restaurant iris

love! love! love! great food and wonderful service. my husband and i enjoyed the tasting menu. we were delighted with what thechefchose for us.

loud!. our visit to restaurant iris was very disappointing! our party of six was closely seated next to a loud party of ten. the restaurant seemed to be full, so being reseated wasn't an option. the noise was so bad that we could barely carry on a conversation. thechefactually came through and tried to close the doors between our dining room and the one it was connected to! however, no one on the staff, except our server, apologized or tried to make our experience better. it's tricky to deal with disorderly customers, i realize, but something should have been done. the situation was basically ignored, as we were. this might have been an off night, but due to the lack of attention from the staff, we won't be rushing back.

used to be notable. dined 9/2015 for a birthday dinner with friends. slow service. food spotty. bill incorrect. had dinner with my daughter here a couple months ago...again so so. i thinkchefenglish has to many irons in the fire. for the price point, i'll not be back.

chef kelly english and me when i was very little i went to easy way and on a chance meeting, metchefkelly english, ever since i've always wanted to eat at iris. to make a long  story short i have tried many times but all unsuccessful. until now! my dad's friend dave is a foodie and a huge supporter of my food adventures. he invited me to join him and his wife  marsha  for dinner at iris, how cool!  the  decor was very elegant and slightly boutique, overall a nice homey  feeling for the restaurant.  amuses bouchesn now on to the appetizers..... but first thechefbrought us each an amuses bouches, it was tasty.  dave,  marsha , mama, and dad, basically  everyone other than me ordered "the short rib raviolo" in delicious braising liquid sauce. it was juicy, very hearty, and savory. the short ribs were so tender that they melted in your mouth, overall quite delicious.  the short rib raviolo i ordered the knuckle sandwich, it was an open faced lobster sandwich with a small salad on top o

no words. what a lovely experience for my birthday. the atmosphere and wait staff were stellar, the food phenomenal.chefbrian came and checked on us and was as gracious as if we were guests in his home. my only dilemma was choosing what to order. at my server's recommendation and after she had gotten my preferences, i allowed thechefto select my five courses. with each course, i thought that the next one couldn't possibly compare, i was wrong. each was a delight. i will definitely go back. the wait for a reservation is worth the time.

most amazing food. this place never ceases to amaze. wonder food and great service. i have eaten at 8 of the top 10 restaurants in america (and several three michelin star restaurants in europe) and this should be on the radar for one of the best in america. kelly english is a truechefand food genius. love it!!


-----13 may, 2012-----

one of the best restaurants in memphis. michelin star level. most negative reviews either concern the cost of this level of dining (which is reasonable considering the field ie: per se, guy savoy, jambon, commander's palace, et al) or inexperience (the reviewer is a moron). i have eaten at iris scores of times and have never had a less than spectacular meal. world class level without all the parisian or new york attitude. amazing.

if i knew how to break dance i would get down right in the middle of the place.chefenglish ain't jivin around. get down!

unbelievable!!. my boyfriend and i celebrated valentine's day a few days early at restaurant iris. we could not have asked for a better dining experience! from the moment we walked in the door, we knew that this was a special place. the service was impeccable and the food....let's just say we've never had anything better! the setting is very quiet and romantic. we were checked on several times, but not in an intrusive manner. how nice forchefenglish to come to our table after we received our food to see how everything was...such a class act! to quote my boyfriend, "we will go back." i can't wait!!

slipping?. the first time we dined here in 2012 we were blown away, but this time we were disappointed. too bad too since it was for a very special occasion.

i didn't find the server personable, and she didn't seem to want to make any recommends. overall, the food and service was missing the special touches we experienced when we visited in 2012. i get the feeling that your experience here depends on what you order, and it's easy to get it wrong. also, i'd steer clear of specials. if it's not a regular item or if it's something that was just added back on the menu, it may get messed up.

i had to get my meal replaced and they agreed that it wasn't done correctly, probably because it was recently added back on the menu. the replacement was much better, and thechefstopped by quickly to make sure i liked it. however, i spent several minutes trying to force myself to eat the first one brought out before she came to check on us, and had to wait a bit for the second. i think they could have apologized or at least comped my dessert for the trouble. however, i'm glad the server took the initiative to get it replaced for me. i thought it was just poorly cooked, not that they had messed it up from the usual.

i feel like we drove out of our way, and spent a lot to eat food that was just ok. i won't go into the special that my husband had. he never complains, but on the way home, he admitted he didn't really like it. very disappointing considering it was for a special occasion. also, this was our first splurge meal after being on a diet for several weeks, which makes it even more of a downer. yet, i will say that their french bread is killer!

best memphischefand restaurant for a reason.chefcame by table twice, love the attention to detail. charming interior, house with character.

- lobster knuckle sandwich
- salad with tzatziki and tempura battered pimiento cheese-stuffed okra
- wagyu beef short ribs, wild mush risotto
- signature: ny strip stuffed with fried oysters and blue cheese, topped with hollandaise, over bacon potato hash. extravagant! like a po boy with steak as bread.

best restaurant in memphis!! service is great and food is spectacular. everytime we come we get the raviolo appetizer surf n turf entree and bread pudding. all are incredibly delicious. the lobster sandwich is also awesome but even better as leftovers. last night we sat on the patio, & the mosquitos were out sochefkelly went out & bought us some bug spray & candles!! that's the best customer service we have ever had. he checks on each table & treats his customers like family. this place is a hidden gem in this mundane city.


-----12 aug, 2012-----

best restaurant in memphis. no competition!! we've been here over six times in the last two months. everytime we come we get good service and high quality food each time. the food is so delicious and worth every penny. last night we went & sat on the patio & had mosquito's biting at our feet. owner kelly went and bought us off spray and candles rrrqrrrr

disappointed. i am sad to admit this, but the overall experience the last time i went to iris was a disheartening one. the service was great, but the food tasted like mcdonald's attempting to prepare a filet mignon...it's just not going to happen. in my opinion, thechefneeds to concentrate on his levels of consistency to truly embody the standards he proclaims.

great memphis food. first time out in memphis and this is the restaurant i found. great food! great staff!
being from seattle, where great food is on almost every corner, it was nice to find this restaurant. i would recommend this restaurant to any one who wants to try food from a wonderfulchefthat makes your taste tingle with every bite. try it, you will love it!

my favorite restaurant in memphis.chefkelly english is a true all-star. i had the slow braised beef short ribs. oh man, i swear that dish kept me nourished for a week. everything about it was delectable. their brussels sprouts are even tasty! i hated that vegetable before i ate here. in terms of ambience, while it is definitely a treasure; it is a small space. so if you are looking for an intimate conversation you might want to call way in advance to reserve a specific table or something. lastly, the service is good enough for a king. i can't wait to go back.

excellent experience all-around! oysters three ways, okra salad, surf and turf, and shrimp and grits were all fantastic. portion sizes were ample. excellent service. no visit from thechefthough, which was fine because we were very happy with what came from his kitchen. we left feeling overly satisfied! one thing to note: we were in the front room with three other tables. two were parties of four and were very noisy, which made it really hard to hear. just something to be aware of. but we are definitely going back very soon!