photograph by samuel x. cicci
General manager David Rossman stands alongside director of food & beverage Glenn Brown.
Times are changing, and for all the memories TGI Fridays in Downtown Memphis had provided diners over the years, it was time for something new. The management group of the space, which is connected to the DoubleTree by Hilton next door, wanted to move in a different direction. The new King & Union Bar Grocery offers a menu incorporating all the Delta and Mississippi tastes Glenn Brown, director of food and beverage, remembers from growing up.
“I’d call it classic Southern cuisine,” he says, “but with a little bit of a twist. That extra bit of creativity is what makes the difference. It shows that even during a tough year, we’re able to have some fun.”
One glance at the menu reveals plenty of Southern classics. There’s an appetizer of fried green tomatoes, of course, while catfish and po’boys have been popular items since the restaurant opened in July. But it’s the pimento cheese that really jumps out, its red-orange hue brighter than what you might expect. That color is thanks to the firecracker peppers mixed in, which also give it a slight kick. The pimento cheese is a key element of several selections, from the charcuterie plate to the KU Burger.
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The charcuterie plate is an excellent opener when paired with the Mama Rue sandwich and tomato bisque.
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The charcuterie plate is an excellent opener when paired with the Mama Rue sandwich and tomato bisque.
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But the signature dish, one directly informed by Brown’s past, may just be the Mama Rue sandwich. “Mama Rue was my grandmother,” recalls Brown. “But she didn’t cook; the only thing she ever had in her house was store-bought pimento cheese. It was terrible! But I thought of her when trying to come up with new recipes, so I put all these ingredients [firecracker pimento cheese, bacon, tomatoes, sourdough bread] together, threw it on the grill, and it’s one of the best sandwiches you’ll ever have.”
The restaurant also has an exclusive menu, which the staff uses to test potential new dishes. Some former secret meals, like the King Cristo sandwich or crawfish pasta, have wound up as permanent menu items due to their popularity. Regulars might stumble upon this hidden side of the restaurant after a few visits; otherwise, special dishes may pop up on King & Union’s social feeds.
Curious about the “grocery” half of the name? It’s not just for show. Behind the restaurant, King & Union has set up a small grocery section that currently sells locally produced goods.
While Fridays may be gone, King & Union retained many of its employees, including bar manager Katie Bowles and bartender Sean Hart, who are responsible for the smooth concoctions on the cocktail menu. Many of the drinks are named after regulars, and Bowles says that “if you order something we haven’t made before, we’ll probably name one after you, too.” All the liquor used is sourced from local distillers, like Old Dominick or Blue Note Bourbon.
That goes for most of the ingredients, as well. “Everything we have is sourced from right here in 901,” says general manager David Rossman, “or it’s made in-house.” That theme checks with Rossman’s original goal: to recreate the space into something more in tune with the region. Getting rid of a recognizable name like TGI Fridays might have been risky, but the goal was to create something unique.
“We wanted to achieve a couple of things,” Rossman explains. “We wanted to have a venue where, if you are from the Mid-South, these are items you grew up eating and are comfortable with, but just different enough to get people interested in our take on them. And if you’re not from here, we wanted to have a place that would provide a taste of Southern cuisine, and I think we have that here at King & Union Bar Grocery.”
Curious about the “grocery” half of the name? It’s not just for show. Behind the restaurant, King & Union has set up a small grocery section that currently sells locally produced goods like Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies, Shotwell candies, Wolf River popcorn, Vice & Virtue coffee, and plenty more. The restaurant’s big goal for 2021 will be to expand the range of products for sale.
“We want to get some additional equipment so that we can add basic grocery items like milk, eggs, cheese, pasta, or bread,” says Rossman. “There aren’t a lot of places to get groceries Downtown, so we want to be an extra option for people.”
King & Union Bar Grocery is open for dine-in and takeout breakfast (all day), lunch, and dinner 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday-Friday; and 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 185 Union Ave., 523-8500.
Social media: @KingandUnionBarGrocery
