Bryant’s is back

Venerable Memphis breakfast spot reopens today

Bryant’s Breakfast is more than just a place to find a mighty fine breakfast, it’s one of those “uniquely Memphis” gathering spots.

For more than 50 years, Bryant’s Breakfast has served hungry Memphians and been a gathering spot for people from all parts of the city.

Prior to the pandemic, guests could be found in lines that snaked throughout the dining room – often extending out to the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

Freshly baked Southern biscuits, fluffy pancakes, full breakfast plates, omelets and decadent cinnamon rolls are a handful of the menu items guests would patiently stand in line for.

After being closed for about four months, Bryant's reopens Wednesday morning.

Brent Westbrook, a lifelong Memphian, has been eating at Bryant's for as long as he can remember. As an adult, he has been coming to breakfast regularly at Bryant's with his teenage sons. “This is the crown jewel of Summer Avenue. It is definitely a place worth standing in line for,” he said at the restaurant's practice run Tuesday.

This legendary family-owned Memphis eatery has changed hands — but it won't be changing its signature menu of grits, country ham, biscuits-with-gravy and other downhome items.

Bryant's Breakfast, which boasts of serving “Real Food Since 1968,” was sold in early March to veteran restaurateurs Judd and David Tashie, cousins who own and operate the Ciao Bella Italian Grill in East Memphis and also own a piece of the venerable Park Avenue restaurant Pete & Sam's. They also recently purchased La Baguette, another decades-old Memphis dining institution.

Located at 3965 Summer, Bryant's closed in late November, due to COVID-19 restrictions. In December, owner Phil Bryant — whose parents founded the restaurant as a barbecue joint more than a half-century earlier — announced the eatery was for sale, later revealing he has been undergoing treatment for cancer, and operating the restaurant had become a hardship.

Paul Tashie, Judd's father, is grateful to his son and nephew for saving the restaurant. “This is a go-to place for so many. To see it die would be an injustice,” he said, adding that he had been a customer for decades.

Judd Tashie said not only will the menu remain the same, but the staff will as well. He and David Tashie have brought back most of the original team that worked at Bryant's previously.

“All the regulars are back. Diane, Jeff and Nolvia are all here,” said general manager Richard Lucchesi. “Amanda Rodrigo, who we call the ‘Biscuit Queen,' is also back making the biscuits. We hope when he is feeling up to it Phil [Bryant] will come and sit at the counter.”

Lucchesi said to ensure the food remains exactly the same as it was under Bryant family ownership they kept all the same vendors, including local purveyors such as Turner Dairy and Charlie's Meat Market.

Another thing that has not changed is that Bryant's will remain cash only. “We wanted to keep everything just like it was,” said Judd Tashie, adding that he may eventually add an ATM to the restaurant. “Summer Avenue is arguably the most international street in Memphis. Food and faith are the super glue that brings these various cultures together,” said Father Ben Bradshaw of St. Michael Catholic Church as he blessed Bryant's on Monday morning prior to its opening.

I have always thought that coming together for food is a good thing – it's about community and that's what Bryant's is about.”

For now, the restaurant will only be open Wednesdays through Sundays. Tashie said he plans to expand to Mondays and Tuesdays as the business grows.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.

“This is a go-to place for so many. To see it die would be an injustice.”

Paul Tashie,

Judd’s father

At a glance

Bryant’s Breakfast

Where: 3695 Summer Ave.

Hours: 5 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Online:bryantsmemphis.com Phone: (901) 324-7494

Note: Cash only

PHOTOS BY JOE RONDONE/THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL Novia Santos delivers a tray of breakfast specialties for patrons at Bryant’s on Summer Avenue during a soft opening Tuesday.

The Rev. Ben Bradshaw of St. Michael Catholic Church blesses Bryant’s Breakfast ahead of its reopening scheduled today.

COMMERCIAL APPEAL JOE RONDONE/THE Crystal Anglin pours out gravy and grits for patrons at Bryant’s Breakfast on Summer Avenue during a soft opening on Tuesday.