Alex Harrison
Now nearly a decade old, Cooper-Young’s Black Lodge Video isn’t just a video store; it’s an institution. It’s where local filmmakers like Craig Brewer and Mike McCarthy go for inspiration and where serious cinephiles go to scope out classics and obscurities from film history or just hang out and talk movies. You can find new releases at Black Lodge, but you can also find Asian action, film noir, intriguing documentaries, and perhaps the most thorough horror collection you’ll ever see. You name it, they probably have it.
The top vote-getters in this category were, in order: Buster’s,
Burke’s, Davis-Kidd, Outdoors Inc., and Macy’s. Make of that what you
will.
Best Grocery Store
1. Fresh Market
2. Kroger
3. Whole Foods
The name Fresh Market says it all: an incredible selection of the
tastiest and freshest food in town. The store’s seafood, meat, veggies,
and cheese are almost mind-boggling, and the aroma from the gourmet
coffee aisle is downright intoxicating. Every time we shop here, we
bring home new things that we haven’t tried before.
Justin Fox Burks
Buster’s Liquors & Wine, 1st place: ‘Best Liquor Store’
Best Liquor Store
1. Buster’s Liquors & Wine
2. Joe’s Liquor Store
3. Kirby Wine & Liquors
If you can’t find something to wet your whistle here, maybe you’d
better stick to soft drinks. Overflowing with bottles and boxes of all
sizes, Buster’s offers the city’s best selection of wine, liquor,
champagne, and more.
Best Department Store
1. Macy’s
2. Target
3. Dillard’s
Awesome sales and great brands make Macy’s the best department store
in Memphis. Its collection of clothes, shoes, and housewares is
amazing.
Best Shopping Mall
1. Oak Court
2. Wolfchase Galleria
3. The Avenue Carriage Crossing
Who knew that one of our city’s smallest malls — tucked onto
the site of a former women’s college — would consistently win the
most votes as our city’s best. Larger malls have come and gone, newer
places have opened in the ‘burbs, but the elegant setting and diverse
selection of shops (plus a decent food court) make Oak Court number
one.
Best Gift Shop
1. Babcock Gifts
2. Maggie’s Pharm
3. Pier One
Whether it’s a gift for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion or a
spur-of-the-moment purchase, our readers say Babcock is their favorite
shopping destination. The store has a great selection of china,
silverware, glassware, and other high-end gifts, but there’s plenty of
other items for sale, including a fine selection of handmade pottery
from local artisans.
Best Bookstore (new)
1. Davis-Kidd Booksellers
2. Barnes & Noble
3. Borders Books Music & More
Once again, our readers have chosen this large independent
bookseller as their favorite place to crack open a new book (and, of
course, grab a copy of Flyer). As an added bonus, there’s
Brontë a Novel Bistro, where you can get a mighty tasty meal.
Best Bookstore (used)
1. Burke’s Book Store
2. Tiger Bookstore
3. Xanadu Music & Books
The selection of new, used, and rare books offered at Burke’s befits
this rare gem of a bookstore, winning an award it is probably
accustomed to winning by now.
Best Bank
1. First Tennessee Bank
2. Regions
3. Bank of America
Is it state loyalty? Do they have the cleanest dollar bills in town?
(Their ads certainly seem to feature the biggest.) Whatever the reason,
this repeat winner has done it again.
Best Local Place for Women’s Clothing
1. Crazy Beautiful
2. Indigo
3. Oak Hall
Offering a mix of casual and formal wear, Crazy Beautiful is a
fashion staple in the University of Memphis area and has earned a loyal
fan base. Plus, it’s an independent boutique, owned and operataed by a
young, local woman. What’s not to like?
Best Local Place for Men’s Clothing
1. Oak Hall
2. James Davis
3. Jos. A. Bank
From classic suits, blazers, and beautiful ties to Brioni and
Ermenegildo Zegna, tailored suits, and impeccable service, Oak Hall is
yet again a Memphis favorite for men’s clothes.
Best Place for Vintage Clothing
1. Flashback
2. Goodwill
3. Salvation Army
Flashback is an all-out vintage experience, where the décor
plays as big a role as the items for sale. And with their ultra-hip
mannequins going to the pool, hosting barbecues, and dressing up for
Halloween, you’re guaranteed to feel like a square if you don’t stop
by.
Best Local Men’s Shoe Store
1. Oak Hall
2. James Davis
3. R.sole
Everyone knows that Memphians do not take their shoe choices lightly
— blue suede or otherwise. Oak Hall is the top choice again this
year for their selection of fashionable men’s footwear, from Alden to
Sebago.
Best Local Women’s Shoe Store
1. Joseph
2. Shoe-Nami
3. Cook & Love Shoes
Situated in the Laurelwood Shopping Center, Joseph is the first
choice for shoe fashionistas and well-heeled women. Check out their
collection of Louboutin shoes and Chloe boots to kick off the fall
season.
Best Home Furnishings
1. Pottery Barn
2. Ashley Furniture Homestore
3. Samuels Furniture & Interiors
Pottery Barn’s blend of comfort, style, and quality makes it the
number-one choice for home furnishings — from patio lights to
bedroom sets. And with their East Memphis outlet store on Spottswood,
you can fill your home with functional design without emptying your
bank account.
Best Pet Store
1. Petco
2. Hollywood Pet Star
3. PetSmart
Petco prides itself on being the store “where the pets go.” Scaled,
furred, or feathered friends enjoy grooming, vaccinations, pet
photography, and an unbelievable assortment of merchandise. Oh, and
don’t worry. People are welcome, too.
Best Hair Salon
1. Gould’s Styling Salon
2. Dabbles
3. Hi Gorgeous
It’s a home run with the bases loaded for Gould’s in this and the
following categories.
Since 1932, family-owned Gould’s has provided Memphis with upscale
hair salons and fashion-forward stylists. For exceptional cuts, coifs,
colors, and customer service, Memphians still look to Gould’s after all
these years. And that’s not all: Gould’s also has built up a loyal
clientele for its day spa, facials, manicures and pedicures, and
waxing. Customers rave about their aromatherapy wrap, deep
pore-cleansing facials, hot stone massages, private pedicure rooms, and
skilled aestheticians. Gould’s is officially Memphis’ number-one place
for preening, pampering, and peace and quiet.
Best Day Spa
BOM 1. Gould’s
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Serenity Day Spa
Best Place To Get a Facial
BOM 1. Gould’s
2. Mona Spa & Laser Center
3. Germantown Day Spa
Best Place To Get a Manicure/Pedicure
1. Gould’s
2. Nail Bar
3. Rose’s Nails
Best Place To Get Waxed
1. Gould’s
2. Hi Gorgeous
3. Serenity Day Spa
Justin Fox Burks
French Riviera 1st place: ‘Best Health Club’
Best Health Club
1. French Riviera
2. YMCA Downtown
3. 24 Hour Fitness
With six locations in the city, French Riviera has made getting fit
within reach for everybody. The gym at Poplar and Highland features a
cardio theater room where you can watch movies on the big screen while
working out. The gym also offers a variety of aerobic classes such as
spinning, yoga, Zumba, and kickboxing.
Best Yoga Studio
1. Midtown Yoga
2. Bikram Yoga
3. Evergreen Yoga Center
Midtown Yoga has won “Best Yoga Studio” again. Is it any wonder?
They’ve got a great variety of classes — Kundalini, Vinyasa, and
prenatal, among them.
Best Local Fine Jewelry Store
1. Mednikow Jewelers
2. Las Savell Jewelry
3. Jack Yacoubian Jewelers
Mednikow has been around for more than a century producing and
selling fine jewelry. You can buy the best of the Mednikow collection
or choose from a variety of other designers including Cartier.
Best Tattoo Parlor
1. Underground Art
2. No Regrets Tattoo Emporium
3. Trilogy
Move over Kat Von Dee. Underground Art owner Angela Russell is much
nicer than the tattoo shop owner on TLC’s L.A. Ink. And we’d put
money on the Underground artists over Dee’s drama-loving bunch any day.
This Midtown shop has been voted number one in the Best Of poll for
years, and one look at their quality work will tell you why.
Justin Fox Burks
Toad Hall Antiques (Dana Whitehead pictured), 1st place: ‘Best Antique Store’
Best Antique Store
1. Toad Hall Antiques
2. Flashback
3. Bojo’s Antique Mall
The building started life in the early 1900s as a ma-and-pa grocery
store, with the Andrews family living on the second floor. We wonder
what they would think if they came back and saw their former home and
business today, filled floor to ceiling with an assortment of antiques.
Old books, beautiful furniture, vintage china, and all sorts of
fascinating knickknacks can be found in the bright-yellow building that
anchors the entrance to Cooper-Young.
Best Smoke Shop
1. Tobacco Corner
2. Wizard’s
3. Whatever
Tobacco Corner has a wide variety of smokes, fair prices, and a
knowledgeable staff. Be sure to check out the selection of cigars and
smoking accessories.
Best Dry Cleaner
1. Bensinger’s Fine Cleaners
2. Dryve Cleaners
3. Happy Day Laundry and Cleaners
Cleaning Memphians’ dirtiest stains since 1954, Bensinger’s Fine
Cleaners offers quick, dependable service and convenient locations and
hours. There’s almost nothing the cleaners can’t handle, from
brightening white down comforters to hemming pants.
Best Florist
1. Pugh’s Flowers
2. Holliday Flowers
3. Garden District
Nothing “skunky” about this vote. Pugh’s Flowers has been voted
number one again.
Best Garden Center
1. Dan West Garden Center
2. Stringers Garden Center
3. Midtown Nursery
Dan West Garden Center has everything you need to start a garden or
keep one going. Plus, the people at the Dan West are available every
day to share their expertise.
Best Local Athletic Store
1. Outdoors Inc.
2. Breakaway Athletics
3. Dowdle Sports
Outdoors Inc. offers a variety of equipment for outdoor activities,
including kayaking, hiking, mountain climbing, biking, and snow sports.
They also have kayaks and canoes for rent.
Best Bicycle Shop
1. Midtown Bicycle
2. The Peddler
3. Outdoors Inc.
The name is deceiving, since Midtown Bicycle is now located downtown
on South Main. The store carries an array of bikes and accessories, and
the staff is knowledgeable. They even sell the retro-stylish Electra
brand bike out of California. And they have bikes for every budget,
including used models.
Best Record Store (new)
1. Spin Street
2. Best Buy
3. Shangri-La Records — tie —
Goner Records
You don’t have to be a geek to love Spin Street. Is there anyplace
else in town where you can buy the new Big Star boxed set, a werewolf
statuette, the original Star Trek series on DVD, some magic
tricks, and every cool thing you ever wanted to buy out of the back of
a comic book in 1974? We don’t think so.
Best Record store (used)
1. Shangri-La Records
2. Spin Street
3. Goner Records
If you’ve got a vinyl fetish, Shangri-La lives up to its name. It’s
a music lover’s paradise where you can find vintage cuts by the
best-known Memphis artists crated up next to the most obscure
treasures. And when the staff says, “We appreciate ya,” they really
mean it.
Best Music Equipment Store
1. Amro Music Stores
2. Guitar Center
3. Memphis Drum Shop
They say you can’t tune a fish but don’t believe it until you ask
the experts at Amro who can sell you anything from a sousaphone to a
kazoo. They can teach you how to play a pretty mean piano too.
Justin Fox Burks
Roadshow BMW/Mini, 1st place: ‘Best Place To Buy a New Car’
Best Place To Buy a New Car
1. Roadshow BMW/Mini
2. Dobbs Honda
3. Wolfchase Honda — tie —
Gossett
Why is Roadshow BMW so cruel? How can anyone choose between the
precision, service, and comfort synonymous with Bavarian Motor Works
and the efficiency, adorableness, and Euro-cool of a Mini Cooper? It’s
not fair. It’s not right. And having a friendly, knowledgeable staff
makes it that much worse.
Best Place To Buy a Used Car
1. Carmax
2. City Auto Sales
3. Gossett
Whether you want a Hummer, Honda, Pontiac, or Porsche, the folks at
Carmax are ready to wheel, deal, and set you up with a steal.
Best Place to Buy a Motorcycle
BOM 1. Bumpus Harley-Davidson
2. Al’s Honda
3. Kawasaki of Memphis
Christmas is right around the corner and no gift says “I love you”
like a Harley-Davidson CVO Ultra Classic Electra Glide in amber and
burnt citrus with a flame graphic.
