From dim sum to soul food to Southern fine dining, here are 10 new restaurants that opened in Memphis during October.
Dim Sum King
5266 Summer Ave.; (901) 766-0831; facebook.com/dimsumkingmemphis
Dim Sum King opened Oct. 1 in the restaurant space that was most recently Asian Palace.
Cantonese BBQ, Roasted Duck, Sizzling Hot Plates, Clay Pot dishes and dim sum served daily are just a handful of the dishes to expect.
The owners of Dim Sum King, King Chow and Kobe Zeng retained most of the original Asian Palace staff, and brought on a few chefs from restaurants in New York’s and Toronto’s Chinatowns.
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The restaurant space has been renovated. The wall dividing the dining rooms was removed to create a large dining space that can seat close to 400 guests. The remodel will allow the restaurant to host private events, such as weddings, rehearsal dinners and birthday parties.
The restaurant also has an in-house bakery to prepare all baked goods.
Hours: 11am-9pm Monday-Thursday; 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday; 10am-9pm Sunday
The Toasted People Cafe
9087 Poplar Ave. #111, Germantown; (901) 779-7731; thetoastedyolk.com
Germantown has a new brunch spot. The Toasted Yolk Café opened Oct. 3 at the Stonecreek Center in the space formerly occupied by Russo’s New York Pizzeria, 9087 Poplar Ave. #111.
The new 5,000-square-foot neighborhood eatery offers a twist of traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch classics, as well as full-bar service.
Focusing solely on daytime service, the eatery buys locally sourced ingredients to deliver farm-to-table fresh meals. Each dish is made from scratch including sauces, dressings and soups of the day.
Expect dishes like Churros-style Donuts, Brisket Tacos (two flour tortillas filled with a heaping scoop of 12-hour smoked brisket, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes and cheddar cheese) and the Southern Fried Arnold (two biscuit halves topped with two hand-battered chicken tenders, two poached eggs and covered with country sausage gravy).
Omelets, oversized buttermilk pancakes, a variety of signature egg dishes and brunch bowls are on the all-day brunch menu.
Lunch items include Junkyard Fries (a heaping mound of fries topped with homemade chili, queso and jalapeños), sandwiches like a Club Sandwich and the company’s signature “Yolk Burger,” as well as salads like a Greek Chicken Salad.
The bar features boozy brunch cocktails, including the Toasted Yolk Bloody Mary and Breakfast Nogg.
Hours: 7am-3pm daily
Restaurant Iris
4550 Poplar Ave.; (901) 590-2828; restaurantiris.com
After months of delays, the much-anticipated Restaurant Iris opened in its new location in Laurelwood Shopping Center on Oct. 3.
Chef Kelly English and his team have transformed the former Grove Grill restaurant space at Laurelwood Shopping Center, 4550 Poplar Ave., into a sophisticated and stunning restaurant destined to become a Memphis destination.
When he first opened Restaurant Iris just off Overton Square in 2008, English quickly gained both local and national acclaim. English closed the restaurant housed in a historic Midtown home last summer, opening a Spanish tapas bar called Panta in its place while work began on the new rendition of his flagship restaurant.
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The new restaurant is very different from the original Restaurant Iris. The main dining room is twice the size of the one at the original Restaurant Iris, offering seating for 80 guests. There are also four additional private dining areas and a spacious bar area.
Chef Russell Casey leads the kitchen. The menu includes favorites from the original Restaurant Iris menu, as well as new Southern-inspired dishes.
Hours: 11am-2pm daily for lunch; 5-8:30pm Thursday-Saturday for dinner
Celebrity’s Soul Food
431 S. Highland St., Suite 105; (901) 587-0125; celebrityssoulfood.com
There’s a new soul food restaurant in town — and this one comes with a Hollywood-inspired twist. Celebrity’s Soul Food opened Oct. 5 at 431 S. Highland St., Suite 105.
Celebrity’s Soul Food, the country’s fastest-growing soul food chain, provides scratch-made dishes paired with a VIP experience to every guest.
“We want the experience you have as a guest to be like one an A-list celebrity would have at a restaurant,” said Court Welch, who is the franchise owner for the new Memphis restaurant with his wife, Jennifer. “Every guest will have star treatment when they come here. Plus, the food is amazing.”
Expect dishes like Gold Dusted VIP Wings (whole wings dusted with gold and served with Herbed Buttermilk Dressing), Demi-Glace Glazed Oxtails served over Saffron Purloo Rice, and Soul Stuffed Wontons stuffed with a Pimento Cheese and Collard Filling and served with a Soul Chili Sauce.
The menu also includes vegetarian and vegan options.
Hours: 11am-9pm Monday-Thursday; 11am-10pm Friday-Saturday; 11am-8pm Sunday
The Peach Cobbler Factory
930-2 West Poplar Ave., Collierville; peachcobblerfactory.com
The Peach Cobbler Factory opened Oct. 15, offering a wide assortment of freshly baked cobblers, banana puddings and cinnamon rolls. The new sweets shop is located at 930-2 West Poplar Ave. in Collierville.
Expect to find 12 flavors of cobblers, 12 flavors of banana puddings and six flavors of cinnamon rolls.
Cobblers are baked fresh daily in flavors like Mango Peach, Apple Walnut Raisin and Sweet Potato Pecan. Served warm in 8-ounce cups, guests have the option of ordering them with a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Banana pudding offerings range from a classic Southern banana pudding with vanilla wafers to a version swirled with Nutella to a Cherry Swirl with plump orchard cherries.
Oversized cinnamon rolls come in six flavors and can be “stuffed” with your favorite cobbler.
Hours: 11am-10pm daily
family
521 S. Highland St., Suite 101; (901) 249-2636; orderfam.com
On Oct. 16, Fam officially reopened its East Memphis location at 521 S. Highland St. on the Highland Strip.
Fam opened its first location in November 2018. Located at 149 Madison Ave., the fast-casual restaurant quickly became a favorite for Downtown diners.
The Downtown Asian eatery expanded in late February 2020 with the opening of the second location. It’s been closed since the initial pandemic shutdown.
The Highland Strip restaurant, which has a light-filled dining room with a comfortable and casual vibe, is slightly larger than the original location, with seating for just over 50 guests. Parking is available in front of the restaurant in the Highland Strip parking lot.
At both locations, Fam serves Asian fare such as sushi, rice bowls and noodle bowls with a healthy spin and an emphasis on freshness.
Hours: 11 am-2:30 pm and 4:30-9 pm Monday-Friday; 4:30-9pm Saturday; closed Sunday
Limelight
7724 Poplar Pike, Germantown; (901) 791-2328; www.limelightgermantown.com
Limelight is Germantown’s newest fine dining eatery. The restaurant opened Oct. 19 at 7724 Poplar Pike.
It is the latest venture by Kirk Cotham and Chad Foreman of Wolf River Hospitality Group. The group owns such Memphis eateries as Pyro’s, Abner’s and Wolf River Brisket Co.
The two have transformed the building that was most recently Farm & Fries into a picturesque and inviting restaurant. With only 75 seats, the restaurant offers an intimate dining experience.
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The full-service restaurant features a craft cocktail forward bar menu, a well-balanced wine list and creative Southern dishes inspired by local ingredients.
Chef Josh Utley leads the kitchen at Limelight. The menu will be carefully curated, changing with the seasons.
Hours: 5-10pm Wednesday-Saturday; the bar opens at 4:30pm for Happy Hour
Cordova Cinema Grill
1080 N Germantown Parkway, Cordova; malco.com
On Oct. 19 Malco Theaters debuted its all-new Cordova Cinema Grill.
The 15-screen theater, located at 1080 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova, has been open since 2001. The newly renovated cinema boasts a redesigned front-entry, modernized lobby, self-serve drink stations and luxury reserved all-recliner seating.
Before or after the movie, patrons can enjoy a meal at its new Malco bar and grill concept. An expanded menu offers selections such as Toasted Ravioli, BBQ Nachos, Fireball Shrimp, Chicken Tenders and Angus Burgers. A full bar, serving cocktails, wine and beer, is part of the new dining options.
Central BBQ
6547 Getwell Road, Southaven; (662) 470-7354; eatcbq.com
Central BBQ opened a restaurant in Southaven’s Silo Square on Oct. 27. The new location is the company’s first freestanding, new construction design and buildout.
Central BBQ, which was started in 2002, is a hometown favorite. There are currently four Memphis locations and two Nashville locations. The Silo Square location is the company’s first restaurant in Mississippi.
While Central BBQ’s original location at 2249 Central Ave. is being rebuilt, the company will have its food truck parked on the midtown lot daily while work continues on the main restaurant. The food truck will be serving all the hits: ribs, wings, nachos and sandwiches. The truck is open 11 am-sunset Monday-Sunday. Online ordering and call-in orders available.
Hours: 11am-9pm daily
Quintessential Sweets
97 N. Main St.; quintessentialsweets.com
Italian ice, fried twinkies and hand-dipped caramel apples are just a few of the sweet treats you will find at the new Quintessential Sweets in Downtown Memphis.
Cassandra and Christopher Gray opened the second location of their family sweets shop on Oct. 28 at 97 N. Main St.
At this “Build Your Own Sweets” shop, guests can customize their favorite treats with their favorite toppings.
Choose from an assortment of flavors of ice cream and frozen “snow” (a kosher, fat-free, cholesterol- and dairy-free Italian ice).
Fried-to-order treats include Funnel Cakes, Deep Fried Oreos, and Deep Fried Twinkies.
Savory and sweet popcorn and chocolate-dipped treats (like caramel apples, strawberries and Rice Krispy Treats) are also on the menu.
Everything is made from scratch at the shop.
Hours: Noon-10 pm Tuesday-Saturday; 1-10pm Sundays; closed Monday
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.