Tag: chili’s

Eat at Chili’s, Raise Money for Outflix

Post author By Bianca Phillips
Post date April 21, 2011

The annual Outflix Film Festival is scheduled for September 9th through the 15th, but the fund-raising has already begun.

Tonight (April 21st), you can help raise money for the city’s only gay film fest while chowing down on grub at Chili’s. From 4 to 9 p.m., Chili’s in Cordova (1260 N. Germantown Pkwy.) will donate 10 percent of it sales to Outflix.

For more, check out the event’s Facebook page. On a related note, Outflix is still accepting submissions for the 2011 fest. Check out the Outflix website for more information.

Tags chili's, Outflix

Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Nightlife

Post author By Flyer Staff
Post date October 1, 2009

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

Alex Harrison

For a long time, people went to Earnestine & Hazel’s for another kind of box. But now that it’s no longer a brothel, they go there for the jukebox and its selection of classic Motown, blues, jazz, and soul. It goes great with a Soul Burger.

The category “Best Pick-Up Joint” is a fount for interesting
responses. To wit: There were two votes for No Regrets Tattoo
Emporium (second-place winner of “Best Tattoo Parlor” in Goods &
Services). “I always did well at Young Avenue Deli,” one voter
helpfully responded. 201 Poplar got a vote, as did a couple of
places that were too disturbing (and potentially illegal) to include
here. For the voter who entered ”You tell me,” see below.

Justin Fox Burks

Minglewood Hall, 1st place: ‘Best Place To See Live Music’

Best Place to See Live Music

1. Minglewood Hall

2. Hi-Tone Café

3. Mud Island Amphitheatre

Minglewood Hall, located in the old Strings & Things building on
Madison, bounced onto the Memphis music scene with a bang. Boasting a
massive seating area, a fancy raised stage, and plenty of room for
dancing or headbangin’, Minglewood is Midtown’s largest rock venue in
decades. Since opening in February, Minglewood has hosted MGMT, Gwar,
Lucinda Williams, and Of Montreal. Expect plenty more huge acts in the
years to come.

Best Local Band

1. The Dempseys

2. The Sheriffs of Nottingham

3. Lucero

This unique local rockabilly trio is no stranger to fame. Members
Joe Fick, Brad Birkedahl, and Ron Perrone portrayed Johnny Cash’s
back-up band in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line. They even
performed for Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi when he was in
town with President George W. Bush in 2006. So it should come as no
surprise that these local faves placed number one in the Best of
Memphis poll.

Best Local Singer

1. Amy LaVere

2. Harlan T. Bobo

3. Valerie June

Amy LaVere’s trademark Southern twang, accented by the deep rumble
of her upright bass, has made her an unforgettable staple on the
Memphis music scene. She entered the Bluff City in the early ’90s as
part of the Nashville-based Gabe & Amy Show, but she quickly broke
free, establishing her own place in a scene deficient in rootsy
Americana music. These days, she’s all over the place — Craig
Brewer films, the Americana Music Conference, the Austin City Limits
Festival, and tons of local gigs in bars across the city.

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. P&H Café

Despite the tragic shooting of DJ Donald Munsey last year, karaoke
lovers still tout this bar as the best place in Memphis to sing along
to their favorite tunes.

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. P&H Café

3. Alex’s

Downstairs, this ages-old bar offers pool, a generous dance floor,
and a jukebox loaded with the classics. Upstairs, curious customers can
explore the rooms that once played host to ladies of the night during
the building’s brothel days. Thankfully, the whole place is very dimly
lit. The sheer age of the building, doubled with years of serving
greasy burgers, gives the place a dingy vibe. Of course, isn’t that
what makes dive bars so special?

Best College Hangout

1. Newby’s

2. RP Tracks

3. Blue Monkey

Newby’s bills itself as the “college bar you never graduate from.”
Truer words have never been spoken. This roomy Highland Strip hangout
attracts an even mix of University of Memphis students, college grads,
and likely a few college dropouts. The crowds gather to hear live
music, play pool, watch the game, or down Newby’s energy cocktail: the
Rock Star.

Justin Fox Burks

Tara White, 1st place: ‘Best Bartender’

Best Bartender

1. Tara White at Celtic Crossing

2. Brian “Skinny” McCabe at Newby’s

3. Brad Pitts at Bari — tie —

Michael Luckey at Ciao Bello

Every Monday night at Celtic Crossing, beer lovers descend on the
tiny Midtown pub for $2.50 drafts. Despite the shoulder-to-shoulder
crowds, bartender Tara White manages all the drink orders on her own.
With 15 years experience in bartending, White knows what she’s doing.
Co-workers describe her as a “high-volume bartender” with a loyal
following.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Blue Monkey

3. Alex’s

After a night of sipping wine and gazing at local art on the South
Main trolley tour each month, patrons cram into this downtown dive for
a cold beer and a Soul Burger. Though it’s not open any later than many
downtown bars, Earnestine & Hazel’s makes for the perfect gathering
place after a Beale Street blues show.

Best Pick-up Joint

1. Peabody Rooftop

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey

Patrons dressed to impress, a steady flow of cocktails, and live
music to dance to set the stage for seduction at the Peabody’s rooftop
parties.

Best “Cougar” Bar

1. Spindini

2. T.J. Mulligan’s

3. Blue Monkey

Mature ladies on the prowl know they can find hot young hunks at
this South Main restaurant. Spindini boasts upscale dining and
signature cocktails. It’s the kind of place you don’t frequent unless
you’ve got some cash to plop down, making it even more conducive to
attracting young professional men. Ladies, don your best animal print
cami, order a glass of Caldora Pecorino, and reel ’em in. Roar!

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Um, duh. Of course the Flying Saucer was voted “Best Beer
Selection.” With more than 200 beers on tap, both the downtown and
Cordova locations have a huge leg over the competition. Need a pale
ale? Check. How about a lager? Got it. Sample trays of beers from
around the world? No problem. Beer and cheese pairings? Got it.

Justin Fox Burks

Peabody Lobby Bar, 1st place: ‘Best Place To Get a Martini’

Best Place To Get a Martini

1. Peabody Lobby Bar

2. Side Street Bar & Grill

3. Beauty Shop

Not only does this historic Memphis hotel serve a tasty dirty
martini, it offers some of the best downtown people-watching. Order a
‘tini and plop down in a comfy chair in the hotel lobby. You won’t even
need a friend to chat with or a newspaper to scan. Just watch the
tourists and rooftop partygoers as they amble about the hotel.
Fascinating!

Best Place To Get a Margarita

1. Molly’s La Casita

2. Happy Mexican

3. Café Ole

Molly’s La Casita is a Midtown institution when it comes to Mexican
food, so it’s only fitting their margaritas would find a place, as
well.

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s Grill & Bar

2. Flying Saucer

3. Boscos Squared

Okay, yes, Chili’s is a chain restaurant. But if that’s a problem,
you just need to get over it, because their happy hour is two-for-one
and it lasts all day. And you don’t even have to ask. Finish one drink,
and before you even nod at the bartender, there’s another.

Best Dance Club

1. Hollywood Disco

2. Club 152 Beale

3. Backstreet

Is it the light-up dance floor? The lone pole in the corner? The
smoke machines? All of it. It’s the Hollywood Disco

Best Place To Shoot Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. RP Billiards

Want a casual place to make a nice, clean break? According to
Flyer readers, the Fox & Hound English Tavern is the place
to go for eight-ball, nine-ball, and all sorts of billiards. Fox &
Hound has good grub, multiple pay-by-the-hour tables, and a full bar.
What more do you need? Just remember to call your pocket.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mullligan’s

Maybe it’s because our readers consider pool a sport, or maybe it’s
because of all the televisions. Either way, the Fox & Hound is also
the “Best Sports Bar.”

Best Gay Bar

1. Backstreet

2. The Pumping Station

3. Metro

Backstreet has been our readers’ fave for years, but don’t try to go
right now. The Midtown bar was closed at the beginning of September
after a police operation uncovered gambling and the unlawful sale of
alcohol. At press time, the court date for Backstreet owner Shane Trice
had been re-scheduled, but he’s vowed that the club will reopen.

Best New Bar

1. Bardog Tavern

2. Silly Goose

3. Dru’s Place — tie —

Paula and Raiford’s Disco

Sometimes you just want to sit and stay. Bardog is a perfect place
to do just that. A new favorite downtown, Bardog is a two-story bar
with a neighborhood feel, an Italian-influenced menu, and a cute
logo.

Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Nightlife

Post author By Flyer Staff
Post date September 25, 2008

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

There was a new category in this section that threw readers for a loop in this year’s ballot: “Best ‘Cougar’ Bar.” Several voters noted they weren’t familiar with the term,

so we’ll oblige: A “cougar” is an older woman who prefers the company of younger men.

A few put it on record that this is an offensive category, while two voted “Your mama’s house,” and another added helpfully, “Any bar my wife is in.”

Best Local Band

READERS’ CHOICE

The Dempseys

Lord T & Eloise

Lucero

Newcomers to this winning category, Lord T & Eloise clearly have won over Memphians with their clever rap lyrics and innovative stage show. The Dempseys held onto our ears and hearts with classics from decades gone by. Ditto for Lucero and their heartland whiskey tunes. All in all, eclectic is the only way to describe our readers’ tastes.

Best Local Singer

by Justin Fox Burks

Backstreet, 1st place: Best Gay Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Harlan T. Bobo

Joyce Cobb

Amy LaVere

Susan Marshall

Di Anne Price

Women rule this category with jazz, rock, blues, Americana, and plenty of soul. From Beale Street staple Joyce Cobb to rising star Amy LaVere to the folksy intimacy of Susan Marshall to jazz stylist Di Anne Price, Memphis loves these women’s voices. The sole male on this list, Harlan T. Bobo, rises to the top once again in this category, drawing votes with his heartsick love songs.

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. Alfred’s

When Flyer readers want to contribute their dulcet tones to the famous music of Memphis, they head to the Windjammer. Most local karaoke hotspots give guests only one night a week to belt out their off-key renditions of “Friends in Low Places,” but the good folks at the Windjammer face the music six nights a week. And our readers love that.

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. P&H Café

3. Alex’s

Sometimes the best place to go is underground, the place non-locals have never heard of and probably wouldn’t give a second thought to. That place, for readers, is Earnestine & Hazel’s. An ex-brothel, Earnestine & Hazel’s these days is known for its great burgers and cheap drinks.

Best College Hangout

1. Newby’s

2. R.P. Tracks

3. Flying Saucer

Open ’til the wee hours of the morning, Newby’s is the perfect spot for local collegians to congregate and converse. With beer specials, barbecue, Bike Night, and bands, Newby’s is the ideal place for young people to have more fun than they probably should.

Best Bartender

READERS’ CHOICE

Michele Fields, Calhoun’s Sports Bar

Jeff Johnson, Newby’s

Brad Pitts, Bari

When readers want to get their drink on, they turn to one of these three good folks. Sports-bar lovers flock to Michele Fields at Calhoun’s. The college crowd — among others — prefers Jeff Johnson at Newby’s. And last but not least, our readers show the love for Bari’s Brad Pitts.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Blue Monkey

After its grand reopening in 2007, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco is back on top. Offering live music, dancing, and drinks, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco is where the crowd heads to “party like a rock star” as the night goes on. And just to be sure that you arrive in style, the disco offers guests limousine service.

Best Pick-Up Joint

READERS’ CHOICE

Blue Monkey

Celtic Crossing

Flying Saucer

Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

Senses

Sometimes, you go to bars to drink and socialize with your buds. Other times, you have, um, another agenda. When the libido needs a little action, Flyer readers have plenty of options. Some look for love over a pint of Guinness at Celtic Crossing, while others prefer the casual atmosphere of the Flying Saucer or either of the Blue Monkey locations. For those who prefer to dance their way into someone’s pants, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco and Senses top the list.

Best “Cougar” Bar

BOM 1. Spindini

2. Blue Monkey — tie —

Flashbacks

3. Cockeyed Camel — tie —

Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

In Memphis, cougars find fresh meat at Spindini, where the younger men tend to be of the well-to-do variety. Hey, if you’re going after a young dude, you want one with a good salary and some ambition, right?

Best Beer Selection

1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

With more than 100 beers on tap (and now two locations in the area), it’s no surprise this “beer nerd” bar won for best selection. Beer aficionados can choose between dark lagers, fruity pale ales, creamy stouts, or plain ol’ domestics. The Saucer folks will even combine your favorites in one of their tasty mixed beers such as the sinfully delicious Chocolate Truffle (Young’s Chocolate Stout and Linderman’s Framboise).

Best Place To Get a Martini

by Justin Fox Burks

Harlan T. Bobo

1. Side Street Grill

2. Peabody Lobby Bar — tie — Dish

3. Majestic Grille

An entire page on Side Street’s menu is dedicated to twists on the classic martini, and with names like the Coonass (a dirty martini prepared with Absolut Peppar) and Wedding Cake (vanilla vodka mixed with cranberry and pineapple), who can resist? The best part: All martinis can be supersized for a few extra bucks.

Best Place To Get a Margarita

1. Café Ole

2. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

3. Molly Gonzales’ La Casita

Mexican Restaurant

If you haven’t spent a warm summer night on the spacious Café Ole patio with a tall icy strawberry margarita in one hand and a salty tortilla chip in the other, you haven’t really lived. Of course, most of you already have experienced Café Ole’s tangy tequila cocktail or the restaurant wouldn’t have won “Best Margarita.” Now if only we had a category for “Best Salsa.”

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s Grill & Bar

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey

It may seem strange that a chain restaurant always lands in our top three for “Best Happy Hour.” But when a bar offers two-for-one specials all day long, well, that’s one heck of a happy hour. In fact, that’s more like a happy day.

Best Dance Club

1. Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

2. Senses

3. Club 152 Beale

When owner/DJ Robert Raiford retired last year and closed his beloved disco club, the people spoke. They were upset, angry, depressed. Where, oh, where would they ever wear their silver polyester pantsuit again? But before folks could resign their retro Raiford’s digs to a yard-sale rack, some nice businessmen stepped in to save the day. Now the dance floor is more crowded than ever.

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

With many bars jumping on the Internet jukebox wagon, it’s nice that Earnestine & Hazel’s is sticking to its old-school jukebox roots with a great selection of classic Motown, soul, blues, and jazz, including many influential local artists. There’s no bad music on this jukebox, so you don’t have to worry about listening to $5 worth of crappy songs.

Best Place To Shoot Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. P&H Café

Pool halls have come a long way. Remember when they were filled with overweight, scary biker dudes who’d beat you in the back alley if you looked at them wrong? Or wait, maybe that was in a movie. Anyway, the Fox & Hound is nothing like that. Decent folks in khakis and polos play pool there on pay-by-the-hour, oversized billiards tables. There’s nothing to be afraid of, really.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s

Alex Harrison

The Hi-Tone Caf is our readers favorite place to catch a great live show. With acts as unique and varied as the art on the walls, the Hi-Tone offers Memphians what they love most: a stripped-down, classic bar perfect for catching music and drinking with friends.

Wow, our readers love Fox & Hound. Probably because, in addition to having plenty of quality pool tables, the bar boasts multiple TVs so fans won’t miss a minute of the game. Sometimes, the bar even hosts pay-per-view UFC fighting matches.

Best Gay Bar

BOM 1. Backstreet

2. The Pumping Station

3. 1 More

As home to one of the largest dance floors in Memphis, a stunning drag show, and a slew of hot gay customers, how could Backstreet not win number one by a landslide? Now cue that Cher dance mix.

Best New Bar

by Justin Fox Burks

Side Street Grill, 1st place: Best Place To Get a Martini

1. The Cove

2. Calhoun’s Sports Bar

3. Blue Monkey, downtown — tie —

Red Rooster Bar & Music Hall

Last year, Jim Marshall put the famous ship bar, nautical paintings, and rustic chandeliers from the late Anderton’s East to a new use in his Broad Avenue oyster and cocktail bar. The retro décor was a big draw for first-time customers, but one taste of the Cove’s hand-mixed signature cocktails, and they were hooked. by Justin Fox Burks