Seeking Memphis/Nashville, TN advice

[Space Coast Laurie]

My handsome guy and I are flying into Nashville Friday afternoon and driving to Memphis from there for a football game on Saturday. Flying back out of Nashville late Monday afternoon. Need some advice on the following...

What are the best BBQ joints in Memphis? I don't necessarily want the most popular ones... I want the ones with the best food! I like both pulled pork and ribs, BTW.

Where are fun places to hang out and drink and dance Friday night? Prefer no smoke, but I don't know the laws/rules/traditions in the Memphis area. Any interesting bars or microbreweries?

Other than visiting Graceland and eating BBQ (and of course, watching football) what's there to see/do in Memphis on Saturday and Sunday? The game's at 8pm on Saturday night, so we'll have at least 1/2 day free on Saturday before we start tailgating, and all of Sunday after church (though we'll head to Nashville at some point on Sunday).

Does anyone know if any of the Memphis Catholic churches has a contemporary mass?

We're spending Sunday night in Nashville and will have Monday until around 3pm available to sightsee. Neither of us are country music fans and I've already seen Ryman hall some years ago on a previous trip. What other things might be interesting for us to see/do on a weekday? We're into football, classic cars, Victorian homes, and antiques, if that helps. I was thinking it might just be nice to head to the Opryland hotel and walk around for a while... I remember being amazed at the place when I was there some years ago. If there's anything super interesting going on in Nashville, we can head there right after church on Sunday instead of staying in Memphis all day (assuming we've already fit in Graceland at that point).

BTW, any suggestions that involve "memorable romantic spots" in either city (or in between) would be greatly appreciated.

[sfwilshire]

It's been a few years since I've worked in Memphis, but my favorite bbq was Corky's. The Rendevous was the hot tourist spot, but I never cared for it at all.

Sheila

[EAM]

It might not be Victorian but Andrew Jackson's home, the Hermitage, is a historic home in Nashville that you might want to visit.

http://www.thehermitage.com/

[JLB]

I asked a similar question about Memphis BBQ when we stayed there on our way to or from somewhere. We wound up in an area we felt very uncomfortable in, very out of place, which we were.

We were not impressed with the BBQ.

Eat, drink and go to Mass. Sounds like a nice weekend.

[Neesie]

Originally Posted by EAM

It might not be Victorian but Andrew Jackson's home, the Hermitage, is a historic home in Nashville that you might want to visit.

http://www.thehermitage.com/

I second the suggestion! Along with Andrew Jackson's home is another Southern mansion located in Nashville called Belle Meade. It has the beautiful 'Gone With the Wind' style staircase and is fully furnished with the family's pieces.

One of the neatest things about the Belle Meade Plantation is that it did not raise a crop; instead they raised horses. Many of them can be traced to Kentucky Derby winners.

Both the Hermitage and Belle Meade were built before the Civil War. I'm sure if you google them you'll find many more interesting reasons why you might like to visit them. Have a great time.

[PStreet1]

Check out the forums on www.tripadvisor.com for more Tennessee information. They'll have more than you know what to do with.

You might also check out www.IgoUgo.com They also have lots of information--and pictures.

[vanclan]

Thanks for the recommendation of igougo.com I've never discovered that site and it certainly contains a wealth of information!! ]

[DianneL]

Our son and family lived in Memphis for a few years. When we visited we often went to Pig and Whistle for barbecue. We thought it was good.

[Jami]

Laurie,

Being a Memphian myself I've got a few suggestions for you. But a lot depends on what area you will be staying in. Also, since I just saw this message I doubt you'll see it in time.

Here are some of my favorite bbq places in town.

The Rendezvous (Downtown, across the street from the Peabody, the entrance is through an alley, This restaurant is located in a good/safe area.)- they have my favorite ribs. The ribs are dryrubbed and everyone I know in town likes them. However some people swear by corky's ribs instead. Expect a long 1.5to 2.5 hour wait on weekends. Great ambiance and interesting waiters. I wouldn't recommend the pulled pork here, they are known for ribs.

Corkys (Two locations, One in the suburbs in Cordova, the original is on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis both locations are safe.) Good meaty ribs, good pulled pork. They serve their ribs wet. You'll hardly ever get a bad meal here.

The Germantown Commissary (Located in Germantown, which is an upscale suburb of Memphis, very safe.) Excellent ribs and pulled pork, good homemade onion rings, ribs are wet. I like the Commissary better than corky's, but I live really close to it. It's also got a cool atmosphere inside, but nothing like the rendezvous.

The Barbeque Shope (Located in Midtown on Madison Avenue. Overall a pretty safe neighborhood in Midtown, but not like germantown or east memphis.) Unique sandwiches. Served on a hoagie style bun. Very good pork sandwich.

The Cozy Corner (Located near downtown right off of North Parkway, not a place your going to feel comfortable in probably. This borders a very rough but quickly moving up area.) Absolutely fantastice sandwiches and ribs. This is really more of a traditional old memphis barbeque shack.

Interstate Barbeque (located between downtown and south memphis on S. Third street, not a good neighborhood at all.) Great barbeque. I'm guessing this is the place JLB mentioned, sorry you didn't like the food, it's usually great. The neely family has been a big barbeque name in memphis for a longtime.

As for as other places go, there are tons. Memphis has over 200 barbeque restauants/shacks just pick one and try it out. I'll say this, if you see a restaurant called tops barbeque just know that they are a local chain and probably have about 10 restaurants around town, a fair sandwhich but nothing to write home about.

NIGHTCLUBS

If you want to go out, go downtown. Beale street and other close by places are really about the only dance clubs that you'll be able to find. There are also several bars in Midtown/Cooper Young area at the intersection of Cooper and Young and Cooper and Madison. There is also a dance club close to midtown right off of poplar avenue called Senses. I've heard it's popular but have never been there.

If you are downtown and want a beer go to the Flying Saucer across from Peabody place on second street. There is also a martini place close to the saucer. Silky O'Sullivans is a fun local piano bar on Beale, as is Pat O'briens. A good remake of the one in New Orleans. Go inside the peabody and drink at the lobby bar, a very popular place to relax and hang. Also downtown are a lot of fun/good restaurants. Downtown memphis is really pretty safe and you can walk almost everywhere around it.

IN midtown go to the Blue Monkey or any of the other bars on Madison. Also on madison you can go to Boscos, which is a brewery restaurant. Or you can go to the nearby cooper young area and hang at any of the places there. A

If you are stuck in east memphis go to Dan McGuiness pub on Spottswood. Or you can go to a bar on brookhaven circle right off of poplar, but there are not many bars there.

If you're in Cordova, you can go to the flying saucer in cordova on germantown road or tj mulligans on trinity off of germantown road. NOt a lot of selection in cordova or germantown.

As a side note, if you're into new urbanism visit the downtown south main area and harbortown on mud island (by the pyramid). Both are pretty interesting. There are several bars around S. Main and it's within a mile of beale st. Harbortown has a cool little grocery/deli and a fun but small pizza/movie rental/beer joint place.

Hope this helps. And don't worry about playing Memphis. They are truly terrible this year.

[Jami]

By the way. Graceland is in a terrible part of town. Not everything in Memphis is that bad. Go east and you'll see some very nice areas.

[riverdees05]

The travel channel had a special on about Memphis and rated Corky's and number one for wet BBQ and Rendevous number one for dry BBQ. So don't know if everyone else agrees. It is a pretty good drive from Nashville to Memphis, probably between 3-4 hours from the Airport in Nashville to the main part in Memphis.

They do have Pandas' in the Memphis Zoo.

[jules54]

BB Kings for food. Beal street for music. Mud Island for history. Brewery for fun. Also gambling in Tunica on the river.
Nashville: Opryland Hotel, Downtown for all types of music, not just country.
Belle Meade for history. Riverboat brunch for fun, good, history.