This is a pretty restaurant right above BB Kings on Beale street. There is almost a secret entrance...around the corner, an unmarked awning, a tall ugly staircase that looks like it's meant strictly for workers to take out garbage or something. I'm sure it's done purposely to keep out the wretched refuse from Beale street. This is meant to be an upscale establishment. The service is very good. Friendly but polished. The food came out very quickly. So quickly, in fact, it really made us wonder if it was pre-made and just reheated. We started with crab dip. It was overly cheesy and lacked enough real crab. We also had She-crab soup, which was fine. Tasty, but unexceptional. Then we all had braised short ribs on mashed potatoes with asparagus. All of it was fine, nothing made us say "wow" or even "yum". Just fine. We also had Brussels sprouts for a side , which again were fine. Also asked our server if she recommended Mac & cheese or creamed spinach for another side. She said definitely Mac & cheese. This was the worst blob of goo possible. It's really tough to make Mac & cheese this bad. It was almost cheese soup with penne in it. Just inedible. For dessert we had bread pudding. Another perfectly ok dish. Nothing great. But fine. With tax and tip, this meal was close to $100 per person. Completely not worth it. Not a particularly good restaurant. We would bumpy recommend it and we will certainly not be going back. read more

Good dinner, bad service. Sat at the bar. I was the only customer. Typically bartender give good service. Cameron was more interested in drinking his coffee and listening to the band than being a bartender. Bad service ruined my experience read more

The ambience of this restaurant is really cool. It is dimly lit, classy but a hint of a rustic feel to the decor. There are portraits of blues and jazz artists lining the walls, and there is a cool blue tint to the surrounding windows that adds a tint to the overall lighting. The table my party sat at was located under the AC unit and some condensation was dripping onto a couple of people. The manager apologized and offered to move us to another table, but we were close to finishing by the time he came over, so he offered to comp some of our entrees. The food was decent. I got the lamb sliders which were tasty and the Mac and cheese, which was just okay. I also ordered a key lime pie to go that tasted sweet and hardly like key lime at all (no tartness) but was good nonetheless. One thing that I'm not a fan of is that the only way to enter and exit is through the old carpeted stairs on the side of the building. I would go again, but it wasn't amazing enough for me to suggest. read more

Worth the wait (45 min for food with 8pm reservations) Stevin was often phenomenal! Food was very tasty. Restroom is quite far from tables. Not handicapped services available for entrance. read more

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The food, the ambiance, the service... all amazing. We had shrimp dip, herb chicken and shrimp and grits. All great. Dessert was white bread pudding. We will definitely be back. I think this is our new favorite restaurant in Memphis! Our server was Carlos and he was great. read more

It felt cool to walk up the unassuming side stairway and emerge inside a fairly fancy restaurant, and my drink was good, but the food left a lot to be desired and, ultimately, I felt like we feel into a bit of a tourist trap because of that. We got the smoked bacon appetizer -- it was probably 85% fat & 15% meat... At one point I had to stand up and walk to the bar to grab a napkin to you into after I had tried to chew through the tough meat for what felt like an eternity. I got the Chilean sea bass for an entree -- it lacked any flavor at all; again, maybe they assume tourists have bland pallets, but even some salt and pepper would have gone a long way. The creamed spinach that came with it was equally bland (and didn't seem to be creamed at all). Just overall a really big let down on the actual dining part of the dining experience, despite a cool feel. read more

Another phenomenal dinner at Itta Bena. I brought my sister prior to a concert at the Forum and she worked quickly to get us out in time for the concern in additional to accommodating my sister's dietary restrictions (with vigilance)! Ambiance amazing as always and the food was superb. Don't miss the crime brûlée! read more

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Hands down, some of the best food I've had this year, even though the year just started. Itta Bena, is located in Downtown Memphis on Beale Street (at the top of BB Kings) . They serve Southern American dishes. Ambiance, is both romantic and casual. They had live jazz playing the night we attended. We went for my husband 48th Birthday. Menu has several options to choose from Steaks, Chicken, Seafood, etc. We ordered the crab dip for starters, it was a great choice- cheesy and flavorful and I enjoyed it. Taste of the short rib was my husbands favorite, it has a red wine based gravy. And the mashed potatoes and asparagus was very tasty and perfectly prepared. I went for the Salmon, lightly seared and seasoned but the capers sauce top it off for me (ask for extra) it was my favorite. The green bean was just okay (not a fan) but the rice was very good. Plenty of people ordered the She Crab soup, I'll be back for that one. The Service was good too, just not everyone seems to be in a good spirit though, that's my reasoning for 4 star. Overall this place Impressed me. Recommendations for the cocktails, The Sidecar. Absolutely the best cocktail thus far... read more

Could this place be any more Memphis??! Cool, unmarked entrance that takes you to a fine dining spot above BB Kings on Beale Street. Truly my favorite spot in Memphis. The blue windows, the live music, the foood. Yes please! read more

First time here at Itta Bena. On a business trip in Memphis and decided to try something other than my usuals. The restaurant had a hidden stairway that led you up to the restaurant. I am not sure if there's another entrance but that's the way I got in. Hostess and servers were very nice and we were seated fairly quickly. I didn't notice we had ordered loaded mashed potatoes so all the cheese along w the Macaroni was a bit much but it was solid. The Mac n cheese though was not something I'd get again. The cheese was tough and I personally don't prefer penne pasta for my Mac. As for my filet, it was cooked perfectly and had lots of flavor. I was able to get a seat near the window looking down onto Beale street which was nice. The food was ok, service was good but there's no parking so you'll have to walk from a parking lot. read more

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Great experience!! Food was perfect and the service was excellent! The ambiance was nice as well. Very relaxing and inviting. Great job Itta Bena!! We will keep coming back for sure. read more

A little hard to find, but it was worth it. It is approached by going up a steep staircase. Food was great service was great. staff was very friendly. read more

I would recommend this place for the ambiance. It's hidden above a bar on Beale St, but once you're inside, it feels like you're in an old jazz club. They often have live music and it's a nice place to get away with your significant other. However, I was less than impressed by the food. The quality was fine, but nothing impressive. We did like the crab stuffed avocado as an appetizer. Perhaps it would be a good place to get drinks and appetizers, and surprise someone with the speakeasy vibe. read more

Itta Bena - Boneless Braised Short Ribs, Hand-Cut Parmesan Fries - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Great atmosphere, great location, great food. If you're in Memphis, you can't miss out on this restaurant! It's very popular, so definitely reserve a table at least a few days in advance. The special drinks all have cute, Memphis-related names and taste fresh and delicious, the bartenders are skilled. We had the Memphis Mule and the BB's Porch Swing while we waited for our table. Remember to close out at the bar before you sit down for dinner and tip your bartender! The house made pretzel rolls are to die for and the butter that comes with it is so smooth and creamy. Blows Auntie Anne's out of the water every day of the week! The short ribs were absolutely incredible, melt in your mouth, so tender and flavorful. I loved the mashed potatoes and the asparagus was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The lamb chops were delicious, succulent and juicy, but crispy on the outside and cooked to perfect inside. We thought it was on a bed of polenta, but it turned out it was risotto. It was a little over cooked, slightly rubbery, and not well seasoned. It absolutely doesn't affect our overall rating, maybe we got a bad batch, but I'd love to come back and try it again! read more

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Interior was really cool. Went on a Monday night so wasn't very busy. Would have been cooler if it was buzzing a bit more. Order the sea bass. It was done to perfection. Had the crab soup and wedge salad before. Both were excellent. Service was great. read more

Itta Bena - Chilean Sea Bass - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Planned a date night for hubby and I, and since I've always wanted to try Itta Bena, I made reservations! We arrived about five minutes before our reservation time and were seated promptly. Right away, I was feeling the ambiance. Dim lights and candles and soft music. Very intimate. Jessica was our waitress and she was WONDERFUL!! Very nice, knowledgeable and attentive. We ordered the scallops and grits for an appetizer. It was seriously so good that I wished it was an entree. We very much enjoyed it. Hubby ordered the lamb chops entree and I ordered the pork chop tomahawk entree. He also ordered the mushrooms to share. Everything was cooked/seasoned so well. I very much enjoyed the sweet potatoes, but honestly there wasn't anything we ordered that I didn't like. We had a wonderful date night here and we will for sure be back! read more

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We love Itta Bena! We have been at least a dozen times over the last few years. Service is always good, and the food is always great. read more

Itta Bena - Bathroom selfies are always fun. - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I think you all food is great. And your restaurant is full of cleanliness. I've never had eaten at a place with a great place to eat like you all's place of business. read more

Itta Bena - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I can't say enough great things about this restaurant . We had a reservation or so I thought. I actually called the wrong restaurant. We were a party of 11. Once we arrived and realized our mistake the restaurants was so very kind and accommodating. We we're celebrating a birthday and that we did. Our server John was the greatest. He made our night. The food was amazing. Drinks were good. They had music a piano player. The atmosphere was such a vibe. We loved it. read more

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Wonderful place for a bachelorette dinner!! Great food and service!! The band was excellent read more

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I was taken here for my one year anniversary an I had no idea this place was a hidden gem. They said it's been around almost 13 years. I ordered the lamb chops. It came with rice, omg when I say I was skeptical about the taste. But after seeing all the historical people an pictures on the walls I knew the food was fenna be bussin. We also got the red room since we was early. Blue berry mojitos were amazing. Our waiter was name Jonathan an gave complimentary champagne read more

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Went for a pleasant surprise for my Memphis visit July 2024. 8pm. Live music that was excellent. It's on Beale St where all the music bars and clubs are and up a dark staircase so that I would have definitely missed it if I hadn't had a local with me. I had the shrimp and grits. He had the butterfly pork chop that was so amazing with brussel sprouts and Mac and cheese. I ordered bread and they brought this sourdough grilled bread and I sopped up the most amazing sauce with it. I was full it was sooooo goooood. Had some great wine and spent the evening strolling on Beale St listening to music. Great experience. Our waitress Maddie was so sweet and southern! Would recommend for sure. For someone from San Diego the prices were really good. Probably higher end for Memphis. read more

Itta Bena - Pork chop and shrimp and grits - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Mind blowing food. A must when you're in Memphis. The Abita Shrimp app is onfg. Soup omfg.

Itta Bena is a restaurant with great food, service, and atmosphere in a unique location.

Ambiance! Food! Service! EVERYTHING was esthetically clean! Walking up the stairs was a task Overall it was a pleasant read more

This was my second time visiting this business. Th first time was when it was at the corner of Second St and Lt. George W. Lee. Since then this establishment has moved to 145 Beale St. it sits atop the very famous BB King's restaurant. There aren't any signs pointing out where this restaurant is located. You have to follow the crowd and ask for directions. There are two ways to enter this location. One is from the inside of BB King's via elevator and the second is from the street on the Second St side near the alley. This entrance poses a slight risk because of the steep flight of stairs leading to the restaurant. Once inside you walk up greeter (of course it's by reservations) give your name and your waiter/waitress are assigned accordingly to where you are seated. We were seated in this cozy closet with bench style seats lining the wall and an abundance of pillows for support. Out of all of my dining adventures I had never seen anything like this. It was very comfortable and elegant at the same time. The ambiance was romantically cozy. My fiancé and Maj it a point to do a date night once a week and last week we tried Itta Bena's. The food was very delicious at a reasonable price. I definitely recommend going to this restaurant. Will read more

Itta Bena - Pan Roasted Chicken with potatoes and sautéed spinach. Appetizer- garlic parmigiana fries Unsweetened iced tea - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Excellent service, located right off of Beale street. Nice ambiance, menu is upscale so prepare to open your wallet. We ordered Salmon and it was cooked perfectly. I would recommend you check this spot out. read more

Itta Bena - Itta Bena located up the stairs by the awning! - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Wow! This has to be one of our favorite dining experiences! We were in town celebrating our friends anniversary and were treating them to a dining experience. What a great choice we made! Located above BB Kings and you have to be looking for the stairs to get there but a nice dining space and I've got to note this, the urinals are brass trumpets!! Should have mentioned that at the end. Now to food, all are dishes were excellent. I had the tomahawk pork chop, it rivals the best I've had, (Patti's)! Salmon, excellent, shrimp and grits, excellent!!! John our server, excellent!! Provided us champagne to toast our friends. Not cheap, but worth it!!!!! read more

Service 10/10. Super attentive and friendly. Food 10/10. Everything was delicious!!! Came out on time. Honestly, just yum all around. Vibe 10/10. felt like a speakeasy but in a restaurant form. Was intimate but not too loud. Would go back and would recommend. read more

Itta Bena - Lamb Chops and Loaded Mashed Potatoes - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This is the first time back at Itta Bena in about 4 years. Not really sure why we waited to so long to come back - we love this place! The food is always excellent, and the service is superb! John was our server this time - we were dining with 3 other couples, so John had a lot to keep track of. He made excellent suggestions on salads, entrees, and wine. The food was prepared and presented beautifully and it was delicious! Susan Marshall was providing the music at Itta Bena's this evening, along with a accompanying guitarist (sorry, but I do not remember his name). She was excellent, as always! It was also my wife's birthday and she was treated wonderfully. Everyone's appetizer and entrée was excellent and everyone loved them! Itta Bena is a special place for my wife and I and we always love being there. We will not wait so long to visit again. Highly recommend. read more

One of my favorites and a hidden gem! It feels like you stepped back in time when you walk in the door, and you'd never know you're right above Beale street with how quiet the restaurant is compared to the bar scene below. Each time I've been, the food has been incredible and the service matched. Highly recommend for celebrations. Just make a reservation! read more

This was an incredible meal! We got an appetizer, each got a salad, and entrees (the lamb chops, shrimp and grits, and short ribs). Everything was absolutely phenomenal!!! The only reason this place got 4 stars instead of 5 was because the food came out way too fast. The portions for everything are generous (a plus!), so we felt like we didn't get a lot of time to enjoy everything before moving onto the next. For example, our salads came out with the appetizer. But, we would ABSOLUTELY be back and recommend it to others!! read more

Itta Bena - Short ribs & mashed potatoes - Southern Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Request Jonathan as your server, because he's been one of the best we've ever had. Attentive, polite, and made our night wonderful. Food was outrageously good. I can't stop thinking about the bacon appetizer. Not pictured, She-Crab Soup. Pricy, but worth it. Drinks were amazing too, best Old Fashioned my husband had ever had. Not disabled accessible as we could see, which is freaking shame. Upgrades to make it accessible are possible. read more

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I took my son to Itta Bena for his 25th birthday. What a great experience! I had the shrimp and grits. It was a little too heavy on the onion for my taste but still very good. My son had the filet and enjoyed it very much. It was cooked to perfection. I also had the Old Fashion, which was made to perfection. The stand-out was our server, Stevin. I have never had better service in Memphis. He was knowledgeable about the menu. He took care of the "little things" that is the mark of a great server. Dirty dishes were taken off the table quickly. Used silverware was taken away quickly. Water glasses were filled quickly, etc. Servers in Memphis could take a lesson from this guy! It's a little pricey ($40 for shrimp and grits) but well worth it for the service and ambiance. I highly recommend! read more

My boss wanted to try this place, and I'm sure glad she did! The mood is perfect - and the blue windows kind of make you feel like you're under water, but in a good way. The live music was perfect, too. We asked the waiter recommendations and he suggested the Shrimp and Grits (which my boss got) and the Braised Short Ribs (which I got). We were both in heaven! The shrimp & grits portion was too be expected, but the Braised Short Ribs could have easily served two (I have the leftovers in my fridge to prove it). We then got the bread pudding with ice cream (also recommended by the waiter) and it was huge - thankfully we were sharing. Despite both os us getting really full, we kept eating it, only leaving a few bites left (which we really didn't want to do, but alas, we just couldn't fit anymore). read more

When you come in as you approach the greeter you can see the bar & As you come in to the bar, there's a piano player to the right & the ambience is very nice so when in Memphis, stop by to this nice restaurant and have dinner. You will not be disappointed.5 stars read more

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Younger gentlemen with beard gave great service. And was passionate about fine dining. Food was top notch. Ambience was great and loved that it was hidden up above the Beale street crowd. Fine dining doesn't need a sign or advertising here. read more

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Itta Bena never disappoints. What's more Memphis than a great dinner with southern flare, on Beal. This place is total class, great vibe, impeccable service ... and BB Kings club downstairs. You walk into this place and go upstairs and it's like you're walking into a secret club. It's just always a great experience ... if you haven't been, you need to. read more

Had a couple very memorable meals with friends here. Food was exceptional and the staff attentive, professional, and friendly. Beautiful setting over looking Beale. (9kay, so maybe that's an oxymoron to some, but not me!) read more

Great food. Tough to find. No signage. Tough set off stairs to climb. Like a speakeasy. Nice decor. Great staff.