earnestine & hazel's

3 friends and i stopped today at 12:45 for lunch and there was not a single sole to be found anywhere - including an employee! there was also absolutely no evidence that anyone had visited today - no food smell, crooked chairs, etc... we walked out after 5 minutes. again this is a thursday at lunch time - hard to believe the reviews are legit.

this is a truly unique place, very true to the eccentric soul of memphis. the place is the definition of a dive bar, but they have what's considered one of the best burgers in the country! it's a very simple preparation. they don't have a dozen options and the burger is pretty basic. but it's cooked to the right consistency and is just delicious! they also have some live music, some billiards and a whole lot of character! definitely worth a visit if you're just visiting memphis!

it was a late friday afternoon so the place was near bare. two tables were occupied. we chose to sit at the bar.order up a soul burger and the coldest beer in town. drink your cold beer, drink the ambiance. relish your burger and listen to the jukebox play every one of you favorite songs .stroll upstairs and envisage. i don't know why but you just want to be there.

yummy.... i stopped in because my wife's train was late (yes people still use the train for trips to new orleans and chicago), so i decided to stop in for cold one and a burger. it was a monday so it was dead but ella (the bartender/cook) was super nice and the burger was delicious...so much so i had her make me a second one to go that i took to work the next day...it was almost as good as the night before even as a leftover. earnestine & hazels is a true diamond in the rough in the memphis pub food scene...i hope they make it another 10, 20 , 30 years.

total dive, total gem. this place is a total dive, but the soul burger is amazing. the upstairs is a little creepy, but stay downstairs and have some burgers and you'll be happy.

wow! just had a soul burger at this place. amazing. nobody in memphis makes a burger like clarence the chef and bartender!!! can't wait to come back!

ernestine and hazels. traveled 12 hours to visit memphis and the main highlight was not graceland or beale st, which were both awesome, but was this little hole in the wall dive bar. i couldn't get enough of it. went back a second night to visit keenan. the upstairs was so creepy and cool. took a million pictures. keenan and his soul burger were to die for. you can not go to memphis and not visit this place. it is a hidden gem and worth every second you spend there. the burger melted in your mouth and keenan's calm southern ways in the midst of a busy big city bustle were welcome. love love love it and would drive the 12 hours again just to hang out here. honestly...please go.

so worth it!. my daughter lives in memphis and she convinced me and her dad that we had to go to e & h before she moves so we went to yesterday, hungry for lunch and were not disappointed. the atmosphere plus the photo ops were fantastic and the history of the building almost outweighed the food - until we took a bite. yum!! what's not to love about meat and cheese?? add onions, pickles and some tasty "soul sauce" and you have a real dive burger. a little pricey for just a burger and small bag of chips but so worth it!!

lunch review. i went to earnestine and hazels today for lunch, and it was so so. the place is definitely one of those places with "character" and has seen better days. the staff was friendly and food was ok. only thing available was the soul burger and a side of chips. i am sure if i was there at 2 am with the place hoppin' it might have been different. all in all, if i was right there, i would grab a bite, but i would not drive to far out of my way to make a special trip for the meal.

we ate lunch in a haunted brothel. did you get that? we ate lunch in a haunted brothel. yes, our next stop on our eating in memphis tour brought us to ernestine and hazel's on south main for a soul burger. i don't think words can adequately describe ernestine and hazel's. if you've been there, you understand, if you haven't, you should probably go. not only was the soul burger absolutely amazing (at least that's what jeremy tells me) but it also is something everyone needs to see... at least once. back in the day, ernestine and hazel's was a shop on the first floor with a brothel upstairs so of course, now it's haunted. i had heard that the jukebox would turn on by itself, and sure enough, while we were eating lunch, it just started playing music quite loudly.. nobody was anywhere near it. creepy.   i was also a fan of the handle bar mustached man who works there. he was so friendly and happy to serve us our order... which wasn't too hard to choose since the menu only has four things o

all about the atmosphere. this place is dark and (probably) dirty and it seems like the kind of place that couldn't possibly pass a health inspection. that being said - it was packed and the atmosphere was great. i stopped here as part of the memphis ghost tour, otherwise i probably would have been too scared to venture into this (seemingly) seedy little joint. but let me just say this....the place doesn't disappoint. it's a memphis staple - full of history and crazy stories - and that's enough right there to make me go back.

(i should mention that i didn't eat here, i just had a drink.....but i sat at the bar and watched them cook for quite a while. those burgers were being served one right after the other, as quick as the cook could make them. that alone should tell you they're worth it. and the staff was incredibly friendly.)

go for the atmosphere.. i've brought a number of friends to earnestine and hazel's, and some of them love it, others hate it. the haters think it's too dirty, dark, and creepy. the people who love it think it's dirty, dark, and creepy.

i like the burgers (order two), but they're not the best in memphis. go upstairs and sit in one of the rooms with a drink and soak in the surroundings.that's what it's all about.

great burger as a burger is all they offer. open late.

awesome!!!!. we had a rehearsal dinner last friday evening. the service was awesome and the food was great!!! soul burgers and shrimp & grits with a salad.

russell and the staff were excellent!!!

great choice for a wonderful evening!!!!

memphis landmark!. great history, amazing atmosphere - awesome jukebox, russell and the soul burger. what more can i say. i love you e&h!