We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner last evening. The cocktails were delicious, and served promptly. The appetizer portion of mussels was generous and yummy. We asked for bread to sop up some of the juices and the bread was really terrific. Our entrees (rainbow trout and veal piccata) were good, though the orzo that came with the veal was just OK. Dessert, goat cheese cheesecake was light and tasty, a perfect end to a great meal. The prices are reasonable too. We will definitely go back. read more

Went for valentines dinner and our server basically forgot about us. It took over 25 min to put in an appetizer order. The food was very sub par. I ordered the veal picatta and it tasted microwaved. It was covered in capers and a runny gravy that was not good. The only thing good I have to say is the place was clean and the decor was nice, but the table almost fell over on me, it was so rickety, my husband had to hold it in place with his foot. read more

Went out with friends last Thursday. I have been wanting to dine here for a long time. Pretty good food. Started off and shared the Parmesan Truffle fries. They tasted pretty good but needed a little more truffle oil or seasoning. It had ample salt on the fries. I tried the pasta with seafood-shrimp and mussels. It had a delicious sauce made with butter, wine and garlic. I had a few pieces of shrimp and ten mussels. I added the seafood for an extra cost. It was worth it. I did take half of my meal home. The inside of the restaurant is nice and cozy. It is a small establishment and parking is limited to the street. They do have a lot in the back. The service was spotty. Our server was also the bartender and he did not check on us as frequently as he could. He did get our orders correct. He was friendly. I may go back and try some other dishes they serve. I was too full from dinner. They had some desserts I would like to try. I saw Creme Brûlée which is my favorite. I am always in search of that dessert. May just go have that one evening on a whim. All and all the experience was good. read more

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Our service was phenomenal. Sarah was attentive (the perfect amount), engaging, and made excellent recommendations. Food was really delicious. My steak was cooked to absolute perfection. All of our yummies were well seasoned and prepared nicely. read more

This restaurant is always good! Never had a bad experience here. Cafe 1912 has a NYC feel/vibe - not bad for a restaurant in Memphis. Note that the restaurant is on the quiet side, so it's a great place for a business dinner (my most recent visit) or a romantic dinner. Great food, cocktails and wine...though I did question the wisdom of ordering a bottle when I woke up the next morning. read more

I always have a wonderful time at 1912! It's been my favorite for years!!! It's so quaint and cozy , wonderful feel. The staff goes above and beyond! And the food is superb! I'm in Love read more

One of my favorite places in Memphis! The food is always great; innovative preparation and top notch service. Sarah is the best server ever! We had burgers this last time and they were outstanding. It can get loud, but I think that's most places! read more

I had the shrimp pasta with Alfredo and it was delicious. Not the best I've ever had, but there wasn't a single piece of pasta left on my plate. The sauce was light but not too runny. The mushrooms and spinach were not over cooked. The shrimp were fat and juicy. I will be back! read more

Dinner is back! Reservations recommended, saw a couple of folks turned away . The calamari was excellent. The wine list is good, vintage Rhone red for $27. Catch of the day was pan seared corvina with beurre blanc sauce and risotto. Amaretto cheese cake was wonderful with ugly mug coffee. read more

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Cafe 1912 is a offbeat, French-inspired restaurant situated in midtown Memphis. Generous portions, charming servers and an eclectic vibe. The dining area is broken into different sections, which keeps the noise level in check even when the restaurant is at capacity The highlights of my meal were the perfectly prepared frites and the spectacular braised short ribs in wine sauce. The cheese board was also impressive. It's definitely worth checking out. read more

This is a great eclectic neighborhood date night restaurant. They have a rotating menu but we always enjoy the pommes frites and kirs royale! read more

Food was just ok this time. Service was very poor. The restaurant was not busy. Spent a lot of money on a disappointing experience.

#latepost I went to Valentine's dinner at this lovely restaurant. Everything was delicious! I love the open style kitchen you can see the staff making the creations ! And the wait staff was so accomodating. Remember to always make reservations ! read more

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This place should get 3.5 stars. The food was good, but not great. The location used to be a lot of different businesses over the years since it was built in 1912. The place has a lot of charm with old photos of a woman who was once associated with the restaurant. I had the lobster bisque. It was OK. No lobster chunks, too fishy, and too thin of a consistency. My mussels were good, but oddly served with croutons. I've seen thin toast served but definitely different. Over all pretty good. read more

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Horrible food- dry salmon and very small salad that was overpriced. Just dined at Porch and Parlor spent a little more $ for a fabulous meal! read more

I mean....from a food perspective it was a mixed bag. On the upside...burger good. Fries good. Calamari good. Fish good. Cheesecake good. Service was good. Drinks were well poured. On the downside...Ravioli flavorless. Bread pudding excessively overly sweet and not that much other flavor. But the kicker was the veal. Really bad. Oddly flavored big chunks with way too much and overly thick gravy. That particular dish was super disappointing. Unfortunately the bad slightly tipped the scales over the good. We might try it again....but not for a long time. read more

Definitely not someplace we will be eating at again. We ordered the cheese plate appetizer which was a mistake. When the waiter brought the small plate of 3-1 Oz pieces of cheese and 3 small pieces of toasted bread I thought that was bad, and then we ate it...The bread was stale and the cheese was par at best. One entree was the salmon and the other was the ham and cheese stuffed chicken breast. The chicken was better than the salmon but this is not saying much. Both had little to no taste and were simply bland. Portion size were small to medium and we left still hungry. The "topping on the cake" was when the waiter brought the salt and pepper. Nothing wrong with individual portions of condiments but not what I expect from a restaurant which seems to tout itself as upscale. Only reason it is not a 1-star is because food was at least hot and parking was easy. Other than those two things there was not much positive about our dinner unfortunately. read more

Cafe 1912 - Salt and pepper... - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I hadn't been to Cafe 1912 in 8 years until last night. I don't know why I had completely forgotten about this place! It is extremely cute and very well located (Cooper across from Midtown Yoga). I am currently fighting a cold, and was thrilled with their hot tea selection. An odd thing to be raving about, I know, but it made my dinner. Also fantastic was the onion soup (also good for my cold and sore throat). But my absolutely favorite dish of the evening was the cheese plate. I am picky about my cheese but it was divine (especially the bleu cheese). I didn't get to try anything too fancy since I was sick but I can't wait to go back there. It is definitely on my radar now! read more

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Had read good reviews on this place and was excited to give it a shot. Called in at open at 3:30pm to arrange reservations for 4. The only slots were 5:30 or 8pm unless we wanted the table by the kitchen door. We opted for 5:30... Very early but we wanted to avoid being seated In a noisy high traffic area. We arrived at 5:25 to an empty restaurant. We tracked down the hostess who then pored over the list then walked is to the only other table in the hall by the kitchen. I explained we arrived early to avoid such a table. She acted very put out and spent 5-7 minutes between the list and the back room... Nearly every table is a 4 top and none were occupied. What the hell. We finally get a table by the door. Okay. Our server was nice but very slow and quickly was overwhelmed by his 2 tables. Drinks were slow. Food was slow. Table touches were few and far between. One of my favorites, French onion soup, was average at best. Scant onions and the cheese was exceptionally clumpy. The broth was lacking flavor. The mussels app was very good. Great broth/base and properly cooked. Entrees came out and my grouper was good but slightly overcooked so it was tough on the thinner ends of the filet. Overall it was good but not great. My date's scallops were quite undercooked. To the point we questioned if they were safe to eat. $25 for 3 scallops you'd think they could cook them properly. Have to add that we struggled to hear each other over the din. For the style of place it is, the noise was a bit much. Had to flag down the server to get our checks. Overall some highlights but overall a disappointing experience on the food and service front. I'd go 2.5 here for the mussels and the accompaniments to the grouper, but forced to round it's got to be down. We won't be back. read more

Cafe 1912 - Grouper - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Last night, in an effort to forget about an epic craving for a pizza that I couldn't have, I went to Cafe 1912. I figured if anything could distract me, it would be food of a totally different genre. It totally worked. One bite into my plate of scallops with roasted vegetables and lemon polenta and I was all "Pizza? What pizza? I never wanted a pizza." The seared scallops were covered in a dill-based sauce, and the polenta tasted like the cornbread dressing at the Thanksgiving dinner of my dreams. It was so good that it almost prompted me to burst out in song. Cafe 1912 is one of Midtown's more charming cafes. The atmosphere is classy, but not overly formal. It's the sort of place where you can get away with jeans and a t-shirt or a suit and tie. It's a total date night sort of place. The food is mostly French - the seasonal menu's got crepes, salads, salmon nicoise, creme brulee, cheeses and all sorts of delicious roasted meat. They've also got an excellent burger (it comes covered in Maytag blue cheese with a ton of shoestring fries). Cafe 1912 is open for dinner seven days a week, and for brunch on Sunday. Reservations aren't required, but I recommend making them on weekend nights. read more

Cafe 1912 - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Made reservations 30 days in advance and could not get the table I wanted.... also, Learn how to make a steak!

Wow thanks again yelp!! This restaurant is amazing we are here on a Sunday with our well behaved 7 year old. Otherwise I wouldn't recommend kids. The food is amazing!! We had the onion soup, it's the best I've ever had!! And the crab cakes Benedict was great also!! read more

Cafe 1912 - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Very upscale cramp seating arrangement. Not for large groups. A quant lil spot. Snobbish ambient vibe.

We started off the morning with drinks....bellinis and mimosas, and well, you can't go wrong there! I ordered the Croque Madame, and my boyfriend had the Irish Breakfast. The food was pretty good. The service so-so, as the waiter kind of disappeared once we got our food. Overall, I'd say its a good little breakfast spot. read more

Cafe 1912 - Croquet Madame and shoestring fries - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Fail! We were excited to try this place. I mean any restaurant with beef bourguignon on the menu I must try! Firstly, we were greeted by someone at the door who just looked at me. I told her we had a reservation at 7:30. Her response was did you make it 5 minutes ago? Umm no I made it days ago. Her- oh ok just asking we have people make reservations walking into the restaurant all the time. Umm ok So then we get seated in a tiny corner by the door. Fine! We ordered drinks which were good. Got the cheeses appetizer. They brought it out and same said girl mumbled something about what the cheeses were then walked off. It had 3 cheeses on it which were good but they only gave us 4 crouton sized pieces of bread. So after the 2nd bite I was eating just cheese. Don't know if you have ever had blue cheese or Brie without a cracker but it ain't fun. Then the entrees came - The beef bourg was good but plain egg noodles as a side it just weird and not needed. We also had the fish of the day with risotto. First bite of fish had a bone - not the way to start but no more after that and it was a decent piece of fish. Risotto was bland. 2nd observation was EVERYTHING had zero seasoning. I don't think they have ever heard of salt or pepper. Finally, we ordered a chocolate crepe for dessert. What we got was some sort of hazelnut crepe which was good but definitely not chocolate. Lastly, we had to ask someone for our check. We were informed our server had already left and now someone else was our server......It was 8:30. read more

What a fantastic place! We started with the calamari, which is made in house. Amazing! Then we had a burger with both cheddar and blue cheese - yum! But by far the best thing we had was the crème brûlée. I'm a sucker for that dessert anytime. But this was the best doggone creme Brûlée ever! We will go back just for that. read more

This place is a little off the square on cooper. We got here early on Saturday at 5PM when they opened since we did not have a reservation. We were promptly seated near the entrance at a window seat. I liked the natural light and it was good for my photos. It has a very casual vibe inside with some interesting decor. Parking was a little confusing, but we parked at the fresh market and walked over. The food at this place was great. I really enjoyed everything I ordered, plus the complementary bread with balsamic and olive oil dip was delicious. So delicious that we got a second, no, a third basket! It's addicting. Food: Mussels - they were so savory and full of flavor. The white wine sauce was a perfect balance to the mussels, and the crispy croutons on top were a great pairing. $12.50 Ham & Gruyere baked chicken - this entrée comes with a side of mash and gravy with asparagus. The potatoes were smooth and the gravy reminded me of thanksgiving. I really liked the add of the ham inside the chicken because it added a nice salty taste to the breast meat. $18.50 Pan seared mahi mahi special - this dish was excellent. I would order this again if I could, since it was a special. The mahi was cooked well, and came out nice and flakey. It was filling and light. $24 Cheesecake - definitely recommend this dessert. It is so creamy and thick. And the amaretto with fruit sauce is a great addition to break up the creaminess a bit. It's not too sweet either. Yum. $7 Overall, 4 stars for great service and food. I'll be back again :) read more

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Great French style food. Killer little place with great wines, service, food and cocktails. Walking distance makes it great. When you sit down, you will be there for the culinary experience. read more

Cafe 1912 is another fave of mine- a cute little bistro in the middle of midtown. The place is small and always crowded, and that is about the only thing that I don't like about it. I love the Sunday brunch and the lobster eggs benedict is excellent. I love eggs benedict anyway, and when you add lobster it seriously makes my day. The stone ground grits are a great side too. I've never been for dinner, but it's on my list- the ambiance just sets the mood for a great date night with hubby, sipping wine and enjoying French cuisine. read more

Cafe 1912 - New American Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Words cannot express how much I love this place. I've been there twice and both times the host, waiter, and chef knocked it out of the park. The cocktails are spot on and the staff knows thier wine to pair for dinner. The portions are just the right size. Recommend going traditional. Appetizers, dinner and dessert. It can be an expensive dinner date but worth every penny. This will be a regular spot for me. read more

If your in the midtown area and are looking for a quiet place to grab glass of wine and a burger or steak you might want to pop in to cafe 1912 - next to the old Bobs Barksdale breakfast joint. The wine selection is fair and reasonably priced. The menu is small and tasty. You will find a pork medallion in brown butter, a filet, a burger and shoestring fries, roasted chicken done right, lamb shank braised in port wine, and usually 2 or 3 seafood entrees like pan seared fish of the day, salmon or scallops in a chorizo cumin sauce. Dinner salad options include Lyonnaise and Niçoise along with a spinach entree salad. Please note that reservations are strongly recommended as even when the place looks empty most walk-ins are turned away. Kind of snooty that way! The owners are elderly and not present so the wait staff and bartenders can appear more interested in amusing themselves than the patrons so be prepared for a little attitude. That said, 1912 can be a nice place to have a leisurely dinner without interruption or the staff trying to prematurely clear your table. This is bistro style, not fine dining and the atmosphere swirls around regulars enjoying conversation and wine in a relaxed setting. Could this be the next place for your regular gatherings? Maybe read more

One of my favorites of all time. Great drinks, great service, amazing food! Perfect for going out for a quiet evening date or for celebrating! Also best onion soup I've ever had outside France. I don't write a lot of good reviews because I'm a restaurant snob, but this place is definitely in my top 5 restaurants in Memphis. read more

A french-themed, open-kitchen breakfast/lunch/dinner restaurant, 1912 has done well in Cooper-Young since it opened a couple of years ago. Tiny, cramped, and loud, the interior isn't that easy to love. Fortunately, the food is transcendent and you'll soon forget all about the 400-lb gentleman ramming his chair into the small of your back every three minutes. Though somewhat pricey ($8-$20 for entrees), 1912 remains affordable. Most dishes are just fine; some, though, knock it right out of the culinary park. Anything with their crisp-fried bacon lardons is worth getting, though the Salad Lyonnaise is particularly satisfying. Of particular note are their brunches. Every single egg dish is phenomenal. The lobster eggs benedict is worth committing at least second-degree murder. Mimosas with breakfast ensure everything will taste that much better. read more

Just ate there. Quaint bistro type place. Service was very good - not intrusive. Appetizers were varied and all excellent. Freshly cooked & proper temperature. Entrees done just as we ordered. Crab cakes were fabulous, amazing, wonderful. read more

Basically what Clara said. We thought it was great. It definitely presented a small town environment in a big city. It seemed like everyone in there knew each other. We sat at the bar next to some folks who frequented 1912 multiple times a week (Their favorite restaurant in Memphis). They bought us our first drink and shared an appetizer of muscles with us. Every muscle I've tasted throughout my life I've hated until that night. They were awesome. Our waiter, Shawn I think, ended up buying our dessert for us. Super friendly. The menu was fairly small but packed a wide variety of flavor from extremely tasty steak (my entree) to the muscles mentioned previously. Hard to beat. It is a pretty loud restaurant so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for a romantic date. It would work pretty well for a double date though. Make reservations ahead of time. We were lucky to get in. read more

It must be the French in me, but I'm in love with this place and this is my last review to simply give kudos to the best server that I've encountered in Memphis (and there area lot of great ones), Samantha. She remembered (after months) how I took my salad and wine. It wasn't creepy or weird, it was photographic memory, awesome everything you want in an exceptional server, awesomeness. She didn't pay me to write this, but she deserves extra kudos, and a raise. Thank you, Samantha, for helping to make my date night with my husband extra-relaxed and great! read more

I love this place! Here's why: The food: FANTASTIC! I loved the salmon with spinach. Their scallops are also amazing. Everything is a great balance and the portions are perfect. The service: Also excellent. You could walk into that place at 5 minutes from closing and they would be ecstatic to see you. Everyone is informed and really has opinions about what is good. They can rattle off the specials every night. The atmosphere: Cozy, romantic and eclectic. It's sort of sectioned off so you have privacy in almost every area of the restaurant. There is outside seating but it consists of 2 tables and you feel like you're a little too close to traffic for comfort. Extras: They have a fantastic wine list and I love their marinated olives as a snack! read more

My friends know Cafe 1912 as my "first date" restaurant. It's perfect for the atmosphere (not too romantic/not too casual) and has an appropriate price tag for the occasion. The food has always been excellent and always enjoyed by those with me as well. Unfortunately, it became known, in my group of friends, that i never went on a second date with anyone i took here. The food was great but possibly cursed. So it was 6 months into the relationship before I took my current girlfriend there. She loved it and the curse was broken. Love this place. read more

Delicious. This place is a Memphis favorite for me. They change their menu often, so that is incentive to frequent the place. If they have mussels on the menu when you go, GET THEM. I love mussels and this place has some of the best. The atmosphere is cozy, unique, and upscale, but very comfortable. The service is always great. It is really a great place for 3-4 friends. It works for a date place, too, but for some reason I have enjoyed this place so much with a couple great friends that I hope you can experience it that way, too! read more

Horrible, except for the French Onion Soup. Went there for Brunch on 1/2/11. Was told it was brunch....should have been told it was Breakfast, with 4 lunch entrees. Since I wasn't in the mood for eggs at noon, I ordered the only sandwich on the menu, a burger and the French Onion Soup. The soup was good. Would have preferred more cheese, but it was good. The burger....well, where do I start. First of all, how do you screw up a burger? My sister in-law ordered one too, and it was WRONG as well. They asked how I wanted it cooked, so I said Medium Rare. When they served it with ice cold frites (their word, not mine) it was WELL DONE! Not an inkling of pink to be found. To make it even better, there was MOLD on the bun...yes, MOLD. I sent it back, for being over done and the flipping mold! What did they do to satisfied the customer....moved the overdone burger to a new bun....and serve it with ICE COLD FRITES. C'mon! when we got there we were the only table! Now on to my sister-in-laws burger...she ordered it with mozzarella. It came with blue cheese. I can understand since they look so much alike. So we sent it back for a "new" burger. What did the reprehensible staff do? They just "scraped" what they could of the blue cheese off, put on Mozzarella and NUKED it. What little pink there was now came back as a gray burger. C'mon....it is just a BURGER!!!! The blue cheese was still there, the burger was a rock, and we were completely dissatisfied. If we weren't part of a 13 person group, we would have raised a stink, but some of the people frequent the place, and we didn't get our meals until almost everyone was done. I would avoid this place at all costs. There are MUCH better places in Midtown! In fact, Wendy's probably would have been better that day! Don't even start me on the coffee..... read more