Toarmina Grocery and Market

If it's not your grandmothers, it's Toarmina. This is seriously the best comfort/home-cooked meal that you can put in your mouth. You better get in there first, because you do not want to miss out. It's smack your Mama good. Except for I would never smack my Mama, she would knock me out.

Just excellent Soul Food. Some of the best southern breakfast you can find: Salmon croquettes, pork chops with grits and eggs, etc. You hafta go because they may not answer the phone.

This absolutely THE BEST PLACE to get some good loving food! OMG! The Women touching this food have hands from heaven! It may not look like alot when you pull up, but I promise the food AND the service will change ypur life..for the better!

I love this place! The food is always good. The owners are so nice and personable. They always appreciate my business.

On the advice of others, I decided to give Toarmina Grocery and Market in North Memphis a try. It's located on Chelsea Ave. near Watkins St., not exactly a destination many Memphians seek out when looking for a lunch destination. That said, a lot of people dine there, given the number of cars and trucks that I've seen parked there in any given week. Some say that it serves some of the best Southern/Soul Food in town. Upon hearing that, I wanted to find out if all the hype about this place is true. After visiting a few other "hyped up" restaurants recently, I didn't get my expectations up, in the event of a letdown. Well, after a few visits, I wasn't disappointed.The first meal that I had was what Toarmina calls (I think) the "half" lunch plate, consisting of one piece of meat, two sides and a couple of cornbread rolls. For the meat, I chose the fried pork chop, and my sides were broccoli and cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy. Unlike my initial visit at Cafe Napoleon that offered up a small and thin pork chop, the one I got from Toarmina was huge (maybe half a pound), twice the size of Cafe Napoleon's, even though both lunches are the same price. Now, I thought about getting a "whole" lunch plate which would've included an additional pork chop, but doing so would've been borderline gluttony. The pork chop itself was delicious, for the meat (a little over 1/2" thick) was tender and easy to chew, with breading that was spiced with a reasonable amount of salt to make it flavorful (also liked that it wasn't overbreaded). As for the two sides, both were decent, in the sense they average in terms of taste. The cornbread rolls, however, were great, for they tasted very close to how my Mom bakes them. With butter, they were awesome. After my first visit, I was anxious for my next visit to Toarmina's.For my next visit, I decided to get a two-piece fried chicken deal, which for me consisted of two small thighs. In terms of taste, even though the chicken doesn't have quite the spicy flavor of either Gus's or Uncle Lou's, it can still hold its own with most restaurants in town. The breading for the chicken tasted about the same as the stuff used for the pork chops, which contributed well to the chicken's taste.Toarmina also serves breakfast, but it is the usual fare of eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuits, along with their staple of fried chicken and pork chops. Everything is prepared in advance (with the eggs scrambled), meaning that specific items like omelets aren't offered. The likely reason that the deli does this is because of the long line of people that it gets in the morning who expects a quick take-out for breakfast. The day I went there, I opted for one of its three egg plates, which included two sausage patties, biscuits and grits in brown gravy, something that I have never had before. The grits/brown gravy combination wasn't bad, and the scrambled eggs and sausage were okay, but what really impressed me were the biscuits.Usually, I don't care much for biscuits because most of the time, they taste dry and salty. However, sometimes I'll take a bite in order to satisfy my curiosity, and I'm glad that I did in this case. Toarmina's biscuits are some of the best biscuits that I've tasted in Memphis, for they are moist and fluffy, with a taste that's somewhat sweet (just short of the honey-flavored biscuits sold at Church's Fried Chicken). The biscuits tasted sweet enough that I didn't need to put either jelly or jam on them. If Toarmina makes sausage gravy, the next time I get breakfast there, I'm getting that along with a few biscuits.As for the other items on Toarmina's menu, it varies from day to day, ranging from baked chicken to casseroles. As of this writing, I haven't had the chance to try them because Toarmina had recently closed for remodeling; it has since re-opened. However, after a few visits to Toarmina Grocery and Market, I got the impression that this is a place where hard working blue collar people, regardless of color and class, can feel at home ordering take-out meals that they're familiar with (unfortunately, dining inside the place isn't possible, due to a lack of seating which I hope the remodeling project will address). While Toarmina will never be compared to places like Bryant's Breakfast and The Arcade Restaurant with regards to variety and choice, Toarmina serves great quality food that anyone can appreciate. For anyone living in North Memphis or certain parts of either Frayser or Midtown (or anywhere else, for that matter), give Toarmina a chance to serve a great meal that will surely satisfy the appetite.

Dressing Monday is cool but I'll update my review when I get to lasanga Tuesday lol. Its is tucked in a local favorite family owned corner store the staff in the back makes it definitely happen! They will sell out of certain customer favorites so its cool to call in also I've heard the breakfast is great and must try!

If you aren't from Memphis, let me welcome you to our fair city. I assume you are hungry and looking for the right cuisine to satisfy your need for sustenance. If it's barbecue you are looking for, head straight to Interstate Barbecue on South 3rd Street and order a large pulled pork sandwich. For your soul food made Memphis style, you are in the right place. Toarmina's Grocery has been on the same corner for decades serving the needs of local residents. Over the years the deli counter has transformed from a meat counter for cold sandwiches, to what it is today. Home to the best soul food in Memphis. To name a few delicious items - deep fried chicken, deep fried pork chops, beef tips and rice, beef liver and onions in brown gravy, hamburger steak in gravy, chicken on a stick, pork chops in brown gravy and spaghetti. Side items will range from spinach, broccoli, pinto beans, white beans, awesome mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, cream corn, rice, and green beans. Don't forget the cornbread! True Southern cornbread is absolutely wonderful. I can assure you, upon trying any of these foods, you will feel the love put in every bite. If "healthy" food isn't what your body craves, order a cheeseburger and fries. Let me warn you about Toarmina's burgers. Once you eat one of these burgers, you will be completely hooked. No other burger (other than In-and-Out) will hold a candle to what you get at this local gem. Of course, you can get a rag bologna and cheese sandwich with hot sauce, if simple is what you seek. No matter what you get, you won't be sorry. Odds are you will be back. Sooner rather than later. Enjoy Memphis and it's offerings.