If you are in Memphis and looking for the real deal when it comes to the blues & BBQ be sure to check the Blues City Café right on hopping Beale Street (at the corner of Second Street). Over its twenty year history, the venue has perfected the southern blues musical experience right down to the bone.

Over the years the Blues City Café has featured many heavy weight musical guests on their Band Box stage, including: Rufus Thomas, BB King, Ollie Nightengale, Jerry Lee Lewis, Albert King, Little Jimmy King, Reverend Al Green, Hank Williams JR, Sam Phillips, Ike Turner, The Cate Brothers, Kid Rock, Jim Dandy, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Ivan Neville, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Keanu Reeves & Dogstar, Levon Helm, Memphis Horns - Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love, Timmy King, Denise Lasalle, Booker T. Laury, Phoebe Lewis, The Masqueradors, Willie Mitchell, The Hi Rhythm Section Courtney Love, Queen Latifah, R. Kelly, David Porter, R.L. Burnsides, Savory Brown, Smashing Pumpkins, Charlie Musselwhite, Carla Thomas, Marvell Thomas, Charlie Watts, Jack White, Jason D. Williams, Yanni, Leon Wilkeson & Lynrd Skynrd, The Dempseys, Free World, Earl The Pearl, Little G Weevil, Miss Zeno, American Hi Fi, Los Lonely Boys, Mark DeCarlo, Richie Havens, and Big Jack Johnson. Regular house band Gary Hardy and the Memphis 2, do a cool Sun Studios Revue and Johnny Cash Tribute which has earned them a two-time nod as Beale Street Musician of the Year.

And if the action on stage is not cool enough, the venue has serious street cred with the celebrity set, looking for good ribs and a smooth vibe. A few noteworthy visitors known to frequent the Café: President Bill Clinton, Robert Plant, Steve Cropper, Ben E. Keith, Trent Reznor, Buddy Guy, Jesse Jackson, Sydney Pollack, Keith Carradine, Carol Channing, Dave Chapelle, Jimmy Page, Duck Dunn, Alice Cooper, Little Milton, Al Franken, Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Robert DeNiro, Woody Harrelson, George Hamilton, Elizabeth Hurley, James Gandolfini, James Earl Jones, Ed Harris, Conan O'Brien, Steven Seagall, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Murray & Samuel L. Jackson.

We highly recommend you add the Blues City Café to your list of “must experience venues”.