Memphis food is built on two pillars: BBQ and soul food. The BBQ style is dry-rub - pork ribs rubbed with a spice mixture and slow-cooked over charcoal or wood, served without sauce (sauce is offered on the side). This distinguishes Memphis from Kansas City’s sweet sauce tradition, Texas’s brisket focus, and Carolina’s vinegar-forward styles. Soul food - fried chicken, catfish, greens, cornbread, black-eyed peas - is the everyday cooking tradition that runs parallel to the restaurant scene.
BBQ
The Rendezvous (52 S 2nd St, accessed through an alley off Monroe Ave; open Wednesday-Saturday for dinner) is the closest thing Memphis BBQ has to a mandatory visit. The Vergos family has operated the restaurant in the same basement since 1948, cooking dry-rub ribs over hot charcoal. The dining room seats several hundred people and operates efficiently - long waits are rare. Half rack approximately $18-$22; full rack approximately $28-$32 as of 2026.
Central BBQ (multiple locations; original at 2249 Central Ave, Midtown) has become the largest Memphis BBQ operation with consistent quality across locations. The pulled pork sandwich and smoked sausage are the recommended orders; the dry-rub nachos are a good starter.
Cozy Corner (745 N Pkwy) is a family-owned operation in a former convenience store on the northern edge of Midtown. The whole barbecued Cornish hen - slow-smoked to order - is the signature item and one of the more distinctive BBQ dishes in the city. Cash or card; no-frills atmosphere. Mains approximately $10-$22.
Interstate BBQ (2265 S Third St, South Memphis) is a longer drive from downtown but considered essential by serious BBQ visitors - the ribs and pulled pork sandwich are the reasons to make the trip.
Fried Chicken
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (310 S Front St, downtown; multiple locations) is the most-cited fried chicken in Memphis and a credible contender for the best in the United States. The batter is thin and spicy - cayenne-forward - with an audible crunch. The original location is in a former tire shop with limited seating; arrive early or expect a significant wait. Full chicken approximately $14-$18.
Uncle Lou’s (3633 Millbranch Rd, Whitehaven) is the neighborhood fried chicken alternative - sweet-heat glaze variations, less visited by tourists, beloved locally.
Soul Food and Comfort Cooking
Four Way Restaurant (998 Mississippi Blvd, South Memphis) has operated since 1946 - fried chicken, catfish, meatloaf, and the full range of soul food sides in a neighborhood setting. Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner.
The Beauty Shop (966 S Cooper St, Midtown) operates in a former beauty salon with the original dryer chairs; contemporary American cooking in the Cooper-Young neighborhood, more accessible to visitors staying downtown.
Contemporary and Non-BBQ
Majestic Grille (145 S Main St, South Main Arts District) is the most reliable contemporary American option in the south end of downtown - consistent quality, good wine list, broad menu covering seafood, steak, and pasta. A solid alternative to BBQ for multiple-night visitors.
Alchemy (940 S Cooper St, Midtown) - a well-regarded Midtown restaurant with a creative American menu and strong cocktail program; Cooper-Young neighborhood anchor.
Felicia Suzanne’s (80 Monroe Ave, downtown) - upscale Southern cooking; shrimp and grits, catfish, and contemporary interpretations of Tennessee food traditions. Mains approximately $28-$46.
Practical Notes
Most Memphis BBQ institutions close Sunday or Monday. The Rendezvous is Wednesday-Saturday only. Gus’s has extended hours and multiple locations for convenience. The Cooper-Young neighborhood (Midtown) is the best concentration of non-BBQ dining for visitors wanting variety after the first day’s BBQ focus. Beale Street restaurants are convenient but generally tourist-priced relative to the quality - the more interesting eating is elsewhere in the city. For a broader picture of American regional cooking, see our US regional food guide.
Take a Guided Food Tour of Memphis
BBQ is the most polarizing topic in Memphis, and the debate goes deeper than most visitors realize - dry rub versus wet, whole hog versus shoulder, The Rendezvous’s charcoal basement versus Central BBQ’s larger operation versus Cozy Corner’s smoked Cornish hen in a former convenience store. Beale Street food is tourist-facing, but the real Mid-South food culture runs through South Memphis, Midtown, and the Cooper-Young neighborhood, where soul food traditions from the Four Way Restaurant and the fried chicken lineage at Gus’s represent something that predates and outlasts the tourism economy. A guide who knows the distinction between these registers saves meals that would otherwise be spent in the wrong place.
Browse food tours and walking experiences in Memphis to find options that match your interests.
Plan Your Trip
- Travel insurance: Cover medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost luggage with travel insurance for the USA.
- eSIM: Stay connected from arrival with a USA eSIM - activate before you fly and have data on your phone the moment you land.
- Where to stay: Browse hotels in Memphis - on Beale Street or in Midtown for access to the city’s BBQ and soul food restaurants.