Going to Memphis(Need Help)

Graceland.

 

awesome thread title.

 

Stax Records Museum

Rock n Soul Museum ...its right next door to fed ex forum

 

My sister lives in Memphis so I've probably been through the city a dozen or so times driving between college/grad school in GA and home in TX.

You're actually going during the best month for visiting Memphis. Memphis has several world renown festivals that take place during the month of May and are a blast to go to and eat/site-see. You missed BBQ Fest but there should be some other stuff also going on when you visit.

Sites to see:
-obviously Beale Street is awesome for live music/entertainment. Memphis is to Blues what Nashville is to country.
-FedEx forum: the Grizzlies are in the 2nd round right now. You may not be able to get tickets to a game but Beale street is down the block from the FedEx forum and will be popping on game nights.
-AutoZone park: home of Memphis Redbirds, the Stl Cardinals AAA affiliate. A very good team and one of the best minor league ball parks in the country.

BBQ
-Two of the most notable places you'd see on Food Network are Charlie Vergo's Rendevous and Interstate BBQ (owned by the Neely family). Rendevous is a total tourist trap; their BBQ is decent but nothing to write home about. I went to Interstate about two weeks ago and was totally let down. They had no one in the store around 7pm on a Saturday and the food was unimpressive.
-According to my sister, the locals go to Central BBQ. I have to agree that their BBQ is good and unpretentious. I try to go every time I'm in Memphis. Their pulled pork is good and their smoked chicken wings are huge and delicious.
-Make sure to try some BBQ nachos somewhere in Memphis. It's the city dish. It's as ubiquitous as a chopped baker at a Texas BBQ joint. Memphis has the only ballpark in the country where hamburgers or hotdogs aren't the number 1 concession; BBQ nachos are the biggest seller there.

Hotels:
-Besides downtown, Germantown is a nice suburb with shopping and probably has reasonably nice motels/hotels there

 

I went to Vergos' for BBQ and it was "meh". I doubt I'd try it again. I've also heard Interstate isn't all that, though I've never tried it. This place had some pretty good fried chicken : http://gusfriedchicken.com/ They're opening up a location in Austin, too, from the looks of it.

The Civil Rights Museum was awesome. There were parts of the tour (which is really a walk-yourself-through tour) I had to hold back some tears. Man.

If you're walking around downtown at night, watch out for homeless dudes running around looking for money or sometimes harassing you.

 

Huh, that's funny--my friend and I went to Rendezvous and the ribs were so good that we were ready to renounce our TX bbq allegiance! I've done all the places in Lockhart and most of the ones that make Houston's annual lists, and those dry-rub ribs were some of the bbq I've ever had... I suppose it's all a matter of preference anyway.

Though, I recently had Interstate BBQ and I also found it really underwhelming! The ribs were saucy and tender, but I would say they were just above average really as far as flavor goes.

I've never done anything in Memphis besides taking a road trip break for BBQ or just staying the night, but I've yet to find--in my limited time there--an area of the city that wasn't dumpy/ghetto/etc. During my last stay there, I randomly chose a decently-rated hotel in south Memphis... and it turned out to be across from a strip club. After driving through a lot more crappy areas, I ended up in midtown/medical center area which was much better.

 

I hear they've still got playoff basketball there. That'd be a fun thing to see

 

Gus's, some of the best fried chicken ive ever had.

 

One good place to go that people might not be aware of is the shops down through the cooper-young district. It is only about 5 miles from downtown.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g55197-d562132-Reviews-Cooper_Young_Historic_District-Memphis_Tennessee.html

Also, depending on when you are going, check out: the levitt-shell. The levitt-shell is a historic venue for music that was recently renovated.
http://levittshell.org/2013-fmcs

If collecting music is your thing, take a look at Goner Records: http://www.goner-records.com/

If you wanted a cool experience, why not rent an apartment above morgan freeman's groundzero blues club. Clarksdale is about 45 minutes to an hour from Memphis and is only about 30 minutes from the casino district.
:http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com/index.php/rent-an-apartment.html

 

Wife and I were talking about going to Memphis for a weekend, she wants to visit Graceland again. Great tips as usual!

 

Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee
Help me find a party that tried to get in touch with me

 

Love Memphis.

Great month to visit...Memphis in May celebrations.

BBQ everywhere.

You're getting good advice.

But let me add my own personal .02 : One of the best disc golf course I've ever played on was in Shelby Forest, north of Memphis...true 20 years ago but forests don't change much.

Oh...and the music.

 

They've got catfish on the table
They've got gospel in the air
And Reverend Green be glad to see you
When you haven't got a prayer
But boy you've got a prayer in Memphis

Now Muriel plays piano
Every Friday at the Hollywood
And they brought me down to see her
And they asked me if I would
Do a little number
And I sang with all my might
And she said
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

 

I was coming to post that! Rep for you

 

What dates will you be in Memphis? I ask because the World Championship of BBQ is being held the 16-18. You need to check that out if you are in town that weekend.

Also, as a few folks have mentioned, the Grizzlies are still in the playoffs so try to catch a game if you can. Tickets are pretty much sold out, but scalpers will be across the street from the arena selling them.

As for places to stay, if this is your first trip to Memphis, stay downtown. You can walk to several things including the Civil Rights Museum that you mentioned. There is a trolley that runs on Main street, but most things you will be able to walk to unless you plan to go to Graceland or Sun Studios.

Food for days in Memphis. Gus's Fried Chicken is downtown, also if you want ribs my favorite is Blues City on Beale St, but a lot of folks like the Rendezvous. Rendezvous is good, but it's the touristy spot.

Cooper Young is a great neighborhood, you'll need to drive or taxi there if you stay downtown. Lots of cool bars and restaurants at the corner of Cooper and Young.

The Orpheum may have a play or concert. And if you like baseball, the AAA Memphis Redbirds play at Autozone Park and that's a fun experience. Very nice AAA stadium.

Any specific questions let me know. I've lived in Memphis a few years.

 

Good places for locals downtown are all along Main Street. Make sure you have breakfast at the Arcade. For drinks with locals check out Green Beetle, earnestine & hazels, bardog, double Js loft bar, blue monkey, or silly goose. Beale street will be nuts prior to grizz game on Monday! Go grab a Big Ass beer and just soak it all in. Silky's or Alfred's patio will be good people watching spots pregame.

Definitely go to Gus's for chicken. Blue fin is good if you like sushi. Enjoy your time in Memphis