Editor Pick
Rum Boogie Cafe
- August 26, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Shady Ady from Hinckley, United Kingdom
I had heard a lot about Beale Street before my trip to Memphis, in particular Rum Boogie Cafe, established in 1985, famed for its Southern food and Southern hospitality, and I was quite excited about the prospect of enjoying a nights entertainment here.
If the offer of fine food and lively music isn’t enough to get you through the doors, the interior houses some of music’s most sought after memorabilia, including more than 200 autographed guitars from some of the greatest performers in the music industry, including Elvis Pressley and Carl Perkins, as well as countless original Memphis concert posters from the 1920-1980s and the original STAX sign that adorned the STAX recording studio. You can spend ours just looking at the walls here!
The restaurant offers a large array of rums and beer, but it’s the food that Rum Boogie is famous for. Cajun and barbecue recipes include ribs, fried catfish, red beans and rice, and, my favourite, their award-winning Gator Gumbo, twice winner of the International Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival and Gumbo Cook-off. If you decide to stop here at lunch, then you also have the choice of their Southern Style Blue Plate dishes, featuring Mississippi Delta style vegetables. Service is fast and comes with a cheerful smile, and the food is reasonably priced considering the location. My Gator Gumbo was only $4, and fried catfish burger was $8. As there are a staggering 16 appetizers to choose from, then you can always choose a variety to get a full flavour of traditional Southern home cooking.
Every night there is live music starting around 9pm. I had the pleasure of listening to James Govan and the Boogie Blues Band. To be honest, Beale Street is a little bit of a tourist trap, so I was only expecting a half-hearted musical display of average blues, but I was completely mistaken. The music was of an excellent quality, and we were still sat in our seats long after we had finished eating and drinking. It was of an extremely high quality.
Although you have to pay $5 to get in, the trick is to arrive around 6pm. Not only do you get in for free, enjoying the fine food in a more relaxed atmosphere when it is less busy, but it also gives you an excellent chance of bagging a good table near to the stage ready for the evenings entertainment.
Rum Boogie Cafe is open 7 days a week from 11am to 2am and is located at Beale Street on the corner of Third Street in Downtown Memphis. Although they don’t accept cheques, they do take all major credit cards. Parking nearby can be a bit of problem. I would recommend going a few blocks nearer to the Mississippi River, where you will find plentiful options at cheaper rates, around $5 for the evening. More information can be found on their website at www.rumboogie.com, or by phoning Rum Boogie Cafe at (901) 528-0150.
From journal Tales of a Travelling Englishman (Part 7 - Tennessee, USA)