Our Favorite Memphis Bars

By
Jalyn Souchek

Here are a few fun neighborhoods for nightlife in Memphis. There are some bar recommendations too—sticking with places that generally don’t require reservations or are good for meeting up for drinks. 

There are great bars in the suburbs, too, but for this quick guide I'm focusing on mostly walkable or dense areas. 

Central Station / Alex Shansky
Cooper Young Memphis Bars
  • Bar DKDC 
  • Young Ave. Deli 
  • Celtic Crossing 
  • Alchemy 
  • Railgarten
  • Knifebird
  • Hammer & Ale (not open late but great for beer)
  • Cafe Ole (patio and marg purposes)
  • Memphis Whistle
  • Breweries: Memphis Made and Cooper House Project

Also the bars at Tsunami, The Public Bistro and Beauty Shop restaurants.

Midtown Memphis Bars
  • Slider Inn
  • Bar Keough 
  • Cameo 
  • Lamplighter
  • Blue Monkey
  • Thrive (dress code)
  • B-Side (live music, burlesque shows, etc.)
  • Dru’s Place
  • Huey's
  • Alex's Tavern

Also the bar at Bari is A+++ for craft cocktails.

Live Music at Bar DKDC / Craig Thompson
Bar DKDC
Railgarten | Alex Shansky
Railgarten in Cooper Young has multiple outdoor spaces with patios, a stage, and a playground.
Tapas and cocktails at Alchemy in Memphis, TN
Alchemy
bright red cocktail held up in front of upscale bar
Bari Ristorante
Overton Square Bars
  • Lafayette's Music Room (live music)
  • Bayou
  • Zebra Lounge
  • Second Line
  • Side Street
  • Tiger & Peacock (rooftop, reservations, dress code)
  • Blue Monkey

Also the bar at Boscos and Babalu are good ones.

Downtown Memphis Bars
  • Barware
  • The Genre
  • Silly Goose
  • Huey's
  • Flying Saucer
  • Blind Bear
  • Brass Door
  • Ghost River Taproom
  • Bardog Tavern
  • WKND (dress code, reservations)
  • Beck & Call (rooftop)
  • Peabody Lobby Bar
  • Local on Main
  • Tailor's Union (dress code, reservations)
  • Grind City Brewing taproom
  • Soul & Spirits Brewing taproom
  • Beale Street — just walk around and see what you like!

Also the bar at Majestic is excellent; casual restaurants Aldo's and Kooky Canuck have bar areas. And, if you head over to Harbor Town, check out Terrace at the River Inn and Tug's Casual Grill.

Barware
Barware
crowd of people on top fo the roof at beck and call
Beck & Call

South Main

  • Green Beetle
  • Eight & Sand at Central Station
  • Bar Hustle at ARRIVE
  • IBIS, Lounge on Main upstairs
  • Max’s Sports Bar
  • Earnestine & Hazel’s
  • Wiseacre Downtown
  • Birdie's
  • Blue Monkey

Also try the bars at Catherine & Mary’s, The Lobbyist, Amelia Gene's or Bishop for craft cocktails in fine dining restaurants.

Crosstown and The Edge

  • The Hi Tone (live music)
  • Flip Side Pinball bar
  • Art Bar at Crosstown (inside the Concourse)
  • Crosstown Brewing taproom
  • High Cotton taproom (Edge District)
  • Inkwell

East Memphis

These neighborhoods are not a walkable for bar-hopping purposes, but if you’re just looking for a spot for a drink and have a rideshare or Uber:

  • Patrick’s 
  • Neil’s
  • Half Shell
  • Hen House (reservations)
  • Hog & Hominy (bar is first-come, but fills up very quickly)
  • Brookhaven Pub
  • The Bluff
  • RP Tracks
  • High Point Pub

Good bars at upscale restaurants if you can get in: Andrew Michael, ACRE, Erling Jensen.

Broad Avenue

Several good options in a semi-walkable area. 

  • Wiseacre Broad Ave.
  • The Cove
  • The Liquor Store

The bars at Bounty and Maximos's are good ones!

BREWERIES

Check out all the Memphis breweries in our Brewery Guide!

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portrait of Jalyn Souchek

About the Author

Hello! I'm Jalyn Souchek, the Director of Content for I Love Memphis Blog! I love calling the 901 home. When I'm not running the blog you can find me cheering on the Grizzlies, at a concert, exploring a new restaurant or kicking back at one of our breweries. I hope you'll love experiencing Memphis with me.

Build your perfect Memphis meal:

I love to eat so if I were to have only one meal left.. I’m going all out. I’d start with an app of Gumbo Fries from Blue City Cafe or Bayou Fries from Chef Tam, wings from Good Fortune or Central’s (honey gold and Jamaican Jerk), potato salad from Fat Larry’s, side of bbq spaghetti from Bar-B-Q Shop, and fried okra from Soul Fish. All paired with a Beale Street Brewing Space Age Sippin’.

Your most memorable Memphis moment:

College GameDay on Beale Street. That was an electric and perfect morning. I was still working in news then and was able to take it in up close and on the stage at some points. The fun and joy of everyone down there that morning is unbeatable.

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