Our readers certainly know a thing or two about restaurants. For more than 35 years now, we’ve been asking them to participate in our annual Readers’ Restaurant Poll, selecting their favorite haunts around town and seeing where they like to stop for steak, ribs, or date night. The result is a handy list that tracks the pulse of Memphis’ dining scene, highlighting both popular and under-the-radar restaurants that locals frequent. If there’s a beloved diner, dive, bakery, or bar, expect it to be on this list.
Many of the restaurants here have been working for years to keep diners full and happy. Chefs continue to pour all their creativity into each dish, and restaurateurs continue to push boundaries as they open new enterprises. It’s all in the service of keeping us fed, so the least we can do is order a few meals, and leave a generous tip for our servers.
The following list details the best places to dine, as chosen by you, our readers. To ensure the poll results were accurate, we installed online safeguards to ensure only one ballot per person, making this the definitive resource for Memphis restaurant-goers.
We’ve named the top three restaurants in most categories, with the first-place winner in bold type. Ties are indicated when they occurred. A special designation (🌟) — we’re calling them “Super Stars” — indicates first-place winners who received more than a third of the total votes cast in that category.
Whether you’re new in town or a longtime resident, almost 50 categories offer up fantastic restaurants worthy of any palate. We also cover the best places to grab a drink, where you can relax and partake in some people-watching, discover which out-of-town spots are worth the drive, and even include a remembrance of some old favorites that are no longer around.
Unsure where to grab dinner next? Let your fellow readers help with the winners of our Readers’ Restaurant Poll. — Samuel X. Cicci
Editor's Note: Some restaurants on this list closed after our voting window had ended. We've kept them in our final results to reflect their impact on Memphis dining over the last year.
Folk’s Folly
Best Restaurant
Folk’s Folly
Erling Jensen the Restaurant
Coastal Fish Company
Best New Restaurant
🌟 Bog & Barley
The Lobbyist
Amelia Gene’s
Best Chef
Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen the Restaurant
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen / Hog & Hominy / Catherine & Mary’s / Gray Canary / Bishop
Ben Smith, Tsunam
Best Asian Fusion
Good Fortune Co.
Mulan
Mosa Asian Bistro
Best Bar
TIE: Bardog Tavern / Rocky’s
Brookhaven Pub & Grill
Bari Ristorante e Enoteca
Photo by Michael Donahue
Calvin Bell with The Rendezvous
Best Barbecue Ribs
Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous
Central BBQ
TIE: One & Only BBQ / The Bar-B-Q Shop
Best Bartender
Sarah Crase, Rocky’s
Hunter Coleman, Bari
Alex Moseley, Alchemy
Best Beer Selection
Flying Saucer
Young Avenue Deli
Bog & Barley
Best Breakfast
Brother Juniper’s
Sunrise Memphis
Bryant’s Breakfast
Best Brunch
Owen Brennan’s
The Beauty Shop
Brother Juniper’s
photo by Michael Donahue
Huey's
Best Burger
🌟 Huey’s
Earnestine & Hazel’s
Top’s Bar-B-Q
Best Cajun/Creole
Owen Brennan’s
Bayou Bar & Grill
The Second Line
Best Chain Restaurant
Houston’s
Seasons 52
Capital Grille
Best Chinese
Wang’s Mandarin House
Mulan
Petals of a Peony
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain)
TIE: Cafe Eclectic / Otherlands Coffee Bar
Belltower Coffeehouse & Studio
City & State
Best Craft Cocktails
Alchemy
Peabody Lobby Bar
TIE: Bari Ristorante / Cameo / Restaurant Iris
Best Date Night
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
Coastal Fish Company
Erling Jensen the Restaurant
Best Deli
Elwood’s Shack
Young Avenue Deli
Kwik Check
Muddy's
Best Dessert Shop
Muddy’s Bake Shop
Frost Bake Shop
La Baguette
Best Dive Bar
Alex’s Tavern
Momma’s
Earnestine & Hazel’s
Best Food Truck
TACONganas
Soi Number 9
New Wing Order
Best Fried Chicken
🌟 Gus’s Fried Chicken
Superlo Foods
Jack Pirtle’s
#33 - Jerry's Snow Cones
Jerry's Sno-Cones
Best Frozen Treat
Jerry’s Sno Cones
MemPops
Sugar Ghost
Best Happy Hour
Bardog Tavern
Brookhaven Pub
Alchemy
Best Indian
🌟 India Palace
Bombay House
Golden India
Best Japanese
Good Fortune Co.
Nagasaki
TIE: Red Koi / Sakura
Best Kid-Friendly
Huey’s
Aldo’s Pizza Pies
Railgarten Diner
Justin Fox Burks
Wiseacre Brewing Co.
Best Local Brewery
Wiseacre Brewing Company
Ghost River Brewery & Tap Room
Crosstown Brewing Company
Best Mediterranean
🌟 Casablanca Restaurant
Taziki Mediterranean Cafe
Petra Cafe
Best Mexican
Los Comales
Las Delicias
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana
Best Outdoor Dining
🌟 Coastal Fish Company
Slider Inn
Celtic Crossing
Best People-Watching
🌟 Peabody Lobby Bar
Celtic Crossing
Lafayette’s Music Room
Best Pizza
Aldo’s Pizza Pies
Memphis Pizza Cafe
Hog & Hominy
Best Place to Impress Out-of-Towners
Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous
Itta Bena
Folk’s Folly
Best Place to Watch the Game
Brookhaven Pub
Rocky’s
Celtic Crossing
Best Plate Lunch
Soul Fish Cafe
Patrick’s
Cupboard Restaurant
Best Restaurateur
TIE: Kelly English (Restaurant Iris, The Second Line, Fino’s on the Hill) / Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman (Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Hog & Hominy, Catherine & Mary’s, Bishop)
Aldo Dean, Aldo’s Pizza / Bardog Tavern / Slider Inn / Momma’s
Tom Powers, Flight Wine Bar / Southern Social / Porch and Parlor / Coastal Fish Company
Best Seafood (non-fast-food)
Coastal Fish Company
Tsunami
The Half Shell
Best Shared Plates
Babalu Tapas & Tacos
Tsunami
Catherine & Mary’s
Best Steak
🌟 Folk’s Folly
Porch and Parlor
Side Porch Steak House
Best Taco
TACONGanas
Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana
Best Thai
🌟 Bangkok Alley
Pho Binh
Emerald Thai Restaurant
Best Vegetarian / Vegan
City Silo Table + Pantry
Pho Binh
Global Cafe
Best Vietnamese
Pho Saigon
Pho Binh
Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant
Photo courtesy Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
Flight
Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar
Best Wine List
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
Folk’s Folly
TIE: Bari Ristorante / Knifebird
Best Wings
Central BBQ
Ching’s Hot Wings
The Wing Guru
Restaurant We Miss the Most
Pancho’s
Bhan Thai
Justine’s
Worth the Drive
City Grocery (Oxford, MS)
Como Steakhouse (Como, MS)
Wilson Cafe (Wilson, AR)
