Where to Eat in Memphis Tennessee
Dining Suggestions based on Price, Ambience, Cuisine and Service
Memphis is a diverse and exciting city chock full of dining opportunities. This instalment of Where to Eat explores fast food and family style venues.
Memphis is a plethora of restaurants with all varieties of cuisine, atmosphere and price range available. A lot of the higher profile tourist attraction style places are great places to check out, but don't miss out on hidden venues catering to year round residents. This column is part of a five part series profiling hot spots to dine ranging from fast food to luxe elegance.
Affordable, Fast and Fun: Fast Food In Memphis
Back Yard Burgers is probably one the best fast food options available. With high end burgers incorporating fresh ingredients like pineapple, bleu cheese and unusual sauces, you can't go wrong grabbing lunch at one of their many locations. The spicy french fries are some of the best around, and even the cobbler desserts taste homemade.
Abbay's is an entirely new genre of fast food serving meat and vegetable dinners in the blink of an eye. Each selection is country style cooking served with a bread and the added option of decadent desserts like banana pudding or peach cobbler. If you're craving mashed potatoes instead of french fries, or green beans instead of onion rings, Abbay's is worth checking out.
Three Little Pigs BBQ located at Quince and White Station serves some of the best baked beans in Memphis with just the right touch of brown sugar for flavoring. Their crispy french fries are excellent, and the BBQ is quite nice as well. Very competitively priced in a city founded on BBQ, with all the speed and convenience of any major fast food chain.
Moderately Priced Good Food: Family Style
Corky's BBQ located all over the City is a little over commercialized and nearly world famous with it's overnight rib delivery anywhere in the United States. The heck of it is, they deserve it! With out of this world beef brisket, and unusual options like BBQ nachos and BBQ pizza, everyone can find something on the menu to fall in love with. Service is A plus with a lot of attention to detail and managers that genuinely care about your dining experience. The Mississippi mud pie dessert is literally death by chocolate, and the heavily buttered crusty dinner rolls are worth blowing your diet over.
Dixie Cafe is similar to any other family style restaurant, with a few exceptions. They have an exceptionally diverse vegetable selection and genuine southern style entrees. The prices are low, the service is efficient and the ambience is exactly what you'd expect with the name. Try the deep fried corn on the cob for a not so low fat, delicious spin on an old classic.
El Porton, the best Mexican food in Memphis, is famous for their cheese dip. You can't visit and not try it. It's so good, local grocery stores sell it in the refrigerated section. One of the appetizers in particular, surf and turf in a bowl is out of this world. A combination of beef, chicken and shrimp swimming in spicy melted Mexican cheese served with warm tortillas. The menu is diverse and offers American selections for those in your party not feeling too adventurous.
Don't miss the next instalment of Where to Eat in Memphis, coming soon!
