The stock time flesh to be considered atrueMemphian is 25 years . So the good news is , there ’s plenty of sentence to eat and wassail this entire listing . The uncollectible newsworthiness is , to be a true Memphian , you clearly can not list “ healthy feeder ” or “ vegetarian ” among your define characteristic … at least , not right on out .
(Late-night) burgers
There are two must - use up belated - nightburgers : the Soul Burger at Earnestine & Hazel ’s , and the Greek Burger at Alex ’s Tavern . ( Some would say burgers at 2 am from Krystal count . They do n’t . ) Those Memphians unable to stay out past 10 pm can get a decent amount of street cred by hitting a Huey ’s or Tops at any fourth dimension of Clarence Day .
Cheese dip
No party or family assemblage is complete without a tub ( or three ) of Pancho ’s Cheese Dip – original orange . It ’s the house wine-coloured of Memphis .
Pimento cheese
It ’s a thing now , and second only to Pancho ’s . Make a sandwich or dip a chip . Make your own , or get a tub of locally made stuff from the adore Tom ’s Tiny Kitchen .
Beer
It used to be that have PBR on tap at the Lamplighter made you legit . But now , truthful Memphians patronise the local bar and can easily distinguish an Ananda from a Lucid Kolsch , and an ESB from a Midnight legerdemain .
Fair food
No , not food - truck nutrient … genuine bonnie food . We ’re talk Pronto Pups or Schuck ’s grilled corn whisky on the Larus marinus . These are two thing that unify all Memphians … like basketball , or fund-raise for St. Jude .
A Diver
Whether it was in college or at a bachelorette party , all straight Memphians have partaken of a Diver at Silky ’s whether they wanted to or not . Billed as a “ gallon of Southern Fun , ” it ’s served in a promising yellow gallon pail , and contains a secret blend of libation ( think a Long Island Iced Tea , except the ABV ’s been raised to the 10th power ) .
A Tennessee picnic
service up room - temperature or insensate fried chicken ( preferably Gus ’s , but Pirtle ’s will do in a pinch ) is not only socially satisfactory , it ’s decidedly Memphian .
Some unique, weird-ass Southern fare
Everybody has at least one eldritch Southern thing that is their THING – a food that they were raise on , like Brim ’s pork rinds , pickled eggs in a jar from the throttle post , Jack Pirtle ’s chicken liver , or squirrel .
Jerry’s Snow Cone
stand in line at Jerry ’s for at least 30 minutes in the dead of summer to consume a sno cone in the parking lot before it melts is a rite of passage for all true Memphians . There ’s no undivided must - have flavor , though many have made the case for Wedding Cake . What you definitely have to do is to add a little mild serve to make it a “ sovereign . ”
Brother Juniper’s
verbalise of lines , another one all Memphians have brave out is the one that snakes out the door of Brother Juniper ’s on Sunday first light . Technically , they ’ve added an entire room dedicated to waiting on a mesa so you do n’t have to run along up like you used to , but that does n’t intend it does n’t materialise . The menage fries , flossy biscuits , and grits are well deserving the time lag .
Gibson’s Donuts
The gilt monetary standard for donut in town , Gibson ’s is open 24/7 . If you have n’t been , you have no alibi . If you clock it just right , the possessor may even throw one at you .
CK’s
Another 24/7 process , this oily spoon is a go - to for late night partiers , wayward folks on Christmas break of the day , and everyone in between . We ’re not name name , but know firsthand that some hoi polloi have even had natal day dinner here that consist of patty thawing , haschisch browns , and black coffee .
Tea
Sweetened or unsweetened ? Everyone has their predilection , but let ’s be reliable : there is only one answer ! Sweet!Reeeeealsweet . fuddle sweet tea is the only non - alcohol-dependent way to battle the summer heat . Fact .
Everything BBQ
The short list ofBBQ must - grub : a pulled pork sandwich on Texas toast from the Bar - B - Q Shop ; dry - rubbed ribs from the Rendezvous ; nachos from Central ; pizza from Coletta ’s ( special points if it ’s heart - shaped ) ; spaghetti from Interstate ; Cornish hen from Cozy Corner ; and bologna from Payne ’s .
BBQ Nachos|Courtesy of Central BBQ
Alex’s Tavern|Courtesy of Alex’s
Pancho’s cheese dip|Courtesy of Pancho’s
Pimento Cheese from Tom’s Tiny Kitchen|Courtesy of Tom’s Tiny Kitchen
Courtesy of Memphis Made Brewing Company
Proto Pup|Flickr/Natalie Maynor
Gus’s|Flickr/Nate Cardoza
Jerry’s|Stacey Greenberg/Thrillist
Gibson’s Donuts|Stacey Greenberg/Thrillist
Coletta’s
