These Memphis restaurants and bars made 'best of' lists in 2025

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Memphis has one of the strongest food scenes of any U.S. city.

Our barbecue is no joke — a fact that's recognized across the country every year.

But the Bluff City is more than just 'cue. From romantic nights out to top tier bakeries, recognition rightfully extends beyond the city's most famous food.

Here is a look at the Memphis restaurants and bars that appeared on regional or national "best of" lists in 2025.

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Fresh lemon butter cookies are displayed at Butteriffic Bakery & Cafe at 488 S. Second St. in Memphis on Oct. 11, 2024.

Coming in at No. 60 on Yelp's Top 100 Coffee Shops list was Butteriffic Bakery & Cafe. The selection of cookies and daily rotating pies is not the largest, but everyone who has tried them knows they are to die for. Cookies range from Swedish Tea Cake to classic chocolate chip, and pies cover all our favorites — apple, sweet potato, peach, pecan, etc. Don't forget about the banana and straw-banana pudding either.

Earnestine & Hazel’s

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Earnestine & Hazel’s is an iconic dive bar at 531 S. Main St. in Memphis.

Not only did Earnestine & Hazel's land on Southern Living's list of the best dive bars in the South, it also made USA TODAY's list of the best dive bars in America. The nearly-100-year-old building E&H occupies was at different points in history a pharmacy, brothel and café that was frequented by legends like B.B. King, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and many more. Its world-famous Soul Burger beats out most dedicated burger joints in terms of flavor, and live music, a lively downstairs and more quiet, intimate smaller rooms upstairs help make Earnestine & Hazel's a bar everyone should visit at least once.

Fat Charlie's Speakeasy

Fat Charlie's Speakeasy in Harbor Town made USA TODAY’s list of best bars in the country. "It's a cigar bar and speakeasy that serves up fantastic drinks, tasty bites, warm conversations and live entertainment; one of those if-you-know-you-know spots where faces become familiar quickly," according to a Commercial Appeal review of Fat Charlie's.

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A&R Bar-B-Que

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A box of seasoned fries and ribs from A&R Bar-B-Que in Memphis.

The next three restaurants made it on Southern Living's 50 "Best BBQ Joints in the South," as determined by Charleston, South Carolina-based author and culinary critic Robert F. Moss. A&R ranked No. 17, earning high praise for its barbecue sandwiches. "The city is famous for its barbecue sandwiches, and A&R’s are the best in the class," Moss writes. "The chopped pork is piled inside a soft bun with creamy, yellow-tinged slaw... and plenty of A&R’s reddish brown sauce."

Cozy Corner BBQ

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Manager Bobby Bradley prepares a pulled pork sandwich at Cozy Corner BBQ on April 28, 2022.

Next on Southern Living's Best BBQ Joints list was Cozy Corner, which came in at No. 26. The restaurant earned praise for its "unique items," including its famous "smoked cornish hens," "BBQ bologna sandwiches" and "BBQ spaghetti."

Charlie Vergos Rendezvous

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Robert Cox prepares to deliver a plate of ribs at Charlie Vergos Rendezvous in Downtown Memphis on Sept. 26, 2023. The charbroiled ribs at The Rendezvous are world-famous.

Rounding out the trio of Memphis spots on Southern Living's Best BBQ Joints list is the Rendezvous at No. 50. The writeup highlighted the restaurant's history and "busy but nostalgically stylish" decor, and recommended starting out the meal with a ham, cheese and sausage appetizer plate plus a cold beer.

Coastal Fish Company

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

Blue Point Oysters with sorbet at Coastal Fish Company at Shelby Farms Park.

The next four restaurants were all featured on OpenTable's top 100 romantic restaurants, with all of them scoring 4.9 stars. With its fantastic seafood-focused menu and beautiful sunset view of Hyde Lake, Coastal Fish Company also landed on Yelp's Top 100 Date Night Restaurants list.

Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A seafood flight at Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar in Downtown Memphis.

Continuing with OpenTable's most romantic restaurants... When dining with your special someone at Flight, consider a balcony-level seat overlooking Main Street. Then pick between the seafood, steak, farm and field, butcher's (other meats) and fish flights, with three items per category, sit back and enjoy a Downtown Memphis night.

Porch & Parlor

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A look inside Porch & Parlor on June 7, 2023.

Another of OpenTable's most romantic restaurants, Porch & Parlor is among the more expensive restaurants in Memphis, but the moody atmosphere inside and the outdoor bustle of the porch in the heart of Overton Square make for a unique experience depending on where you sit. When it comes to the menu, Porch & Parlor is known for its prime-cut and Wagyu steaks.

Southern Social

Rounding out OpenTable's most romantic restaurants list is Southern Social in Germantown. The restaurant has some of the highest-quality fresh seafood and prime steaks, as well an extensive selection of wines, cocktails and bourbons.

Best Memphis-style BBQ

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A slab of ribs, potato wedges, baked beans and a pulled pork sandwich at Leonard's Pit Barbecue in Memphis.

USA TODAY's 10BEST Readers' Choice Awards included a best Memphis-style BBQ category in 2025. Only one barbecue joint not based in Memphis made the list — Pappy's Smokehouse in St. Louis came in at No. 3. The rest are all based in Memphis and were ranked as follows:

Michelin Guide to the American South

Butteriffic Bakery and Cafe, Earnestine & Hazel’s, Fat Charlie's Speakeasy, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner BBQ, Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Coastal Fish Company, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, Porch & Parlor, Southern Social, Best Memphis-style BBQ, Michelin Guide to the American South

A look inside Hog & Hominy on Oct. 27, 2021.

East Memphis’ Hog & Hominy (707 W. Brookhaven Circle) — which bills itself as Italian cooking with Southern roots — was honored among the 2025 Bib Gourmand restaurants, the only local eatery to earn that distinction. (This rating system recognizes restaurants that offer the best value for money, which translates to a three-course meal at a reasonable price, considering the area's cost of living.)

Four other Memphis spots were also recognized as part of Michelin’s “American South's 2025 Recommended Restaurants.” Those included:

  • Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, which is operated by chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, the same team behind Hog & Hominy: 712 W. Brookhaven Circle
  • Downtown’s Felicia Suzanne’s, which serves “elevated Southern cuisine": 383 S. Main St.
  • The Lobbyist, “New American Style” restaurant located Downtown inside The Chisca: 272 S. Main St., Suite 101
  • Petals of a Peony, a Chengdu-style Sichuan restaurant in Cordova: 1250 N, Germantown Parkway, #105 (There are three additional locations in the area.)

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering DeSoto County, as well as Dining in the Memphis area. You can reach him at [email protected]

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