New restaurants have popped up all across the Mid-South in recent months, bringing everything from Sichuan Chinese near the University of Memphis to honey-made bagels and fresh, homemade pastries in East Memphis.
There's new high-end dining on Summer Avenue, along with fresh seafood and oysters served in Downtown Memphis, complete with stunning riverfront views.
These latest openings offer a snapshot of a city where the appetite for fresh culinary experiences remains strong, and where new restaurants aren't all following the same recipe.
Here are 12 new Memphis-area restaurants making noise, and a whole lot of dinner conversation.
Little Petals
551 S. Highland St. | petalsofapeony.com
Little Petals brings the Petals of a Peony family to the University of Memphis
area. It is the fourth Little Petals outpost and the sixth restaurant in the family, joining full-service Petals of a Peony restaurants in Cordova and Overton Square, as well as Little Petals locations in Collierville, Downtown and East Memphis. And here's some more good news: Another one is on its way in Raleigh.
More casual and quick-service than its full-service counterparts, the Highland Strip restaurant offers a blend of Sichuan specialities and American-Chinese favorites.
Kung pao chicken, beef with broccoli, crispy duck, spicy dumplings and egg drop soup are among the menu's crowd-pleasers. The standout, however, may be the daily lunch buffet, an especially appealing option at $12.99 for adults and $6.50 for kids 3-10.
The celebrated restaurant brand gained regional attention when the Cordova location was named a Michelin Guide Recommended restaurant for the American South.
Spoken For
477 S. Main St., beneath ARRIVE Memphis | spokenformemphis.com
Craft cocktails, smash burgers and late-night service are what to expect in this new Downtown spot, located in the former Longshot space beneath ARRIVE Memphis. From restaurateur Teddy Jasper, think of it as a neighborhood South Main bar serving serious cocktails and thoughtful hospitality.
Hive
585 Erin Drive | hivebagelanddeli.com/menu
The original Downtown Memphis concept has expanded to a much larger, full-scale East Memphis neighborhood bakery and deli. At 5,000 square feet (roughly five times larger than the Downtown spot), the Erin Drive location is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m., giving it more of an all-day breakfast/lunch-and-snack feel.
With dedicated spaces for pastries, sandwiches, bagels and sourdough, the larger, more extensive menu includes favorites like the Wally's Salad Erin with its healthy mix of shaved napa cabbage, greens, avocado, pepitas, heirloom tomato, sweet potato and a miso-balsamic dressing and the Hive Breakfast Plate, which includes two scrambled or fried eggs, bacon, sourdough toast, cultured butter and house jam.
Yet remaining at Hive's core are those signature bagels, made with honey from the owners' own beehives and boiled for baking. This honey/local-ingredient identity is really central to the Hive brand and its incredible success.
JTAP Kitchen
3397 Summer Ave. | jtapkitchen.com
A newer high-end-casual dinner restaurant that opened in August in a renovated taco-restaurant space, JTAP Kitchen's menu leans toward Southern-influenced comfort food with upscale presentation. Ribeye, rosemary rack of lamb, lobster tails, salmon, catfish and seafood pasta sit alongside the more traditional burgers, wings, Philly sandwiches and chicken BLTs.
A hybrid between neighborhood restaurant and a more polished special-occasion spot, JTAP Kitchen is a very welcome new addition to the Summer Avenue dining scene, an interesting alternative to the Downtown/Midtown Memphis circuit.
Temoor La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
7730 Wolf River Blvd., Germantown
This second Germantown location of Temoor La Hacienda opened Sept. 14 in the former Mike's Hot Wings & Such space.
Owned by Temoor Sarwar, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant in the one-story Wolf River retail building offers classic Memphis-area Mexican cuisine including fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, salads, soups and classic margaritas.
Its three signature items are the yummy "much liked" white cheese dip, del mar fajita nachos (loaded with steak, chicken and shrimp, plus grilled onion, bell peppers and tomatoes) and the steak ranchero entree (steak topped with ranchero sauce and grilled onions served with rice, beans and three flour tortillas).
In addition to its other Germantown location at 3170 Village Shops Drive, Temoor La Hacienda has locations in Cordova (1760 N. Germantown Parkway) and Collierville (255 New Byhalia Road).
Big Bad Breakfast
2149 Young Ave. | bigbadbreakfast.com
Just opened on Sept. 29, Big Bad Breakfast is bringing its signature Southern-style breakfast and brunch to Cooper-Young. Created by James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, the new spot serves up homemade favorites like fluffy biscuits, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, hearty breakfast skillets and fresh-squeezed juices.
With a menu that blends classic Southern comfort food with a chef-driven twist, Big Bad Breakfast is a welcome new addition to the neighborhood's already lively and thriving dining scene. This is the Bluff City's second location, following the Big Bad Breakfast on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis.
Pot Headz Coffee
95 N. Cooper
This handcrafted coffeehouse operates out of a small hut in the back of Curio Commons at the edge of the Cooper-Young district and Overton Square.
The menu focuses on specialty and drip coffees, espressos, matcha, a variety of house-made flavored syrups like salted caramel, sparking orange, and the CBV (Cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla), plus baked goods such as fresh strawberry blondies.
Taco Prime
180 S. Germantown Parkway | tacoprime.com
Taco Prime Cordova opened over the summer in the former Guthrie's space near the Agricenter. This comes just less than a year after the original Taco Prime opened in Bartlett in September 2025. (There's also one coming to East Memphis at the corner of Poplar and White Station in the old Starbucks spot.)
The local restaurant chain's menu is essentially authentic Mexican food built around tacos and homemade-style corn tortillas, rather than the more Americanized Mexican fast-food model.
Tacos of all varieties include fish, shrimp, ribeye, pollo and asada (grilled steak, onion and cilantro). Burritos, quesadillas, rice and bean bowls and loaded nachos are also available.
Sweet Fizz
2362 McIngvale Road, Hernando | sweetfizzhernando.com
Sweet Fizz has been adding a little fizz in Hernando ever since it opened in August. A family-run specialty drink shop, Sweet Fizz lets customers mix and match sodas, flavored syrups, cold foams and other creative add-ins, alongside energy drinks, lemonades and sweet treats like Dippin' Dots.
Founded by local couple Wes and Heather Callahan, Sweet Fizz is designed to be more than a quick drink stop. It's been designed to be a welcoming neighborhood hangout where families and friends can grab something fun, customize their order and make some sweet memories along the way.
El Agave Mexican Grill
5007 Black Road | elagavemexicanrestaurants.com
A 2026 arrival in the former San Diego Cantina space, El Agave began in New Albany, Mississippi, 13 years ago and has expanded to several cities, with Memphis being its newest market. (There's also one other Mid-South location in Southaven.)The sizeable East Memphis building, a prime real estate spot just off Poplar next to Ben & Jerry's, had sat empty for years, so this is a prominent opening for the highly populated area. Surrounded by a Kroger, Whole Foods, Malco Paradiso movie theater and the Clark Tower, the neighborhood could use a substantial contemporary Mexican restaurant.
The expansive menu should have something for everyone: fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tortas, seafood along with homemade salsa and daily-made chips and guacamole. The restaurant describes itself as family-friendly and offers catering, takeout, delivery, vegetarian and vegan options, plus a bar and happy-hour component.
Yo Bro Coffee
2425 East St., Hernando | yobrocoffee.com
Yo Bro Coffee Co. is bringing a fresh jolt of caffeine and energy to Hernando's coffee scene. Having opened in August, this locally owned shop serves up classic espresso drinks, matcha and fresh-baked treats, along with a food menu for those looking to make a morning — or afternoon — of it.
With a quirky personality and a community-minded feel, Yo Bro is the kind of neighborhood coffee shop designed for everything from a quick caffeine fix to catching up with friends over avocado toast and sourdough breakfast sandwiches.
Walt & Ricky's Seafood Kitchen
1 Dr. M.L.K. Jr Ave. | wrseafood.com
Here's something new and exciting for Downtown Memphis: an upscale, riverfront seafood restaurant and oyster bar with a Southern/Creole influence. Although it would make a great date-night destination, the atmosphere at Walt & Ricky's remains cozy and accessible, while the unobstructed views of the Mississippi River make the Downtown commute worth it.
The restaurant occupies 6,500 square foot space at The Landing Residences, with a raw bar, expansive dining room, sunroom for brunch, patios with full service, a cigar section and a large banquet room for private parties. The menu goes well beyond seafood, with steaks, a large bone-in pork chop and Southern-inspired dishes alongside oysters, crab, sea bass, branzino and other fish and shrimp entrees.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: These 12 new Memphis restaurants are drawing crowds and buzz
