If you're hunting for the ultimate Elvis experience, then add a meal at The Beauty Shop. This Midtown eatery was once a sleek salon in the 1950s, where young Priscilla Presley visited for her curl-and-dye treatments.
Chef‑owner Karen Blockman Carrier preserved the vintage shop with its terrazzo floors and the Jetsons‑era Vitrolite façade when she converted the space into a restaurant in 2002.
Sitting in the heart of the Cooper‑Young entertainment district, the restaurant is an easy drive to top Memphis attractions. Graceland lies to the south, Sun Studio to the north, and the neon of Beale Street glows just over two miles away. Travelers exploring the Memphis Zoo or the galleries of Crosstown Concourse can slide west along Union Avenue and arrive in time for brunch without crossing the river of downtown traffic.
Chef Carrier's menu mirrors the city's crossroads and reflects her website's mantra: "Look Good. Eat Good." The menu combines global techniques with Southern tradition, such as tahini-kissed grits and rye-barrel bourbon in dessert sauces.
Seasonal produce from Mid‑South farms rotates through specials, while staples like steak frites and herb‑crusted trout give regulars something familiar to crave. Brunch stretches late on weekends, luring early risers and late sleepers alike with lemon ricotta pancakes, challah French toast, and crab cake Benedict.
Whether stopping in after touring blues landmarks or before a show at the Orpheum Theatre, The Beauty Shop is a must on your Memphis adventure.
Vibe
The exterior retains its 1950s vibe with the green Vitrolite panels and matching awnings over the chrome-trimmed windows. The vintage gold leaf "The Beauty Shop" on the glass adds a classic touch, while the dangling overhead sign adds a contemporary flair.
Once inside, you'll swear you're back in time! Original glittery salon chairs have hair‑dryer domes repurposed as whimsical booth canopies. Walls of glass block windows separate the dining areas, while hammered copper and silver-leaf accents make the walls stand out.
The atmosphere is festive yet intimate, perfect for dining. A soundtrack that ranges from Stax soul to indie pop adds the perfect amount of music, whether dining for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
Multiple dining areas make dining at The Beauty Shop ideal for any occasion. Booths offer privacy, tables by the picture window invite people to watch, and bar seats provide a laid-back setting.
The result is an electric and intimate ambiance—an ideal backdrop for savoring Memphis during a long‑anticipated getaway.
The Beauty Shop: Menu & Drinks
With numerous menus to peruse, we are limited in what we can report. We will highlight standouts from each.
One must-try is the Watermelon and Wings, featuring crispy chicken drumettes with chilled melon cubes, cashews, and a sweet chili ginger-lime glaze. Guests praise the contrast as "summer and supper on one fork," with the sweetness, heat, and saltiness uniting as one.
Fans applaud the sesame pecan chicken and waffle for its delicious crust and crunchiness. This entree features a sweet chile lime sauce with sunny eggs and sausage milk gravy on a pecan waffle.
A brunch hit is the Thai-style breakfast bowl. This heaping helping of goodness includes coconut, saffron, lemongrass ginger-lime broth, pork dumplings, maitake, avocado, watermelon, cabbage veg slaw, ginger, pearl jade rice, and sunny eggs. For an additional cost, add Jamaican jerk chicken, fish, steak, or carnitas.
A popular dinner pick is the Caribbean Voodoo Stew, which is extremely popular with seafood lovers. The stew features shrimp, mussels, and snow crab legs in a tomato-herb vegetable bouillabaisse, accompanied by coconut jasmine rice and orange zest.
The drink list garners similar devotion, like the GeeWHiz. This refreshing cocktail has vodka, St. Germain, Altos Blanco tequila, and grapefruit juice. It also includes ginger, lemongrass syrup, lime, kaffir lime salt on the rim.
Wine and beer enthusiasts will enjoy the extensive options, ensuring a perfect pairing with any dish.
Dining at The Beauty Shop will elevate your Memphis vacation with its culinary creativity in a vibe-centric setting. Visit and taste the innovation that keeps Bluff City's cultural scene vibrant.
