Illustrations by Tyler Hildebrand
The Memphis magazine Readers’ Restaurant Poll is our community’s definitive annual survey on where to eat. Treat it like gospel; verily, our readers’ choices are the truth.
The readers’ poll boasts 44 categories that cover all types of cuisine and every part of the meal from cocktails and salads to late-night dining. Whether you’re looking for the best comfort food or adventures in eating you can get it in Memphis.
Because dining out is a social experience as much as a culinary one, we include such categories as Best People-Watching, Best Patio Dining, and Best Ambience, as they speak to our desire to share delectable tastes with our buds.
Presentation is always on the minds of our finest chefs, and it’s no different for our restaurant poll. Each winner is in bold type and tops the category’s finalists. Suffice to say, all of our leading vote-getters are distinguished representatives of the local food industry and are quite deserving of your patronage.
Congratulations to all our winners and finalists, and, also, thank you, from the bottom of our stomachs.
Best New Restaurant
Chiwawa Southward Fare & Libations Rock’n Dough Pizza Co. Elwood’s Shack Pyro’s Fire-Fresh Pizza
Best Restaurant
Restaurant Iris Folk’s Folly Flight Hog & Hominy Paulette’s Felicia Suzanne’s The Elegant Farmer Jim’s Place Sweet Grass Majestic Grille Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Erling Jensen
Best Pizza
Memphis Pizza Café Aldo’s Pizza Pies Pete & Sam’s Hog & Hominy High Point Pizza
Best MexicanLas Delicias Las Tortugas Molly’s La Casita El Porton Happy Mexican
Best Italian
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Pete & Sam’s Ciao Bella Frank Grisanti’s Bari Ristorante
Best Chinese
Wang’s Mandarin House A-Tan Mulan Formosa Panda Garden
Best Japanese
Sekisui Sekisui Pacific Rim Sakura Osaka Nagasaki
Best Indian
India Palace Bombay House Golden India Mayuri
Best Vietnamese
Pho Saigon Saigon Le Pho Binh Lotus Pho Vietnam
Best Thai
Bhan Thai Bangkok Alley Jasmine Pho Saigon Mosa Asian Bistro
Best Food Truck
Fuel Cafe Central BBQ Rock’n Dough Pizza Co. Tacos Los Jarochos Hunger Monkey
Best New American
Hog & Hominy The Elegant Farmer Sweet Grass Felicia Suzanne’s Flight
Best Cajun/Creole
Restaurant Iris Owen Brennan’s Bayou Bar & Grill Dejavu Felicia Suzanne’s
Best Deli
Young Avenue Deli Bogie’s Delicatessen Fino’s Lucchesi’s Miss Cordelia’s
Best Burger
Huey’s Belmont Grill Earnestine & Hazel’s Interim Sweet Grass
Best Fries
Huey’s Houston’s Young Avenue Deli Bardog Tavern Majestic Grille
Best Steak
Folk’s Folly Ruth’s Chris Jim’s Place Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse Butcher Shop
Best Seafood
Tsunami Bonefish Grill The Half Shell Restaurant Iris Flying Fish
Best Oysters
Pearl’s Oyster House The Half Shell Restaurant Iris Southward Fare & Libations Felicia Suzanne’s
Best BBQ Sandwich
Central BBQ Germantown Commissary The Bar-B-Q Shop Corky’s Top’s Bar-B-Q
Best BBQ Ribs
Charley Vergos’ Rendezvous Central BBQ Corky’s Germantown Commissary The Bar-B-Q Shop
Best Fried Chicken
Gus’s Fried Chicken Jack Pirtle’s Uncle Lou’s The Cupboard Blue Plate
Best Salad(no clear winner)
The Elegant Farmer Jim’s Place Sweet Grass Texas de Brazil Majestic Grille
Best Brunch
Owen Brennan’s Majestic Grille Beauty Shop Paulette’s Boscos Squared
Best Breakfast
Brother Juniper’s Bryant’s Breakfast Blue Plate Café Café Eclectic The Arcade
Best Coffeehouse
Café Eclectic Poplar Perk’n Republic Otherlands Coffee Bar Tamp & Tap
Best Place to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
Muddy’s Bake Shop Frost Bake Shop Yolo Frozen Yogurt Cheesecake Corner La Baguette
Best People-Watching
Peabody Lobby Bar Flying Saucer Alchemy Mollie Fontaine Huey’s
Best Ambience
Restaurant Iris Flight Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Folk’s Folly Paulette’s
Worth the Drive
City Grocery (Oxford, MS) Ajax Diner (Oxford, MS) Bozo’s (Mason, TN) Bonne Terre (Nesbit, MS) Memphis Street Café (Hernando, MS)
Best Late-Night Dining (after 10 p.m.)
Huey’s Hog & Hominy Local Gastropub Belmont Grill Bardog Tavern
Best Patio Dining
Boscos Chiwawa Felicia Suzanne’s Majestic Grille Bhan Thai
Best Place to Impress Out-of-Towners
Restaurant Iris Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Folk’s Folly Paulette’s Gus’s Fried Chicken
Best Business Dinner Locale
Folk’s Folly Jim’s Place Houston’s Restaurant Iris Paulette’s
Restaurant We Miss the Most(no clear winner)
Anderton’s Ronnie Grisanti’s/Midtown Jim’s Place East Jarrett’s Justine’s
Best Chain Restaurant
Houston’s Mellow Mushroom Bonefish Grill Ruth’s Chris Panera Bread
Hippest Bar Setting
Peabody Lobby Bar Mollie Fontaine Blind Bear Bardog Tavern Jim’s Place
Most Happening Happy Hour(no clear winner)
Bardog Tavern Peabody Lobby Bar Flying Saucer Boscos Squared Brookhaven Pub
Best Place to Watch the Game
Fox and Hound Sweet Grass Next Door Brookhaven Pub Huey’s Bayou Bar and Grill / Alex’s Tavern (tie)
Best Dive Bar
Earnestine & Hazel’s Alex’s Tavern Silky O’Sullivan’s The Cove Brookhaven Pub / High Point Pub (tie)
Best Martinis
Alchemy Peabody Lobby Bar Sweet Grass Automatic Slim’s Folk’s Folly
Best Wine List
Flight Restaurant Iris Folk’s Folly Fleming’s Fine Steakhouse Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
Best Beer Selection
Flying Saucer Boscos Squared Young Avenue Deli Fox and Hound Celtic Crossing
Best Memphis Chef
Kelly English (Restaurant Iris)
Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman (Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen / Hog & Hominy)
Andreas Kisler (Chez Philippe)
Erling Jensen (Erling Jensen)
Felicia Willett (Felicia Suzanne’s)
Josh Perkins (Flight)
Patrick Reilly (Majestic Grille)
Jose Gutierrez (River Oaks)
Ryan Trimm (Sweet Grass / Southward Fare & Libations)
Ben Smith (Tsunami)