Memphis Beyond Graceland: Where to eat – gourmet to budget

In previous posts, I covered our three nights in Memphis (see links below)…but hey, after all that touring, we had to eat! Those who know me are aware that, in addition to being a major Elvis fan, I’m also a bit of a foodie. Sorry, Elvis, I love ya, but no peanut and banana sandwiches for me!

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Previous Related Posts:

Visiting Graceland and Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment complex

Memphis beyond Graceland: Sun Studio

Memphis Beyond Graceland: The National Civil Rights Museum

And now, let’s eat!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of Memphis restaurants…but here’s where we ate during our three-night visit.

First, our dinners:

All of these restaurants can be booked on OpenTable.com, which I use whenever possible to make a reservation. It’s the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations. You can earn points with every dine, too, which you can later redeem for Dining Rewards.

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar

39 South Main St., Memphis, TN

Phone: 901-521-8005

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar features smaller portions of flights (choose 3) of wine, salads, entrees, and desserts. TripAdvisor has ranked it ^#1 of 1549 places to eat in Memphis. It’s located in the Downtown area and is a few blocks away from the Peabody Hotel (if you plan to see the Peabody Duck March at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily), and is also near famous Beale Street, Home of the Blues.

Paulette’s Restaurant at the River Inn of Harbor Town

50 Harbor Town Square, On Mud Island

A Memphis favorite over 40 years, Paulette’s Restaurant at the River Inn of Harbor Town blends beautifully into the planned community of Harbor Town, on the northern end of Mud Island, a 132-acre sandbar surrounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River Harbor to the east. It’s easily accessible via North Parkway, which continues past the Pyramid and over the Willis Bridge spanning the Wolf River Inlet. Arrive early to have a drink upstairs at the River Inn’s Terrace, overlooking the Mississippi River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Itta Bena

145 Beale St. (Above BB King’s Blues Club at Beale Street and Second Avenue.)

901-578-3031

Itta Bena is open nightly from 5pm – 10pm.

On our last evening in Memphis, we made our way to Beale Street, Home of the Blues, to dine at Itta Bena. The biggest name in all of Beale is, of course, the legendary BB King, whose Blues Club is a must-see for anyone visiting Memphis.

Itta Bena is named after BB King’s birthplace (yes, there really is an Itta Bena, Mississippi!). It is one of those special “hidden gem” restaurants that is hiding in plain sight. Located on the third floor of the BB King Blues Club building, you have to know it’s there and how to access it. Outside, toward the back of the building, you’ll see a set of metal stairs. Once you reach the top and enter the doors, you’ll have entered the blue world of Itta Bena. Everything in the restaurant is bathed in a cool, blue light, thanks to the tinted windows. After enjoying a unique Delta dining experience, you can walk downstairs to hear some authentic Memphis blues before you head out into the night for a stroll down Beale Street.

After dinner, we walked downstairs to BB King’s to listen to music before taking one last stroll down Beale Street.

Our lunches:

The Lookout at the Pyramid

1 Bass Pro Drive

901-291-8040

Originally built as a 20,000+-seat arena in 1991, the Pyramid was used for sporting events, concerts, and special exhibitions until its closure in 2007. A huge Bass Pro shop and 100-room Big Cypress Lodge opened in the Pyramid in 2015.

After touring the Bass Pro megastore, which includes a bowling alley and archery range in addition to 600,000 gallons of water features and shopping, we took the world’s tallest freestanding elevator 28 stories to the top of the Pyramid to have lunch at The Lookout at the Pyramid.

(Information about tickets and hours for what they call The Sky High Ride can be found at this link. Unless you’re staying at the Big Cypress Lodge, there is a charge for riding the elevator to the top.)

After lunch, we took in the spectacular 360-degree view of Memphis on the observation deck.

Gladys’ Diner

3717 Elvis Presley Blvd. (Across from Graceland)

After spending the morning visiting Graceland and continuing on across the street to tour all the exhibits at Elvis Presley’s Memphis entertainment complex, we took a lunch break at Gladys’ Diner. We enjoyed our burger and fries. We could have chosen to eat at Vernon’s Smokehouse, which features authentic Memphis BBQ fare but we were saving our appetites for our evening meal. There’s also Rock ’n’ Go for those in a hurry and Minnie Mae’s Sweets for ice cream and floats. Descriptions, menus, and other dining choices at The Guest House at Graceland can be accessed at this link.

Gladys’ Diner features classic American cuisine, including burgers, hot dogs and pizza – plus one of Elvis’ favorites – Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches, Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, Philly Cheesesteaks and Patty Melts.

Gladys’ is usually open 10:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., but may have extended hours during Elvis Week.

 

 

 

 

(Update: The third place we enjoyed lunch on our 2017 visit,  99 Cent Soul Food Express, has since closed. I will soon be updating and adding to “where to eat,” since my most recent visit to Memphis in November 2023.)

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So many choices…

There are so many great restaurant choices in Memphis. These are just the ones we sampled on our brief visit to what is my favorite city in Tennessee and among my favorite cities in the entire U.S.

Visiting during Elvis Week?

I could go again and choose from another list of fantastic eateries, and I’m sure I will on my next visit. Elvis Week, which falls each year over my birthday (August 15^th) will bring me back again and again. Please let me know in the comments what your favorite eating spots are in Memphis. Known as the Bluff City, and Home of the Blues, I will always think of Memphis as Elvis’s home.

All photography © Debbra Dunning Brouilette unless otherwise credited