Memphis part 2 - Beale Street

This be the place!

Historically, Beale Street was developed (as Beale Avenue in the 1840’s) with merchants that traded with the Mississippi river boats on the western end and an upscale residential neighborhood on the eastern end of the street. Beale was near the center of Memphis.  Twenty years later the first roving black musicians arrived and Beale Street has never been the same.

 

By the 1900’s Beale Street was the center of a prosperous black business district with plenty of shops, restaurants and clubs. During the 1870’s Robert Church became the first black Southern millionaire by buying up distressed Beale Street property during a Yellow Fever epidemic that practically destroyed Memphis. In 1909 legendary “Father of the Blues” W.C. Handy settled in Memphis and had an office on Beale Street. With the publication of Memphis Blues in 1912 Beale Street was established as a center of black entertainment.

The legendary BB King's Blues Club on Beale Street

 By the 1980’s a revival was in progress.

 

The list of musical artists associated with Beale Street and the Memphis Sound is phenomenal. W.C. Handy, Louis Armstrong, Rufus Thomas, and Memphis Minnie all played here during the 40’s. A young man named Riley King arrived on Beale Street and went to work as a musician and DJ on Memphis radio. During his stint as a DJ, Mr. King received the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy. We know him today simply as BB King. BB has often said that he knew a young Elvis Presley because this strange high school aged white kid would hang around, listen to Ike Turner perform, and then would buy outlandish clothing at Lansky Brothers on Beale Street. Beale Street was the epicenter of blues and what would become rock and roll.

Wednesday night Bike Nights are intense! And popular.

 Today, the stretch of Beale from 2^nd Street to 4^th Street is usually blocked off to automotive traffic. The big exception to that rule is Wednesday night when Bike Night gets into full swing and motorcycles and some hot rods line Beale Street.

 

Beale Street is quite a party. Think of it as being like New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, but smaller, and a bit more restrained (in Memphis you are unlikely to find puke in the gutters and there are no gentlemen’s clubs at the end of the tourist area of Beale Street, for instance). The New Orleans influence is overwhelming on Beale Street. Beale Street celebrating typically continues until 3AM.   Expect the biggest crowds on the weekends.

 

 

• BB King’s Restaurant and Blues Club. You feel like you are in the middle of history, but the prices are a bit on the high side. I was told that BB no longer owns the place but that he often plays there to standing room crowds.  Ticket prices aren’t cheap. (http://www.bbkingclubs.com/index.php?page=memhome )
• Silky O’Sullivan’s. I really, really wanted to warm up to Silky’s but the service at the indoor bar was really lousy. My sandwich was OK but nothing out of the ordinary. The performer that day was minimally talented, and that’s being kind. The outdoor bar might be better. Their site is at http://www.silkyosullivans.com/ . Silky, incidentally, works 24/7, 7 days a week. You can see him in the bar. The taxidermist did a good job.
• Tater Red’s. Outside New Orleans, how often do you see a store dedicated to voodoo?
• King’s Palace Café ( http://www.kingspalacecafe.com/home.htm ) always seemed to have some good, live, authentic blues going on. That contrasts with some of the other places whose “talent” left something to be desired.
• The Beale Street Tap Room has the best beer selection on Beale Street.   I dropped a considerable amount of money there sampling the beers (all very cold I might add) in order to give you this report, so you might thank me later. It’s a tough gig but someone has to do it. Nice atmosphere and the beertenders were very nice to me, a mere tourist. Another review described this as being the most “real” place on Beale Street. They do seem to have their regulars. Highly recommended. http://www.myspace.com/bealestreettaproom
• The Pig on Beale. I love their motto: “pork with an attitude.” They really do have about the best bar-b-que that I found in Memphis during the month that we were there. Give them a try. http://www.pigonbeale.com/
• Superior Bar and Restaurant. They advertise that they are the newest joint on Beale Street. I had a couple of simple meals there and thought that, for a touristy area where food was over priced at most places, that the Superior offered good fare at good prices. Recommended. http://www.superiorbealestreet.com/home.htm

 

Beale Street crowded? Want to find a nice restaurant with good food and good service? Have I got the place for you, and it’s only a few blocks away from BB King’s place on Beale. Walketh over to Pearl’s Oyster House for some of the best oysters and other food that you are going to find anywhere. In particular, we became addicted to the char grilled oysters, and made several repeat trips to get our fix. Highly recommended. http://www.pearlsoysterhouse.com/ Oh, and here are some photos of Pearl’s. Lots of good experiences there.  http://www.fototime.com/inv/E814E160AE0F1DA