Restaurant IrisvsArcade Restaurant
Both restaurants are endorsed by professionals. On balance, Restaurant Iris scores marginally higher than Arcade Restaurant. Restaurant Iris ranks #2 in Memphis with accolades from 5 reviewers including Tasting Table, Frommer's and Afar Magazine.
Restaurant Iris
Afar Magazine
Where
Tasting Table
Frommer's
Eater
2146 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
From $31/night
Afar Magazine "Wonderful food and drinks in a converted house with a touch of New Orleans feel here - don't miss." Full review
Where "Many Memphians will tell you this room is the best restaurant in town, hands down." Full review
Tasting Table "Hailed as one Memphis's best restaurants, it dishes a surf and turf that is a local favorite." Full review
Frommer's "Occupies a small two-story house with the tables divvied up among its various rooms...the menu includes such dishes as lobster-knuckle sandwich, bacon-braised Brussels sprouts salad, shrimp and grits" Full review
Eater "At Iris, chef Kelly English has endeavored to bring a modern take on a New Orleans-style restaurant to East Memphis. Equal parts Crescent City native and Memphis booster, English has..."
The 16 Essential Restaurants of Memphis
June 15, 2021
Arcade Restaurant Frommer's
Gayot Afar Magazine Where Tasting Table
Independent
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
National Geographic![USA Today 10Best]()
USA Today 10Best
540 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103-4810
From $0/night
Frommer's "The Arcade may not be the best place for breakfast in town, but it's definitely one of the most well-known." Full review
Gayot12.0
"Memphisâ oldest continuously operating diner offers greasy breakfast plates, meat-and-threes, sandwiches and pizzas." Full review
Afar Magazine "When downtown, Memphians looking for a good breakfast or meat-and-two lunch go straight to the Arcade, the landmark restaurant located in the heart of the South Main Historic Arts District." Full review
Where "Open since 1919, the Arcade calls itself Memphis' oldest café. The menu carries straightforward classics such as breakfast dishes, salads, pizzas and sandwiches." Full review
Tasting Table "The Arcade Restaurant is not merely a diner; it's a Memphis landmark." Full review
Independent "Start with breakfast at the southern-style Arcade Restaurant, one of Elvis’s favourites. Dating back to 1919, it’s billed as Memphis’s oldest cafe and the blue booths and neon signage..."
Lonely Planet "Max's Sports Bar is nestled next to Elvis' favorite breakfast spot – Arcade Restaurant"
Lonely Planet "True Elvis fans know to ask for the corner booth at Arcade Restaurant in Memphis. That’s where the King regularly sat at this downtown diner during regular visits for his beloved peanut..."
10 spots to trace Elvis Presley's legacy in the US
August 16, 2022
National Geographic "The fantastically retro, family-run Arcade Restaurant is a South Main staple. Opened in 1919 and now in the hands of its fourth generation of owners, the diner was a frequent haunt of..."
10Best Winner
"The oldest cafe in all of Memphis, The Arcade Restaurant has been serving up flavorful breakfast fare since 1919. Today, this storied spot pays homage to one of the city's best-known..." Full review
