Gin-Soaked Bars of Downtown Memphis
The Stones on Their Favorite Drinks:
- Mick: I'll take a cup of tea, or white wine
- Ron: Fighting Cock, Rebel Yell, Cream of Kentucky
- Bill: Vodka & 7 UP
- Brian: Come 'round with a beer for me
- Keith: Boy Howdy
- dj: Vodka & oj, especially that Ting stuff from Jamaica and that carbonated orange drink from Amsterdam
Pay a $10 cover charge to get a wristband for entry to all the clubs on Beale St. (with the exception of B.B.'s). Trolleys leave from the downtown hotels every 15 minutes. Cost is .50. Last run is at 1am. Taxi ride from Pyramid area to Beale St. is $1-2. Drinks may be bought on the street. Beale is for pedestrian traffic only. Bar hours vary, but usually close on weekends at 2am.
B.B. King's Blues Club,147 Beale Street 901 -524-KING
Black Diamond,153 Beale Street 901-521-0800 One of the best places for blues
Blues City Cafe, 138/140 Beale Street 901-526-3637 Shown in alot of movies. Tom Cruise, anyone?
Breckinridge Pub & Brewery,145 South Main 901-524-1080 Has cigar room for all you Monica lovers
Elvis Presley's Memphis,126 Beale Street 901-527-6900 Elvis memorabilia & fried dill pickle chips. High-end drinks
Center for Southern Folklore, 209 Beale Street 901-525-3655 Only place in town where you can teach a pig how to pray before it chows down
Hard Rock Cafe,315 Beale Street 901-523-0003 The usual
TJ Mulligan's,362 North Main Street 901-523-1453 Close to the Pyramid
New Daisy Theatre,330 Beale Street 901-525-8979 Well-known acts, such as Keith Richards, perform here (check Pollstar)
The North End,346 North Main 901-526-0319 Taters & live music at 1am
Peabody Lobby Bar & Mallard's Bar149 Union Avenue 901-529-4000 Just turned into a non-smoking bar (the lobby) so some of the "beautiful people," at least the ones who smoke, have found another place to see and be seen (smoking is allowed upstairs, however, and in Mallard's)
Rum Boogie ,182 Beale Street 901-528-0150 One of the first bars on Beale
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium,130 Peabody Place 901-523-7468 Pickle-flavored popcorn. Go for the "Fire Sale Beer," usually cheap but good.
Sleep Out Louie's,88 Union 901-527-5337 Good happy hour and people-watching
This Is It,167 Beale Street 901-527-8200
Wild Bill's,1580 Vollintine 901-726-5473 Supposed to be some of the best blues in the city, but it's not downtown
Wolf's Corner,530 South Main 901-525-4538
Young Avenue Deli,2119 Young Avenue 901-278-0034 Occasional rockabilly. Has pool tables. Not downtown
MEMORY MOTELS FOR THE WEARY:
Comfort Inn (halfway between Pyramid and Beale St. – by Mud Island)
100 N. Front St
(901) 526-0583
1-800-228-5150 (toll free)
79.00-99.00
Benchmark (walking distance to Beale; trolley or taxi to Pyramid)
164 Union Ave
Telephone: +1 (901) 527-4100
Fax: +1 (901) 527-6091
52.00-85.00
Holiday Inn (across from Peabody; walking distance to Beale)
160 Union
901/525-5491
189.99-209.00
Marriott (walking distance to Pyramid; trolley or taxi to Beale)
250 N Main St
Telephone: +1 (901) 527-7300
Fax: +1 (901) 526-1561
95.00-164.00
Radisson (walking distance to Beale; trolley or taxi to Pyramid)
185 Union Ave
Telephone: +1 (901) 528-1800
89.00-290.00
Talbot Heirs Guest House(walking distance to Beale; trolley or taxi to Pyramid)
99 S 2nd St
Telephone: +1 (901) 527-9772
Fax: +1 (901) 527-3700
Peabody Hotel (walking distance to Beale; trolley or taxi to Pyramid)
149 Union Ave
Telephone: +1 (901) 529-4000
Fax: +1 (901) 529-9600
160.00-320.00
Days Inn (different one) - 340 West Illinois Avenue - 901-948-9005
Ramada Plaza - 160 Union Avenue - 901-525-5491
Sleep Inn at Court Square - 40 North Front Street - 901-522-9700
*If you find that all the Downtown Hotels are full, try one of these in Midtown:
Holiday Inn Midtown -
1837 Union Avenue -
901-278-4100
French Quarter Suites Hotel -
2144 Madison Avenue -
901-728-4000
Hampton Inn Medical Center -
1180 Union Avenue -
901-276-1175
Lowenstein-Long House -
217 North Waldren Blvd. -
901-527-7174
Email: erdoc@ipa.net