10 Food Signs that You Grew Up in Memphis

We Memphians pride ourselves on our local restaurants and eateries that thrive. Being a member of the Memphis community since my birth, I have been able to get a good grasp on the food scene that I hope many others can relate too. Check out these 10 food signs that you grew up in Memphis. 

1. You have waited in the line around the block in the dead heat of summer for a Jerry's Sno Cone.

You sweat buckets waiting in line, but once you take a refreshing bite you remember why it was all worth it. The perfect mixture of snow cone and ice-cream instantly cools you off. 

2. You still remember and will never forget when Schnucks covered the greater Memphis area.

I don't know about y'all, but my mom made some serious money moves here for groceries when we were young. Eating the turkey while my mom was carting us around as kids was the most glorious thing I could do at the grocery store. 

3. You have eaten at Huey's where majority of your meal was devouring the cheese fries (or cheese tots if you like change) and having no more room for your actual meal. 

There is nothing more heavenly to look at than the waiter who hands you your glowing plate of the glorious fries. Pulling the fries one by one with the forever long string of cheese was so satisfying it made your mouth water. 

4. You have also spent majority of your meals at Huey's trying to shoot toothpicks in the ceiling but accidentally hitting all the tables around you. 

The waiter that you brought you extra toothpicks was the goat but you were the woat for hitting everyone around you trying to remotely hit the ceiling. You wanted to get an autograph from the people who were able to shoot them through the fan, and wondered when the time would come for you to reach the ceiling enough for it to stick. 

5. Gibson's donuts were a must before school.

I will never forget the sensation of putting a hot glazed donut in my mouth at 7 AM in the morning, sitting in my easter egg uniform for school. Don't forget seeing just about every one of your school friends at some point either working there or picking up some donut holes for a class party. 

6. After hitting up the Paradiso movie theater, you are your middle school friends went to Ben and Jerry's because it was the "hangout scene".

You parents dropped you off at the Paradiso movie theater but knew to pick you up at Ben and Jerry's. The big decision was whether or not to be a part of the inside seating crowd or the outside seating crowd. We tended to choose the outside seating for the string lights that created the good vibes but more importantly instal-worthy lighting. 

7. You are constantly baffled at the amount of people that can fit into the small Chick-Fil-A on Poplar near Mendenhall.

You vow to never drive on the right side of Poplar because there is always a backup of to-go drivers on the road for this Chick-Fil-A. You also vow to never go to this Chick-Fil-A during school fundraisers because the noise and sometimes the smell of the sweaty kids at the play place was a little uneasy. 

8. You have eaten and compared the array of barbecue at the multitude of restaurants.

Of all the BBQ restaurants in Memphis, I still could not pick a favorite because they are all so mouth-watering good. Each one has its own distinct environment and signature meals that they are just too good to compare to one another. 

9. You then compare the Memphis barbecue to every barbecue you will ever eat in the rest of your lifetime. 

This is the unfortunate truth. You will rarely find any BBQ that is in a true competition with our specialties here in Memphis. There is just something so unique and mastered about the BBQ here, so much so we have an entire festival dedicated to it. 

10. You are continuously amazed at the great food scene Memphis has and is continuing to grow. 

I am so glad to live in a city that knows what we all love and need- some freaking good food.