The Farmer at Railgarten

Chef Mac Edwards returns with Memphis’ farm-fresh favorites.

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They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. It’s been nearly five years since Mac Edwards closed the last iteration of his popular restaurant The Farmer, which operated on Highland. One peek inside his new digs at Railgarten shows that Memphians couldn’t wait to dive back into their sloppy joes and bhan mi sandwiches.

Edwards has been running restaurants for 40-plus years and is a fixture of the Memphis dining scene, having founded McEwens on Monroe and spent time in the kitchens of plenty more well loved restaurants. Edwards had been out of the limelight for a bit, with his latest gig coming as culinary director of Crosstown Arts, where he provided food for the Art Bar, the Green Room, and for artists in and around the Concourse. Covid hit not too long after he took up that role in 2020.

“They were very gracious there,” he says, “and paid us for six extra months, scrounging up every penny they could to keep us on and take good care of us.” It couldn’t last forever, and Edwards took on restaurant consulting work.

The menu at the “new” Farmer will be very familiar to those who dined at the old restaurant. Think protein sourced from Marmilu Farms, catfish from Mississippi, and everything else that Edwards calls simple and straightforward comfort food.

But then Railgarten owner Jack Phillips called with an opportunity. The bar / recreation spot had been without a consistent dining option since the diner on its grounds closed in March 2020. As a big fan of The Farmer, he thought Edwards would be a great fit for the space. It didn’t take much convincing.

“I was ready,” says Edwards. “I needed to do something. You can only sit around the house so long. So we had a few meetings and hashed it out.”

The quick transition was helped along by chef de cuisine Armando Sandoval, who had already been working as a chef at Railgarten for five years. “He’s smart, he’s a natural leader, and he leads the kitchen on a day-to-day basis,” says Edwards. “He’s a really big part of what we’ve been able to pull off here.”

Eleven years after first opening (under its original name, The Elegant Farmer), Edwards reintroduced his concept and opened the doors on December 15, 2021. Abby Phillips of Arrow Creative redesigned the interior, moving the entrance over to the site of the former ice cream shop and creating a sleek and much more spacious floor plan that can accommodate many of the old regulars who were eager to return. But diners can also sit at the bar, which loops around past an open kitchen plan.

The menu at the “new” Farmer will be very familiar to those who dined at the old restaurant. Think protein sourced from Marmilu Farms, catfish from Mississippi, and everything else that Edwards calls simple and straightforward comfort food.

“We’re always going to do beef, we’re always going to do pork, and we’re always going to do chicken,” he says. “We’ve got our catfish. And we have some staples that people go for, like the catfish with the smoked tomato broth and mac and cheese, the pork with cornbread pudding, or the pork chop with the sweet potato hash and onion marmalade. But we change the sauces and our side dishes seasonally to reflect what’s available.”

Leading the charge is, of course, the sloppy joe that landed Edwards a spot on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The sandwich utilizes ground beef from Marmilu Farms; Edwards mixes the meat with root vegetables in a sweet and spicy tomato sauce. “We call it a chunky sweet and savory sloppy joe,” explains Edwards. “We toss in celery, onions, and carrots, but we don’t chop them; we dice them into half-inch pieces, and you can see them in the mix. It’s got a little nutmeg, clove, and hot sauce in it, Worcestershire, and tomato paste to give it that kick. And it’s a generous portion. We do five or six ounces of beef. It’s what I call a ‘grown-up’ sloppy joe.”

Another popular dish is Edwards’ take on Vietnamese: his Banh You, Banh Mi sandwich. “I suppose it’s a very American take on this dish,” laughs Edwards, “but people would have a cow if I took it off.” Order the savory sandwich stuffed with chicken, beef, pork, or mushrooms; each makes for an excellent lunch. Edwards balances the protein with a sesame aioli and then brushes on a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce, and water to add umami. The sandwich is then layered with pickled vegetables in a mix inspired by his mother’s vinegar slaw recipe.

“It’s carrot, red onion, daikon, jalapeños,” he says. “We take a 90-10 aioli and rice wine vinegar mix, a little honey, and we let that simmer before pouring it over the vegetables while warm and let it wilt a little bit. Then we let it sit and put in a pile of cilantro.”

While the sloppy joe and banh mi sandwich are two of the most popular items, every dish comes with its own comforting charms. At lunch, the brisket pot roast hardly needs a knife, with the gravy-topped beef cooked to tender perfection and tossed with winter vegetables and an assortment of colorful potatoes. I went with the pan-fried salmon patties, whose crispy edges give way to a mellow interior. Any fishiness is mellowed by a sweet and smooth dollop of braised greens, along with Edwards’ house-made mac and cheese with penne pasta. Come dinner time, heartier options make their way onto the menu, such as the country-fried or chargrilled club strip steaks, or gulf shrimp and Delta Grind grits with tasso ham, sweet peppers, onions, and braised greens.

The menu is rounded out with a selection of cocktails curated by Railgarten general manager Jeremy Malone, ranging from a traditional old fashioned to a Memphis in Manhattan made with Huling Station Bourbon from Old Dominick Distillery. Don’t pass on dessert either; the Gibson Donut Bread Pudding is an Edwards special, but there’s also key lime pie and chocolate or caramel cake for the traditionalists.

Diners happy to see The Farmer’s return shouldn’t be concerned about it going away again any time soon. Edwards and Phillips had initially envisioned a three-month pop-up plan from December 2021 to February 2022 to test the concept, but both parties are looking to make it a long-term arrangement.

“So far, so good,” says Edwards. “I don’t see why we can’t continue here. We’re doing regular business now. A lot of regulars from the old Farmer have come back and haven’t missed a beat. The response has been great, and it’s been really flattering, gratifying, and humbling that people loved this food — thank goodness!”

I popped in during Wednesday lunch service, and the restaurant was packed: every table occupied, several parties eagerly waiting in the lobby for their turn, and several individuals at the bar. It was all types, too: large families, a couple of dates, and even a student studying at the bar on her laptop. The overall joviality inside created a very comfortable atmosphere, matching the “comfort food” Edwards loves to serve. And despite working hard in the kitchen, he takes time to thank each customer and group that strolls in to try his food.

For now, meals at The Farmer are available for dine-in and carry-out. But Edwards says they’re working on a few options that people who are drinking out back and inside the Railgarten bar can order. “Before the new season starts in earnest, with the warmer weather, we’ll come up with some held items that people can order and will be available at Railgarten,” he says. “So we’ll have some overlap there fairly soon. Really, the overall partnership has been great here.”

While regulars know what to expect, newcomers may find it difficult to choose among the enticing options. Edwards says not to worry about that. “I think people will come in here, hopefully enjoy the food, and I’m confident they’ll come back.” He’s got that right. I, for one, will be back at The Farmer soon.

The Farmer at Railgarten is located at 2158 Central Avenue, 901-313-0087. THEFARMER901.COM. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch, and 5-9 p.m. for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.