Earnestine and Hazel's Soul Burger

Last month I took The Kids downtown to Earnestine and Hazel's, a former brothel and black music headquarters and current hotspot. The burgers got top marks from our in-house experts.

Our server/chef/host was great, enlightening us about the history of the place. He talked about changes in the downtown area through time, the history of Earnestine and Hazel's, what the place is like now... He showed us photos of famous people who've been there. He showed us a tempting menu for the "intimate" restaurant in the back where the atmosphere is quieter and the food more varied. We heard him talking to other people about the Ghost Tours.

It consistently scores in the top 3 in the Memphis Flyer's best burger category. NoRococo says, "Now that I know they are open for lunch, I can enjoy the soul burger without fighting the bar crowd." Since that review, the burgers have gone up to $6 and the bar takes plastic. Best Memphis Burger blog says, "You really can’t get a true feeling for the atmosphere of Earnestine & Hazel’s until you go there" and says this of the burger:

This was a real treat. One of my top choices. I give the Earnestine & Hazel’s Soul Burger 4 out of 5 stars.

Esquire Magazine has a colorful review. There are almost universally positive reviews at Yelp and Urban Spoon. Lonely Planet describes it as "One of the great dive bars" and calls the Soul Burger "the stuff of legend".

Eating their soul burger is #86 on the I Love Memphis blog list of 365 things to do in Memphis.