side street grill

i've been to side street a few times for day parties and thought they hadgoodbar food so i took my wife and neice for dinner. didn't start off well because our artichoke dip was cold but the manager fast tracked our entrees so we wouldn't have to wait. wife and neice had the shrimp alfredo and cleaned the plate. i had the snapper orleans which was equally as satisfying. great restaurant food in this small little bar.

i've been a somewhat regular customer of side street grill for about three years now. i think i first tried it when a nearby midtown restaurant had a long wait time one evening. i loved the experience, and i've been back many times.

the food has always been good, the service has always been friendly, and they usually have some fairlygooddrink specials. i like the laid back atmosphere around the bar. the restaurant is naturally divided into sections, so it feels more intimate than many bar and grill spots. when the weather is cooperative, the outdoor dining area is pleasant. some reviews here have mentioned smoking in the restaurant. that might have been something that's changed in the more recent years, because i've never observed indoor smoking over the course of my visits. i think of ssg as a great choice for a wide variety menu options and an overallgooddinner experience.

great appetizer. the appetizer was great. philly chicken and steak need a little more season but overall it was agoodrestaurant..

follow up. tried brunch. front of house had similar issues as before. no wonder the place was empty. asked to see the manager. guess what. not in. little wonder the staff could care less. (rolling silverware in the dining room while watching tv and chatting during brunch service is agoodexample of the level of professionalism).

back of the house had issues as well. dishes crawled out of the back. worse yet they were not fired in the correct order so some dishes arrived cool.

again if management could care less why should the staff. moreso why should we.


-----28 sep, 2014-----

strike one. had submitted a glowing review for brunch a couple years ago. dropped in for dinner and it was tragic how far the staff had fallen. the food was fine. staff was horrid. if the front of the house is an epic fail then the rest will follow. instead of backing up the entire truck of stupid things going on (yes stupid enough to cost your establishment money) i will simply say that that losing control of the front of your buisiness is nothing short of inexcusable laziness. in a year you will notice your costs are inexplicably rising and your profits a dropping. with three you will be in a hole. within five it will all have fallen apart. agoodstaff will make you and a bad staff will break you. aloha side street grill. enjoy the drunken stupor because the hangover is a doozy.


-----01 jan, 2012-----

was suprised. i have driven by this place more times than i can count and never gave it a second thought...

finally we stopped brunch. definitely one of the strongest brunch offerings in the city. first of all our waitress was one of the best in this city. she attended to our every need perfectly. since we had never been before she (on her own volition) brought us the dinner menus after she took our brunch order and really sold her restaurant. can not say enough positives about laura!

the food was solid. i got the blt with a side of cheese grits and my partner got a vegetarian omelet. the omelet was perfectly cooked and definitely well filled. the cheese grits were creamy and well seasoned. the blt was perfect. sometimes it is the simplest sandwich that trips a cook up. not in this case. also the fact it was topped by two giant crisp and cold pickle spears is a small touch that shows the love that the cook has for his food.

finally i can say the mimosa was first rate and we watched a bloody mary being mixed for another table and can say that it was one of the best bloody marys i have ever witnessed.

i was nothing short of surprised by the positives. definitely on the list of awesome places to eat.

it has an awesome patio,gooddrinks, a friendly staff, andgoodfood. there is such a variety of food to choose from.

typical memphis eatery. used to be agoodplace to congregate and eat. now it is just far too ghetto. thugs refusing to tip, always causing a scene, music is too loud. not my kind of place anymore. used to be. sad.

out with the old but definitely in with .lobe ththe new look. love it! food is still prettygoodbut the i found the drinks not to be as potent. i guess it depends on the bartender. still my spot.

great. the "new" ssg is very bright and pleasant. the $2 import beer on thursdays is one of the best deals in town. their food is nice and the portions are generous. the spinach dip is really rich and very tasty. my only complaint is that i had the brownie recently and it was dry and disappointing. more moist and decadent please.

the servers are friendly and the crowd is usually agoodmix of different ages and races. it's a cool place to relax with friends.

was great... now it's good!!. i always liked this place as a drinking place, very lively always busy and generally happening. to top it off the food was really great.. every thing from the side st steak to the philly was certainly at the higher end and i considered it to be some of the best casual dining in midtown!!
then tragedgy struck and a fire gutted the place.. and sadly it had to close for about 6 months, which at the time you had to feel that something great would come out of the deal for the owners as the place could have done with an upgrade and refit!! that is surely what you have got, a much cleaner, way more brighter and a new look was born. unfortunately in my opinion it has lost a lot of the old charm in the process. the most dramatic and drastic change is the crowd... a lot younger and definately a lot louder!!! the patio is still great and in my opinion one of if not the best in midtown!!
now on to the food...well as the title explains it also has lost some of it's appeal.. the bread for the sandwiches is a complete let down, whereas it used to be a nice french roll has been replaced with something similar to what you buy pre-packaged in schnucks which does not do the sandwiches justice!! the consistency is way off.. sometimesgoodand sometimes average!!
they do have great specials during the week for a couple and mosty definately value for money!!
a lot of staff changes... somegoodand one or two really bad, where i will actually leave!!!
as always would i go back... most definately in the warm months for their patio... i have been back several times since the re-open, but instead of my main stop it is now my starting or ending point.
would i eat again... absolutely but not as frequently and definately a lot more selectively!!!

welcome back!!. i have craving the side st philly (by far the best in town) for around 8 months...ever since my old stomping ground burned down!!
they re-opened last week ... and wow what a vast improvement, a lot brighter, new bathrooms.. and what i now have to say is the best patio in midtown by a million miles.
a lot of new faces, but thankfully the same food, but better with a few new additions...try the black bean soup or the salmon club..(i tried my wifes)....both were great!!
the owners stopped by are table and checked on us... and let us know that all food is 100% fresh and prepared daily.. and you could tell... they even have a section of the kitchen and grill that is solely used for their vegetarian dishes..(i have quite a few veggie friends).. and i can't wait to take them all!!
a beautiful evening on the patio, great food.goodfriends = a great time. you have to check them out!!


-----16 sep, 2010-----

now re-opened and rocks. place looks phenomenal and the best patio in memphis has outdone itself on the rebuild. menu is outstanding, all fresh ingredients, nothing pre made even the dressings are made from scratch. old favorites are still present, steak and pastas, but they have officially added the burgers and some great new salads. new kitchen has a grill and prep area solely dedicated to veggies so who da thought a true vegetarian kitchen area would be made available at a steak place? great planning and catering to the community guys! my hat is off to you. congrats on all the hard work and we will be back.....

good food andgoodmartinis. i was lucky enough to get a table at side street two days after they reopened after a devastating fire destroyed the original building. the food is simple but well done. too many restaurants complicate burgers and salads. side street sticks to quality ingredients and great seasoning.

my waiter was outstanding (a slim dark haired fellow). the crowd was divers and fun.

the only drawback is that there's no place to escape the smoke. this is a bar's bar. , i'd love go back more but my allergies only allow for so much smoke.

other than that, it was a great experience. note: the extensive list of martinis comes in two sizes. the smaller size lets you try more of the fun flavors.

nice place.goodfilet, very reasonably priced as well as their sandwiches aregoodand quite filling. their martini's a pricey but it is a "martini bar" as well as restaurant and they're not afraid to put in the alcohol. all in all, agoodplace to go whether for dinner or just drinks.