I Went to Memphis for a Solo Eating Tour But Was Fed in Other Ways

You wanna know something funny—my middle sis Denise would often drive great distances for something like a slice of cake and I’d give her the 90s version of today’s side eye because I couldn’t fathom driving up to Syracuse (where she went for college) from Queens (where we lived) JUST to visit a bakery. Then the irony of me then about two decades later planning and executing a trip to Memphis to sample barbecue because of something I saw on Food Network…lol. My bad, D!

So yes, after watching a show on Food Network about Memphis barbecue, a lightbulb went off in my head and I decided I wanted to take a trip and try the eats. Memphis in May is probably one of the better times to go for BBQ (which I learned after I got there…lol), but I’m a believer of “things happening for a reason” so I think the time I went was the PERFECT time just because of the experience I got from it.

Travel for me doesn’t always have to be about going somewhere far and exotic (although that’s really nice…lol). You can have an amazing experience right in your own backyard. Not every travel experience has to be super expensive and elaborate—I worked with quaint and affordable hotels and attractions this go-round to prove that. For me it’s all about the experience and the things you learn as a result, and boy was Memphis an experience.

I found a decently priced flight with Delta but had to make a connection in Atlanta. Which can be scary because the ATL airport is HUGE and if you have a tight connection and your next flight is at a different concourse, you might sweat bullets…lol. I made it fine and a short plane ride later, I arrived in Memphis. The airport there is pretty small (which I really found out on my flight back home—make sure you eat before you get there if you arrive early since there aren’t a ton of food choices) but luckily that makes it easier for car renting. I’m used to traveling a bit of a distance in ATL to go from the terminals to the rental car center, but in Memphis it was literally a hop, skip, and a jump away. I got a Priceline deal at Hertz for a compact car (I don’t need to drive fancy…lol) and it seems like they gave me the smallest, most basic car possible…lol. Perhaps I’m used to being spoiled at the ATL Hertz where I’ve received quite a number of surprise free upgrades. But alas, it was just me so I had no need for anything bigger or fancier. I hopped in my little ride and within about 20 minutes I was in the Downtown Memphis area.

So as someone from NYC, a city where even the “quiet” parts of town are still considered bustling and busy compared to other cities around the nation, I love when a city’s downtown area elicits plenty of culture and ambience but isn’t overcrowded with traffic and people. Downtown Memphis brings the best of city life and southern charm—you can see the sights and eat the eats without being stuck in ridiculous traffic or waiting on excruciatingly long lines. Granted I did go during the week, but there’s places in NYC you can’t go to even on a weekday or random “quiet” weekend and not have a rush of people.

I checked in at The Sleep Inn at Court Square. They were gracious enough to offer me accommodations for this story but they’re quite affordable and located within walking distance from many downtown restaurants, museums, and attractions. The staff is amazingly sweet—any time I passed through the lobby I was greeted warmly and any time I had questions they were more than happy to help. There’s complimentary breakfast every morning (waffles, eggs, cereal, toast, etc) and parking on the premises. My room was sizable—it was just me so it wasn’t huge but definitely much bigger than you’d get at hotels here in NYC. I LOVED that the room was equipped with a microwave and refrigerator which came in handy for all the eats I couldn’t finish.

Another thing I loved about the room was that the sink and mirror were in a separate area from the actual bathroom. I’ve stayed in fancy hotels and one thing that I’ve found annoying is that the mirror is in the bathroom leaving very little space for holding your makeup and hair tools as well as not the best lighting. This is of course a very superficial thing to bring up, but um, this blog IS about fashion and beauty…lol. I loved the setup because I got great lighting to do my hair and makeup and had plenty of room to lay all my things out. You’ll see what I mean in the video below :)

Once I got settled in and dropped off my belongings, I headed straight for eats. First stop: Central BBQ on Central Ave.

This spot is almost always on “best of Memphis BBQ” lists so I definitely had to try it out. I got there and the line was already out the door—and this is on a Wednesday evening. The staff was so amazingly friendly. It’s pretty much a seat yourself place after you pay for your order, but the staff comes out often to see if you need anything and are comfortable. I got the dry rub BBQ ribs, dry hot wings, mac and cheese, and fries. I didn’t really enjoy it—the mac and cheese was amazing and I wound up going back for more to take back to the hotel, but I felt like I was missing out on a movement some how. I’ve been doing Weight Watchers for the last year and a half so I’ve been eating somewhat on the healthier side for the longest, so when I do eat indulgent foods (like BBQ), it’s almost like a shock to my system. I can barely finish and can taste every grain of salt and ounce of oil. Maybe it was me and not them…lol.

I still had a little room in my belly so next I hit The Bar-B-Q Shop, another highly recommended spot. I got the BBQ spaghetti which I’m told you don’t leave Memphis without getting, so I didn’t leave Memphis without getting it…lol. It was pretty much what might pop into your head when you hear “BBQ spaghetti,” pasta served in a tangy barbecue sauce. The food was good but I guess my body wasn’t used to me eating like that so I had to throw in the towel after only a few bites.

Thank GOODNESS The Sleep Inn had an exercise room. I politely got myself on the treadmill for an hour the next morning. And the next night, too…lol.

The next day I set out to visit and explore but not before grabbing breakfast at Blue Plate Cafe, another highly recommended spot. I wanted to try a myriad of things so I got the banana pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and grits. I could barely finish it all. I love that I went for an eating trip and my body was rejecting it…lol. But also the food there wasn’t much to write home about :/

I took a walk around the immediate area and then met up with an executive at The Sleep Inn for lunch at Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar. This place has a really cute concept where you can try a trio of mini sizes of either wine, champagne, or desserts on a platform they call flights. I had salmon and asparagus for my main course and then we shared a wine flight and dessert flight. I can STILL taste the dessert flight which had a sampling of traditional southern desserts. SOOO good.

After a great lunch I headed to the National Civil Rights Museum which was just a short drive away. The National Civil Rights Museum is the former Lorraine Motel, the location where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The museum was founded in 1991 and underwent a $27.5 million renovation in 2013 and 2014. The room where King was assassinated and the adjoining room were preserved, but the rest of the former motel was turned into what is now the renovated museum.

As soon as I turned the corner towards the museum, I felt a lump in my throat—like I could have just started crying right there. I immediately thought of what’s currently going on in this country and at that moment especially Sandra Bland since news of her autopsy results hit the news that day. Walking into that museum and going through the exhibits which take you from slavery to Jim Crow to the Civil Rights Era was the uncovered purpose of my visiting Memphis. I take trips for the sights and the foods, yes, but the experiences I have when I travel is what really makes the trip. This is why although jetting off to exotic locations is amazing, you don’t have to go far to have a memorable experience.

A lot of what I read and saw at the National Civil Rights Museum definitely made me sad. SO many of the tactics used in slavery to conquer and divide displayed at the museum STILL go on today. But it also made me proud of the many who during the Civil Rights Era put their own lives on the frontline so that future generations would have better lives. While so much has been done, we sadly still have work to do. In 2015.

After the National Civil Rights Museum I rushed over to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music within about 30 minutes before closing. I HIGHLY suggest going to the NCRM first and THEN going to Stax. After seeing all the hardships Black people in this country went through (and still go through today) it was SO amazing to see how we withstood and have made such major contributions in American culture. The Stax Museum chronicled Black music history and it was so great to see that even through all that adversity, Black folks still triumphed and created the soundtracks that would be forever embedded in culture. And obviously we’re not just only breaking ground in music, but to find that joy after so much pain just shows how magical we are.

I worked up an appetite so I decided to try another spot on my list: Gus’s Fried Chicken.

The interior reminded me SO much of Roscoe’s in L.A. from the layout to the seating. I got several items: fried chicken (duh), mac n’ cheese (the waiter DID kinda warn me I might not like it and he was right), fries, and fried green tomatoes. I finished the chicken but couldn’t finish everything else. The mac n’ cheese was super disappointing but thankfully that left room for pecan pie and ice cream which both hit the spot and as you can see was annihilated before I could even take a photo…lol.

I decided to do a little shopping (because what would a trip anywhere be without some shopping?) and headed to the Midtown area to check out CrazyBeautiful Clothing which came as a suggestion from a stylist pal of mine. The surrounding area had a ton of cute little shops. I wound up getting yet another pair of sunglasses and some candy…lol.

After that I headed back to the hotel and then decided to take a walk down to the historic Beale Street which felt like a smaller version of Bourbon St in New Orleans. There you’ll find B.B. King’s and a slew of other restaurants and bars plus strangely (to me at least) a Wet Willie’s.

The next day I had to turn in some work I was doing for part of a campaign (work never stops–even when traveling) so I got up early to run on the treadmill and then spent the rest of the morning and afternoon working on it. Thank goodness for fast and free wifi at The Sleep Inn. I checked out and headed back to the airport.

Btw, I opted to leave earlier to get to the airport and just eat when I got there which turned out to not be the best choice…lol. The Memphis airport is tiny so the food choices weren’t vast.

All in all I had an amazing time. Memphis is full of culture and amazing people—honestly the Southern charm was on a hundred thousand trillion everywhere I went. I probably received more compliments in the two and a half days I was there than I got here all summer in NYC…lol. I felt like a QUEEN.

There were some things I missed because of timing (mainly water sports and activities) but there’s SO much in Memphis to seek out. There’s also a ton of festivals like Memphis in May that make for great times to visit. For more info on planning your trip to Memphis, check out memphistravel.com.

Video:

I created a short video of my time in Memphis—check it out below and don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel!

Would you do a Memphis BBQ trip? From Memphis, been to Memphis, have questions? Let’s talk in the comments!

Thanks to Memphis Travel and The Sleep Inn for helping to coordinate portions of this trip!