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Alfred's On Beale
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
197 Beale StMemphis, TN 38103
(901) 525-3711
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 3 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 5 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Alfred's On Beale
23 reviews in English
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Review from Ken R.
Memphis, TN
5/3/2012 2 photos
As an employee of the Memphis Grizzlies, I am fortunate to work at FedExForum. Located near Beale Street, it is within walking distance of many great restaurants including Silky O'Sullivan's, Rum Boogie Cafe and Bleu, an upscale restaurant located inside the Westin Hotel. However, other than Dyer's, the closest restaurant to FedExForum is Alfred's on Beale. Known mostly as a night club, Alfred's has an extensive menu ranging from barbecue to bar food. Although much of what it offers is a bit pricey, the lunch specials are somewhat reasonable. Over the past few weeks, I've tried some of these when I had the chance, and I came away with some unexpected surprises.
Among the lunch entrées that I had were country fried steak, chicken and dumplings and turkey pot pie. For the most part, entrées were anything but special, just run of the mill stuff that can be found at many restaurants. I'm not saying that I didn't like them, but if I didn't work next door at FedExForum, I would pursue other options like the Blue Monkey and Blues City Cafe. However, there was one entrée that stood out, the meatloaf. The meatloaf itself wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but what I liked about it was the sauce. It is a sweet tomato sauce that I thought was an offshoot of the bar's barbecue sauce, but that isn't true. On the meatloaf, it turned an ordinary piece of meat into something wonderful. I'm far from an authority on meatloaf, but Alfred's is better than many places, including the Blue Monkey.
Along with my meatloaf, I got the fried green tomatoes and fries as side items. The fries are quite crispy while not overly salty, which suited my tastes well. Although the fries were nice, I was really impressed with the fried green tomatoes. They were lightly breaded and seasoned, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese. The tomatoes themselves were perfectly cooked, meaning they weren't mushy (or "green"). Compared to the fried green tomatoes that I had at Paula Deen Buffet, Alfred's were clearly better. Even though both side items were good, if I ever get the meatloaf again, I would substitute the fries with green beans. I like them because they're well seasoned with black pepper that makes them really good. Getting back to what I said earlier, Alfred's wouldn't be my first choice for lunch, but Fridays (when meatloaf is the special) might be the exception.
(SIDE NOTE: When I got the turkey pot pie, I also got the corn pudding (AKA creamed corn) and sweet potato casserole as sides. This is a very sweet combination that could work well as an appetizer, although I won't order them again as side items to an entrée.)
In addition to the lunch entrées, I decided to try Alfred's award-winning barbecue in the form of a pulled pork sandwich. The sandwich comes with pulled pork smothered in Alfred's own barbecue sauce inside a bun sprinkled with dry rub seasoning. The sauce is very sweet, so much so that I couldn't detect other ingredients like vinegar and tomato paste. Even through the sauce's sweetness, I was able to detect the smoke flavor of the pulled pork which seemed to be good. If I decide to order the sandwich again, I will get it with the barbecue sauce placed in a cup as opposed to having it on the meat. With fries, the sandwich cost $9.81 which is much higher than most places. Having said that, the sandwich was almost worth it, and I don't mean it in a bad way. While it's not the best barbecue sandwich I ever had, it is better than any other place I visited on Beale Street. However, given the price of the sandwich, I might in the future consider cheaper places like Cozy Corner if I'm yearning for a quality barbecue sandwich. Then again, the convenience of having access to a place within easy walking distance of work might outweigh costs, especially if the quality is very good. Alfred's might be worth it.
After several visits to Alfred's on Beale, I've come to a few conclusions. While it may not ever be my first choice for lunch, the food is decent enough to visit occasionally. The easy walking distance definitely makes it a plus for me, as I don't have a lot of time to eat. The service was great, for I got my to-go orders in the time it was promised (usually ten minutes). Even though I like the food and service, it's unlikely that I will ever dine there at night because Alfred's party atmosphere is too much for me. Not trying to put Alfred's down, but if I'm ever there during that time, it'll be more about the party and the musical acts and less about the food. However, it's good enough for lunch and will be among my choices to dine at as long as I work at FedExForum. Go Grizzlies! -
Review from Mat M.
Chicago, IL
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really enjoyed my experience there. Huge stage, and great live music. We were promptly waited on, had some good beer and some BBQ nachos. Yum! I'd certainly come back here in the future.
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Review from Jared P.
Conroe, TX
1/7/2012
If I'm drinking on Beale and don't feel like walking away from the action, this is where I would eat. The BBQ is pretty average and the service is hit or miss. It's mainly a touristy area.
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Review from Reba S.
Tulsa, OK
3/25/2012
Well, my friend and I were looking for something to eat before we started drinking and the upstairs patio area looked really cool and there was a live band. The guy checking IDs told us we had pretty feet. Little weird. So, we head upstairs and find a a little table. It was dirty, but it's outside and it's mostly a bar a night, so whatever. It took awhile to be greeted and our waitress did not know what Boulevard Wheat was. Whaaaaat? So we both got a couple vodka drinks with lime. About seven minutes later, they arrived in these super tiny plastic cups. With no lime! But our waitress seemed busy and we didn't want to be nitpicky. Unfortunately, my friend found a bug in hers. It was actually in the drink, on the bottom. If was floating on top, it would have been no problem considering we were sitting outside and bugs happen, but it was just floating around on the bottom like it had been chilling out there in the cup for awhile. She sent it back and we ordered our food. They did not have spinach dip or okra (this is before 9pm, so it was odd that they did not have those things found at a BBQ place that stays open late. Oh well.) We ordered the fried green tomatoes and the BBQ nachos. Oh yeah, and her drink finally came back. With the bug. Being the awesome person she is, my friend got the buggy out and drank it like a pro. I mean, it's vodka so it kills the bug germs, right? Right. So we drank our tiny drinks and enjoyed our food. The nachos were supposed to have jalapenos, but they were still okay. Who doesn't love Rotel cheesiness? The people-watching was the best part of the place and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, so it was that was all right. But the service definitely sucked.
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Review from Shradha A.
Chicago, IL
2/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
First, we went during the late afternoon hours (probably not prime-time or even awake-time). The place was dead at this hour.
We went up to the terrace and had a good view of Beale St, but there wasn't much to see just as yet at 5pm on a Friday.
They had a spinach-artichoke dip that was vegetarian and quite good (or I was just that hungry not having had anything to eat all day). -
Review from James S.
Memphis, TN
9/16/2011
The food is average. The service is sparse, but friendly. The deck is a great late evening Beale/people-watching venue. The music downstairs is sterling. Fun, diverse place.
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Review from Benjamin D.
Memphis, TN
11/16/2010
Nothing special about this place at all. I got the barbecue sandwich plate. The barbecue was comparatively poor for Memphis, and everything else was mediocre.
Plus, an Elvis impersonator was singing on the stage. We left shortly thereafter. -
Review from Paul D.
Chicago, IL
5/28/2006
My friend and I are in for the weekend and we were hungry. We wanted to eat before drinking.
I asked the guy if Memphis had any local breweriest (We are from Saint Louis.....we have a ton) and he was just like "No." Okay fine. No big deal.
We asked for list of beers since they have "50 domestic and 50 imports" No list. again fine. Whatever. my friend asks the server what kind of wheat ale's they have. He has no idea. Doesn't seem to want to find out. Has never heard of a wheat ale. We go up to the bar to find out. We order. 45 minutes later we get our food. My friend starts eating her fish. About halfway through--- it is RAW.
So we ask him to throw it on the grill for a few more minutes-- and the look he gives us. I thought maybe my friend said "I am the person who killed your mother and left you to fend for yourself on the streets for the last 15 years"
Alas. Not great. -
Review from Joey H.
Milpitas, CA
12/9/2010
The food was ok because I was hungry. If you're in the mood to mingle and meet people, have a seat, listen to some conversations and join in. Unfortunately the chicken type sandwich I got wasn't even close to being average. I'm going to say this is an OK joint but can't blame the environment for being slow at 3pm in the afternoon when the city is more hype when the sun goes down. Unfortunately, we had to make our way out of the big city to the rural area.
Wonder what this place is like in evening. Anyway, the food is less than average. Whatevs...I was hungered. -
Review from Timothy G.
Saint Louis, MO
5/4/2010
Don't worry Memphis, I'm almost done with my reviews.
The beautiful wife and I visited Alfred's, solely based on the fact that we could sit up on the balcony (patio? whatever. Big open place outside).
Our waiter was nice, but either was under 21 or a teetotaler. When I asked him what they had on tap, he rattled off a number of beers, including Ghost River (which I had yet to try at that point). When I asked him what style it was, he replied "I don't know, I've never had it. Actually, I've never had any of these."
Ahh, helpful. Those I i will note that I enjoyed the Ghost River.
On to the food -- we split a order of ribs. Now, I do not recall if the menu you get in person says wet/dry/both/whatever, but I failed to ask. So, of course, they came out wet. Oh well.
They were pretty good -- fairly meaty, though the sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste. The sides were unmemorable (more along the lines of I just don't remember them, not that they were bad).
You can do worse, but you can do better. 3 stars it is. -
Review from Andres M.
San Diego, CA
1/13/2011
Voted #1 Dance Club in Memphis 2007?? Well then...excellent. Seemed really really dead on the inside, but we asked if there was going to be a live band. Yes? Well then, in we go.
Apps:
Sausage and Cheese Plate: Pepperjack, cheddar, and crisp sausage served with BBQ seasoning and honey mustard.
Food: With our filled up stomachs of less-than adequate food from Superiors, we weren't that hungry until about 6 rum and cokes into the night. But we ended up getting the Sausage and Cheese platter. The texture of the cheese was slightly off-putting because the warm sausage had melted it just slightly. The sausage, however, was delicious. Seasoned well, crispy, and went well with the honey mustard.
Service: Okay. Please note that I am not exaggerating when I am seriously considering this lovely young lady from Memphis waitress of the decade and my reason for the 4 stars. Very charismatic, always checked in, hardly let our glasses go empty. But most impressive was that, she alone, was covering more than half the room. She looked like Supergirl I tell you, zooming from table to table. It was extremely impressive and she made the whole Alfred's experience that much better.
Overall: The live band was great, but what made the night enjoyable was the amazing service and view of Memphis-folk dancing to the Top 20 hits of today. -
Review from Rocky K.
San Bruno, CA
3/6/2008
I came here for a Blue Moon, and you gotta have an orange with one of those things. Mine didn't come with one so I asked for one. 10 minutes later she said they ran out.
That would have been OK if not for the fact that during those 10 minutes, I saw slices of orange come up on plates of food AND in other full Blue Moons. Uhhh, is it cuz I'm one of them orientals??! Haha.
Haha, I love you Southerners, but I'm not liking a particular one at Alfred's. -
Review from Michelle M.
Westlake Village, CA
3/10/2009
Yikes.Alfred's is great for drinks, friendly servers and a nice view of Beale St. Other than that, I'd skip the food.
Why?
1. Tables and floor are dirty
2. I witnessed a server sneezing on the napkins she dropped off at a table.
3. Bathroom is dirty. Some were missing locks, other locks were rusted out making it hard to close the door. There was also no soap in the dispensers.
My opinion - stick to the plastic cup drinks. -
Review from Megan T.
Palatine, IL
11/30/2009
This was one of our stops on our road trip and we really enjoyed it!! I swear they have the best BBQ Nacho's I have ever had and I love my Nachos. There was not to many people dancing, but the music was great to sit back and enjoy the tunes and the company you are with.
We only went one time so it may be a hit or miss kind of place but we enjoyed ourselves.
Next time we are in Memphis this will be a stop of our for sure! -
Review from Mike G.
Charleston, SC
4/14/2011
So this place has the most unprofessional bouncers in the world. There was a girl of all about 110 lbs who the bouncer decided to put into a sleeper hold and drag out the door. When her friend came up to the guy and asked him, "what are you doing?" he was attacked and beat. The guy didn't provoke the bouncer at all but yet he was kicked, punched, and thrown on the ground by these meat heads. Bouncers are not allowed to assult people. They have no more or less rights than any other person at the bar. I hope the guy who was assulted by them sues the mess out of Alfred's.
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Review from Christy W.
Brookland, AR
5/12/2009
Love this place, mostly because of the entertainment on the weekend (Kevin & Bethany Paige). I do not really go for the food but the last time I went, I was craving a sausage/cheese platter from a restaurant down the street. That place was so busy we couldn't get a seat. I was glad to see a sausage/cheese platter on Alfred's menu, but didn't expect much. But I ws wrong! Holy cow, there was a reason that other place was too full - so I could have the same platter at Alfred's. So much better, and a larger serving.
I can't speak for anything else on the menu, but that platter was awesome! -
Review from Matthew S.
Oklahoma City, OK
5/28/2009
We arrived to Beale St late on our road trip (1:45AM ish friday) on a memorial day road trip and this was our first stop. We had a ton of fun dancing with a group of ladies. We ended up partying till it closed that night.
After the first great night there we turned around and visited the place the next Saturday night after hitting up a few bars. The crowd wasn't as great as the first night. Oh well. Guess its hit or miss?
The bartenders were solid. And Stella was on tap and the music is fun to dance to. The bland played songs from every generation and then when the DJ comes on around 2 ish, its mostly hip-hop with a few retro songs.
Overal, good times. -
Review from T.H. J.
Andover, MA
4/21/2010
This place, to an outsider, seems more legit that some of the tourist traps on Beale Street.
They had Anchor Steam (always a plus) and I enjoyed my bar food (Po' Boy Sandwich) -
Review from Lea G.
6/14/2010
Loved the rooftop patio which has a great view of Beale street. When we went last week there was also a live band playing in the open pavallion which made it more entertaining. A group of us had beer and appetizers here so I can only speak for the chicken wings and barbeque nachos. For the chicken wings we split a dozen on mild and spicy (which they add jalapeno juice to). Of course I preferred the spicy. Customer service was friendly and attentive.
Listed in: Yelping the Dirrrty South!
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Review from Michele L.
San Francisco, CA
3/9/2010
The sandwiches were a disappointment. They quite literally gave us meat on a bun, one tomato, and a tiny piece of lettuce. No sauce. But I guess that's what happens when you attempt to eat in the tourism district. They do have a great pulled pork nacho plate though!
Listed in: Deep South Foodie Road Trip
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Review from Noelle V.
Memphis, TN
6/4/2010 3 photos
I went into this place when it wasn't very busy. I am not too crazy about the inside downstairs area. Had kind of a dark look to it. However there was a decent-sized stage with a nice karaoke screen with the lyrics scrolling down it, and a guy giving it his all on the stage. That looked like it could be fun -- especially with a big group of friends. I think what makes Alfred's special and gives it the four star rating is the very nice rooftop patio. White lights line the patio with ample seating and a cool view on Beale Street below. On a mild summer night with a great drink and good friends it's a very nice way to experience Beale Street. One thing to note, the spiral stairs were a lot sticky, probably from spilled drinks.
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Review from Todd S.
Memphis, TN
2/5/2010
I gave this place five stars JUST for the BBQ Nachos. Seriously the best in Memphis. You have to remember this place is a bar first and a restaurant second. Yeah the bathroom is dirty and the service is going to be hit or miss but what else do you expect from a night club that opens for lunch. I would suggest everyone stop in for lunch and try the BBQ Nachos!
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Review from Max S.
St Peters, MO
11/15/2010
I came from St. Louis looking for a bar on Beale with some "memphis character" to it, so I checked out the famous Alfred's On Beale. I didn't expect to find a bar with absolutely no style. It was essentially a generic, overpriced chain bar....it was like the TGIF of bar/clubs. After we went to watch the Celtics beat up on the Grizzlies, we paid $5 bucks cover to get in (about the norm for Beale St bars that actually charge cover) and then headed to the bar. There are signs up everywhere that say "$2 domestic long necks on Grizzlies' game days", so my gf and I go to order a couple bud lights and are told we owe $7, not $4. When we politely ask about the special, the bartender tells us "no" and then walks away in disgust, as if we are a-holes for even asking. A generic coverband was there playing...they weren't bad, but they weren't anything special... absolutely nothing Memphis-esque about the place. Like I said, the place is just a generic, overpriced club....like the TGIF of Beale St. On top of that, the bathrooms were absolutely disgusting and very out of date. If you are looking for the real Memphis experience, you're better off going to any other random bar on Beale St. Trust me, we went to a lot of other bars and this is the only one I have something bad to say about.
