Arcade Restaurant, Memphis

Located in the middle of historic Memphis, the Arcade Restaurant is honored for being the oldest eatery in the city. Speros Zepatos, a Greek immigrant, founded the diner in 1919 in what was then a small, wood-framed building. Food was cooked on potbelly stoves! In 1925, Speros, who gave the Arcade its original name, rebuilt it in Greek revival style, complete with retail stores to signify the “Arcade” title.

Nowadays, this third-generation family-owned restaurant serves generous portions of southern-style breakfast which made them a featured restaurant on The Food Network and The Travel Channel. Their signature sweet potato pancakes alone have put the Arcade on the map – that and the Elvis booth in which “The King” used to order his beloved fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Lunchtime at the Arcade will give you the choice of a meat and two daily special, salads, sandwiches and the like. But, you must try their pizza for which they use fresh ingredients and great toppings served on a crispy crust.

The longevity, great food and the fact that that Elvis was a regular here has made the Arcade a firm favorite of locals and the media alike. The restaurant has always attracted famous guests and been featured in a number of movies, such as Mystery Train, 21 Grams, Elizabethtown, The Client, The Firm, and Walk the Line, to name but a few.

The evenings are reserved for private functions except for Trolley Nights (last Friday of the month) when they serve dinner until 11 pm.