Automatic Slim's Tonga Club
83 S. 2nd St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/525-7948
$20 to $40
Memphis
Eclectic

This hip restaurant is downtown across from the Peabody Hotel. The split-level dining room is usually crowded. Southwestern and Caribbean fare are served in thick, spicy sauces; signature dishes include deep-fried red snapper with tomato and jalapeño relish and Jamaican jerk duck. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.

Blues City Cafe
138 Beale St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/526-3637
Under $20
Memphis
American

This downtown restaurant specializes in huge steaks and ribs, hamburgers, and hot tamales in a diner setting. AE, MC, V. Hrs vary; call ahead.

Cafe Olé
959 S. Cooper St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/274-1504
Under $20
Memphis
Mexican

If Mexican with a healthy twist sounds intriguing, this popular Midtown hangout is for you. Specialties-cooked without the heavy animal fats used in most Mexican fare-include spinach enchiladas and chili rellenos. The exposed brick walls are decorated with Mexican paintings and ceremonial masks. AE, D, DC, MC, V.

Cafe Society
212 N. Evergreen St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/722-2177
$20 to $40
Memphis
American

This sidewalk café in Midtown brings imagination and a fresh range of choices to its lunch and dinner menu. Outdoor tables, across the street from a small park, are popular with the happy-hour crowd. Expect to find treats like coconut-fried shrimp with pineapple chutney, grilled salmon with sesame- and poppy-seed crust and shrimp Biscayne sauce, and veal and pasta dishes. The best dessert is the crème brûlée. AE, MC, V. No lunch weekends.

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
52 S. 2nd St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/523-2746
Under $20
Memphis
Barbecue

Charlie Vergos, who has been in business since 1948, has become something of a Memphis ambassador of barbecued ribs: not only does his downtown basement restaurant draw thousands of tourists each year, but he also ships his ribs by air express all over the country. The walls are filled with memorabilia and bric-a-brac, from old newspaper cartoons to Essolene gas signs, but what really packs in the crowds are the delicious pork loin plate and the barbecued pork ribs. Reservations not accepted. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun.-Mon.

Chez Philippe
Peabody Hotel, 149 Union Ave., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/529-4188
Over $50
Memphis
French

The setting is wonderfully lavish-high ceilings, faux-marble columns, and huge murals depicting a masked ball. The service is impeccable. Most important, the cuisine-Memphis's most innovative and sophisticated-lives up to its regal setting. The menu ranges from delicate terrines to lamb tenderloin in puff pastry to hot soufflés. For many years Memphis magazine's readers have voted the restaurant Memphis's best. Chez Philippe is immediately off the Grand Lobby of the Peabody Hotel. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch.

Corky's
5259 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/685-9744
Under $20
Memphis
Barbecue

Expect to wait in line at this no-frills East Memphis barbecue joint, a leader in sending ribs to loyal fans by air-express service. One taste of the ribs or pork platter explains why. Letters from customers and articles on Corky's cover the walls. Reservations not accepted. AE, D, DC, MC, V.

Erling Jensen
1044 S. Yates St., off Poplar, Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/763-3700
$40 to $50
Memphis
French

Chef Jensen opened this restaurant in 1996 and has been attracting crowds ever since. He characterizes his cuisine as French with global influences, but to put it simply, his rack of lamb is the best in town, and the orange roughy and veal tenderloin aren't bad either. Reservations essential. AE, D, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

Folk's Folly Prime Steak House
551 S. Mendenhall St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/762-8200
$40 to $50
Memphis
American

Folk's is a Memphis favorite for one simple reason: the juiciest sizzling-hot steaks in town. "Steak house" is a bit misleading though-this restaurant resembles a suburban home, with a lounge and five separate dining rooms, plus eight private rooms for small parties. The generous vegetable side dishes, such as stuffed baked potatoes and asparagus, are reliably fresh, and heaping portions of seafood and whole lobster are always available. It's in East Memphis, near some of the city's nicest residential areas. AE, MC, V. No lunch.

Fourway Grill
998 Mississippi Blvd., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/775-2351
Under $20
Memphis
Southern

The finest fried chicken in town is served in this tiny establishment near LeMoyne Owen College. Slow-cooked greens will make your mouth water. Reservations not accepted. AE, MC, V.

Interstate Bar-B-Q
2265 S. 3rd St., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/775-2304
Under $20
Memphis
Barbecue

The Neely family has barbecue sauce running through its veins, and it all started here. Jim Neely's nephews have opened their own places around town, but they all learned their secrets at this restaurant. The long list of barbecue includes barbecued spaghetti, pork sandwiches, beef ribs and links, and Polish and smoked sausage. Save room for the homemade pecan pie. Reservations not accepted. AE, MC, V.

La Tourelle
2146 Monroe Ave. (near Overton Sq.), Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/726-5771
$40 to $50
Memphis
French

This quiet, turn-of-the-century bungalow with fine lace curtains and wooden floors is reminiscent of a small country restaurant in France. The menu varies, but each night there's a special lobster creation as well as a game dish. Reservations essential. MC, V. Closed Mon. No lunch Tues.-Sat.

Landry's Seafood House
263 Wagner Pl., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/526-1966
$20 to $40
Memphis
Seafood

This remodeled riverfront eatery, one of Memphis's busiest restaurants, seats more than 300, but the wait can still be more than one hour. Patio dining is especially refreshing-if you can get a table. The fare-seafood, steaks, and Cajun-is simple but consistently good. Among the better offerings are shrimp in a brown-butter sauce, flounder stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat, and fried oysters and shrimp. Reservations not accepted. AE, MC, V.

Owen Brennan's Restaurant
6150 Poplar Ave., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/761-0990
$20 to $40
Memphis
French

This New Orleans-style eatery in an upscale Memphis shopping center specializes in those fine Cajun and creole dishes that usually require a jaunt to the French Quarter. Favorite dishes include blackened chicken or seafood gumbo. The lavish Sunday brunch is attended religiously, and easy banter, champagne, and jazz flow freely. Best of all, an outdoor patio under towering shade trees offers a cool respite from Memphis's sizzling summer sun. AE, DC, MC, V.

Paulette's
2110 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/726-5128
$20 to $40
Memphis
Continental

This Overton Square restaurant, which served bistro-style cooking before it became popular in Memphis, has retained its vitality for more than two decades. A crisp, fresh house salad and airy popovers with strawberry butter help pack in the crowds for lunch and dinner. Entrées include several crepe dishes, along with grilled salmon, swordfish, chicken, baked scallops, and brochettes of shrimp or beef. The hot chocolate dessert crepes are sinful. On weekends a pianist plays requests ranging from Gershwin to Beale Street blues. AE, MC, V.

Restaurant Raji
712 W. Brookhaven Circle, Memphis, TN, USA
Phone: 901/685-8723
$40 to $50
Memphis
French

Chef-owner Raji Jallepalli cooks in a style she calls a French-Indian fusion, using French cooking techniques and Indian spices. The four-course prix-fixe dinner changes nightly. There are several dining rooms, all intimate and elegant. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun.-Mon. No lunch.