Overton Square Restaurants: Where to Eat in Memphis's Theater District

Overton Square restaurants pack about two blocks of Madison Avenue and Cooper Street in Midtown, and on a show night most of them fill up at once. This is Memphis's theater district: Playhouse on the Square sits at Cooper and Union, Hattiloo Theatre is up the street at 37 S. Cooper, and Lafayette's Music Room serves dinner in the same room as the band. A good night here starts with knowing which kitchen is open, which one takes a reservation, and which one closes before the curtain comes down.

So we checked. Every restaurant below was verified at its own website in October 2026, with the street address read off that page. Hours appear only where the restaurant prints them. The district is small, so this list runs 15 deep, counting a few spots a block or two off the Square. For the rest of the neighborhood, see our Memphis neighborhoods guide; for the wider area, see Midtown Memphis restaurants. — Josh

Where to eat before a show at Playhouse on the Square

These four take a sit-down dinner seriously and sit a short walk from Playhouse and Hattiloo. Book ahead on a show night, and park in the Square's garage on Monroe Avenue, which is free before 6pm and charges a flat evening rate after that.

• Porch & Parlor2125 Madison Ave

  Prime steaks and chops in a Southern steakhouse at the center of the Square. Mon–Thu 4:45–9pm, Fri–Sat 4–9:30pm, Sun 3–9pm, with complimentary valet on Trimble Place between the restaurant and The Memphian.

• Complicated Pilgrim21 S Cooper St (The Memphian)

  The Memphian hotel's travel-inspired lobby restaurant, with dishes borrowed from culinary traditions around the world. Breakfast daily 6:30–11am, weekday happy hour 2–5pm, and dinner Mon–Sat 5–10pm. No dinner service on Sunday, so plan around it for a Sunday matinee.

• Petals of a Peony2110 Madison Ave

  Chengdu-style Sichuan from the group whose Cordova original was a 2025 Michelin Guide selection: dan dan noodles with house chili oil, Peony chicken, mapo tofu. Mon–Thu 11am–2:30pm and 4:30–9:30pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9:30pm.

• Golden India2097 Madison Ave

  The Square's Indian dining room, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on the menu and catering on the side. Mon–Sat 11am–9:30pm; Sunday opens at 3pm, so it's a dinner-only stop that day.

Casual Overton Square restaurants: pizza, Cajun, and pub food

Where the Square eats on a regular weeknight, with kids in tow or a group that can't agree. All five are open seven days unless noted.

• Memphis Pizza Cafe2087 Madison Ave

  The Overton Square original of the local thin-crust chain, with "the best pizza in Memphis 28 years running" on its own site. Unlike the Park Avenue and Germantown stores, this one opens on Mondays: daily 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat to 11.

• Boscos2120 Madison Ave

  Tennessee's first brewpub, which opened in 1992 and now pours its house beer, including the Flaming Stone ale, in the old Bombay Bicycle Club building on the Square. Mon–Thu 11am–9:30pm, Fri–Sat to 10, and Sunday brunch from 10:30am. Reservations on Resy.

• Bayou Bar & Grill2094 Madison Ave

  Cajun cooking on the Square since 1987, when chef Michael Cahal opened it after learning under Paul Prudhomme. Gumbo, po'boys, étouffée, and the house Zydeco Wings. Open daily 11am–10pm, with a weekday happy hour.

• BabaluOverton Square

  Southern cooking with a Latin accent from a locally owned group, plus the margarita that won the Memphis Flyer's Best of Memphis in 2025 and 2026. The Overton Square store runs Sun–Thu 11am–9pm and Fri–Sat to 11.

• Dog & Bone2116 Madison Ave

  A British pub, now open on the Square: bangers and mash made to a Lincolnshire sausage recipe, fish and chips with mushy peas, and sticky toffee pudding. Its site doesn't post hours yet, so check its socials before you go.

Overton Square bars, live music, and late nights

The Square stays up after the theaters let out. These three are built for a drink, a band, or a late plate. For the citywide lists, see the best bars in Memphis and happy hour in Memphis.

• Tiger & Peacock21 S Cooper St, 7th floor (The Memphian)

  The Memphian's rooftop bar, with astronomy-themed cocktails and small plates above the Square. Tue–Wed 5–11pm, Thu–Sat 5pm–midnight, Sun 5–10pm; no Monday hours. 21 and up, with a dress code: no athletic wear, and men need a collared shirt or blazer.

• Lafayette's Music Room2119 Madison Ave

  The 1970s club that helped launch Billy Joel, KISS, and Big Star, back with live music and a Southern menu (shrimp and grits, wood-fired pizza). Thu 5–10pm, Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat 4pm–midnight, Sun 11am–8pm; closed Monday through Wednesday. A cover charge applies. More rooms in our live music venues guide.

• Madison Tavern2126 Madison Ave

  The Square's 2am kitchen: open 11am–2am every day, with a separate Late Nite menu of birria quesadillas, street tacos, tamales, Philly egg rolls, and a smash burger. Breakfast and brunch menus too.

Restaurants near Overton Square, a block or two away

Step off Madison and Cooper and the choices keep going. These three are close enough to walk to before a show.

• Side Street Grill31 Florence St

  A family-run grill with a patio right off the Square, owned by Kari and Harlan Betlesky since 1998. Its Red Bar is known for regular and jumbo martinis and stays open until 1am on weeknights and 2am on weekends, with live performances on Thursdays.

• Saltwater Crab2059 Madison Ave

  Sushi and Gulf-leaning seafood under one roof: nigiri and sashimi alongside spicy crawfish nachos, seafood gumbo, and fried soft-shell crab. Lunch and dinner with a midafternoon break on weekdays; closed Tuesdays. Call to reserve.

• Huey's Midtown1927 Madison Ave

  The Huey Burger, a few blocks west of the Square, with one of the area's latest kitchens: Sun–Thu until midnight and Fri–Sat until 12:30am. Live music is on its calendar most Sunday afternoons and Tuesday nights this fall.

Closed, moved, or not confirmed

A few names still show up on older Overton Square lists. As of October 2026, The Second Line's own site lists only its East Memphis address (4550 Poplar), and Jacques Louise, the gluten-free bakery, now gives 585 Cooper St in Cooper-Young (Wed–Sun 10am–3:30pm). If a list sends you to Local on the Square at 2126 Madison, that address is Madison Tavern now.

We couldn't confirm two longtime Square names at a source of their own this round: Lenny's Sub Shop on South Cooper (its location finder shows no Memphis store) and Sweet Noshings, the candy and ice cream shop on Madison. Call before you go, and we'll add them back once we can verify them. Headed south down Cooper instead? Our Cooper-Young restaurants guide picks up where this one stops.