The hotel front desk suggested we try Blues City Cafe and we were not disappointed. We ordered the Best meal on Beale street it comes with ribs, fried catfish, fries, hushpuppies, slaw, baked beans and toast. We also added a bowl of turnip greens. The food was some of the best soul food I've ever had. The waiter was attentive and very friendly. We enjoyed live music while we dined. A fun lively place with some great food. I highly recommend! read more

Blues City Cafe - Best Meal on Beale street and Larry's turnip greens. - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Yes, it is touristy, but maybe there's a reason for that! The menu covers all the bases without being too overwhelming. I went here twice while on a work trip and over the course of my visits I tried the gumbo, turnip greens, and the Caesar salad. (Skip the salad. I just needed veggies that day.) Both the gumbo and turnip greens were so flavorful. I highly recommend both dishes! My coworker ordered the ribs and catfish and the rib meat seemed to fall off the bone! I had a bite of her catfish and it had the perfect amount of breading on it. Service is kind and they always kept my water filled. The atmosphere is everything I would want from a diner in Memphis- it's divey without being too dirty and decorated with rock n roll memorabilia. read more

Blues City Cafe - Menu - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This was the first restaurant we came across while walking down Beale Street, so we decided to give it a try. When we entered, we waited briefly at the front before being greeted, but it wasn't a long wait. The restaurant has a casual atmosphere with a Cajun and soul food vibe. We visited during lunch, so it was relatively quiet, making for a calm, family-friendly dining experience. Our food arrived quickly, which we appreciated. Overall, the meal was good, although most of the dishes were fairly standard. The one standout was the gumbo--it was flavorful and definitely worth ordering. The shrimp plate was enjoyable but didn't particularly stand out. Overall, this is a solid option if you're looking for a convenient meal while exploring Beale Street. I'd recommend trying it at least once to form your own opinion. We would consider stopping by again on a future visit. read more

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Food: A Steak and Fries: This definitely hits hard after late night excursion. Steak was beefy and cooked to requested temp. The steak had a unique char, perhaps it was cooked under a high-temp broiler, likely a salamander. Gumbo: Yes, do yourself a favor and order it. Vibe: A Awesome place to chill. The restaurant is divided in two sections, one side mainly for patrons dining, and the other a bar with live music. Closes late and even later on the weekends. Service: A - John read more

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Me and wife were wanting to get something to eat on Beale st so after checking reviews settled in here. The staff were amazing. We were seated right away and given water. Our waitress hit some highlights on the menu for us and came back to get our order. Since I BBQ a lot I usually am disappointed when I eat bbq out. The ribs here however were really good. We got the platter that also came with the fried catfish which the wife ate and really enjoyed. It came with baked beans, Cole slaw and steak fries. All the sides were fantastic. We also got the skillet shrimp Cajun style and those were good as well. They have a full bar and live music after 7. We ate early so didn't get to enjoy the music. Would definitely go back. read more

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What an incredible find! Totally makes sense why this place is always packed. We tried to get in for an early dinner and luckily just missed the rush. The service was amazing and very fast with both our drinks and food. The portions are obviously generous and the food delish. We just missed the live music but apparently that's a nice vibe if you go later! Overall, great food and superb service! read more

Blues City Cafe - Gumbo - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Our server Christian was the best! Very personable, sat down with us and chatted for a bit. We split the ribs and catfish platter, both were delicious especially with a cold beer. We were there at an odd time, so we had most of the place to ourselves. Food came out very quickly. They definitely were busier around a more typical dinner time. read more

This est has been around for soooo many years and has always been outstanding! Years ago I met the founder and "chef" and if you know you know, he was a character. The food hs always been astonishing and is worth the hassle to get to and park in Downtown Memphis. Do it anyway...by God make it happen some kind of way. You won't regret it. read more

I dined here about 3 times while visiting Memphis. First introduction was on a food tour. We had the infamous ribs, baked beans and coleslaw. The ribs fell off the bone! So I knew I was coming back for more. Then I came back just for dessert to try the apple dumpling. Served hot and bubbly so beware. This wasn't that sweet, so perfect for people who don't have a crazy sweet tooth or don't like overly sweet things. Then I came back for dinner and had the ribs and catfish and the brownie for dessert. The first few ribs I had were delicious but like the last two were on the drier side. The hush puppies it came with were delicious. Now the catfish.. omg so sweet and fried to perfection. The brownie was more my speed, sweeter compared to the apple dumpling. It was warm and gooey with lots of ice cream and fudge sauce! I always sat at the back bar with the tvs and the service was friendly and attentive. Clean bathrooms. read more

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Great BBQ? Depends on who you are. I was in Memphis for a night and asked the bartender where I should go. They said Blues City Cafe, I asked them about central bbq and they said that this place was better. Who am I to argue with a locals recommendation. So that's where we went. This place sits on Beale street and has been around for awhile. The restaurant is clean, and the staff was friendly. It was pretty busy so that is always a good sign. I was there for one thing and one thing only, RIBS! BBQ RIBS! I ordered the full rack of ribs with fries. It came with baked beans and coleslaw. The food came out about 10min or so later. Pretty quick in my opinion. The ribs looked great. They were charred on the top with bbq sauce and the smell was awesome. Now these ribs are fall off the bone ribs. Super tender and juicy but they do fall off the bone. I know that a rib that does that is overcooked but this is how they are made and it works. The ribs had good flavor with the bbq sauce they use, one thing I noticed was the lack of smoke flavor. I'm not sure if they smoke their ribs or not, if they do it's a light smoke or make just cooked over charcoal, not sure. But they did taste good, they were moist and tender, and they were very meaty. The baked beans and coleslaw were average. The beans tasted like Bush's baked beans and nothing amazing about the coleslaw. The fries were steak fries though and they were great. Crispy and hot and salted just right. Overall I think this place is ok. I myself want a smoked rib but these ribs were not bad At all. Also this place is open till 2am or later so it could be a great spot for a late night eat. Happy Eating!!! read more

Blues City Cafe - Full rack ribs - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I used to love this place. Me and the girls would hop in the car and ride down to Memphis. This was always the first stop. Truthfully, I didn't want to eat here. Because it was on a decline last time my husband and I were here. He convinced me to give them another try. I had the cup of gumbo and the chicken strip platter. He got the shrimp. I feel like they fried them together because all of my food tasted fishy. The broth of the gumbo still had the peppery taste I liked from them but the other ingredients were not the best. The toast is still the best thing on the plate. They say is down by the band that was cool. Our waitress, Jordan was efficient. I was just so disappointed. One of my favorite places is now a place I would rather skip. read more

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This was the best meal we've had in a long time. The ribs fell off the bone. The food wasn't over seasoned but had the perfect flavor. Will be back for sure, read more

Blues City Cafe - Catfish and ribs, chili, seafood gumbo. I can't tell you how much we enjoyed our food. Great service and cool vibe. - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The meat was falling off the the bone on my ribs. The chili fries were delicious to my surprise. Everything was surprisingly yummy and we were very impressed because honestly, we thought that this was going to be a tourist trap. From the hostess to the servers, and to some of the staff - service was hit or miss and it appeared that some of the staff had somewhat of an attitude. Also, some of the servers looked like total slobs who do not belong serving food. Otherwise, this place would've got five stars from us. read more

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Everything went well. Ribs and fish 11/10. Baked beans and slaw 10/10. Steak fries 10/10. Waitress 12/10. Ambiance 9/10. Could be a smidge warmer but you wont care once you pull that rib meat off da bone. 100% 5 star experience. read more

Blues City Cafe - Ribs and fish - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Living in Memphis, I've tried to stay away from Beale St because I didn't see the sense in fighting with tourists and less than appetizing drunk crowds. Our friends came in and wanted to check it out, and it seems I've been missing out on this cute spot. The wait staff was gracious, kind and friendly... even made some recommendations for music that evening. On to the food... gumbo fries were great, seafood stuffed mushrooms flavorful (get extra bread to sop that garlic butter), and the steak was great too. I was really surprised, happily so. Glad the place is such an ambassador for Memphis. read more

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The ribs are amazing. Great food right on Beale Street. Not busy when we went but the waiter made it seem like they get busy. read more

Blues City Cafe - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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My husband and I were visiting from out of town and our tour guide from Graceland said this was her favorite place! My husband and I found seating in the bar area, not very busy around 6;30 but they have live music at 8pm so it would fill up. Darrell was our server and he was funny nice and had good recommendations. I had a walk me down drink frozen, I would probably get it not frozen though. My husband had the Cajun shrimp meal and I had a half rack of ribs with 2 sides. My husband also got a cup of gumbo. He loved that and liked it better than his shrimp. My ribs were the star of the show, lots of flavor and fell off the bone. The coleslaw is more vinegar based and the bbq beans are really good for a side! Definitely recommend this place and kids can eat here too! read more

When we walked no one greeted us and we did not know whether to be seated are wait for someone. Someone finally came and sat the other couple behind us. The fish was a little light for my taste it still looked like the color of cornmeal. But the taste was okay I only ate one piece and took the rest to go. I didn't like the coleslaw or the potatoes they were to mushy I think they boiled to long and I had to add a lot of salt. I was out of my drink for atleast 7 mins before the waitress came by for me to ask her for another one. read more

Blues City Cafe - Menu - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Friendly reception at the door and great wait staff. Recommendations from the server help navigate the huge menu. Gumbo cheese fries were 10 out of 10. (I don't usually like gumbo and I could stop eating these.) Catfish combo and baby back ribs were outstanding. Even the red potatoes were done well. The coleslaw was almost dessert for us - creamy and sweet and chopped into perfect spoonful bites. Greens were good, but the chili is a must!! Kidney beans throughout -- finely ground beef -- poured over the bread or with hush puppies dunked into it was a great meal! read more

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Absolutely must stop here for the ribs if in Memphis. It's on Googles top 3 list and they should be. The food was absolutely amazing here and so is the service. read more

Came on a Thursday around 2:30 it wasn't too packed. It took about 5 minutes overall to be seated and greeted. I thought the service was really good and I got the best meal of Beale that came with half rack of ribs, one piece of catfish , baked beams, coleslaw fries and a piece of bread. I do wish the bread was buttered on both sides and the ribs needed some seasoning but catfish was really good. And it wasn't loud read more

Blues City Cafe - Beale street - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Was in Memphis on business and decided to walk Beale street one night. Had bookmarked a few spots but this seemed to jump out at me when walking by, so wantered in. There is a bar section in the far right of the establishment that has a perfect view of the stage and blues. I walked in solo and took a seat, the bartender that was there was extremely pleasant and made me feel at home. The ribs were wet, sweet type, very good, fall off the bone - sides also good. The music was authentic, the musician was really a neat guy, we talked some time - his name was Blind Mississippi Morris, well you can guess why. I am in IT and was fascinated to talk to him as he explained alot of technology he uses in his life. I was not as enamoured with Beale Street (I had just spent a couple weeks in NOLA, hard to beat that experience for jazz AND food) but I did thoroughly enjoy my time here. read more

One of the best places on Beale Street to eat and they also have some good live entertainment

We went here as we saw a review saying they have great ribs.... and the review was right! It looks like a hole in the wall on Beale St, but it was bustling with customers when we went. We sat in the back part so we could get alcohol. Our server was great! He helped us out by mentioning that you can get the ribs for 2.. and it's a lot cheaper than getting 2-half rib dinners! The amount of food... wow! We took it home and had it for dinner another night. The ribs were perfect fall-off-the-bone ribs. Flavor was delicious! We got the new potatoes with our order, but I think next time I'd get the steak fries. Definitely get some ribs here if you're in the area! read more

Blues City Cafe - Yummy ribs!! - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Ella is probably the coolest chick I've ever had the pleasure of being served by , as a server myself, she exceeded all expectations ..made me feel like we are best friends . Truly enjoyed this experience ! Anyone who plans to check out this spot ask for ELLA . 10/10 would recommend read more

Blues City Cafe - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Beale Street in Memphis is a tough one for food. It's all around the edges but within the road blocks, where all the lights are, it's a tough one! We found Blues City Cafe because the line outside of BB Kings was too long and it was too cold. So very thankful we did, it was amazing! I will forever crave those little paper wrapped tamales and chili and am kicking myself today for not getting a few orders to go!! The ribs are phenomenal, best we've had anywhere in a long time and BBQ is usually our go to. Steak fries, hot and crispy and a pork chop smokey and tender. Everything about our meal was top notch and our server Shaq made sure the entire experience was one to remember! We'll be back for sure, the tamales are calling my name! Oh, I left a little 3D print keychain, if you find it, let me know on FB at #3DFind! read more

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This is my second time here in a year. This time was during Elvis week. The band was phenomenal. They interacted with the audience and played a variety of hits. The catfish is why I came back. Its 10 out of 10 everytime. Its fresh hot and seasoned by a professional. Even if you don't typically like catfish you have to give them a try. As for the chilli and tamales you can take them or leave them. The bar staff was moving and shaking read more

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We had a nice little meal here at this casual spot right along the western edge of Beale Street. Since we visited on a weekend evening, they had the whole road blocked off, so you had to enter from the north or west side to avoid entering the walkable area which requires you to pay a $5 entry. This entire restaurant is built on a slight slope, and they did not level the foundation when building out the restaurant, so if you're sitting at your table and the table is aligned north to south, you will see a slight lean to the flooring. Also, if you have any juices on your plate of food, the juices will flow toward Beale Street. I wanted to try their tamales but will have to do it on a subsequent visit. This visit we ordered the bowl of gumbo and the Memphis strip steak which is pre-cut for you. The gumbo is slightly salty but good. The strip steak was really good, filling and cooked to order. I chose new potatoes as my one side. Service here can be a little difficult depending how busy they are and how wild your fellow patrons in the restaurant can be. It took a long time to pay the bill here due to a large party coming in right when we were wanting to pay and our server was attending to them for about 15 mins while we were trying to flag him down. Other than that, we had no other problems. I would happily return the next time I'm in the downtown area and looking for food near Beale Street. read more

EVERYTHING was delicious! Several of us were visiting from various states and decided to try it out based on the reviwes. We all loved our food. I will definitely go back. read more

Great BBQ spot in Memphis, Tennessee. Ribs were tender and literally falling off the bone. Sides were good and rounded out the meal. Bathroom was really clean. Plenty of seating. My waitress was very nice and very attentive. I will definitely come back. read more

Blues City Cafe - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Came here on a Monday early evening because there was no cover charge and we only planned to have a beverage and then move on. Sat at the bar and the bartender Keith was hysterical. The Elvis impersonator singing was okay but the band that came on after was incredible, The Rockin 88's. We decided to order dinner since we were enjoying the vibe. The best meal deal with ribs and catfish hit the spot. Would definitely recommend! read more

Memphis BBQ must try! Visited with a group of friends and was not disappointed. Portions are humongous, and the ribs literally fall off the bone and are tender and flavorful. The gumbo cheese fries missed the mark for me, but the texas toast and beans were top notch. The food arrived quickly, and the server was attentive and highly competent. The dessert, especially the apple dumpling was fantastic, but that's only if you have room after the enormous portions. Come hungry! read more

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This place was great. We started with the Seafood stuffed mushrooms really good we shared a half rack of The Ribs and they were Outstanding. I highly recommend this place. read more

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History, live music, and fantastic southern food. I would go again in a heartbeat. It's a lot of food and you won't finish it, but you'll be glad to have leftovers later after listening to live music on Beale. read more

Blues City Cafe - Pork chop - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I've never been to Memphis and was passing through for a work trip. I also had to see the famous Beale Street. I found this place on TikTok. The service was good. It seems like as soon as I ordered the food was ready lol. I take it because I ordered the ribs which were already cooked and it's a popular item. The ambiance is cool and I wouldn't mind returning. read more

Blues City Cafe - Half slab ribs - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We parked at a meter on the corner & took a booth facing Beale St. For lunch, I ordered the seafood gumbo and my husband's the three tamales with a cup of chili. Lunch was delicious, our meal had a nice spicy kick. We shared a piece of pecan pie ala mode. Service was quick & prices were reasonable. read more

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Ribs falling off the bones easily. French fries and Cole slaw were tasty. Full rack enough for 2 people. The apple dessert with the ice cream was a 10! Waiter was terrific was young when marching with King. read more

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We went as part of a very large group to this happening spot with lots of music near Beale Street in Downtown Memphis. The servers are very attentive with hospitality. The highlight of our buffet meal were the ribs that were so tender they fall off the bone. I enjoyed the catfish nuggets as well. read more

Blues City Cafe - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Food was good, service was horrible. So disappointed. Waited for our server he took forever. And served others who came afterwards. read more

Amazing food amazing people on the corner of Beale and Second St ... great for lunch or late night vibes or a Sunday brunch read more

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