The Tastiest Cocktail Bars in Memphis

Nadeen's Hermitage Haven

★★★★★ 4.5 (826) • $$

"This was a little out of the way, but it got good marks on Yelp, so we went. We waited less than 10 minutes for our table (busy Sunday morning). Our server was fantastic and recommended their cinnatmon roll as a side, which we shared. He did good.Our food and service was all good and I wouldn't hesitate to come here again when in town."

Southern Social

★★★★★ 4.6 (697) • $$$

"I love this place for a special occasion dinner. Their service is always top notch. If you are celebrating something when you make your reservation, they will customize the menu to say Happy Birthday or Anniversary. It is one of my top special occasion restaurants."

Red Pony

★★★★☆ 4.3 (576) • $$$

Ruby Sunshine Franklin

★★★★☆ 4 (606) • $$

"I had a tasty breakfast with some of the folks I used to work with. The omelet was great, the wait staff was attentive to our needs."

Answer

★★★★★ 4.5 (358) • $$

"Tucked away on an unassuming street corner in Sylvan Park, you might drive right past the place if you weren't looking for it. Thankfully, crowd-sourced review sites discover such culinary jewels. It was our second experience at this wonderful restaurant known as "answer.", indeed Nashville's best answer to the question "What is your favorite American tapas restaurant?"!Answer. is truly a neighborhood eatery just as the founders intended in 2017, filling a culinary void between the sparse offerings on Murphy Road and the vast restaurant scene on Charlotte Pike. This tapas experience manages to be simultaneously upscale yet affordable, high-class but budget-friendly. Three in our party of four were professional chefs and gave the food rave reviews, so you know it's good!Their arancini is one of the best things I've eaten in Nashville! Like all dishes on this ever-changing menu, this was modified from its native form, clearly inspired by the popular Italian appetizer but uniquely transformed by the chef. You'll slice through a deep-fried crispy exterior to reveal tender rice. But other flavors and textures treat your taste buds with fatty ground pork at the center.The king salmon is perhaps the best piece of fish I've ever had in my 30 years in Nashville, slightly crisped on the outside, tender and flaky, full of flavor, and perfectly prepared. Unfortunately, since this was the nightly special (August of 2024), it may not appear on the menu when you go. The trout is another great option that's more consistently offered, as are the meatballs.The mussels are fabulous with a flavorful broth, but the fresh rye bread that accompanies the mussels is one of the restaurant's best-kept secrets! And the dessert menu is one of my favorites in the city with nothing but great options. Answer. even offers meal packages for takeout on Wednesdays and Sundays!"

Moondance Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (401) • $$$

"Great service. Dined on a. Friday evening. A party of 6- service was great and the food was also great! Will def be back"

Jim's Place Grille

★★★★☆ 4.1 (360) • $$$

"My parents and their friends, who are long-time patrons of Jim's Place Grille, took me to dinner there during my recent visit from out of town. They consistently rave about this restaurant, and I now understand why. The ambience is elegant, yet casual and welcoming. The staff provided attentive service with remarkable patience. The dinner was delicious, and the Skillet Cookie was a perfect ending to the meal. I highly recommend this restaurant, as it is clear why it is a favorite among my parents and their friends."

Big Bad Breakfast - Memphis

★★★★☆ 3.8 (383) • $$

"When in Memphis you MUST experience the smiles, kindness and down home taste of BIG BAD BREAKFAST!! The moment you walk in the aroma confirms you're in for an unforgettable experience. The ambience, attentive service and mouthwatering menu options are all there!! I asked the sweetest lady in the world if I were in for a good experience - she said "you'll give me a thumbs up when you're done" She was RIGHT!!"

Alchemy

★★★★☆ 3.9 (308) • $$

"I had a great experience with this place. I was planning a proposal and reached out about using their private dining room for the occasion. A manager, Sage, was so helpful and accommodating in trying to plan, and everything turned out perfectly because of the awesome staff here. It goes a long way to have good people like this coming to our neighborhoods and creating places where people can make memories over good food and drinks.Highly recommend!"

Far East Nashville

★★★★☆ 3.8 (276) • $$

"Hot Mess But Decent PhoAt first it appeared they were not going to open, just have sleepy people with their socks out lounging in the dining area on their ohThey tried to seat us at a filthy table with mess and noodles stuck to it probably from the day before. Regular pho bowls are $13 and are not big bowls. The pho is good, not amazing but a good soup. 2 stars for dirty bathrooms when they just opened. I don't think cleaning is priority business here...."

Los Comales

★★★★☆ 4.3 (193) • $$

"Huge menu, very friendly, fast service, and big portions of delicious food. Very happy with our experience here! And great for bringing kids ;)Recommend the ceviche! It's huge!"

Pancho and Lefty's Cantina

★★★★☆ 3.9 (227) • $$

"Came here randomly after a yelp event. My boyfriend had been raving about this place for awhile. We had our boys (dogs) with us so our options were limited. We sat on the patio with them and ordered quickly before the kitchen closed. I love a good birria taco so I got one of those and queso. My bf got carne asada and chicken tacos. I was not sold on the birria taco. The queso was good and chips were perfect. Love a good thin and crispy chip. His tacos were good; I ended up taking a bite of his. We got spicy margs and oh my- they had a kick. Not my fav spicy marg tho."

Harper House

★★★★☆ 4.1 (179) • $$

"Reading precious reviews and checking out the menu, things have drastically changed, either because of Covid, new owners, or both. Either way, my fiancé and I were not disappointed with our meals, nor the service from our server. It was Friday night, we were easily able to reschedule our reservation from 7:30 to 8:30, greeted at the door, seated promptly, Jay arrived within seconds of being seated, and was attentive to our party of 2 as well as his other tables throughout the entire night. I appreciate that!A quick glance at the menu, and we ordered the steakhouse sushi. After a bit longer, we agreed we should have opted for the deviled eggs. The sushi was all rice, no flavor, and bland, even with the side of soy sauce and a spicy red sauce it came with. After the disappointing sushi, our hopes for dinner weren't high, but we couldn't stop eating our filet, mashed potatoes, and glazed Brussels sprouts. That entire plate was amazing. Perfectly seared to medium rare, creamy potatoes, and the sprouts were absolutely delicious. There aren't enough words to describe how mind-blowing our steaks were, except that I was willing to make myself sick trying to eat it all. Now onto dessert: I love blueberries, my fiancé does too. I liked the cheesecake, he didn't, so Jay boxed a New York style cheesecake that neither of us have tried yet. (I'm writing this the morning after and trust me, we're both still full.)So recap: appetizer was a miss, dinner was a grand slam, and desert was a double for me. All in all, we will definitely return to explore what else Harper House has to offer!"

51 North Taproom

★★★★☆ 4.1 (157) • $$

"food so good, didn't even get the pictures!will be back to try more menu items!shouts to our server for being patient and kind!note that the sauce on the bbq chicken pizza has habaneros in it literal fire but delicious! lots to look at around the restaurant, eclectic decor. thanks for the great service before our evening show!"

Tug's Casual Dining

★★★☆☆ 3 (271) • $$

"Got the Cajun omelette. Seasoned well, I added bacon to mine It came with shrimp crawfish peppers an onions. With a side of potatoes and a cup of gumbo Gumbo a bit spicy but still good. First time here an the mimosas was ok wasn't a fan of the tropical flavor. Very very sweet Pineapple was decent decent"

Takashi Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.1 (138) • $$

"Hands down my favorite hibachi meal in Memphis. The food is always delicious, very impressive how fresh the seafood is considering we aren't near a coast. The restaurant itself is clean and the staff is very friendly, we always have great service."

The Blacksmith

★★★★☆ 3.9 (149) • $$

"The food was so good. I've never had a pork Ribeye till today and it was so good and had so much flavor. My husband fillet was very good as well very flavorful the broccolini was so soft and delicious as well. The chips are homemade and the chipotle ranch is so good that comes with them. We got strawberry cake to go and it doesn't taste like most strawberry cakes do it is very soft and not over powering and very fluffy!! The Service do not even get me started!!! The service was great and the young lady who waited on us was very sweet and patient with us since it was our first time and always checked on us to see if we needed anything. We will definitely be back and bring the in-laws the next time. This restaurant was very clean and really nice for where it sits at!"

Cafe 1912

★★★★☆ 3.7 (139) • $$

"Cafe 1912 is a offbeat, French-inspired restaurant situated in midtown Memphis. Generous portions, charming servers and an eclectic vibe. The dining area is broken into different sections, which keeps the noise level in check even when the restaurant is at capacityThe highlights of my meal were the perfectly prepared frites and the spectacular braised short ribs in wine sauce. The cheese board was also impressive.It's definitely worth checking out."

Side Street Grill

★★★★☆ 3.5 (149) • $$

"I have loved eating here for a while. I always get the buffalo chicken eggrolls and the shrimp alfredo add salmon. The grilled salmon alone is some of the best I've had. I would get that by itself. My kids love the chicken alfredo and the cajun pasta. Customer service is always on point and I've never had a problem or a bad meal here. This place stays in rotation for me and my family."

TASTE Italian Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.4 (94) • $$

"We love Taste!! Such a cute place and always the kindest service. Food is always tasty. Highly recommend"

Rafferty's Restaurant & Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (145) • $$

"I hadn't been to Rafferty's in 10 years or so. I went with two other adults and a child. It was Friday night so I thought we'd have to wait, but it was not crowded so we were seated at once. Oh, it was cold! The air conditioning was on full blast and other customers were cold. We asked to waiter to see if it could be turned down; he said he had and soon it began to warm up. Soon a manager came by to see if we were comfortable.Service was quick and the waiter checked on us several times. I had the California Burger with bacon. Fried were my side. Food was good and plentiful. There was a child's menu and the grilled cheese sandwich sounded good; I would have liked it.The place is a bit tired. The men's restroom was not as well taken care of as I hoped, but acceptable. I didn't have an alcoholic drink as I had sweet tea which was fine. The manager checked on us several times.It's an OK place and must do well as it's been there for a number of years. Bring it up to date and it'll be fine. I had a nice time and left FULL!"

Swankys Taco Shop

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (198) • $$

"Stopped in for lunch/dinner. Got a passionfruit margarita sugar rim,yummy! Happy hour is 3-6 monday thru friday.. decided to get a bowl n got it fully loaded. Steak, fajita veggies, black beans, corn, guac and alot of other toppings. It was pretty quiet this afternoon, I loved it. Watched a lil sports while eating n chatting with my lunch buddy. I couldn't eat it all, so I packed it up. Still delicious... still satisfying..still inexpensive"

Toot's West

★★★★☆ 3.6 (88) • $$

"Added some bacon and Provolone to my Buffalo chicken sandwich and perfection. After studying the sandwiches angles determined best way to pick up and devour. Yes, onions were located in my rings but couldn't finish thanks to limited time mini corn dog appetizer."

Bar DKDC

★★★★☆ 3.8 (71) • $$

"The name "Bar DKDC (Don't Know Don't Care)" only tells half the story.To me, it's a restaurant/lounge.This is one of my go-to restaurants for good, small-to-medium-sized plates. They have great portion sizes!The cool thing about DKDC is they regularly change the menu, but keep items that are huge crowd favorites like the Chicken Havanas (DELISH). I've never had a bad dish.DKDC is full of character and comfort.I love the decor, I feel like I'm in an artsy loft whenever I go there.On weekends, you might stumble upon an awesome local band.It's a must-do, if you're in Memphis.Oh, before you leave, be sure to take a $5 pic in the photo booth with your pal."

Tiger and Peacock

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (93)

"Came here while visiting Memphis because this rooftop bar was highly recommended. I really loved the decor. Lots of things to look at in every corner. Very meticulously decorated. The house cocktails were just ok but the bar manager did a great job of reccomending a nice Japanese whiskey to sip on. He was very knowledgeable about liquor."

El Molino Mexican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (58) • $$

"Enjoyed the atmosphere - food was typical Mexican. Will definitely go again to try other things."

Amendment 18 Cocktail Club

★★★★☆ 4.1 (44)

"This place was so cool! My friends and I stopped in for drinks after dinner last week. Our server was super helpful and explained their menu and some of the cocktails the offered. I ended up going with an espresso martini which was perfection! This cocktail bar has an awesome vibe and is great for a low key evening."

The Camphouse

★★★★☆ 3.7 (54) • $$$

"Our waitress Sarah was great! This place has the best ranch everrrrr and you MUST get those cheese curds."

Cumberland Canteen

★★★★☆ 3.9 (46)

"Great remodel job on the entire restaurant. They always seem short staffed. One pregnant waitress at lunch. I felt like I should hop up and bus tables for her. Comfortable seating overlooking the Cumberland. The shrimp appetizer is delicious. I'd order a side of bread or steal your friend's pizza crust for sopping up the sauce. It's my favorite. Pizza is quite good too. Weekends are very busy. Weekday lunch has been the easiest time to get a table quickly. Very nice outdoor space."

Cocina Mexicana Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (43)

"This is the best Mexican in Memphis, hands down. Red sauce has a lot of flavor. The shredded beef chimichanga is not on the menu, but get it. It will change your life. Extensive vegetarian choices and a great vegetarian section on the menu. Wine by the bottle, beer on tap. Service was great and everything came out quick. The Wolfchase New Brunswick Road location is a model house converted into a restaurant. Very clean with great ambiance. There is a fireplace in the middle of the dining room"

Tapp'd

★★★★☆ 4 (42) • $$

"This place is right by the hotels, so if you're staying there it's a quick walk.There's plenty of free parking on site. They have indoor and outdoor dining! I sat outside on the patio, plenty of room and umbrellas to block the sun if wanted. Alexis was my waitress and she didn't waste time getting my drink and taking my order.super nice chick!!! The prices are reasonable. I got 8 wings, which are really small, but delicious. The garlic parm had actual Parmesan shavings which was awesome. I also got a basket of fries. A huge basket for the price so definitely worth it!I only had a water to drink but they have plenty of beer selections, so fear nothing!!!I like the spot! Food was good, came out fast, service was awesome, and prices were good. What more can you really ask for?"

Waldo's Chicken and Beer

★★★★☆ 4.3 (36)

"Walking into Waldo's the layout hadn't changed a lot from the past tenant. Notable additions were some arcade games that I noted my nieces and nephews would love to go play. It's an order at the counter and they bring you your food establishment similar to the Newk's that used to reside at this space. Looking at the menu, I was expecting fried chicken and maybe a grilled chicken, but the rotisserie option took me by surprise. I opted for the plate with a quarter white chicken, two sides, and cheddar biscuit. I wish I had taken a photo before I dived in. Then you would have been able to see the beautifully browned chicken skin that only happens in a rotisserie. The chicken was incredibly juicy and flavorful. I tried the Alabama white sauce and Rooster sauce. Both were yummy! The white sauce had a distinct vinegary taste. The rooster sauce a nice combo of sweet and spice. I probably could have handled more spice especially with a fried chicken, but this was perfect today. The cucumber tomato salad was perfect. Nothing was cut so fine that it lost its individual taste. The potato wedges were excellent. A hint of crunchy with a good seasoned flavor. The biscuit is named incorrectly for this area in my opinion. It's more of a sweet cheddar roll. Name aside, I'll know better and order extra of them next time. They are smaller and like two or three bite-able. I could have easily popped a dozen. The tea? Excellent on a hot summer day. Service? Super friendly and helpful. I was checked on a couple times sitting at my table. It felt friendly and helpful but not pushy or excessive.The chicken plate was around $12 and extra for the drink which is a good price for the meal as fresh and unprocessed as it felt. Overall, I'm excited to have a restaurant at this price point in this area and hope they do well. I can't wait to bring my family back."

Energy Famous Pasta

★★★★☆ 3.9 (39) • $$

"This was my first time visiting. I came late at night and it did not disappoint too much. I ordered a turkey burger with fries. The burger was good but didnt have any sauce on it. I can see myself coming back and trying the shrimp."

Taco Chela

★★★★☆ 3.6 (42)

"Taco Chela is one of three savory options that you can find inside the L&L Market Place and is the only spot to get tacos, burritos, with a Margarita on the side. This spot is tucked away in a corner next to a milkshake shop and a wine bar that has a conveyor belt packed with tasty breads and bold cheeses. There could be worse places to be wedged in between. I ordered two street tacos, one pork belly and one bang bang shrimp tacos. I was expecting the bang bang shrimp to be a little more on the spicy side but the flavor was still pretty decent. The sauce paired nicely with the fresh mango and I really loved the crunch from the cabbage. The pork belly taco is by far, my favorite. One thick strip of seared pork belly, crispy/chewy on the inside, topped sauce, more mango and a red cabbage slaw. Not going to lie, I didn't hate the mango on here. Initially, I thought that was an odd choice, but it reminded me of the Al pastor and pineapple combo.I wouldn't call this place authentic Mexican food but it still is pretty tasty. The bar area is a nice spot to sit, but you can take your tacos and eat anywhere inside or outside of the L&L Market place. Shout out to the hostess and the other servers here they checked on me multiple times and make sure I was all set."

DB's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (36)

"Our server, Toni, was awesome! Very attentive and polite. Pizza and wings were delicious and satisfying. Wings are $1 each on Sunday which is a great deal. Pizza has a crispy thin crust. Definitely will be back."