Memphis Chess Club

Grabbed a late lunch at the Chess Club. First timer here, so a jaunt of novelty when considering between other quick Downtown options.Walking in, the interior is something I found myself pondering whether Memphis could have anything this nice/kitschy. It's expansive, it's well-worn (though not the best term for it; I mean that it's comfortable in an endearing, living roomesque kind of way), and it's relatively quiet. I heard "No I Can't Go for That" by Hall & Oates in the background...well played Chess Club, well played indeed.The food prep lady (I can't stretch this into "chef" when we're talking sandwiches and pizzas, I'll wind up complimenting the food shortly) was literally asleep on her feet at the high counter to the left of the door...it was 2:30pm, though, so who hasn't been there before. She said that the guy that worked the POS system ran to the bank...so...(I just stood there as if to say 'ma'am, as a vanguard millennial and a digital native, you make the sandwich, I'll ring it up') discretion and patience won out. She rang up the muffuletta and the house chips and got to her craft.The wait short, the food fantastic. The house chips are addictive. Thick cut, uniform, seem freshly fried (and occasionally a soft chip or two, here and there, think crispy edge with par cooked 'tatoe in the middle, every bit as good as the full cooked ones). The muffuletta wasn't a muffuletta. Olive mix was a bit thin, the bread was hoagie, there was lettuce...and damn was it good. This is a gut punch sandwich. A whole one, much like the traditional Nawlins round muffuletta, is not going to be eaten by the average, or even starving diner. I know. I tried. You're getting two meals- one to eat there, one to go. You've been warned.I'm not going to really try and pick out the parts: bread, ham, olive mix, provel, oil. Each contributed to the whole more than strike its own chord. This is a good thing, and perhaps a great thing with what Downtown Memphis has as far as lunch options go north of Madison/within walking distance of the courthouses.High recommendation. High likelihood of my trying to make 'regular' status (the last time I had that was Courthouse Deli circa 2013), lest the shame and guilt of my waistline amount to doing-something-about-it.Oh, usual blurb about 5 stars: 5s are unicorns, paradigm smashing. They exist only in dream until stumbled upon. 5s are never 4.5s that get round ups. These are your destination dining/serves a dish worthy of a last meal places. Chess Club is a 4.3. It's really good, it's unique, it's local, it's a delight without qualification. I consider this exceptionally high praise. For instance, Rendevous is a 3 star joint: good, standard, experience and ambiance being the highlights of standard culinary fair. So there's that for context.

If you're looking for a nice ambiance to get some work done, check out the Memphis Chess Club. I think people do actually come here to play chess, there's an upstairs as well but there's a lot of room for people to do work or catch up for brunch. There's a number of books and board games as well.

Cool place to stop by if you're in downtown Memphis! Extensive coffee and food choices!

I like to stop by here when I'm in town. I love this area and I love the ambiance and history of this location. They really do play chess here, seriously! The aesthetic is very 1950s social club, with some modern touches. So lots of dark, carved woods, golds, etc. I usually order the breakfast croissant which had egg, cheese, and a meat (I left off the meat). It was huge and piping hot! That was made with real eggs, no powdered eggs here! And I usually get a latte which was very nicely made. I got my items in about 10 minutes and headed back to my car to get on the road back to Atlanta. What a nice treat on my way out of the city. By the way, Kids apparently eat free on Tuesdays? Check it out!

Great staff, great coffee and the chess theme is unique! They talked with me about my options and gave me great suggestions!

I came here on a whim with my husband who loves chess. This is a great spot to study, read, or enjoy chess and other games with friends. The couches are cozy and the decor takes you back in time. I ordered an iced mocha on a dreadfully hot day and was pleased that it was mildly sweet, not overly. The guy taking orders at the front wasn't very kind, but I suppose he was just having a bad day? The only other negative was there were quite a few flies everywhere. Anyhow, it's a neat spot I'd recommend anyone check out.

I enjoyed my experience here. Memphis Chess Club is definitely a spot to visit whether it's to dine, work, and/or play chess! It's super spacious and clean; definitely welcoming and provides a chill environment. While there, I ordered Spinach Salad. It was packed with strawberries, candied nuts, craisins, avocado, feta, purple onion, spinach. Comes with one cup of dressing. I had the house made vinegarette. Everything was fresh and delicious! Cool Spot!

I don't usually leave negative reviews, but we had been walking with coffee and decided to step in to see if we could grab a snack. We purchased a snack and were asked to wait outside. I could understand if we were just bringing in outside items to hang out, but we made a purchase. Won't be back to try the coffee.

I'm from out of town and was looking for a place to eat on Saturday afternoon. Came across this place. Nice environment but I wasn't impressed with the food. I ordered an 8-inch pizza and in my opinion, I paid too much for it. There wasn't much as far as toppings were concerned and the pizza was not flavorful. I expected something much better considering the inside of the place and price.

Nice ambiance. Comfortable seating. Prices match those of most coffee shops. They have a large assortment of food, not just pastries. You could get an actual meal here.