Burgers to macarons: 6 new Memphis restaurants to try
July was a busy month for new eateries in Memphis. From a bakery specializing in French macarons to a new Vietnamese restaurant to a Downtown speakeasy, here are six new spots you need to check out.
Sift Bakery
7509 Poplar Ave., Suite 103, Germantown; thesiftbakerytn.com
You no longer have to go to a farmers market to get macarons from Sift Bakery.
Owner Lonisa Bowen (whom most know as Lala) opened a pop-up retail bakery shop in Saddle Creek on July 2.
Sift Bakery is known for its tasty French macaron cookies that come in creative flavors like Birthday Cake, Banana Pudding, Strawberry Cheesecake, Vanilla Bean and Churro.
Prior to the pop-up, customers had to pick up their macarons at either the Cooper-young Community Farmers Market or the Collierville Farmers Market.
“I wanted to have my own little space,” said Bowen of the decision to open a pop-up. “A convenient place for customers to be able to pick up, as well as to have inventory every day.”
Bowen said she has more than 100 flavors from which customers can choose for special orders. “I only have the top 66 listed on the website,” she said.
At the retail shop, she offers 10 to 15 flavors a day. The flavors in the display case will rotate often. Special orders can
be placed online at thesiftbakerytn.com.
“I began making macarons in 2016 after I was introduced to one. I fell in love with the texture of the cookie along with the flavor,” she said. “After two years of trial and error to create a recipe that works, I began selling to friends and family. I loved baking macarons so much that ‘The Sift Bakery’ was born.”
Look for special events, such as a Harry Potter-themed weekend she hosted in July to a Disney Day in December.
Sift Bakery will also continue to sell at the Cooper-young Community Farmers Market and the Collierville Farmers Market. “I can’t forget where I came from,” Bowen said. “Without those markets, I wouldn’t be here.”
Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdaythursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday-tuesday.
Whataburger
176 Goodman Road East, Southaven; whataburger.com
The wait is finally over for Whataburger fans. The first Whataburger in the Memphis area opened July 11.
The new Whataburger is located in Southaven at 176 Goodman Road East.
A second Whataburger location, at 6829 Getwell Road North in Southaven, will open in the coming weeks, officials said in a news release.
Whataburger, a Texas-based chain, is known for its burgers and breakfast taquitos.
The company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 850 locations across 14 states. The Southaven locations are the first of four Whataburgers planned in the Memphis area. Two others are set to open in Memphis and Cordova.
“We’re thrilled to introduce Whataburger’s big flavors, fresh ingredients and original recipes to Memphis,” Whataburger Senior Market Leader Jon Barideaux said in a news release.
Hours: 6 a.m.-midnight daily
Talk Shop
Caption by Hyatt Beale Street, 245 S. Front St.; talkshopmemphis.com
Talk Shop is one of the newest Downtown Memphis dining options. Located inside the new Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis hotel, Talk Shop is touted as “an all-day hangout for everything you need and crave.”
Talk Shop serves as both a hotel lobby and a lively all-day lounge, coffee shop, eatery, grab-and-go artisanal market and cocktail bar. It’s the perfect place to stop in for a chat over a cup of coffee, an afternoon cocktail, or a cold beer.
Talk Shop features a locally inspired menu of all-day fare. Dishes like Chicken Wings in a Gold Sauce with Blue Cheese Dressing, Netta’s Chicken Sammy (a spicy, hot honey fried chicken sandwich) and Baked Mac n’ Cheese with pepperjack béchamel, bacon, cornbread and pork skin crust are sure to become neighborhood favorites. There is also a buildyour-own bakery bar where customers can build open-face sandwiches from an assortment of freshly baked breads and toppings. Local brands like Muddy’s Bake Shop, Mempops and Raw Girls are featured offerings.
Talk Shop also includes an expansive patio and beer garden with open fire pits and exposed brick that are incorporated into the building’s historic, decorative façade on Front Street. Here, guests can sip beers on tap from local breweries like Grind City Brewing. The bar also includes a “Mix It Up Cocktail” offering where guests can create their own craft cocktails from an assortment of spirits, flavors and mixers.
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondaythursday; 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-sunday.
Tuyen’s Asian Bistro
288 N. Cleveland St.; (901) 567-5008 Fans of Saigon Le will be glad to hear that they can once again enjoy some of the recipes from this beloved family-run Vietnamese restaurant that closed after a devastating fire in 2016.
Tuyen Le has opened Tuyen’s Asian Bistro at 288 N. Cleveland, just down the street from her family’s restaurant at 51 N. Cleveland.
Le ran the front of the house at Saigon
Le, while her mother ran the kitchen of the restaurant the family opened in 1993 on Cleveland St. A true family affair, Le worked alongside her sisters, brothers and in-laws at the family business for two decades.
The new restaurant features beloved Saigon Le dishes like House Eggrolls (crispy fried rolls stuffed with shrimp, pork and crab that are served with lettuce wraps, fresh mint and fish sauce for dipping), Lemongrass Tofu and Green Shell Mussels with Butter Sauce. A wide variety of stir-fries, noodle bowls, rice dishes and soups are also offered.
The bistro seats just more than 40 guests in a casual dining room.
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-saturday. Closed Sunday.
Big River Market
516 Tennessee St.; bigriver.market
Big River Market opened July 11 at 516 Tennessee St. in the Emerge Building.
Owner Nick Barbian described his new market as a small-footprint, upscale neighborhood food store like ones found in cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Barbian originally moved to Memphis from Austin, Texas, to work for concert promoter Live Nation. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, live music was put on hold. Barbian decided that he would use this time to fill the need he saw for a convenient option to pick up food in his South Main Arts District neighborhood.
“Here’s the tie between music and a food market,” he said. “When I was living in Austin, I was doing a lot of concerts and found it hard to find a healthy meal at the hours I needed it most. Royal Blue Grocery filled that need for me then, so I decided to replicate it here.”
This popular market chain in Austin has worked closely with Barbian, consulting with him as he developed the Big River Market concept. The store has a wide variety of beer and wine as well as grab-and-go options, along with coffee, frozen foods and a small produce selection. Barbian said the store has an emphasis on sourcing local coffee, beer and food products but also carries the large brands people know and love. The shop features menu items from local food purveyors like Raw Girls, Franco’s Italian, Grecian Gourmet and Arbo’s, as well as baked goods from Bain Barbecue and Bakery on Saturday mornings.
A line of in-house made foods (like sandwiches, paninis and pizza by the slice) is in the works.
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-friday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.
Lucky Cowboy
409 S. Main St.
Want to know if Lucky Cowboy is open? Look for the light above the side door of 409 S. Main St.
Lucky Cowboy officially opened on July 29. This new speakeasy is located in the basement of 409 S. Main St. in the South Main Arts District.
Jared Welch and Black Sheep Catering Co. chef Meredith Clinton have transformed the basement of this historic downtown building into a one-of-a-kind lounge and event space. Neon signs, dim lighting, art deco accents married with whimsical décor and sofas perfect for lounging are some of the design elements to expect.
The team behind Lucky Cowboy has created a series of art installation vignettes throughout the space. “Each installation has its own unique backdrop. There is nothing like this here in Memphis that I have seen,” Welch said. “For example, our lobby is a Jungle Room inspired by Elvis’ living room.”
The space was originally designed to be a selfie museum. As the concept was developing, Clinton said they were have trouble deciding how to market it. That’s where the idea of a speakeasy came to life.
“I have always kinda wanted to open a speakeasy,” said Clinton, who hosted several CCC (Chicken - Champagne Caviar) pop-ups at 409 S. Main this past year. Clinton worked for places like Erling Jensen, Paradox Cuisine and Tsunami before launching her own business.
Welch said the space will also be an extension of the 409 South Main event venue on the third floor of the building. It can be a private event rental for up to 85 guests; rental information is available by contacting 409 South Main.
Clinton said to expect fun cocktails like Pina Coladas and Old Fashioneds at the bar.
Mixologists Dan Ciaccia and Austin Weisenbern are the duo behind the bar offerings.
The food menu will change often, but will be focused on easy-to-eat bar snacks. “This first weekend I am doing tacos,” Clinton said. “I will always have a couple of options — definitely one meatfocused and a vegetarian option.”
Hours: No set hours. This is a latenight venue open Friday-sunday and for special events. Lucky Cowboy is open when the light above the door is lit.
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.