Some consider Memphis to be one of the most important cities for American music: Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Johnny Cash recorded albums at the famous Sun Studio, but now, people are heading to the southern city for the culture, and -wait for it-the food! Memphis is seeing a renaissance in many of its hottest neighborhoods: there are 19.2 billion dollars of economic development projects in place across the city. In addition, Frommers named Memphis one of the Best Places to Go in 2019 citing “beyond barbeque” gastronomic growth spurning tons of new restaurants. From Syrian and Venezuelan cuisine at Global Café, to superfood salads at City Silo, here are 5 great venues for grubbing in Memphis:
Located off South Main Street, and a great place to head to after a run or bike along the trolley tracks, Puck Food Hall, has a large handful of local vendors serving food at stalls. The venue lets in a lot of light, and in view of the scenery below, choose to order from a plethora of salads at Radical, including ingredients like kale, quinoa, okra, micro greens, and watermelon.
Also located at Puck Food Hall, Pasta 409 opened May 2019 and allows diners to customize their own bowls of freshly-made pasta with a handful of pasta types like pappardelle, radiator, and bucatini and different sauces to accompany.
Global Cafe in Crosstown Concourse
Crosstown concourse was a Sears distribution center built in 1927, and the building has been repurposed into an epicenter for music, shopping and food. The Global Café in particular is set up for you to order from a handful of different stalls featuring different cuisines from Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. You can mix and match and sample dishes from each stall with people of the respective backgrounds cooking the food. The convenience comes into play because you can check out your dish- like plantains, black beans, shredded beef, stuffed arepa (pulled chicken) -at one register.
Opened January 2017, City Silo is that healthy cuisine place you’ll want to have breakfast. There is not a lot of heavy, carb-loaded meals on the menu, instead, you can choose from kale Caesar salads; maple marinated tempeh; to a wide variety of superfood-packed acai bowls.
If you’re looking to feast on some classic American food in an unpretentious setting, visit the spacious, Elvis-themed Trolley Stop Market. The venue created a “farm to fork” experience by sourcing a large majority of their produce from Whitton Farms and other local farms. Try the fried pickle chips, margarita pizza, and the grilled funky chicken sandwich.
Located in one of Memphis’ up and coming neighborhoods, The Broad Avenue Arts District, Bounty on Broad has a completely gluten-free menu. The owner, Michael Tauer’s wife and child both have Celiac disease, and was inspired to come up with a 100 percent gluten-free concept. Try the grilled chicken wings to start and for a main, the pan roasted summer flounder or the New York strip.
