I posted this list of restaurants on a Facebook page devoted to Memphis. They were all great, and all have been gone, from a few short years to decades.
Today is the 31st. I’m reminded there are 31 days a month more often than not, and Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors. 31 is a good number.
We talk a lot about classic restaurants on this site, and I thought I’d make a list of 31 Memphis institutions [restaurants] no longer here. There’s a lot more than 31 I could have named, but I’m going for the 31 (plus a bonus, if you will). They only make the list if they had a great atmosphere and/or great food and/or were around for many decades. And no fast food will be found on this list. They are a mixture of steak, seafood, cafes, and ethnic-specific. At least three survive in some form or other, but I’m talking about originals. I’m numbering them for convenience, not ranking them.
1. JUSTINE’S: Before Chez Philippe, this was Memphis’ claim to international fame in cuisine, with excellent food and more atmosphere than you could shake a stick at.
2. THE FOUR FLAMES: It was hard not to get hungry just driving by their emblem, especially at night when all lit up. Famous for its steaks, its seafood, and the desserts that gave name to the restaurant. Another restaurant that positively reeked of atmosphere.
3. THE BUCKAROO: A mid-level steak restaurant on Park Ave, this one was popular with people in the greater university area, though not necessarily city-wide.
4. CAFE EXPRESSO: Whether in the Peabody or the one at the Poplar/I-40 interchange, the atmosphere was classic French café, the food and the espressos excellent. And it had more desserts than the Cheesecake Factory.
5. LA PATISSERIE BISTRO: Located on Quince Rd, this restaurant, famous as a bakery, also served sandwiches and savory dishes. They had a salmon dish that was second to none.
6. DUX (and MALLARD’S too): For years, the Peabody boasted two quality restaurants themed to its famous ducks. They eventually made way for other restaurants.
7. THE LUAU: Decades ago, in the midst of a huge uptick in popularity for Polynesian food, restaurants around the country opened to cater to it. Memphis’ version was the Dobbs’ Luau, complete with an entire tropical rainforest and waterfalls. This was my favorite restaurant as a kid. Excellent food, hyper-clean restaurant, and that decoration! It closed two decades later, after the Polynesian thing sort of died away.
8. PAPPY & JIMMY’S: This was a popular seafood restaurant on Summer right near Malfunction Junction. It was a popular restaurant both for families and for business meetings. The sign is still there, though the restaurant is long gone.
9. BON TON CAFE: A downtown staple for most of our lifetimes, this café served up good food and excellent desserts. It suffered in its final couple of decades, surprising given it was next door to Auto Zone Park. A relocation didn’t improve the business, which was a shame.
10. GRISANTI’S: I speak specifically of the original one, not the offshoots by various sons and nephews. It was really special and deservedly the most famous Italian restaurant in the city. Or at least among the higher-end. Some of the dishes can be found at those other places, but the atmosphere just isn’t the same (though hardly shabby).
11. ANDERTON’S: Probably THE classic seafood restaurant in the city, with its famous light green motif, the food was absolutely wonderful.
12. 91ST BOMB GROUP: Okay, this wasn’t around for that long, but still. Located on Democrat, near the airport, it was built with a WWII vibe, with lots of memorabilia, and even briefly the Memphis Belle. It lasted only a couple of years but had good food and an atmosphere that made it easy to become interested in the history of the war (I already was).
13. FRED GANG’S: Also located near the airport, this was a fine restaurant for decades.
14. EL CHICO’S: A popular chain restaurant back in the day, including next to Buster’s, thus a popular college hangout. Some great Tex-Mex food could be had here.
15. COUNTRY SQUIRE: A relatively high-end steak place, in Germantown, it had great food and a nice, cozy atmosphere. It was located off the beaten track, which made it even cozier.
16. MORRISON’S CAFETERIA: A slightly more upscale cafeteria than Piccadilly and Britling, it had the best veal on the planet, at least to a small child. It was good food all around, actually.
17. STEAK AND ALE: A fantastic steak and seafood place, much better than it had any right to be as a national chain. It also had a rockin’ salad bar. Full of alcove dining areas, it was also a perfect romantic spot and my husband proposed to me there.
18. CAPTAIN BILBO’S: A popular seafood restaurant located near the riverfront, it had loads of personality to go along with great food. (Fancy’s is there now, and reportedly pretty good, also.)
19. THE PIER: Yet another steak and seafood joint, this was also downtown, and very cozy. It was arguably my favorite restaurant as a young adult.
20. PANCHO’S: Another great Tex-Mex place, it was famous (deservedly so) for its dip. I’d argue El Chico had better food overall, but Pancho’s had the better atmosphere, that dip, and my favorite dish in any Mexican restaurant in town: their Shrimp Vera Cruz.
21. THE HUNGRY FISHERMAN: Such a great family-oriented seafood place, beating the national chain Red Lobster all hollow. Plus, those buildings! The lakes! The lighthouse! The other nautical themes! And that food above all. I wish someone would reopen one.
22. SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE: It wasn’t the best Italian in the city, not by a long shot. But the food was good, the prices excellent, and the atmosphere bar none. A staple for decades, it had the train, the bedsteads, private rooms galore, and some of the best sangria in the business. The chain still exists. They closed this location (the only Memphis one) due to rising rent.
23. JIM’S PLACE EAST: Another place famous for its coziness, on Shelby Oaks. It was never the same when it moved to Laurelwood, and while they’ve got a restaurant in Collierville, the menu is a little different, and with zero atmosphere. (The food is good, though.)
24. BARETTA’S: A fantastic BBQ restaurant and a staple of my childhood.
25. PIG ‘N WHISTLE: Another fantastic BBQ restaurant. There were tons of BBQ holes in the wall, all with better BBQ. But for full-service, sit down restaurants, this and Baretta’s couldn’t be beat.
26. THE EMBERS: Another great steak restaurant in its day.
27. THE BUTCHER SHOP: Yes, there is still one in town. But nothing beat the two-story restaurant downtown, the original.
28. SAMOVAR’S: The only Russian restaurant in town, it had atmosphere and the food to match.
29. HEMMINGS: I don’t remember this place lasting that many years, but it had great nouvelle cuisine.
30. THE GROVE: A cozy place located in Laurelwood, this restaurant had a limited menu, but the food was delicious, the service impeccable, and the place had a great atmosphere. I just found out the owners opened another restaurant, Magnolia and May’s, on Mount Moriah, with some of the same menu.
31. L & N Seafood. Like Anderton’s, this was a seafood restaurant for adults, not families. And the food was superb.
There are tons of other restaurants, favorites of Memphians, long gone. It just seemed a good way to celebrate the final day of the month with a matching list of great food and memories.