Memphis Cafe

Costa Mesa, United States

3.9

Open now

29 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 714-432-7685
Website:
memphiscafe.com
Address:
2920 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.9 miOCTA
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Brunch, Dinner
Parking
Valet, Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes

Today

Today 8:00 am – 10:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Costa Mesa) 10:48 AM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 10:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 10:30 pm
Sunday 8:00 am – 9:30 pm

Description

Specialties

Classically trained chef and co-​founder Diego Velasco has created a distinctive gourmet interpretation of Southern home-​style cooking with signature dishes such as the smoky gumbo and pulled pork, ethereal buttermilk fried chicken, savory seafood jambalaya and seasonal specials sourced locally with naturally raised meats and poultry. The roadhouse style bar at Memphis offers both classic call and crafted cocktails as well a carefully curated beer and wine list.

History

Established in 1995.

Memphis Café is a Costa Mesa neighborhood mainstay in the heart of the SOBECA district. Soon after opening in 1995, Memphis Café received a «5 star» review from LA Times food critic, Irene Virbilla, and has continued to earn critical acclaim and a loyal following ever since. Classically trained chef and co-​founder Diego Velasco has created a distinctive gourmet interpretation of Southern home-​style cooking with signature dishes such as the smoky gumbo and pulled pork, ethereal buttermilk fried chicken, savory seafood jambalaya and seasonal specials sourced locally with naturally raised meats and poultry. The roadhouse style bar at Memphis offers both classic call and crafted cocktails as well a carefully curated beer and wine list.

Open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with late-​night entertainment Thursdays through Saturdays. Complimentary valet parking is available Thursday through Saturday nights.

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29 reviews of Memphis Cafe

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Santa Ana, CA
Memphis was referred to me as a great place to get ‘soul food’. Being from the south, I was in the mood for some! My husband and I went on a Saturday night, did not make reservations but were seated immediately on the patio. I ordered a bowl of gumbo and he ordered the ribs. I don’t know that I would call the dishes «authentic» recipes that we are used to in Georgia, but everything was definitely delicious. The service was good. I did notice that they had weekly specials, like one night was ribs for $ 10, another was fried chicken for $ 10, etc… We will certainly go back.
Place rating: 5
Tustin, CA
So, I’ve been wanting to try Memphis for years. I finally went with a friend on Sunday, Feb. 21. Got there about 11:30 and got 2 seats at the bar. I like sitting at the bars to eat, since the bartenders tend to be friendlier and represent the cooks a bit better.
Paul and Gabe were working the bar, and did an amazing job. They offered us suggestions, since we hadn’t eaten here before. The shrimp and grits dish was amazing, the quesadilla and mac ‘n chese were solid. The food was excellent and makes me want to come back to try different dishes.
Paul makes an awesome bloody mary. Very different from what I make, and different from anything I’ve had anywhere else. Excellent concoction. Both he and Gabe run a tight ship and cover the incoming drink orders quickly. They also managed to be attentive, friendly, and the reason we will be back. Lots of places have good food, but it’s the staff that make the difference, imho. Ohers at the bar with us were regulars and concurred with our assessment.
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
Great food– chicken and waffles is delicious! They also have bottomless mimosas on the weekends I believe. I would also recommend their bloody Mary’s they make them savory and spicy. The staff is friendly and attentive. The only negatives are that the parking lot is small so it is hard to find a parking spot on the weekends. Also the actual restaurant is kind of small and cramped. The positives definitely out weight the negatives. The food is delicious!
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
This review is long overdo, but I came here for a Saturday brunch after a night of fun and libations. We were a very large party of about 14 people, so it took a very long time to get a table, since the restaurant is quite small. We finally got a table in the patio area taking up the whole bench area.
Memphis is a small, casual, but fun place to go as I learned they have great drinks too. I ordered the pancakes with fruits, and I never eat pancakes but they were fantastic. I don’t know what made them so special, but it was yum! Also, they have a great menu selection of lunch items as well!
Parking in this area is a little weird but luckily they have a small lot!
Place rating: 4
Costa Mesa, CA
Gotta try the Thursday night chicken dinner special! An authentic and well crafted take on a simple southern classic, with greens and potatoes. Discount deal price has changed lately but still worth the visit. Also, great value craft cocktails are to be found during happy hour, even regular prices on drinks are affordable. Definitely a nice place to take a date, sit on the patio for the best experience.
Place rating: 4
Orange County, CA
Cool brunch spot with a little patio outside.
Service:
— Friendly and attentive service!
Food:
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich $ 12 includes fries, onion rings, or house salad
— Very flavorful dish. I thoroughly enjoyed the sandwich, but was caught off guard by the onion rings. I wish they were actual onion rings as opposed to the stringy kind.
ALSO, for brunch, you can order mimosas for only $ 3 a glass. Not the biggest glass, but a good option.
Overall:
I wouldn’t crave to come back, but I wouldn’t be opposed to try it again. Take that with a grain of salt.
Place rating: 4
Long Beach, CA
SOUTHERN EGGS BENEDICT ($ 14.25)
— two poached eggs, sliced corned beef, grilled brioche, potato hash, red pepper hollandaise sauce
— not usually a fan of corned beef but Memphis does it well; not too salty but still flavorful
— brioche was perfectly grilled
— all the components went well
— recommend ordering
BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES ($ 14.95)
— syrup, country gravy & two eggs any style
— chicken was not dry and actually quite tender and was good with or without the buttermilk
— the waffles were soft and not especially crispy but had a good cinnamon taste to them (too bad it was only 2 quarter pieces of a full waffle)
— satisfied my waffle, eggs, and protein requirement in a brunch entrée
SERVICE: made Saturday brunch reservations via Unilocal’s SeatMe and was seated immediately after checking into the restaurant. The water and drink service was a bit on the slower side. Though the staff was friendly that it didn’t seem to bother me much.
ENVIRONMENT: main dining area is a bit dark and has a bar setting. It can also get quite loud. They also have an outdoor patio with heated lights. The outdoor patio seating was more relaxing and more spacious than the inside dining area.
Overall, good place to grab brunch in the OC area. The food is reasonably priced for brunch nowadays but the quality is there. Not sure if they change their menu but I enjoyed the 2 items that I tried that I would come back again. Also having a reservation system on weekend brunch is a plus!
Place rating: 4
Irvine, CA
Had a lunch meeting here and was pleasantly surprised. Service was awesome Paula did a great job for us. The comfort food here is very good and worth a visit.
Place rating: 3
Chino Hills, CA
Came here for their chicken and waffles and it did not disappoint! The batter for both was so savory. Chicken was crispy and juicy. It had gravy which did not over power the chicken. It also came with eggs. The only con was that the waffles were cold when it came out.
We sat and ate at the bar because the wait time for a table was too long. It’s a small venue and parking is difficult to find. The bar tenders were attentive so don’t be afraid to eat at the bar. We had enough space to eat.
Place rating: 4
Tustin, CA
This is a very nice, cozy, and small pub. They have a really wide variety of whiskey and scotch which is why I went. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and the food is pretty good. I tried the quesadillas and the brussels sprouts and they were both great. The prices are average, not too high, not too low. It’s definitely a nice place to go with friends if you want to talk and hang, socialize and not have to shout over the music. There are plenty of parking spots outside as there is a dedicated parking lot on each side of the pub, as well as ample street parking. The area is pretty low-​key which fits the ambience of the pub greatly. I’m definitely going to come back soon.
Place rating: 5
Costa Mesa, CA
I was really impressed by Memphis. I haven’t been here in years and I think the food quality has improved. The service was awesome even though it was pretty busy the entire night. The staff was very attentive and friendly.
I had the fried chicken, it was juicy and I enjoyed how the vinegar from the collard greens enhanced the flavor of the chicken.
Seating was also really easy because I made reservations through Unilocal.So all in all I really enjoyed my experience at Memphis Café.
Place rating: 5
Irvine, CA
We came here for the Thursday special — fried chicken with collared greens and mashed potatoes for ten dollars. It is 17 dollars originally. Everything on the dish tasted delicious with ample chicken and little bone.
The place was dimly lit — classy but with a bar. The service was quick and they gave us cornbread with butter before ordering.
Overall a great option for dinner given the cost of the meal if you come here for the special with the discount!
Place rating: 4
Irvine, CA
One of the best places to get Southern food in SoCal! I’ve had the shrimp po’boy, the fried chicken, and the waffles, and everything was on point! When you go to a place like Memphis you go in expecting heavy flavors and for fried stuff to be cooked perfectly, and that’s exactly that you will get from Memphis. You will be happy just seeing your food come out because it will look gorgeous.
My main issue with this place is parking. That’s it. The parking is not bad just because the food is bomb. It’s bad because space is so limited. And there are really no other places nearby to park, so it’s extra stressful. It’s even barely feasible to parking somewhere far away and walk to Memphis. So just brace yourself. Whether it’s worth the stress of parking is up to you.
Place rating: 5
La Cañada Flintridge, CA
Amazing! This place is so good! Me and my friends went here for lunch and I got the smoked turkey sandwich and it was superb, my friends food was also as amazing! The thing that stole the show was the cornbread! Soft, warm, sweet but savers, utterly mouth watering! I would highly recommend!
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
I’m not a huge drinker, but I do like to eat early and Memphis Café has a great Happy Hour Menu (3 — 6pm) which is perfect for light eating or simply sampling some dishes you might not otherwise order.
It’s also great because it’s not that busy during those hours so it’s easier to park (which is rather limited) and the service, in my experience, has been super great.
My favorites on the happy hour menu are the sweet potato or matchstick fries, the crab cakes, shrimp tacos and the mac & cheese.
Be sure to check out the shopping at the Lab when your done. :)
Place rating: 4
Uptown, Denver, CO
One of my favorite places in Costa Mesa… good down home cooking with a little nouvelle flare. Ambiance is good, if loud. I had the catfish po’boy…de-lish. Also try the fried chicken, I have had that before and it is really good too! My other standard is the beet/​arugula salad.
Don’t be fooled by the outside appearance, which looks surprisingly bland. This is a great casual place for dinner!
Half off the Fried Chicken on Thursdays? Somebody up there likes me!
Place rating: 4
Newport Beach, CA
First timer * Southern Eggs Bene w tender corn beef and pink pepper hollandaise sauce… Pear flavored Grey Goose on the rocks w club soda & lime. Nom, nom — sip, sip — I’ll be back.
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
Hello, i went here for breakfast. The shrimp frittata was ok. The potato thing on top i didnt even taste because i saw it sitting out for a while befoe the guy tossed it on my to go plate (this after he touched his bluetooth headset and ate some food himself).
The pancakes were good but the fruit wasn’t ripe. I guess people usually go here for cocktails. Maybe some of the ither menu items are better. I also got a breakfast burrito which was ok.
Place rating: 4
Pasadena, CA
The breakfast burrito with pulled pork was legit, son. You heard that right, choosing the pulled pork as the choice of protein was a wise decision. Tender and juicy, it really worked well. The rest of the breakfast burrito is just as solid as the pulled pork — the mix of eggs, potato hash, cheese just melded well. The green hatch chili sauce topped off the mix. This just added to the goodness.
I’d be back again for brunch or even dinner. This southern inspired joint, just has so many options that looked good on the menu and ridiculous of front an in person.
Based off of just one dish, I’d say it’s a recommend.
Place rating: 2
Orange, CA
Ehhhhh,
This was our 2nd time here…
Service was not good, the restaurant is not that clean and although we were sitting about 6 feet from the kitchen our food was just warm.
The attitude of the restaurant reflects the attitude of the management.
This place is busy during lunch so maybe everyone just checks out for the dinner service.
Not worth a trip back.
Place rating: 4
Costa Mesa, CA
I come here for the breakfast; they open everyday at 8am.
Along with traditional breakfast items, they kick up the menu with items like Shrimp Frittata, Étouffée Omelette, pork chop & eggs, Southern Eggs Benedict with pulled pork or corned beef, and MORE.
I think the 4-​item Build your own Omelette is an outstanding value. And they make omelettes the right way — a true omelette envelopes the ingredients, they don’t scramble them into the eggs where the ingredients lose their flavor.
The quality of the ingredients make this place stand out. My mushroom omelette comes with Oyster Mushrooms — outstanding! I think this is the best bacon I’ve ever had: thick, but not too thick, crunchy but not crumbly, big bold bacony flavor.
They only breakfast item on the menu I didn’t care for was the Breakfast Burrito — walk across the street to Rooster Café for a better one.
They have a full bar in the morning, so you can order all kinds of fancy cocktails with breakfast, what fun! Great coffee too.
Service is good but not outstanding, but doesn’t diminish the experience.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Best thing going in Orange County, from my perspective and experience. As a long time L.A. resident, I’m used to diversity. At memphis, I enjoy the clientele and employees there as they seem much more laid back and open to diversity. The food is AMAZING!!! The drinks are great as well! But the food… mmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhhmmmmmmm!!! Love it! just order anything and you’ll like it! ^_^
ALso, usually, it’s an awesome music playlist coming through the speakers which makes the dine in experience that much better.
At night, after you’ve filled your belly and gotten a little happy, your feet can get some exercise after they clear the dining room of tables and chairs to make room for some «gettin’ down» action with a live DJ! Can’t beat that! ^_​^
Love this place!!!
Place rating: 2
Scottsdale, AZ
We came here for Sunday brunch. The seating was a bit awkward as they sat us right in front of the door. With 9 people in our group, it was annoying to have everyone tripping over us, not to mention the music was BLASTING. We had a reservation so it’s not like they didn’t know we were coming. Service was slow, food was ok, waitress made a good call to just order a bottle of champagne for mimosas for $ 12 instead of $ 3 a glass. There are way better places to go in the area and I probably won’t be back.
Place rating: 4
Hayward, CA
Was in town for a few hours on a business trip and had time to grab a bite and found this gem on Unilocal.Very cool place. Staff was friendly and I was seated right away. Had the shrimp Fritata. Big serving and I thought wouldn’t finish but I did. Asked for a side of wheat toast which is extra. Should have just asked for one piece because it was a giant piece! Definitely recommend.
Place rating: 3
Irvine, CA
I came back to Memphis to try their brunch. I visited on a weekday and there was no line. There was no hostess, no server that greeted us like my last visit. Instead, one of the waiters, while mopping down a table by the restroom, told me to sit wherever I want. The weather was so nice, so I opted to dine outside. The restaurant was really dark inside, like they didn’t have any lighting besides the sun from the windows and doors. The atmosphere here is really laid back — a little too much for my liking. The servers generally leave you alone and only check up on you when it’s time to order and pay. Our waiter was so tall. kinda awkward to tilt my head all the way back to talk to him. He just stood there like he didn’t really care. I’ve seen other waiters get more personal and take a seat in adjacent empty tables.
I thought the food here was just average. While I enjoyed the buttermilk fried chicken, the waffles did not live up to the same great taste as its partner. The waffle was too thick. It looked like it could have been a Belgian but did not taste fluffy like one. The chicken didn’t really need the extra gravy, but that was a nice touch. My eating partner ordered the shrimp frittata. It tasted really sweet and was really lacking in shrimp, which was pretty disappointing.
Note: There are restrooms behind the curtain/​veil. But each room is so tiny.
Place rating: 4
Santa Ana, CA
Haven’t eaten here but this is my favorite place for drinks and chill dance music on a Friday night with my girlfriends! They play Old Skool Hip Hop and everyone’s groovin’ and having a good time. And it’s super casual so I can dance and spin in sneakers!
It’s a much «older» crowd, considering my friends and I are in our mid 20s. Mainly late 20-​early to 30 year olds with your occasionally 40+ individuals/​couples but hey, everyone’s having fun.
What I don’t like: since it’s a smaller and not really a «mainstream» bar, you’ll likely have 1 creep that’s super drunk and gets into your personal space. But there’s security so you can always let them know. Also, The Commissary is right down the street and sometimes the people there come to Memphis because they couldn’t get in or they’re not having fun there.
But in the end, I’m ALWAYS looking forward to my next Friday night at Memphis!
Place rating: 4
Tustin, CA
It’s 12am, I’m laying in bed, and I just started craving a burger… That’s when I think to myself, «how have I not written a review for Memphis yet?!»
Let’s get the bad out of the way, because that’s a much shorter list: parking sucks on weekend nights… And sometimes weekday nights. Also, it can be very loud and bit cramped if it’s busy, so maybe avoid having your first date here.
Aside from that, I love everything about Memphis. The servers are always super friendly and attentive. They have a great beverage list as well, and the servers always give me great recommendations.
The menus consists predominantly of gourmet soul food. And good for the soul it is… Just maybe not your arteries. My boyfriend loves the fried chicken here. My favorites are the soul burger and the pan roasted chicken. My mouth waters at the thought of either *drools*. I always promise myself I’ll be adventurous and try the bison burger, but I always end up going with the soul burger last minute. One of these days, I’ll keep that promise and update this review… Probably to rave about how delicious it is and how dumb I was to wait so long to try it, but until then… You need to come out and try this spot next time you’re craving some yummy comfort food.
Place rating: 3
Irvine, CA
Memphis Café is definitely a unique little spot in Costa Mesa. From the outside it looks like old school Palm Springs. I’m glad we were seated on the outdoor patio because the dining room is tiny and dark.
The hostesses were friendly and despite the other reviews the service was pretty good. They offer Happy Hour specials everyday which is awesome.
I was with a party of 6 and we shared the crab cakes and steamed mussels and clams for appetizers. Crab caked weren’t great. They were dry, crunchy, and lacking flavor. Steamed mussels were delicious!
I had the Soul Burger as my entrée. I asked for it medium and it came out well done so it was dry and again lacking flavor. Barbecued mushrooms… more like 1 mushroom and too much polenta were so so.
I loved the ambience on the patio. Succulents in mason jars surrounded the walls and the classic country playing was awesome. Bathrooms are tiny but were immaculate.
Costa Mesa, CA
I love this restaurant. Every time I have a visitor in town, I take them here because I want all of my friends and family to experience it. All of the food is so good — chicken and waffles, popcorn shrimp, kale salad are among my favorites. The end of story cocktail as well as tequila sunrises are always made to perfection. Great atmosphere and I have never had to deal with a wait for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.