For more than 35 years, readers have turned to our annual Readers’ Restaurant Poll for a guide to the city’s best restaurants, cafés, diners, bakeries, food trucks, bars, breweries — and lots more. And every year, our readers select the best of the best from among so many great dining options in Memphis. They’ve done so again, and you’ll see the winners on these pages.
So much has changed over the past year, not least in the food industry, which has undergone a radical and challenging transformation in the time of COVID-19. Owners, servers, and even diners have changed how they operate in and around restaurants to keep everyone safe and healthy. Several favorite establishments have been forced to close their doors, while others struggle to keep their heads above water. But those in food service are nothing if not a resilient bunch. The pandemic has spawned many innovations, encompassing take-out pivots, ghost concepts, new specials, and meal donations for those in need. And you’ll be sure to see some of these changes represented in our poll results this year.
What follows is a list of the best places to eat and drink in the Bluff City — independent from our “Memphis Eats A - Z” feature — as determined by the most qualified judges in town: 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 a longtime Memphian, or just a casual visitor, there’s plenty here to satisfy any palate, with some 40 categories of food, and a special section devoted to liquid refreshments. We even tell you where to find the best service — and server. And if you don’t mind heading out of town a ways, we tell you places that are worth the drive.
We congratulate all the winners, and we thank the readers who shared their favorite places to eat, drink, and be merry.
But restaurants need our support now, more than ever — whether they appear on this list or not. Local restaurants are more than just places to pick up food. During the good times, they are community pillars, gathering spaces, hang-out spots, maybe even live music venues; an essential fabric of the identity that makes up Memphis. And that many of these institutions are able to keep their doors open after the tumult of the past year, well, that’s certainly worth celebrating.
So, unsure where to start? Let your fellow readers offer some suggestions with the winners of our 2021 Readers’ Restaurant Poll.
Best Restaurant
Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
Erling Jensen, The Restaurant
Coastal Fish Company
Best Chef
Kelly English — Restaurant Iris, The Second Line
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman — Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Hog & Hominy, Catherine & Mary’s, Gray Canary, Bishop
José Gutierrez — River Oaks
Best New Restaurant
Coastal Fish Company
Porch and Parlor
Magnolia & May
Bishop
Cocozza
Hazel’s Lucky Dice Delicatessen
Southall Café
Ben-Yay’s
Curfew
Edge Alley | Restaurant
Best 2020 Pivot
Muddy’s Bake Shop
Cocozza American Italian
Restaurant Iris
Best Asian Fusion
Mulan
Mosa Asian Bistro
A-Tan
Best Barbecue Ribs
Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
Central BBQ
The Bar-B-Q Shop
Best Barbecue Sandwich
Central BBQ
Corky’s
The Bar-B-Q Shop
Best Breakfast
🌟 Brother Juniper’s
Sunrise Memphis
Bryant’s Breakfast
Best Brunch
Owen Brennan’s
Brother Juniper’s
The Beauty Shop
Best Burger
🌟 Huey’s
Top’s Bar-B-Q
Belly Acres
Best Cajun / Creole
The Second Line
Owen Brennan’s
Bayou Bar & Grill
Best Chain Restaurant
Houston’s
Seasons 52
Capital Grille
Best Chinese
Mulan
Wang’s Mandarin House
Formosa Chinese Restaurant
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain)
Ugly Mug Coffee
Café Eclectic
Otherlands Coffee Bar
Best Date Night
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
[TIE]: Restaurant Iris / Southern Social
Erling Jensen, The Restaurant
Best Deli
Elwood’s Shack
Young Avenue Deli
Bogie’s Delicatessen
Best Dessert Shop
Muddy’s Bake Shop
Frost Bake Shop
La Baguette
Best Food Truck
Cousins Maine Lobster
Say Cheese
Central BBQ
Best Fried Chicken
🌟 Gus’s Fried Chicken
Jack Pirtle’s
Uncle Lou’s
Best Frozen Treat
Jerry’s Sno Cones
Mempops
La Michoacana
Best Indian
🌟 India Palace
Bombay House
Golden India
Best Italian
Pete & Sam’s
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Coletta’s
Best Japanese
Sekisui
Sakura
Red Koi
Best Kid-Friendly
Huey’s
Memphis Pizza Café
Belly Acres
Best Mediterranean
🌟 Casablanca Restaurant
Taziki Mediterranean Café
Petra Café
Best Mexican
Las Delicias
Molly’s La Casita
Los Tortugas Deli Mexicana
Best Outdoor Dining
Coastal Fish Company
Slider Inn
Loflin Yard
Best People-Watching
🌟 Peabody Lobby Bar
[TIE]: Lafayette’s Music Room / Railgarten
Flying Saucer
Best Pizza
Memphis Pizza Café
Aldo’s Pizza Pies
Little Italy
Best Place to Impress Out-of-Towners
Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
Itta Bena
Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
Best Place to Watch the Game
Brookhaven Pub
Huey’s
[TIE]: Bayou Bar & Grill / Celtic Crossing Irish Pub
Best Plate Lunch
Soul Fish
Cupboard Restaurant
Patrick’s
Best Seafood (non-fast food)
Coastal Fish Company
The Half Shell
Tsunami
Best Server
Jeff Frisby — Tsunami
Taylor Pfohl — Bayou Bar & Grill
Scarlet McWhorter — Tsunami
Best Service
Porch and Parlor
Huey’s
Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
Best Shared Plates
Babalu Tapas & Tacos
Bounty on Broad
Tsunami
Best Steak
🌟 Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
Buckley’s Restaurant
Butcher Shop Steak House
Best Taco
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana
Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos
Swanky’s Taco Shop
Best Thai
Bhan Thai
Bangkok Alley
Pho Binh
Best Vegetarian / Vegan
City Silo Table + Pantry
Raw Girls
[TIE]: Global Café / Pho Binh
Best Vietnamese
Pho Saigon
Pho Binh
Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant
Restaurant We Miss the Most
Jim’s Place East
Justine’s
Anderton’s
Worth the Drive
City Grocery (Oxford, MS)
Como Steakhouse (Como, MS)
Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q (Mason, TN)
Best Bar
Celtic Crossing Irish Pub
Alchemy Memphis
Huey’s
Best Beer Selection
🌟 Flying Saucer
Young Avenue Deli
Boscos Squared
Best Craft Cocktails
Alchemy
Peabody Lobby Bar
Majestic Grille
Best Dive Bar
Earnestine & Hazel’s
Alex’s Tavern
The Cove
Best Happy Hour
Alchemy
[TIE]: Huey’s / Brookhaven Circle
The Half Shell
Best Local Brewery
Wiseacre Brewing Co.
Ghost River Brewery & Tap Room
Memphis Made Brewing Co.
Best Wine List
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
[TIE]: Bari Ristorante / Napa Café
Best Category We Left Out
Best Take-Out
Best Wings
Best Bartender
