the beaten path, but those who seek them out find medicine in their magic. And their magic is in the people who fill them.
Earnestine & Hazel’s may have a new owner soon. Current bar owners announced in November they were selling the bar and the building for personal reasons. The deadline to submit offers was mid-January, and the listing price was $975,000. — Toby Sells
