The Top Ten New Restaurants in Memphis Since 2020

Spotlighting ten of the most exciting new establishments that have opened their doors to hungry Memphians in the past two years.

by

We devote an outsized portion of our lives to the pursuit of happiness in the form of good food. In the times during the pandemic when our worlds have gotten smaller, many of us have grounded ourselves with passionate and borderline-obsessive culinary quests.

But then there are those who do it best, the professionals who make our local food scene fresh, dynamic, and never dull. Yes, some places have closed their doors, but we’ve seen plenty of folks try something new, too. If you feel a frisson of joy when a new dish is being whisked to your table, then you’re in luck. Memphis has always been known for deliciousness, but the sheer variety of quality eateries increases by the year.

Last year, we took a break from our annual top-10 list to run a “Memphis A-Z” feature shouting out our favorite haunts (one establishment or local icon per letter). But now, we’re returning to the classics. This year, we’re including establishments that opened for the first time in 2020 or later, as well as a few restaurants that have recently reinvented themselves.

We’re featuring new faces this year, as well as familiar friends trying out novel ideas. Kelly English guides us to Spain at Pantà with spirited tapas and cocktails just off Overton Square, while Downtown, Arturo Leighton and Sara Cai whip up batches of fresh noodles at Good Fortune Co. for some of the best ramen in the city. Memphis Chess Club offers a heck of a pizza slice while fine-tuning your mind, and Dory’s frequently changing tasting menus provide an experience quite unlike any other in town. Best of all, those are just a few of the tantalizing places waiting to serve you.

For our Top 10 New Restaurants List — which complements but is separate from the Readers’ Restaurant Poll — our editorial team selected just a few of the places we think represent the best of our city’s culinary future. Whether you’re dining in or calling in a carryout order, every meal is an opportunity to pursue happiness through food. For more information, be sure to refer to our City Dining Listings for schedules, locations, and contact information, and bon appétit! (Note: The Top 10 are presented alphabetically. We couldn’t possibly rank these — we recommend sampling every one.)

Bala’s Bistro

Bala Tounkara has been cooking in Memphis for almost two decades now. He struck out on his own a couple years ago in new digs on Elvis Presley Blvd. in Whitehaven. Tounkara brings fresh flavors to local diners with dishes from his home in Mali and West Africa broadly.

Tounkara initially operated in a small spot on Raines Road, but frequently thought about relocating to a bigger space where he could grow his business. So this past November, he closed that Raines location and moved into his new, much bigger space. That gave him the chance to rethink how he serves his customers. Now, instead of just à la carte items, Bala’s Bistro offers a hot bar that boasts all the best dishes like curry pepper chicken, jollof rice, and seafood okra stew — all available to order by the pound.

The hot bar rotates depending on availability, but there’s always the chance to try something novel and exciting, like curry goat or tender braised lamb. Otherwise, stick with the spicy chicken yassa or maafe, the West African peanut stew. Whether people are familiar with West African cuisine or not, Tounkara is always happy to point them in the right direction. “Many people come in, and they’ve never had African food before,” says Tounkara. “If they’re hesitant, I’ll ask them about things they like and see what might be a good starting point for them.”

Most of Tounkara’s meals come in vegan varieties, and he serves more traditional American options like hamburgers and barbecue for eaters not looking for an adventure. The bistro has recently expanded to include breakfast (think waffles, pancakes, and omelettes — with a West African twist), and stay tuned for fun evenings planned, like DJ and karaoke nights. Bala’s Bistro presents a unique restaurant experience in Memphis and gives anyone a chance to sample food that will take them on a journey. Just be sure to get there before the rarer dishes run out! — Samuel X. Cicci

Dory

You should know that Dory, which opened last March, will challenge your expectations from the moment you slide into a seat. Unlike at other restaurants, you won’t get a menu with a lot of options. Instead, the restaurant offers a limited number of choices, which rotate the first Wednesday of each month.

And you won’t actually be handed a menu when you sit down. As Amanda Krog, co-owner with her husband, chef David Krog, said in a Memphis Flyer interview, “We’re not putting out the menu to the people before they come. They come in, sit down, they eat. We’ll honor dietary restrictions as long as we know in advance.”

The six-course dinners are $95 each. An early menu included redfish with pea shoots, mirepoix, and saffron broth; pork belly with collard greens, pureed turnips, and foie gras powder; and a frozen custard with an almond lace cookie, roasted apple, caramel, and Amanda’s Nine Oat One Granola. They offer wine pairings, and a full bar that features its own “bar snacks menu.”

Dory asks diners to trust them with the selections, and that trust is rewarded with six courses, including the amuse-bouche, the sorbet, and the mignardise (a bite-size dessert).

On Tuesdays, the restaurant serves a $55 four-course dinner, which is prepared and created by the kitchen staff. The Tuesday dinner is “a completely different menu that the sous chef and the rest of our staff are writing on their own, with very little oversight from me,” David told the Flyer. “I want them to create a menu they’re proud of.”

“The details are everything” at Dory, David said. “The wine list is constantly moving and the dishes are constantly evolving, the service is refining. Every little thing we’re doing every single day there is to try to be the best that we can possibly be.”

Dory is planning a special belated grand-opening event the first week in March to celebrate the first-year anniversary. – Michael Donahue

Editor's Note: This section has been updated slightly from our print edition to reflect new information.

The Genre

Chef/owner Lernard Chambers describes The Genre, which opened in August, as “a small urban bistro.”

By that he means “just a small eatery. With a hookah, gourmet food, and good customer service.”

The restaurant is “directly across from 201 Poplar” — the Shelby County Jail. Which is a plus, in Chambers’ view, because people feel safe going to the restaurant at night, what with the police all around.

The “201 sauce” is their number-one chicken tender sauce, Chambers says. He describes it as a “sweet heat, kind of Cajun” sauce.

He sauces his tenders “different ways,” Chambers says. “Fifteen different sauces we can sauce them in.”

The “Golden” sauce is another popular one, he says. “Kind of like a sweet honey gold.”

The menu also includes fried catfish. “We use 100 percent U.S. catfish. So, we get it fresh. We make sure the quality is good. Our preparation is quality preparation as far as the seasoning, the batter, the oil being fresh.

“We also do a brunch menu. And our signature item on that is our fried catfish and grits.”

As for desserts, Chambers says, “We constantly change them up. Right now we have fried Oreos, strawberry cake, cheesecake. We just keep changing them every couple of months.”

Chambers calls the shots. “Pretty much me being the head chef creating the whole menu.”

The Genre’s look is distinctive: Album covers as well as actual records are used as wall art. Chambers and his twin brother, Bernard, are veteran deejays. A range of music, including Lernard’s favorite R&B tunes, play in the background. Live music also is on tap at The Genre. – MD

Good Fortune Co.

The intense flavors and careful crafting of Good Fortune Co.’s made-in-house noodles and dumplings have been wowing diners since the restaurant opened its doors on South Main last year. Downtown residents, young professionals, and families have flocked to the new Asian eatery for dinner, with a bright neon sign (“Send Noods,” it reads) and an enormous, Studio Ghibli-style mural by Ivy-Jade Edwards providing excellent photo ops.

But the big draw is the meticulous culinary craftsmanship of owners Sara Cai and Arturo Leighton, who work closely with staff to produce their own handmade noodles and dumpling dishes. The two bet on themselves, leaving their jobs at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando to open a restaurant in Memphis, and that bold decision has paid off. Walk by on any given day, and the restaurant is likely to be packed with satisfied customers.

The menu isn’t huge, but there always seems to be some delicious new style to try. The traditional big city ramen is a great place to start, while the recently added coco curry ramen pops — spicy and smooth at once, thanks to Thai basil, galangal, and the owners’ own coconut broth — pair well with a carafe of sake. But the hidden gem may be the GFC Wings appetizer, heaping clumps of crunchy goodness drizzled with sweet Sichuan honey butter.

The attention and passion that go into each dish are palpable. “Noodles from scratch? That’s certainly a labor of love,” Leighton told Memphis when Good Fortune first opened. “We really care about the food we’re making and we’re going to put love into everything. We’re going to take the time to make sure everything is done right, and we’re so excited to be able to share that with people.” – SXC

Longshot

In a little over two years, Longshot has had two incarnations. The first, launched in late 2019, was a sausage-centric restaurant that served an international selection of bangers. But then Covid hit, executive chef David Todd found himself laid off, and the Arrive Hotel’s downstairs bar and restaurant went on ice.

But not to fret. Todd returned to the long, narrow restaurant a few months later, this time with almost full control over the menu. He seized his chance to make Longshot his own. The revamped concept is so far removed from the restaurant’s initial limited run, it feels like a rebirth. Now, Todd’s specialties at the globally inspired gastropub delight diners, while the shuffleboard bar keeps them entertained. “We do have a lot of international influence,” Todd told Memphis, “but I like to say that it’s influenced by flavor. Anything I’ve encountered in my career that tastes good, I try to work it in somewhere.”

Todd starts close to home, with catfish, which he bathes with a soy ginger glaze and serves atop rich and creamy charred carrot-coconut grits. The menu journeys to further-flung global tastes with the popular Korean fried chicken sandwich — the bird smothered with cheese corn and gochujang sauce for a spicy and slightly sweet kick. And the flash-fried coconut curry cauliflower makes for a tasty snack with its blend of Thai coconut milk, cilantro, cashews, and lime.

But Todd’s creativity shines brightest with dishes like the tuna poke nachos, a freethinking amalgamation of multiple culinary cultures. He tosses the fish in white soy, regular soy sauce, and sesame oil, and adds a Napa cabbage and cilantro slaw alongside a few sauces. “You’re bouncing through a lot with this dish,” says Todd, “but I like things that, when you’re eating them, different sensations are coming across your palate.”

No matter what arrives at the table, the exciting and varied dishes are what Longshot is all about. And everything tastes better with a side of shuffleboard. – SXC

Magnolia & May

Southern meets French at Magnolia & May. And sure, there are plenty of other international influences on the menu. But that’s no problem for Chip and Amanda Dunham, who used all their experience from time at the Grove Grill when they opened their own restaurant during the early days of the pandemic. The brasserie can accommodate diners looking for both casual and upscale options with a wide variety of fusion dishes.

If you haven’t tried it yet, start with the buffalo broccoli appetizer. Breaded and deep-fried florets are tossed with buffalo sauce (and blue cheese or buttermilk) to create smooth and spicy vegetable magic. But the perfect synthesis of Memphis and cosmopolitan Europe is the Bluff City Fungi mushroom pasta. The first iteration of this dish, in a gnocchi style, was whipped up “almost like a mushroom beurre blanc,” according to Amanda. “Chip puts so much flavor in there with the mushrooms, and adds in so much more with the vegetables he uses. It’ll knock your socks off.”

The restaurant boasts a very laid-back and casual atmosphere, with one wall composed of repurposed bourbon barrels. And the bar is a throwback to bygone Memphis, utilizing lane wood from the old Imperial Lanes bowling alley. The building itself is a tribute to the Dunham family legacy, with Chip moving the restaurant into his grandfather’s old law office on Mt. Moriah.

So kick back and enjoy some great food — alongside cocktails infused with Disney magic: Moana’s margarita with frozen coconut and lime; the Queen Elsa with sparkling wine, cardamom, Peychaud's bitters, and elderflower; or Olaf’s peppermint hot chocolate.

The Dunhams want Magnolia & May to be a relaxing place for Memphians to eat without breaking the bank. Chip told me soon after they opened, “It’s just about showing that chef-driven dishes and high-quality food can be affordable.” – SXC

Memphis Chess Club

Before you get the check, you might have cause to say “checkmate” at the Memphis Chess Club. And even if you lose (or sit out the match), you can still leave caffeinated and well fed. At the club’s new Downtown digs, it’s chess paraphernalia all the way down: wooden chess sets, boards carved into every table, and shelves upon shelves of old strategy books and magazines chronicling the game’s history. Left Field Properties president and longtime club member Casey Hill knew the club needed a proper home, so he transformed the space at 195 Madison Ave. into a hub for chess lovers old and new.

“The sign says Memphis Chess Club, but we want this to be a place for everybody,” says Hill, “regardless of whether you’re a grandmaster, or you’ve never picked up a chess piece before in your life. And if chess isn’t your thing, we have really good coffee and an outstanding menu.”

The coffee is indeed excellent, with the club sourcing their own beans from around the world and brewing their own blends. The food menu includes açai bowls or loaded croissants for breakfast and sandwiches and salads for lunch.

But the big draw? According to Hill, “Coffee in the morning goes with chess, and so does pizza in the evening, believe it or not. If you grew up playing chess at all, or going to any tournaments, there was always pizza around. It’s kind of synonymous with the game.”

Each freshly baked pizza is named after a chess professional. The Polgár loads up with pesto, roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, and carrots, while the Fischer is stacked with pepperoni, bacon, and Italian sausage.

Downstairs, there's another giant room filled with chess tables. It plays host to both beginner and advanced tournaments for club members and first-timers. The club is welcoming to everybody, and there’s nowhere else like it in Memphis. — SXC

Pantà

Book a trip to Spain with one of the hottest new restaurants in town. Thanks to lots of buzz online, via word of mouth, or even in the pages of this magazine, you’re probably familiar with Pantà by now. Chef Kelly English calls the restaurant, which opened last October, “one of the greatest joys of my professional life,” and that exuberance shines through with a radiant array of snacks and tapas alongside designer David Quarles IV’s bright, bold decor that bursts with vivid colors not out of place on a Gaudí canvas. “I just wanted to capture the culture of Catalonia,” says English. “They live and exist in the way that they naturally do.”

In his old Restaurant Iris space, near Overton Square, English truly captures the essence of Catalonia with traditional dishes like patatas bravas — fried potatoes dressed in varying aiolis — or the sour and spicy peix cru bowl built around the freshest fish available on any given day. “Our menu will be fresh, it will be vibrant,” says English. “We’re going to have a lot of seafood. There will be a lot of vegetable-driven plates.”

There’s also a bit of Memphis in everything that English cooks up. The bomba barceloneta, traditionally made with braised beef, is given a Bluff City touch with Payne’s BBQ. And each tapa is served atop ceramics from local potter Brit McDaniel’s Paper & Clay studio.

On the drink side, beverage director Larin Culp curates a selection of Spanish wine; manager Aaron Ivory and bartending partner Morgan McKinney whip up unique cocktails like the Reposado tequila-based naked dragon. Extra-thirsty diners can enjoy an extensive gin and tonic program.

Pantà can be whatever Memphis needs it to be: an early-evening glass of cava to kick off the night, a full sit-down dinner, or a late-night wind-down. — SXC

Salt | Soy

Salt | Soy debuted last March with veteran chef Nick Scott as owner/sushi chef. The menu includes vegetarian and pork ramen bowls. Brad McCarley, the restaurant’s general manager, cures all the meat in-house. They ferment their own miso and kimchi.

They don’t limit themselves to one cuisine. Scott said in a Memphis Flyer interview before the restaurant opened: “We’re not pigeonholing ourselves to only doing Japanese,” he said. “It will be Asian-inspired; pulling from all cultures and melding them together.”

And, he said, “I’m also looking for some Pacific inspiration there. We may do some riffs on classic tiki drinks.”

They’ve followed through on that vision. “We have incorporated some tiki aspects to the cocktail menu,” Scott says. “But it’s really become a seasonal change.”

Salt | Soy began as a pop-up in 2018 in Downtown’s former Puck Food Hall. The idea was “sushi and seafood with ceviches and different types of crudos,” Scott told the Flyer. And “market-style fish and seafood by the pound.” The concept for the new location is “less of a market concept and more of an izakaya sushi concept. A Japanese drinking establishment, with Japanese tapas, serving small plates. People come in and have drinks and cocktails.”

The restaurant’s makeover included repainting the interiors. Artist David Johnson enlivened some of the downstairs spaces with black-and-white paintings with pops of color that complement the restaurant’s color scheme. As for future plans for Salt | Soy, Scott says, “We’re talking about doing some crawfish boils on the patio when crawfish season opens up. We’re looking at lunch right now.”

And, he says, “Trying to establish more of a late-night business upstairs with the bar.” – MD

Southall Café

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then Southall Café in East Memphis must be a very important restaurant; it sure has some dang good early-morning eats. Owners Scott Tilton, Larry Whitty, and Mitchell Spurlock oversee a space where chefs would be free to pursue their most creative culinary ideas.

Southall prides itself on constantly sourcing all of its ingredients from locals or Mid-South neighbors, trumpeting partnerships with sources like Bluff City Fungi, Grit Girl Grits, and Old World Farms that ensure diners get the freshest breakfast ingredients on their tables every morning. When I first popped into Southall, former general manager Zachary Bryant described it as having a chef-driven menu, with regular items and specials alike both bearing the signature touch of each chef that passes through their doors.

Fortunately, that still holds true. Some Latin-tinged classics remain from when Jesus Ramon had the reins, such as the breakfast tacos — three house-made tortillas stuffed with chorizo verde, eggs, sweet potatoes, crema, queso fresco, and cilantro. But new executive chef and L’École Culinaire graduate Tom Hughes — who joined the team last November, and has experience leading kitchens at Chickasaw Country Club and Southwind Country Club — has plenty of tricks up his sleeve as well.

The tater tots have always been a sleeper hit at Southall, and Hughes kicks them up to the next level with his loaded brunch tots, topping the deep-fried potato bites with two eggs, house-smoked bacon, queso fresco, chives, guajillo salsa, and made-in-house chipotle aioli. Don’t miss his Southern eggs benedict either, with poached eggs, pulled pork, and hollandaise sauce atop a buttermilk biscuit and served alongside roasted garlic-citrus dressed greens.

Southall is open every day for breakfast and lunch, and also boasts a full bar if you need a little more kick with your eggs. Stick with a traditional bloody Mary or mimosa, or get an espresso fix with the spiked affogato. – SXC

Editor's Note: This section has been updated slightly from our print edition to reflect new information.