New Memphis restaurants: From burgers to bubble tea, 7 new spots you should try
From hand-crafted ice cream to authentic Caribbean and Sichuan fare to a new butcher shop, there are several new Memphis-area dining options you need to check out.
On the list of new additions to the Memphis dining scene, there is also a trucker-themed bar and restaurant and a spot that specializes in both doughnuts and charcuterie boards.
Also, a burger chain with an almost cult-like following opened its sixth Memphis-area restaurant this past month.
Here is a look at seven new eateries that opened in August.
Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea
9077 Poplar Ave., Suite 103, Germantown; sugarghostmemphis.com
Since opening in 2021, Sugar Ghost Ice Cream & Bubble Tea has become a popular spot for those looking for a sweet treat.
Sugar Ghost is known for its homemade ice creams made in unique flavors like Ube Sweet Potato and Dragonfruit Sorbet and its hand-crafted bubble teas.
Owner Mary Claire White opened a second location of her treats shop on Aug. 1 at 9077 Poplar Ave., Suite 103, in Germantown.
“It has been in the back of my mind to be in several locations,” she said, explaining that when the spot that was most recently a Miccos Sno-Cones opened up, she knew it was the perfect opportunity.
While Sugar Ghost and her first business — gift shop Falling into Place — are both in the Broad Avenue Arts District, White lives near the new location. “My children went to Houston Middle School and High School, so I know the area,” she said.
The new Sugar Ghost has the same whimsical look and feel as the original.
“I am a Memphian and bringing these bright spots around town is so much fun,” she said of her growing businesses.
Hours: Noon-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday
Graz'n Tables Charcuterie & Bakery Bar
1996 S. Houston Levee Road, Collierville; (901) 474-4686; grazntables.com
Doughnuts and charcuterie? It may seem like an odd combination from one shop, but Graz'n Tables Charcuterie & Bakery Bar owner Chelsey Barringer says the two go perfectly together.
“Both support my mission,” Barringer said.
Her mission is to tackle poverty issues in the city she loves. For every lunch box purchased, she donates one to combat the food poverty issues in Memphis.
Graz'n Tables Charcuterie & Bakery Bar celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 8. The doughnut shop and café will offer a unique line of healthy adult lunch boxes, charcuterie boards, doughnuts and hot breakfast sandwiches. Everything is made fresh daily.
Additionally, Graz’n Tables offers catering services, private parties and charcuterie board classes.
Hours: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday
Whataburger
11845 Milton Wilson Drive, Arlington; whataburger.com
Whataburger opened a location in Arlington at 11845 Milton Wilson Road on Aug. 11. It’s the sixth location in the Memphis area for the Texas-based burger chain.
Since entering the market in 2022, Whataburger has opened the following four locations in the Memphis area: 176 Goodman Road East and 6829 Getwell Road North, both in Southaven; 1040 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova and 2859 N. Germantown Parkway and 7755 Winchester Road, both in Memphis.
“We’re honored and grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received from the Memphis community,” Brand Leader Greg Guidry said. “We are excited to continue to deliver the Whataburger experience and build long-lasting relationships with more of our friends in the area.”
Hours: Open 24/7
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Petals of a Peony
1250 N. Germantown Road, Cordova; (901) 707-8886
Petals of a Peony is Memphis’ first authentic Sichuan restaurant. It opened Aug. 15 in the space that was most recently a Flame Ramen.
Area manager Cameron Hidayat said the restaurant owners, who also own the Memphis-area Flame Ramen restaurants, are from the Sichuan region of China, and they wanted to bring that food to Memphis.
Sichuan cuisine, from the Sichuan province of China, is known for being spicy.
Expect authentic dishes like Curry Goat and Mao’s Family Braised Pork. Also on the menu is Mao Xue Wang, a boiled dish with tripe and duck blood.
The 2,000-square-foot restaurant caters to large groups and families, with several large family-size tables.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Monday; closed Tuesday
Momma’s
855 Kentucky St.; (901) 207-5111; mommasbar.com
Depending which direction you're driving on what Memphians call "the Old Memphis Bridge," Momma’s is the last bar in Memphis … or the first.
A new and improved Momma’s reopened Aug. 17 after a two-year renovation.
This bar and restaurant at 855 Kentucky St. is a spot for Memphians and out-of-towners alike to stop in for an ice-cold beer and a burger, a plate lunch or even breakfast.
With a trucker-theme, Momma’s was intentionally designed to take care of all the various folks living and working in the neighborhood — from the factory workers down the street to the truck drivers coming through town to the residents living in the South Bluff neighborhood. Owner Aldo Dean, who also owns restaurants such as Aldo’s Pizza Pies, Slider Inn and Bardog Tavern, said it is meant to be a place for everyone to come and feel at home — and have a good meal and some fun.
While the restaurant and bar is more than double its original size, loyal guests will be glad to see that the original “dive bar” charm of the indoor dining room and bar is still the same. Red leather booths, a juke box, a long bar and low ceilings lined with strings of tiny lights keep the space moody and cool.
The major renovations and expansion happened on the deck (which doubled in size) and in the kitchen.
Hours: 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday
Buster’s Butcher
199 S. Highland St.; bustersbutcher.com
Have you been wanting to cook an elk tenderloin? Maybe make the classic French dish Lapin a la Moutarde? Or just looking for a lovely hand-cut steak?
Look no further. Buster’s Butcher has about any cut of meat you might be looking for, as well as everything you might need to accompany it.
Buster's Butcher at 199 S. Highland Ave. is a new butcher shop from the owners of Buster's Liquors and Wines. The shop opened Aug. 18.
Buster’s Butcher wants to be your destination for both a special dinner party, as well as a weeknight supper. Every attention to detail in anticipation for what a customer will need to prepare a meal has been considered.
The 2,200-square-foot store has 24 feet of refrigerated cases filled to the brim. Shelves of condiments ranging from imported aged balsamic vinegar to Duke’s Mayonnaise offer a carefully curated selection of items to enhance your meal.
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday
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Curry N Jerk
150 Monroe Ave.; currynjerk.com
Curry N Jerk just made a big move just one block away from its original location.
The Caribbean restaurant reopened Aug. 24 at 150 Monroe Ave., in the former Bon Ton Café building.
Chef and owner Arturo Azcarate said the move will enable him to grow his business. The new space is double the size of his former location at 126 Monroe Ave.
Since Azcarate opened Curry N Jerk in 2018, the restaurant has become a destination for authentic Caribbean dishes like Oxtails, Jerk Chicken and Curry Goat.
Azcarate has remodeled the dining room of the former historic diner. “It feels like old-time Panama upstairs,” he said, explaining he wanted to give homage to his native country.
For those familiar with the former Bon Ton Café, they will remember there is a separate dining room downstairs in the basement. Azcarate has turned that space into a lounge called 507 Lux Lounge.
507 Lux Lounge will feature shareable plates, live music and a DJ, a smoke room and a champagne room.
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 507 Lux Lounge remains open until midnight Tuesday-Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.
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.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: New Memphis restaurants you should try: 7 spots that opened in August
