Best Things to Do in Memphis

Humbly tucked away in a downtown alley, Rendezvous is as much for the nostalgia and atmosphere as it is for the rack of dry-rub ribs. It’s a must-visit institution for any barbecue enthusiast. There’ll likely be a wait, but like most barbecue, it’s worth the time and anticipation.

Come for the pulled pork and dry-rub ribs, but don’t leave without trying the barbecue nachos, barbecue bologna or the smoked chicken wings. 

Pulled pork is the main draw at this not-quite-in-Memphis-but-close-enough restaurant. The drive to the original Germantown location is quick from most parts of Memphis, with a black-and-white checkered tablecloth awaiting your arrival. Save room for the banana pudding.

In a town where barbecue is everywhere, the Vernon family’s innovative riffs on classics keep them front and center both locally and nationally. While you can most definitely find pulled pork, sausage and ribs on the menu, you’ll also find “bar-b-q spaghetti” and Texas toast barbecue sandwiches, plus the creative “half and half” rack of ribs, pleasing the indecisive with both dry-rub and wet-sauced ribs on the same plate. Take home some of their Dancing Pig sauce for a tasty souvenir.

Closed for two years after a fire destroyed the original, the new, improved and almost-doubled-capacity Hog is officially back as of November 2021. Known for pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, the menu features chef Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman’s Italian cooking inspired by their Southern roots. Cocktails are a must.

In the world of hearty breakfast joints, this one takes the (cinnamon roll pan) cakes. Not only is it the most important meal of the day, it may be your most important meal of the year. Open-faced omelettes, breakfast gyros and Benedicts are available for everyone’s appetite, plus a whole lot more. Don’t sleep in, though, it closes by 1 p.m. most days.

Sweet tea, great sides, spicy fried chicken, what more do you need in life? Oh yeah, maybe some coconut pie. It’s famous for a reason. Visit the mothership in nearby Mason, Tenn., or save the trip and try the downtown Memphis location, which has been open for two decades as of 2021.

Fancy a donut, but not a fancy donut? Gibson’s is a Memphis tradition and also the largest single-owner/single-location donut shop in America. It’s also open until midnight just in case you need a late-night snack.

A comprehensive mixed-use campus inside a former Sears retail and distribution center now referenced as a “vertical village” is truly that at a whopping 1.2 million square feet. Suffice it to say, it’s evolved nicely. Food, drinks, a namesake brewery, events, retail and more are yours for the experiencing. 

Beale Street (Downtown) is home of the blues, where Marc Cohn famously went walking 10 feet off of and where you can get a true sense for the soul of the city. A mix of nightclubs, restaurants and music venues (some with all three combined), the namesakes on some of the neon signs include B.B. King, Jerry Lawler, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. Weekend nights are great for adults, but families might be best exploring when the sun is still shining.

South Main Arts District (Downtown) is one square mile packed with history, authenticity and is only one block south of Beale Street. Check out the art galleries, restaurants and local retail options including gems like South Main Book Juggler and The Broom Closet. Take the art walk and visit the eight installations or print out a sheet from the website and go on a self-guided architecture tour. The historic Orpheum Theater and Civil Rights Museum also reside here (more on the latter later).

Overton Square (Midtown) is fun, funky and full of shops, restaurants and public art. You’ll also find theaters, a boutique hotel (The Memphian), music venues and events. 

One of the most pivotal moments in American history — the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — took place at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. Built around it is the museum, featuring permanent exhibits on slavery in America, student sit-ins, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks, the Freedom Rides of 1961, the Black Power movement and more. Especially moving is Room 306 in the motel itself, the room Dr. King was staying in on that tragic day, left exactly as it was, complete with overflowing ashtrays and one pillow left uncovered.

Get a firsthand look at the Burkle Estate, once a stop on the Underground Railroad dating back before the Civil War. Tours give context to the actual spaces, trapdoors and secret passages where enslaved people were provided refuge in their attempt to flee north to freedom. 

Elvis has left the building, but his spirit, and plenty of kitsch, remains, and it’s all on display in his mansion and adjacent properties. The self-guided tours are aided by an iPad with audio; all you have to do is make the trek through. The Jungle Room is glorious as it sounds. Tour add-ons include a look inside his personal jets as well as VIP and seasonal options. 

The history of American music has much to do with this humble studio on Union Avenue, where Elvis first recorded at the tender age of 18, among many other legends of the time like B.B. King, Rufus Thomas, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and more. Tour the studio and connect to a piece of the musical past.

More legendary music history is on display here, documenting the evolution of Memphis and Southern soul through exhibits and recordings from the famous record label. Walk in the footsteps of greats like Booker T and the MGs, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, William Bell and the inimitable Otis Redding, who became one of the most recognizable voices and most successful recording artists to emerge from this studio.

Elmwood Cemetery was founded in 1852, expanded after the Civil War and spans 80 acres of old-growth trees, gardens and historic structures. Take a stroll through the final resting place of over 75,000 souls, all the while enjoying the well-kept grounds and contemplating the fleeting, yet beautiful nature of what it means to be alive.

The Peabody Hotel is everything. It’s historic. It’s beautiful. It’s also famous for a group of ducks that parade into and out of the lobby fountain around 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily, complete with a rolled-out red carpet and velvet ropes to keep the riff-raff from tripping them up. Not staying here? No problem. They have guided history tours for $10 a person, and the duck marches are open to the public on weekdays. Enjoying a cocktail in the lobby bar is also an option that feels luxurious without having to pay the price for a room. 

The Memphis Zoo is impossible to miss, with a grand entrance that looks like an ancient Egyptian temple. Once inside, explore exhibits featuring elephants, tigers, polar bears and — squeeee! — pandas.