A quick ride across the Hernando de Soto Bridge brings you to Southland Casino Hotel, our Best Casino. Readers loved the variety of food options there and the games that keep the party going all night.

Best Casino

Dogs love running wild and free, and pet parents find The Outback at Shelby Farms the best place to let furry friends roam, explore, and sniff to their hearts&rsquo; content.

Best Dog Park

Memphis Zoo continues its years of excellence in Overton Park with loving attention to the basics like fun and hospitality. It also keeps an eye on the horizon. Look&nbsp;for huge upgrades in the&nbsp;Africa section soon.

Best Family Entertainment

There&rsquo;s something very human about a festival rooted in a neighborhood, especially one as diverse and creative as Cooper-Young. Add the fact that it draws scores of artists and craftspeople, and the customers who love them, all soundtracked with great local bands, and what&rsquo;s not to like?

Best Festival

TPC Southwind hosts Memphis&rsquo; only PGA tournament and local golfers love playing the same links that challenge the pros.

Best Golf Course

Best Live Theater

Lucero has never pursued a sonic formula over and over. Rather, they&rsquo;ve intentionally morphed their sound from one album to the next, adopting a soul horn section, incorporating &rsquo;80s power rock synth textures, then stripping it back down, as with last year&rsquo;s intimate release, Lucero Unplugged, featuring Ben Nichols and pianist Rick Steff.

Best Local Band

With Jerred Price on piano and lead vocals, backed by a six-piece band, the faithfulness with which Almost Elton John &amp; the Rocketmen recreate classic tracks by the man born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, now Sir Elton Hercules John, is galvanizing.

Best Local Cover Band

In our 2025 profile of GloRilla, WYXR&rsquo;s Jared Boyd observed that &ldquo;She can put words together in a very tight way, and she is intentional about making sure the South and Memphis are represented in her dialect. &hellip; She has almost single-handedly manufactured this infatuation globally with the way Memphians say things.&rdquo; Go Glo!

Best Local Rapper/Hip-Hop Artist

Since competing in the 8th season of American Idol in 2009, Alexis Grace (now Alexis Middleton IRL) has pursued her own creative destiny. That&rsquo;s also included acting, but she really shines in her original music, like last year&rsquo;s stunningly fun single, &ldquo;West Coast.&rdquo; Look for her Dolly Parton tribute at Hernando&rsquo;s Hide-A-way on October 3rd.

Best Local Singer

Visiting the original grounds of Stax Records, lovingly reconstructed with the original blueprints, is like going to the church of soul. The museum&rsquo;s artifacts are reminders of the remarkable family-like spirit of the little label that could, and all soul music everywhere, and the programming of speakers and other events is always inspired.

Best Memphis Tour

The founding of the National Civil Rights Museum was fraught with the upheaval of those who once resided in the former Lorraine Motel, but now it&rsquo;s impossible to imagine a better site of remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the struggles he represented. Go for the history lesson, stay for its vision of future justice.

Best Museum

Few cities can boast an open area of greenery and recreation as vast and inviting as Shelby Farms Park. From boating on the lake to the zip line to just plain hiking, it&rsquo;s a refreshing expanse of natural woods and meadows that&rsquo;s guaranteed to recharge your urbanite batteries.

Best Park

This year marks the 50th anniversary of our venerable Orpheum Theatre nearly being demolished. The fact that it not only still stands, but has become one of the city&rsquo;s crown jewels in the worlds of theater, music, dance, and cinema, is a testament to the grassroots movement that saved it back in 1976.

Best Performing Arts Venue

The area occupied by the Shell for the past 90 years hosted open-air performances even before the Shell was built. It&rsquo;s the perfect setting for bands, with a legacy of timeless musical performances over the decades that elevates every new artist appearing there.

Best Place To See Live Music

This East Memphis jewel has long been an oasis of nature in the urban landscape. But recently they&rsquo;ve been expanding their artistic horizons, and our readers have noticed. From the massive troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo to this month&rsquo;s Kim Jorgensen painting exhibit in the main hall, the Garden has become a must-see for art lovers.

Best Place to View Art

Best Body Contouring

Best Brow Lamination/Tinting

Best Clinic Injectables

Best Day Spa

Best Hair Salon

Put your tresses in the tremendous hands of Lee Rector. Sitting in Lee&rsquo;s chair unlocks the potential for vibrant colors, impeccable styling, and pristine cuts. Leave it to Lee! You won&rsquo;t be disappointed.

Best Hair Stylist (Name and Company)

Best Laser Hair Removal

Manis and pedis and gel, oh my! Nail Bar &amp; Co. is the perfect destination for glamorous nails and toes. From French tips to hand-drawn designs, the professionals at Nail Bar &amp; Co. are waiting to have you in their chair.

Best Nail Salon

Best Place for a Lash Lift or Tint

Best Place for Eyebrow Threading

Levy Dermatology&rsquo;s staff puts your skin first. Their skilled professionals have helped them become the premier destination for laser hair removal and laser/vein treatment.
&nbsp;

Best Place for Laser/Vein Treatment

Best Place for Microneedling

Best Place for Skin Rejuvenation

The folks at Germantown Day Spa are committed to making you look and feel your best. Their team of professionals has solidified them as the premier spot for brow lamination, lash lifts, clinic injectables, and more.

Best Place to Get a Facial

The team at Honey Skin and Body Bar believes you should &ldquo;be sweet to yourself, honey.&rdquo; Nothing screams self-care like the perfect spray tan. Their natural approach to spray tans gives you the optimal custom experience.

Best Place to Get a Tan

At Pretty Girls Get Waxed, your appointment is more than a booking &mdash; it&rsquo;s an experience. Their Waxperts are dedicated to giving you quick and comfortable care. From Brazilians to bikinis, the team is focused on delivering the ultimate package.

Best Place to Get Waxed

Loving on your locks has never been easier thanks to the staff at Dabbles. Need the perfect blowout or a new color? Let the pros at Dabbles help you unlock your signature look.

Best Salon for Hair Color 

Looking for vivacious volume or luxurious length? The stylists at Pavo have got you covered. The salon offers tape-in, hand-tied, and halo extensions, offering a variety of options to upgrade your hair.

Best Salon for Hair Extensions

Since 2012, Maggie Louise has been dedicated to becoming the ultimate destination for the bride-to-be. Whether you&rsquo;re browsing their LTK for inspiration, or starting your bridal look from scratch, Maggie Louise is the perfect step towards &ldquo;I do.&rdquo;

Best Bridal Boutique

Amber Lovell, Pink Flamingo&rsquo;s owner, says, &ldquo;We will work day and night to develop the perfect plan for each and every event.&rdquo; Types of catering include hors d&rsquo;oeuvres, breakfast, dinner, luncheons, weddings, and bridal tastings.

Best Catering Company

DJ A.D. has been spinning her unique blend of grooves since 2016. Nowadays, she&rsquo;s one of the most in-demand DJs in the city, playing countless weddings and private parties, plus special public throwdowns like the Bey Day Extravaganza at Lafayette&rsquo;s Music Room.

Best Event DJ

Need the details just so? From timing and decor to guest lists and vendors, Flyer readers trust Purple Door Planning to make their special event dreams come true.

Best Event Planner

The beautiful backdrop of Memphis Botanic Garden makes it a stunning venue for myriad events &mdash; weddings, expos, and anything in between. Memphians love to gather at the garden.

Best Event Rental Venue

From a dozen long-stemmed roses to a bouquet of carnations on that special occasion, whatever your floral needs, Pugh&rsquo;s blooms are like a warm hug, no stink about it.

Best Florist

The stylists at Pavo know their way to the perfect hair style for the event of a lifetime. Pavo&rsquo;s professional team is adept at lavish layers, head-turning highlights,&nbsp;and more. Your signatures tyle is one appointment&nbsp;away!

Best Place for Hair Styling

Whether you&rsquo;re prepping for a photo shoot or shoring up your bridal glam, your face is in good hands with Kasey Acuff. The Mario Dedivanovic-certified makeup artist has glammed some of Memphis&rsquo; most glamorous girls. Let Kasey bring out your inner glow!

Best Place for Makeup Artistry

Best Place for Rehearsal Dinner

Sam Sikes&rsquo; website encourages readers to &ldquo;experience your moments with confidence.&rdquo; The bride and groom can enjoy their day naturally, knowing someone is there to capture it all for the ages.

Best Wedding Photographer 

Frost Bake Shop&rsquo;s website saystheir cakes are &ldquo;known for theirgreat flavor, tender crumb, and unrivaled moistness.&rdquo; You can also order customc akes &ldquo;with specific colors, themes, design, and detail.&rdquo; The bakery, which opened in 2004, has three locations: East Memphis, Collierville, and Lakeland, Tennessee.

Best Bakery

Best Bar Food

Best Barbecue

Best Bloody Mary

The aroma of great food&nbsp; greets you when you walk&nbsp; in the door. Then it&rsquo;s time to&nbsp; sit down to everything from&nbsp; bacon, eggs, and pancakes to&nbsp; a &ldquo;Hungry Tiger,&rdquo; which the&nbsp; menu describes as &ldquo;a bed of&nbsp; home fries topped with sauteed&nbsp; tomatoes and green onions,&nbsp; with bacon, ham, sausage, feta,&nbsp; cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss&nbsp; cheese.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Best Breakfast

It just makes sense! The Best&nbsp; Brunch place also has the Best&nbsp; Bloody Mary. Flyer readers&nbsp; defi nitely know how to get a&nbsp; day started at Karen Carrier&rsquo;s&nbsp; longtime Cooper-Young&nbsp; mainstay. And where else in town can you sit under a hair&nbsp; dryer while imbibing?

Best Brunch

Best Burger

Since 1987, this has been the&nbsp; Overton Square version of&nbsp; a French Quarter eatery. Its&nbsp; Cajun fare includes po&rsquo;boys,&nbsp; mu&nbsp; alettas, jambalaya, and&nbsp; oysters. This also is where you&nbsp; can say &ldquo;laissez les bons temps&nbsp; rouler&rdquo; (&ldquo;let the good times&nbsp; roll&rdquo;)&nbsp;all year long &mdash; not just on&nbsp; Fat Tuesday.

Best Cajun/Creole

These two guys have been creating and serving high class, innovative cuisine since opening their first restaurant, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. They&rsquo;re now taking Memphis by storm with their recently&nbsp; opened two-restaurants-in one-building: Josephine Estelle on the first floor and Rosie&rsquo;s Tavern on the second floor.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Best Chef (Name and Company)

People are raving about Petals of a Peony, which features Sichuan fare. Their website&nbsp; offers &ldquo;a culinary journey where&nbsp; centuries of tradition meet the fiery passion of authentic&nbsp; Chengdu spices.&rdquo; As Alex&nbsp; Greene writes in Memphis&nbsp; Magazine, &ldquo;Petals of a Peony takes the flavors of home very seriously.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Best Chinese

Cxffeeblack&rsquo;s &ldquo;Afro-Futuristic take on coffee&rdquo; is the city&rsquo;s most sophisticated and mindful roasting operation. It&rsquo;s not just their new Gold Brew iced coffee drink, it&rsquo;s the attention to detail and commitment to building an ethically sourced, all-Black supply chain that sets them apart from the competition.

Best Coffee Roaster

Best Date-Night Restaurant

Pull up to the yard with your pooch in tow. Loflin loves dogs and has plenty of room for them to play and meet new friends &mdash; humans and peers alike!

Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant/Bar

Whether you&rsquo;re ordering a &ldquo;maple bacon donut&rdquo; or just a couple of glazed beauties to dip in your coffee, Gibson&rsquo;s is the spot, with lots of places to sit and people-watch while you snack. Gibson&rsquo;s recently brought back its long conference-like table, where big groups can gather to sweeten their teeth.

Best Donut Shop

Porch &amp; Parlor&rsquo;s website promises &ldquo;the finest prime steaks and chops culminating in a Southern steakhouse experience.&rdquo; We recommend starting with steak tartare and prime filet egg rolls, followed by a petite filet or a hefty tomahawk ribeye. Grab a table outside so you can see and be seen in Overton Square.

Best Fine Dining/New American

Best Food Truck

At parties, people gobble up the Gus&rsquo;s chicken as soon as the tray hits the table. The original Gus&rsquo;s location in Mason, Tennessee, got the recipe just right. Now, you can continue gobbling at their locations throughout the region.

Best Fried Chicken

You&rsquo;re likely to see somebody you know at The Cupboard. Like you, they want a variety of vegetables with their meal. And soulful classics like chicken and dressing with cranberry sauce, with sides like corn pudding, eggplant casserole, fried green tomatoes, or a baked apple, followed by dessert, will put you in a good mood for hours.

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

Whether you&rsquo;re a Honey Gold or a Lemon Pepper aficionado, Crumpy&rsquo;s is where you&rsquo;re going to find the wings that will hit the spot in your palate. They offer bone-in or boneless wings. Take your pick, then pick them apart and enjoy.

Best Hot Wings

Let&rsquo;s whisper these words in your ear: butter chicken, lamb meatballs, garlic naan, palak paneer. Now you&rsquo;ve got some dishes to start with at India Palace, and you will be happy. But then there&rsquo;s so much more &hellip;

Best Indian

This time-honored family restaurant mainly offers Italian classics like spaghetti, ravioli, manicotti, and chicken or eggplant parmigiano, to name a few. But Pete &amp; Sam&rsquo;s menu also includes grouper and fried, grilled, or baked chicken. You can even get a hamburger. And the bar is a hot spot to hang out.

Best Italian

Just the menu descriptions at Red Koi make you hungry: Kurumi Shrimp &mdash; &ldquo;Lightly fried shrimp with creamy sauce, scallions and sweet mayo;&rdquo; or Kani Hani &mdash; &ldquo;Crabmeat and cream cheese filling, deep-fried to a golden crisp.&rdquo; And that&rsquo;s just two of the appetizers. There&rsquo;s also hibachi, sushi, and sashimi, to name a few offerings.

Best Japanese 

Huey&rsquo;s offers food and drinks from lunchtime to late at night. In addition to its legendary &ldquo;Huey Burger,&rdquo; there&rsquo;s an extensive menu with something for everyone. Recently, they introduced two new items: the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Crispy Chicken BLTA. The restaurant, which opened in 1970, now has 10 locations.

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

You can buy Wiseacre Brewing Co. beer in 21 states and the District of Columbia. They win Memphians&rsquo; hearts with a dedication to their hometown and their two amazing taprooms.

Best Local Brewery

The modest little coffee shop on Poplar has been on a roll lately, expanding to new locations like the Arts Cafe on Broad and jazzing up tired passengers at the airport. Ramblin&rsquo; Joe&rsquo;s even has locations in Nashville and Lenoir City now. The Saving Grace, Hardy Passion, and Fireside are the coffees our readers go for.

Best Local Coffeehouse

Oh, Ricky! Oh, Lucy! Everybody&rsquo;s making tracks to Overton Square to quaff one of Babalu&rsquo;s top-ranked margaritas. Don&rsquo;t be left behind.

Best Margarita

You want aut&eacute;ntico? Los Comales has aut&eacute;ntico, as in street tacos (tongue and al pastor), asada tortas, gorditas, sopes, pescado tostadas, and fajitas. You&rsquo;ll want to exclaim &ldquo;&iexcl;Qu&eacute; rico!&rdquo; But your mouth will be full.

Best Mexican

The movie Casablanca is a classic, and so is the popular Memphis restaurant with its incredible chicken and lamb shawarma, kabobs, and moussaka (but start out with some hummus, baba ghanoush, or spanakopita). You&rsquo;re welcome!

Best Middle Eastern

Seasoned chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman recently introduced Josephine Estelle to offer brilliant Southern-inspired takes on classic Italian dishes. By which we mean everything from &ldquo;Maw Maw&rsquo;s gravy&rdquo; to octopus. There&rsquo;s so much more and it&rsquo;s all so amazing.

Best New Restaurant

The Coastal Fish Company is a great catch, winning in two categories. Standout dishes include the broiled oysters, Chilean sea bass, roasted lobster ravioli, and Louisiana-spiced redfish. End the meal with the coconut cr&egrave;me br&ucirc;l&eacute;e and you&rsquo;ll leave Shelby Farms Park supremely satisfied.

Best Patio

Lucky for all of us, there are a few Memphis Pizza Cafes around town, all the more to enjoy those thin, cracker-style crust pizzas and specialty pies. But do not ignore the fantastic calzones and those enormous loaded salads. Mangia!

Best Pizza

It only opened last year, but Bao Toan is in the top spot for its unusual and unusually well-prepared dishes. The beautiful ambiance helps when you dig in to the Temple Tofu, or coconut rice cakes, or shaking beef. Kind of a delicious and spiritual experience.

Best Restaurant

In addition to excellent shoulder sandwiches and ribs, Central BBQ also features a great potato salad and an extraordinary banana pudding. You can get ribs half wet and half dry, or all the way, but you&rsquo;ll enjoy the paprika-brown sugar-salt spice blend and the happy feeling in your tummy afterward.

Best Ribs

It&rsquo;s a tough category, but Hard Times Deli came out on top with their remarkably high quality preparation of sammies like the SSS Chopped Cheese, the Phil-Lenny Cheesesteak, and the G$ Mortadella (with pepper relish!).

Best Sandwiches

Best Seafood

It should surprise nobody that Memphis servers are the best, so much so that we have a tie between Madison Stover of Young Avenue Deli, and Calvin Bell of Charlie Vergos&rsquo; Rendezvous. They&rsquo;ve got style, they&rsquo;ve got substance, and they&rsquo;ve got your food. Eat up!

Best Server (Name and Company)

Best Smoothies/Juices

The steaks glisten. And the rooms are dark, which is what a prime steak place should look like. And if you don&rsquo;t want to spend much money, order the restaurant&rsquo;s fabulous hamburger on the weekends. This is available in the piano bar, where you also feel like you&rsquo;re really out on the town for an evening.

Best Steak

In a 2021 story, Taco-N-Ganas owner Greg Diaz said he&rsquo;s been cooking since he was born. Maybe that&rsquo;s why it seems like people are always standing in front of Taco-N-Ganas food trucks. Stop by one of their many locations and try some quality Mexican fare.

Best Taco

With multiple locations, there&rsquo;s no excuse not to try Thai from Bangkok Alley. The curry sauces are fantastic, the noodles stellar, and the sushi bar praiseworthy. They know how to make the most of Thai flavors while leaving you satisfied.

Best Thai

At City Silo, the juices are fresh-pressed and the smoothies are deliciously organic. And the food is wonderful no matter who you are, but if you are a vegetarian/vegan, then it&rsquo;s truly a slice of paradise.

Best Vegetarian/Vegan

Longtime favorite Pho Saigon is fast, no-frills, and has a huge Buddha, all of which makes for great Vietnamese cuisine. From the amazing noodle soups to the b&aacute;nh mi brilliance, you&rsquo;ll eat well and not break the bank.

Best Vietnamese

With new laws at the state level moving backwards toward prohibition while the feds move toward a kind of soft legalization via rescheduling, one thing has remained constant: Memphis&rsquo; love of Whatever, the venerable smoke shop that has served our needs since the 1990s. Smoke on, Whatever!

Best Alternative Smoke Shop

The defining feature of this category&rsquo;s winner is size. Collierville&rsquo;s Sheffield Antiques Mall boasts 300 dealers spread out across 78,000 square feet. You can find anything you want, from furniture to knickknacks, collectibles to clothing, and so much more. Be sure to check out the patio area for the best in outdoor furniture.

Best Antiques Store

The choices seem almost endless at both Buster&rsquo;s Liquors &amp; Wines and The Station. The cooler aisles seem to go on forever, their lights illuminating the smiles on the exultant faces of Memphis beer lovers.

Best Beer Selection (in a store)

The name All About Bikes leaves no questions. Bikes. Accessories for bikes. Stuff to wear while on your bike. And bike service. For first-timers to old pros, they are truly about everything bikes.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Best Bicycle Shop

Books can be relied upon for much-needed reprieve when the real world gets tough (and 2026 has been a rough one). Readers overwhelmingly vote Novel as the best when it comes to finding just the right story to escape with.

Best Bookstore

Buster&rsquo;s Butcher describes itself as &ldquo;a full-service meat and cheese shop offering cut to order steaks along with charcuterie, prepared foods, and more.&rdquo; Whether you&rsquo;re grilling brats, burgers, or just want a wagyu hot dog, our readers say this is your place.

Best Butcher

There are a lot of Subie lovers among the Flyer&rsquo;s readership, and they voted Jim Keras number one for service and sales among local dealers. They obviously have a &ldquo;lot&rdquo; going for them.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Best Car Dealership

We&rsquo;re not going to lie: It&rsquo;s been a stressful year here at the Flyer. Like our readers, we turn to Memphis&rsquo; finest domestically produced CBD products at Ounce of Hope to stay calm while the whole world is turned upside down. Take it from us, their Buttercream Caramels are the 901&rsquo;s finest edible.

Best CBD Store

Since its beginnings in 2010, the little farmers market that could, nestled in First Congo&rsquo;s parking lot, has blossomed into the city&rsquo;s foremost purveyor of fresh produce, craft foods, and art. Partaking of its neighborhood&rsquo;s copacetic vibes, it&rsquo;s the perfect place to stroll, nosh, and imagine what recipes can best enhance all that farm-fresh goodness.

Best Farmers Market

Floors. We walk on them every day without much thought. But for a home or business to look top-tier from the ground up, Flyer fans choose America&rsquo;s Floor Source.

Best Flooring Store

There&rsquo;s nothing like digging in the dirt, planting seeds, and watching them grow. Urban Earth has everything you need to start, expand, or otherwise beautify your home&rsquo;s earthen landscape, and our readers consider them a go-to.

Best Garden Center

Accessories, decor, bath and body, and more: Paradox at PeCo&rsquo;s unique selection of goods has placed it at the top of Flyer readers&rsquo; gift lists.

Best Gift Shop

Voters love Trader Joe&rsquo;s so much, they drive all the way to (gasp!) Germantown to get its signature items, like the brand&rsquo;s beloved mandarin orange chicken, chocolate peanut butter cups, and other treats.

Best Grocery Store

From everyday decor to seasonal celebrations, John Mark&rsquo;s has floral arrangements, bits and baubles, and all the trimmings to create a stylish environment.

Best Home Decor

Southland Casino Hotel

Gold Strike Casino Resort

Horseshoe Tunica

Discover the only destination with more of everything you want most! It's world-class gaming with high-limit slots and tables, plus the hottest penny slots! Enjoy award-winning restaurants, live music, and plush accommodations.