I forget how I first overheard something about “Beale Street” in Memphis — I believe it was in 2022 while hanging out in Nashville. It drew comparisons to Nashville’s strip of live music spots on Broadway and I had to know more. There are few things I adore more than live music, especially in unique venues.
Singlehandedly, that is why I decided it was time to visit Memphis in April 2023.
And admittedly, the thought of Memphis-style BBQ, Graceland, Tennessee's beautiful nature, and a good old-fashioned road trip also caught my attention.
With an overnight stop in one of my favorite towns, Asheville, the trip was expected to take nearly 17 hours and 1,100+ miles to accomplish over the course of 2 days.
Memphis Bridge
The first real photo op came 1,100 miles into the drive when I finally reached Memphis. The Memphis Bridge spans the Mississippi River from Tennessee into Arkansas and is super picturesque.
At nighttime, the bridge features a light display every 30 minutes that I would have liked to see and photograph, but the bridge is a few blocks off the beaten path and I was much more interested in soaking in the blues music during those hours!
Beale Street - Home of the Blues
While blues is the culture, you’ll hear all sorts of music on Beale Street. The bars and venues are full of character and history. Two stand-out spots were the Rum Boogie Cafe and the adjoining prohibition era themed Blues Hall / Juke Joint.
Beale Street - Inside the Music Spots
Graceland | Home of Elvis
I'm not sure I ever thought I'd see Graceland in real life. It always seemed so far off the beaten path. However, once I was officially headed to Memphis, signing up this experience was a no-brainer. The home is amazing and hearing the stories about Elvis was really entertaining.
Tickets are expensive and, especially for an attraction that boasts about how many visitors it receives, I didn't find the overall operation particularly well-organized: disorganized lines, inefficient shuttle bus operations, and even the audacity to charge for parking at the property after pre-paying $100+ online for the cheapest entrance ticket slowed things down. Nonetheless, I'd recommend this as a must-visit for any Elvis fan if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity!
Central BBQ
I was absolutely starving by the time I made it to the highly recommended Central BBQ. This location is in the downtown area across the street from the infamous Lorraine Motel, yet street parking was super easy.
For this meal, I had to go with the Pulled Pork sandwich, due to its award-winning reputation. This big sandwich is loaded with pulled pork and topped with cole slaw and bbq sauce. I found the pulled pork to be cooked perfectly, but a bit lacking in flavor. The cole slaw and bbq sauce toppings were nice but weren't enough to elevate this sandwich.
The mac and cheese was off the chains good and the potato salad also hit the spot. Both were dusted with a cajun-like seasoning, which I absolutely loved as a concept and flavor. Good casual atmosphere for dining -- sit wherever you'd like!
The overall experience was good but not must-go-back...But make no mistake about it; I'd certainly return to explore more of the menu if the opportunity presented itself and find my favorite items.
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Big River Crossing
I walked to Arkansas! Never thought I’d say that. The state line between TN & AR is in the middle of the Mississippi River, which can be walked over thanks to a train bridge which, in recent history, has a pedestrian lane. Pretty cool! In the distance, you can see the Memphis Bridge and downtown skyline.
Memphis Bass Pro Shop (Flagship Location)
Sun Studio & Records
One last Memphis stop before beginning the trek back east was a morning tour at the famous Sun Studio & Records.
Many legendary artists, such as Elvis, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash started out their illustrious careers recording themselves (for a small fee) at this small studio. A lot of history packed into a couple small rooms here. This building actually sold for a bunch of years — it was an auto parts storage facility for a while, can you believe that? Fortunately, it was brought back and restored a few decades ago. Almost nothing had been changed luckily, including the floor and ceiling tiles.
Germantown Commissary (Memphis BBQ)
One more stop on the drive out of the Memphis area was in Germantown, Tennessee for the highly-recommended Germantown Commissary. This BBQ spot has a lot of character and a great overall ambiance and vibe, with great service and classic rock on the radio. Waitress service only.
For this meal, I went with the brisket plate with cole slaw and mac and cheese. The brisket had good flavor, but overall was not my favorite. There were two bbq sauces: one hot, one regular. Both had unique flavor (maybe rosemary someway somehow?) and a good amount of sweetness to them. Overall, I liked the spicy much more. The cole slaw was solid -- the standard kind of cole-slaw-you've-had-a-million-times. The Mac and cheese felt the same -- good, no real surprises here.
Their signature BBQ blend spice, available at every table, is delectable and a highlight of the experience here. By the end, I was putting this spice on everything and even bought a container as a souvenir to-go for the low price of $4.69. Surprising to me, the main ingredient is sugar.
Germantown Commissary is a cool spot for the atmosphere, and I'd certainly go back, but I'd rather check out another bbq spot before returning here.
Memphis: Final Thoughts
I am super grateful to have had the chance to visit Memphis. It wasn't on my bucket list for very long, but having heard about the music scene, I was hooked in. It was ultimately an easy decision to get in the car and spend a few days here. And a weekend's worth of time felt like just the right amount of time. The town is gritty and a little rough around the edges, but the music is a force to be reckoned with. Surprisingly, my experience with Memphis BBQ joints left a bit to be desired -- they were good but not as great as I felt they should have been. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by the BBQ I've had elsewhere.
I'd gladly revisit Memphis if the opportunity presents itself and I'm glad to have experienced it first hand. In the meantime, onward, upward, eastward, westward...Thanks for a time, Memphis! Hopefully we meet again...
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