Elizabeth's Guidebook

Elizabeth
Elizabeth's Guidebook

Food scene

Love Young Ave Deli’s food! Must try Deli Wings! Great place to grab a beer, sit on the patio and people watch. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a live music show!
73 locals recommend
Young Avenue Deli
2119 Young Ave
73 locals recommend
Love Young Ave Deli’s food! Must try Deli Wings! Great place to grab a beer, sit on the patio and people watch. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a live music show!
A local fave! Great pizza and brunch. Live music almost every night.
130 locals recommend
Lafayette's Music Room
2119 Madison Ave
130 locals recommend
A local fave! Great pizza and brunch. Live music almost every night.
Another local fave! Excellent brunch with bottomless mimosas. Try out the Bar Fries! Can’t go wrong with anything at Local!
42 locals recommend
LOCAL On The Square
2126 Madison Ave
42 locals recommend
Another local fave! Excellent brunch with bottomless mimosas. Try out the Bar Fries! Can’t go wrong with anything at Local!
Excellent patio, tacos and cocktails. Surprisingly, they have one of the best burgers in town!
80 locals recommend
Babalu Tapas & Tacos - Overton Square
2115 Madison Avenue
80 locals recommend
Excellent patio, tacos and cocktails. Surprisingly, they have one of the best burgers in town!
BEST brunch! Super cute and unique spot. Make a reservation if possible. Easily walkable from CY!
102 locals recommend
The Beauty Shop
966 Cooper St
102 locals recommend
BEST brunch! Super cute and unique spot. Make a reservation if possible. Easily walkable from CY!
If you’re looking for something fancier, this is your spot! Gotta get the bacon sampler!
17 locals recommend
Porch and Parlor
2125 Madison Ave
17 locals recommend
If you’re looking for something fancier, this is your spot! Gotta get the bacon sampler!
Try the infamous Dyer’s Burger while strolling down Beale Street!
15 locals recommend
Dyer's Burgers
205 Beale St
15 locals recommend
Try the infamous Dyer’s Burger while strolling down Beale Street!
Though recreation has been attempted, you must try the OG Gus’s! Be prepared to wait, but the line does move relatively quickly. It’s worth going to the original location downtown.
159 locals recommend
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
310 S Front St
159 locals recommend
Though recreation has been attempted, you must try the OG Gus’s! Be prepared to wait, but the line does move relatively quickly. It’s worth going to the original location downtown.
Ask any Memphian where their favorite BBQ joint is and you’re bound to get an array of responses and potentially a scuffle. We are PROUD of our BBQ. Central is the best, because I said so. Also easy to walk to from just about anywhere in CY. If you want good ole traditional BBQ, go with the pulled pork plate or ribs. My personal fave is the pulled pork nachos.
173 locals recommend
Central BBQ - Midtown
2231 Central Ave
173 locals recommend
Ask any Memphian where their favorite BBQ joint is and you’re bound to get an array of responses and potentially a scuffle. We are PROUD of our BBQ. Central is the best, because I said so. Also easy to walk to from just about anywhere in CY. If you want good ole traditional BBQ, go with the pulled pork plate or ribs. My personal fave is the pulled pork nachos.

Neighborhoods

The BEST neighborhood in Memphis! Walkable to plenty of food spots and shops. 5-15 minute drive to anything else the city has to offer. Extremely welcoming residents, beautifully tree-lined streets full of character. What more could you ask for?
83 locals recommend
Cooper-Young
83 locals recommend
The BEST neighborhood in Memphis! Walkable to plenty of food spots and shops. 5-15 minute drive to anything else the city has to offer. Extremely welcoming residents, beautifully tree-lined streets full of character. What more could you ask for?

Music Scene

If you’re lucky enough to be here during the summer, check Levitt’s free concert series schedule! Fun fact: Elvis played his first paid concert here!
105 locals recommend
Levitt Shell
1928 Poplar Ave
105 locals recommend
If you’re lucky enough to be here during the summer, check Levitt’s free concert series schedule! Fun fact: Elvis played his first paid concert here!
Check the concert schedule!
BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
6285 Snowden Ln
Check the concert schedule!
134 locals recommend
FedExForum
191 Beale St
134 locals recommend
MEMPHO Music Festival
750 Cherry Road
Beale Street Music Festival
Riverside Drive

Things To Do

You just can’t come to Memphis without visiting Graceland. It’s just the rules, and it’s also the SECOND most visited home (crazy!). This home was built by our most famous resident, Elvis Presley, and is as eclectic as he was. You can also tour his airplane named after his daughter, Lisa Marie. Pro tip #1: There’s a little restaurant across from Graceland (in the area you start your tour- you’ll see it) that serves up Elvis’ favorite meal. PB & Banana sammies! Pro tip #2: The Graceland area, while vibrant in Elvis’ day, has sadly gone a bit downhill over the years. Just make sure to gas up prior to visiting so you don’t have to make any stops on the way. Visiting the home is totally safe, but I wouldn’t recommend venturing out to the surrounding area. Pro tip #3: If you have the time and are up for a drive, you can also visit Elvis’ birth home in Tupelo, MS. It’s a straight shot down Hwy 78 and about an 1.5 hour drive from Memphis. Tupelo is a pleasant little MS town to visit. Plenty of options to grab a bite and shop around afterwards.
260 locals recommend
Graceland
260 locals recommend
You just can’t come to Memphis without visiting Graceland. It’s just the rules, and it’s also the SECOND most visited home (crazy!). This home was built by our most famous resident, Elvis Presley, and is as eclectic as he was. You can also tour his airplane named after his daughter, Lisa Marie. Pro tip #1: There’s a little restaurant across from Graceland (in the area you start your tour- you’ll see it) that serves up Elvis’ favorite meal. PB & Banana sammies! Pro tip #2: The Graceland area, while vibrant in Elvis’ day, has sadly gone a bit downhill over the years. Just make sure to gas up prior to visiting so you don’t have to make any stops on the way. Visiting the home is totally safe, but I wouldn’t recommend venturing out to the surrounding area. Pro tip #3: If you have the time and are up for a drive, you can also visit Elvis’ birth home in Tupelo, MS. It’s a straight shot down Hwy 78 and about an 1.5 hour drive from Memphis. Tupelo is a pleasant little MS town to visit. Plenty of options to grab a bite and shop around afterwards.
Great little piece of history and excellent museum to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement. This is the hotel that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous last speech in 1968, “I’ve Been to a Mountaintop”, and was later assassinated by James Earl Ray. (or was he? Not a chance, according to many conspiracy theories!)
319 locals recommend
National Civil Rights Museum - Lorraine Motel
450 Mulberry St
319 locals recommend
Great little piece of history and excellent museum to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement. This is the hotel that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous last speech in 1968, “I’ve Been to a Mountaintop”, and was later assassinated by James Earl Ray. (or was he? Not a chance, according to many conspiracy theories!)
Great to learn a bit more about Memphis’ rich musical history
174 locals recommend
Stax Museum of American Soul Music
926 E McLemore Ave
174 locals recommend
Great to learn a bit more about Memphis’ rich musical history
After a trip to Graceland, come learn more about where Elvis (and Johnny Cash AND Jerry Lee Lewis) recorded some of their biggest hits! You can even snap a pic with one of their old mics!
217 locals recommend
Sun Studio
706 Union Ave
217 locals recommend
After a trip to Graceland, come learn more about where Elvis (and Johnny Cash AND Jerry Lee Lewis) recorded some of their biggest hits! You can even snap a pic with one of their old mics!
Want a little outdoors? Fun fact: Shelby Farms is one of the Top 20 largest urban parks. Its 5x the size of Central Park! Rent a bike, kayak, SUP, ride a horse, walk the miles of trails or play paintball! Plenty of activities for everyone!
223 locals recommend
Shelby Farms Park
6903 Great View Dr N
223 locals recommend
Want a little outdoors? Fun fact: Shelby Farms is one of the Top 20 largest urban parks. Its 5x the size of Central Park! Rent a bike, kayak, SUP, ride a horse, walk the miles of trails or play paintball! Plenty of activities for everyone!
To experience Memphis, you must experience Beale Street! Catch some live music, grab some delicious food, and top it all off with a classic Call-A-Cab from Wet Willies! If you’re a people watcher like me, this is probably one of the top 5 places to do it!
245 locals recommend
Beale Street
128 Beale St
245 locals recommend
To experience Memphis, you must experience Beale Street! Catch some live music, grab some delicious food, and top it all off with a classic Call-A-Cab from Wet Willies! If you’re a people watcher like me, this is probably one of the top 5 places to do it!
Feeling lucky? Hop on over to Southland. Only about 15 minutes from Midtown. They also host live Greyhound dog races.
31 locals recommend
Southland Casino Racing
1550 Ingram Boulevard
31 locals recommend
Feeling lucky? Hop on over to Southland. Only about 15 minutes from Midtown. They also host live Greyhound dog races.
Saturday’s til noon. About a 12 minute walk from the AirBnb at the corner of Walker/Cooper. Great for some local flair and fresh grub.
19 locals recommend
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
1000 Cooper St
19 locals recommend
Saturday’s til noon. About a 12 minute walk from the AirBnb at the corner of Walker/Cooper. Great for some local flair and fresh grub.
I may be biased, but it’s the best zoo in the US! We are very proud of our zoo, and it happens to only be about a 5 minute drive from your AirBnB! Seriously, it’s always listed as one of the best zoos and has been around for over 100 years. Make sure to check out the pandas! They have events often so check their website for a calendar.
291 locals recommend
Memphis Zoo
2000 Prentiss Pl
291 locals recommend
I may be biased, but it’s the best zoo in the US! We are very proud of our zoo, and it happens to only be about a 5 minute drive from your AirBnB! Seriously, it’s always listed as one of the best zoos and has been around for over 100 years. Make sure to check out the pandas! They have events often so check their website for a calendar.
Make sure to schedule your visit around the duck walk! Sounds crazy, but trust me. It’s 2x a day at 11am and 5pm. Grab a drink at the lobby bar, relax and enjoy what always turns out to be an entertaining people watching event.
126 locals recommend
The Peabody Memphis
149 Union Ave
126 locals recommend
Make sure to schedule your visit around the duck walk! Sounds crazy, but trust me. It’s 2x a day at 11am and 5pm. Grab a drink at the lobby bar, relax and enjoy what always turns out to be an entertaining people watching event.
Did you know the 7th largest pyramid in the world is in Memphis? Did you know it has a Bass Pro Shop inside? Yes, we Memphians find it super cheesy, but it is actually worth a stop. Kids love the massive aquarium. The Pyramid is a Memphis landmark. There’s also a bowling alley and a couple restaurants inside. The Lookout is pricier, but it’s at the very top of the Pyramid and offers beautiful views of the city (even has a platform to walk outside). Food is relatively good, but I’ve only been once. For a fee, you can just ride the elevator up to see the view and walk on the platform without eating at the restaurant. Uncle Buck’s, while cheaper, I can’t vouch for. It would be fine for a quick bite, but there’s much better options nearby.
199 locals recommend
Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid
1 Bass Pro Dr
199 locals recommend
Did you know the 7th largest pyramid in the world is in Memphis? Did you know it has a Bass Pro Shop inside? Yes, we Memphians find it super cheesy, but it is actually worth a stop. Kids love the massive aquarium. The Pyramid is a Memphis landmark. There’s also a bowling alley and a couple restaurants inside. The Lookout is pricier, but it’s at the very top of the Pyramid and offers beautiful views of the city (even has a platform to walk outside). Food is relatively good, but I’ve only been once. For a fee, you can just ride the elevator up to see the view and walk on the platform without eating at the restaurant. Uncle Buck’s, while cheaper, I can’t vouch for. It would be fine for a quick bite, but there’s much better options nearby.

City advice

Getting around

Transportation

It’s worth noting that Memphis does not have a great public transportation system. Rent a car or be prepared to Uber. Parking is relatively inexpensive compared to other cities. Downtown and Midtown (Cooper Young / Overton Square) are completely walkable and safe.