A Vegetarian's Guide To Eating In Memphis Tennessee
When I think of great destination cities for vegetarians, Memphis isn’t the first place I picture. I figured it was all enormous slabs of barbecued meats and fried vegetables. However, when we visited Tennessee, I actually found several great meat-free options. Keep reading to find out where you should go and what you should order in Memphis.
Miss Polly’s Soul City Cafe
It didn’t start off great. While Kenan loved his chicken and waffles, Polly’s didn’t offer much for me. Every vegetable on the menu had either bacon added or was deep fried. I ended up with a side of sweet potato fries and Mac and cheese. Don’t get me wrong I really like sweet potato fries, but they’re not my idea of a perfect dinner.
Shelby Forest General Store
Our second option initially didn’t look any better. The sign out front brags about their cheeseburgers, and the only item I saw on the menu was a grilled cheese. But once I ordered the owner asked if I was a vegetarian. She offered to make me a grilled veggie wrap that’s not on the menu. It was excellent. Having an option with grilled vegetables was nice. But besides the great food, the general store was a great place to visit. It’s a very unique place because of the owners and locals that visit. We heard some funny stories and learned a lot about Memphis. You can read more about our visit here.
Charles Vergo’s Rendezvous
Surprisingly my favorite meal came at one of the most famous bbq places in Memphis. Rendezvous has several vegetarian options, like meatless bbq nachos but I went with the meatless red beans. It was amazing. So good! Don’t be afraid to eat here if you’re the only vegetarian in the group. Each plate also comes with a German coleslaw. It was seriously good.
The meatless red beans and rice.
Crosstown Concourse
Kenan got hangry here, and we didn’t get a picture of the food.
Crosstown Concourse is a shopping and dining center located in an old restored Sears warehouse. It has several good vegetarian options. We chose the Global Cafe. It’s a middle eastern food court, with three different food stalls. I chose falafel and potstickers, with a side of naan and hummus. Delicious. After that, we went to French Truck for some coffee. Besides food, crosstown has shops and different art exhibits to check out after you eat.
The Majestic Grille
That night we went to the Majestic Grille. It’s a restaurant in an old movie theater. They play classic movies on the screen while you eat. Kenan ordered a steak, and I got a mushroom pasta. The food was fantastic, and the setting was unique.
Chez Phillipe
After dinner, you need somewhere to get a drink. We headed back to The Peabody hotel, where we were staying and got drinks at Chez Phillipe. The drinks weren’t just standard drinks. We ordered smoked old-fashioneds. It’s a whiskey drink that’s served inside a glass canister filled with smoke. It’s more than just a gimmick too because it really affected the flavor. We would order them again for sure.
The Smoked Old-Fashioned
Pho Binh
This place came highly recommend, and the menu had several veggie and tofu options. We tried to eat here twice, but it was closed both times. So that was a disappointment, but we’d love to try it out again.
In-Room Breakfast
Nothing beats in-room breakfast. After sleeping in, we ordered room service. I went with fresh fruit, coffee, and waffles. It’s a great way to start off the day.
This is how you feel when all you eat is meat.
The Liquor Store
Sweet potato hash and vegan sausage
The last place we ate at before we went home was The Liquor Store. The sweet potato hash looked good. It wasn’t bad. A kind of bland but salt and hot sauce fixed it up.
Conclusion
Our weekend in Memphis was way better than I could have imagined. I didn’t expect to have this many healthy options for food. Hopefully, this guide will help you if you’re heading to Memphis. What about you? Are you a vegetarian? Do you have trouble finding fresh options when you travel? Answer below in the comments.