While most Memphis residents will share their favorite parts of the city with anyone who will listen, The New York Times just shared its own. Does their list completely show Memphis?
A recent article in the Times details a 36-hour trip to the Bluff City, with Memphis’ history and charm highlighted in the itinerary. While the article documents a trip of less than two days, it highlights seven attractions, nine restaurants and four bars in neighborhoods across town.
“It’s easy, even on a brief trip, to tap into a vibrant and unpretentious city with plenty to be proud of,” the article stated.
The weekend vacation comes at a time when the National Guard is deployed in Memphis and working alongside the Memphis Police Department. When the announcement of troops deploying to Memphis was made in September, it was expected that tourism, a key part of the city’s economy that generated more than $4.2 billion in visitor spending in 2024, would decline due to their presence.
Here is what The New York Times had to say about Memphis.
Which attractions did The New York Times mention in its review of Memphis?
The first stop was the National Civil Rights Museum, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The museum has been a staple for Memphis visitors since its opening almost 35 years ago. The historic space recently underwent construction and debuted the redesigned Founders Park in October.
From there, the Times took an evening walk across the pedestrian bridge to visit Mud Island Park to see the Mississippi River and catch one of Memphis’ breathtaking sunsets. It also offers some of the best views of the pyramid, home of Bass Pro Shops.
The Times also took time to visit some of Memphis’ musical history, stopping at the Memphis Listening Lab inside Crosstown Concourse, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
The tour of Memphis was rounded out with a stop at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. The famous attraction is gearing up for the annual holiday season, which includes a festive version of Presley’s home.
“Maps and other exhibits show how the emergence of radio and interstate highways helped create a cultural transfusion, and how that small studio in Memphis shaped the sound of America,” the Times wrote about Stax.
Outside of the Downtown area, other attractions the Times includes in its review are Overton Park, home to over 100 acres of woods and the free Levitt Shell, and Burke’s Books in Cooper-Young.
Which restaurants did The New York Times mention in its review of Memphis?
In their review, the Times visited plenty of Memphis dining staples. Among these restaurants was an entire section dedicated to the city’s most famous delicacy − barbecue. While here, the Times visited Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, Central BBQ, Cozy Corner and One & Only BBQ to get a taste of Memphis barbecue.
Other restaurant stops include The Beauty Shop in Cooper-Young, Sunrise Memphis in Downtown or East Memphis and The Lobbyist in Downtown, which recently earned recognition in the Michelin Guide’s newest tour of the South.
“Walk back downtown, and a short trolley ride away is the Lobbyist, an upscale but unpretentious restaurant, which opened in 2023, with the chef Jimmy Gentry’s thoughtful reimagining of Southern food achieved in large measure by elevating vegetables,” The New York Times wrote.
The final stop for dessert was at Makeda’s Cookies for the famous butter cookies. The cookie shop’s latest expansion into Downtown makes for a sweet treat break during those walks around the neighborhood.
Which bars did The New York Times mention in its review of Memphis?
For a trip through the city’s nightlife, the Times couldn’t call it an actual Memphis itinerary without mentioning Beale Street. For a Downtown evening, the Times made stops at The Absinthe Room in the King’s Palace Cafe and B.B. King’s Blues Club, which recently celebrated the 100th birthday of the Memphis legend who founded the bar on Beale. They then headed further down to Earnestine & Hazel’s on South Main Street, known for its great music and undead patrons.
Further east in Midtown, the Times stopped at Lafayette’s Music Room in Overton Square and Bar DKDC in Cooper-Young as part of its weekend in Memphis.
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: All the Memphis spots highlighted in New York Times travel guide