Memphis Weekend Getaway Ideas
March 3, 2019 9:06 AM Subscribe
Mefites: I’m going to Memphis with my mom and sister for a weekend getaway later this month. I’ve done internet research on food and fun but would love first hand experience on a few times as we finalize our plans.
Mefites: I’m going to Memphis with my mom and sister for a weekend getaway later this month. I’ve done internet research on food and fun but would love first hand experience on:
Favorite Places to eat, more casual or hole in the wall
Seeing live music - a place that won’t be absurdly crowded/loud (I know this is a tall order, I just get anxious in mega crowds when I can’t hear well or sit down)
Great walks (for window shopping etc)
Perfect sunset drinks locales
A spa that spoils you (I know about Feathers but hard to gauge if it’s worth it)
If you did only one museum, it would be:
We are staying at the Madison/Hu, and are over 30 ;).
Mefites: I’m going to Memphis with my mom and sister for a weekend getaway later this month. I’ve done internet research on food and fun but would love first hand experience on:
Favorite Places to eat, more casual or hole in the wall
Seeing live music - a place that won’t be absurdly crowded/loud (I know this is a tall order, I just get anxious in mega crowds when I can’t hear well or sit down)
Great walks (for window shopping etc)
Perfect sunset drinks locales
A spa that spoils you (I know about Feathers but hard to gauge if it’s worth it)
If you did only one museum, it would be:
We are staying at the Madison/Hu, and are over 30 ;).
Seconding the Civil Rights Museum and Central BBQ. People will tell you to go to the Rendezvous but don't listen to them.
The Bass Pro in the Pyramid is a combination of the cool and the bizarre. I enjoyed my trip up the glass elevator to the bar at the top.
If you like a funky little hipster district, check out Cooper-Young.
Yelp is your friend.
posted by woodvine at 10:22 AM on March 3, 2019
The Bass Pro in the Pyramid is a combination of the cool and the bizarre. I enjoyed my trip up the glass elevator to the bar at the top.
If you like a funky little hipster district, check out Cooper-Young.
Yelp is your friend.
posted by woodvine at 10:22 AM on March 3, 2019
Sun Studios. Even if you're not a huge Elvis/Cash/Jerry Lee fan, it's just so freakin' cool to see the actual studio that rock'n'roll started in.
posted by notsnot at 11:28 AM on March 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by notsnot at 11:28 AM on March 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
For museums: Civil Rights is a phenomenal museum. Sun Studios is nice and can be done in about 2 hours max.
Restaurants: if you’re committed to bbq downtown, the Central is your best bet. Otherwise, make the trip to Germantown Commissary. You won’t regret it. Rendezvous sucks.
Rum Boogie Cafe is the best that Beale St. has to offer. There is a nice pedestrian area on Main that lots of good restaurants - we like Majestic.. The Concourse is also fun to eat at - and has my personal favorite, Mempops. High end popsicles.
Owen Brennan’s for brunch - skip the Peabody unless it’s to see the ducks.
Sunset drinks at the bar in the River Inn at Harbortown. Paulette’s (dame building) is decent for dinner and nice for a starting point for a walk on the river.
Source: lived in Memphis for the last three years (left in June)
posted by honeybee413 at 1:10 PM on March 3, 2019
Restaurants: if you’re committed to bbq downtown, the Central is your best bet. Otherwise, make the trip to Germantown Commissary. You won’t regret it. Rendezvous sucks.
Rum Boogie Cafe is the best that Beale St. has to offer. There is a nice pedestrian area on Main that lots of good restaurants - we like Majestic.. The Concourse is also fun to eat at - and has my personal favorite, Mempops. High end popsicles.
Owen Brennan’s for brunch - skip the Peabody unless it’s to see the ducks.
Sunset drinks at the bar in the River Inn at Harbortown. Paulette’s (dame building) is decent for dinner and nice for a starting point for a walk on the river.
Source: lived in Memphis for the last three years (left in June)
posted by honeybee413 at 1:10 PM on March 3, 2019
Breakfast at Sunrise Memphis on Jefferson. You're welcome. Go early!
Lots of people recommend Brother Juniper's, but it's so small and always so crowded. Also, you're staying downtown, so Sunrise is much much closer.
posted by tomboko at 1:44 PM on March 3, 2019
Lots of people recommend Brother Juniper's, but it's so small and always so crowded. Also, you're staying downtown, so Sunrise is much much closer.
posted by tomboko at 1:44 PM on March 3, 2019
Rendezvous isn't bad, and it's literally right around the corner. You might as well go and get you some dry-rub ribs (or as they call them, just "ribs"), just to see what all the fuss is about. If I had to choose one place, it wouldn't be it, but I also don't live walking distance from there. Flight restaurant won some award this year, I think. I've been there; it's good.
You can get live music on Beale Street basically any time. The key to avoiding crowds is to mostly avoid Friday or Saturday nights. Day should be pretty chill. Thirding the recommendation for Rum Boogie, but plenty of those places are fine, and Beale Street is short, so you can walk around and decide what you want to do. If there's an event at the FedExForum, things might get a little crowded, but only for a little while. Huey's is a local burger chain (not on Beale Street), and worth a visit if you want a burger. (Don't do the Dyer's fried burger. Ew.)
The bar at the top of the Pyramid might get crowded at sunset on a weekend, and they will only let so many people up there. You might give it a shot your first day there, just to see. You can also walk along the river at Tom Lee Park (west of Riverside, starts around Beale Street) and you can walk onto Big River Crossing, which is a pedestrian/cycle bridge across the river. The Peabody has rooftop parties, but not until April.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:15 AM on March 4, 2019
You can get live music on Beale Street basically any time. The key to avoiding crowds is to mostly avoid Friday or Saturday nights. Day should be pretty chill. Thirding the recommendation for Rum Boogie, but plenty of those places are fine, and Beale Street is short, so you can walk around and decide what you want to do. If there's an event at the FedExForum, things might get a little crowded, but only for a little while. Huey's is a local burger chain (not on Beale Street), and worth a visit if you want a burger. (Don't do the Dyer's fried burger. Ew.)
The bar at the top of the Pyramid might get crowded at sunset on a weekend, and they will only let so many people up there. You might give it a shot your first day there, just to see. You can also walk along the river at Tom Lee Park (west of Riverside, starts around Beale Street) and you can walk onto Big River Crossing, which is a pedestrian/cycle bridge across the river. The Peabody has rooftop parties, but not until April.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 5:15 AM on March 4, 2019
Pretty sure the place local to our Air BnB that our hosts recommended for sunset drinks was Hu Roof - the view looks identical anyway. Time it right and you get the whole 'Mississippi shining like a National guitar' effect... As for museums, I agree that the National Civil Rights Museum is terrific and has that indispensable quality, but if your interests tend to geography more than history you could expand your definition of 'museum' and spend an hour or two exploring the whole of the Mississippi in miniature and in the open air on Mud Island, about which I will never cease to rave.
posted by FavourableChicken at 5:41 AM on March 4, 2019
posted by FavourableChicken at 5:41 AM on March 4, 2019
I was in Memphis last week and we had a great meal at The Beauty Shop in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. A woman-owned, farm-to-tabley, quirky-but-real vibe, come-as-you-are place.
posted by AgentRocket at 7:02 AM on March 4, 2019
posted by AgentRocket at 7:02 AM on March 4, 2019
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As for food, Central BBQ is my very favorite. It’s consistently good, has a great staff and has a few different locations. And you have to go to Alcenias for some soul food. She’s the best!
I haven’t been in a while but Rum Boogie was always my favorite bar on Beale Street.
posted by dawkins_7 at 9:17 AM on March 3, 2019 [1 favorite]