The Best Burgers in Memphis

Memphis argues about barbecue politely and about burgers viciously — everybody's got a spot, and half the lists online will send you to a door that's been locked for a year. (A few famous names have gone dark recently: Roxie's Grocery, LBOE, Railgarten, and Belly Acres' last Memphis-side room have all closed since the lists you may have read were written.)

So here's the version you can actually drive to: fifteen burger spots verified open at their own sites in August 2026, from a griddle that's been going since 1912-vintage grease lore to Wagyu newcomers, with hours, prices where the venue publishes them, and the closed-day traps flagged. Come hungry, plan around Sundays. (For the full eating map, start at best restaurants in Memphis.) — Josh

The institutions

The burgers Memphis is actually known for — every one re-verified open, August 2026.

• Huey'sDowntown + metro-wide

  The default answer, and it earned it. The World Famous Huey Burger, toothpicks in the ceiling, and a kitchen that runs 11am–11pm Sun–Thu (to midnight Fri–Sat) downtown. Every out-of-towner's first Memphis burger; every local's fallback. Walk in.

• Dyer's Burgers205 Beale St

  The legend: burgers deep-fried in grease the restaurant says it's been straining and carrying forward for over a century. Right on Beale, open daily from 11am 'till' — their word — which on a weekend means late. The one burger in Memphis that doubles as a history lesson.

• Earnestine & Hazel's531 S Main St

  The Soul Burger — the only thing on the menu, and it only needs the one. Patty, cheese, onions, pickle, and the house Soul Sauce, served in a former brothel that's now the most storied dive in the South. Reopened in 2021 under new ownership after a year dark, and the grill runs Wednesday–Sunday, 5pm–3am — closed Monday and Tuesday, which is the trip that catches people out. Their own site says it best: pay $30 for a fancy burger somewhere else, then come back.

• Green Beetle325 S Main St

  A proper tavern burger in Memphis's oldest tavern, pouring since 1939 — Sun–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat to 11. The room does half the seasoning.

• Tops Bar-B-Q19 locations metro-wide

  The $5.99 sleeper. The barbecue drive-in that's been at it since 1952 grills a quarter-pound TOPS Original Cheeseburger ($5.99 single, $7.99 double) that beats most sit-down versions — and The Fireman ($7.99) piles smoked pork shoulder and hot BBQ sauce on top, the most Memphis burger on this page. (Their pork sandwich is on our BBQ list too.)

• Alex's Tavern1445 Jackson Ave

  The cash-only dive Memphis swears by — the Greek Burger with the house Greek seasoning has been a late-night institution for generations (the same seasoning makes their drummies a legend on our best wings list, and the room anchors our late-night food guide). No website, and we couldn't verify current details at a source we trust this month, so call 901-278-9086 before you go — that's the honest note, and regulars would tell you the call is worth it.

The new school

Wagyu, grass-fed, and smash patties — the last decade's additions, verified current.

• Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint2197 Central Ave, Midtown

  100% American Wagyu, no lettuce or tomato, on purpose. The Greg Brady ($11.99) buries the patty in house mac and cheese and BBQ chips; the Elvis ($11.99) does peanut butter, bacon, and Duke's mayo — in this town, order the Elvis at least once. Sun–Thu 11am–midnight, Fri–Sat to 2am.

• Farm BurgerCrosstown Concourse

  Grass-fed beef ground fresh from whole cuts, scratch sides, and a rotating weekly special — a woman-owned and woman-led room inside the Concourse. Lunch combo with fries and a drink runs $12.99 (11am–3:30pm). Mon–Sat 11am–9pm, closed Sundays.

• Hopdoddy Burger Bar4584 Poplar Ave, East Memphis

  The Austin import at Poplar Commons — get the Wagyu Smash, or wander a menu that runs Angus to bison to ahi tuna. Open daily (from 9am on weekends, with a burger-brunch crowd to prove it).

• SmackersS Highland + Walnut St, plus Bartlett

  The double-patty knockout. The Smackburger ($12.59) stacks two patties, smack sauce, bacon, grilled onions, and a fried egg — a since-2012 local operation that's quietly grown to four locations. Highland runs Mon–Fri 11am–8pm, Sat noon–8, closed Sundays.

Bar burgers worth the trip

Where the burger is the reason to pick the bar.

• Momma's855 Kentucky St

  America's only trucker-themed bar (their claim, and who's competing?) at the Downtown mouth of I-55, open from 7am on weekdays with live music Wed–Sat. The Diablo Burger brings ghost-pepper heat; the room brings everything else. Open to 1am most nights, 3am Fri–Sat.

• Slider InnMidtown + Downtown

  Sliders by the handful, a Jameson slushie on the side, and two patios that fill by 6. Midtown runs to midnight (1am Fri–Sat), Downtown on Mulberry a touch earlier; weekend brunch 11–3 at both.

• Loflin Yard7 W Carolina Ave

  The Old Bridge Burger eaten in two acres of backyard, creek included. Closed Mon–Tue; late Fri–Sat. (The whole yard is on our best bars list.)

• Belle TavernBarboro Alley, Downtown

  The serious burger down the actual alley — the bartender's-bar pick when the night calls for a burger and a bourbon. Tue–Sat from 4pm.

• NV Wine Bar2617 Broad Ave

  The wildcard: a gourmet burger in a wine bar, from the couple behind the much-missed Maximo's. Tue–Sat; their Instagram carries current hours.

What changed — so you don't drive to a locked door

The dated facts worth knowing before you trust an older list: Roxie's Grocery has closed (confirmed mid-2026), LBOE on Madison closed back in 2021, Railgarten is closed with the property up for sale, and Belly Acres no longer has a Memphis location — the Regalia spot closed in 2025 and Collierville followed in April 2026, leaving only Southaven across the line. Every burger above was verified open in August 2026; when one changes, this page changes with it.

The honest answers