One of the best things about food road trips is that you never know what you’re going to encounter. Some of what I come across is just from driving around the city after I’ve dropped off Marcela at an antique shop.
In the case of Dixie Queen, we were tired from a long day of exploring Memphis, Tennessee. I opened Postmates to see what was around me, and Dixie Queen‘s comfort food caught my eye. More on this later.
Dixie Queen was founded in 1949 by Regelo Raffanti and now has fifteen locations in the Memphis area.
Eating from the Dixie Queen Drive-Thru
On our way out of Memphis the following morning, I drove by the Dixie Queen, which I had ordered the night before. I wasn’t sure if I was going the breakfast or lunch route since they are a 24-hour-a-day establishment.
I figured playing it simple would be my best option, but I didn’t want to leave hungry. Our next stop was five hours away in Ruston, Louisiana, where we would encounter In-N-Out Donuts and Griff’s Hamburgers.
Fred, who was with us on this trip, is always up for trying out my curated selections. Again, it was simple, but we ate the crinkle-cut fries, a ham and cheese sandwich, and a double cheeseburger.
The crinkle-cuts were fried perfectly with an uneven seasoning application. It didn’t bother me, as I don’t generally care, as long as the fries were not soggy from sitting in the fryer oil for too long.
Ham and Cheese Sando + Burger Talk
The ham and cheese came on beautifully toasted bread. Since I consider myself a ham and cheese connoisseur, this is as good as it gets for fast food.
If I were making one at home, I’d add more ham and cheese, but it was great for an on-the-road, reasonably-priced sandwich.
I had the same feeling about the double cheeseburger. It’s a solid burger for the size and price. I liken Dixie Queen to Miami Grill in my hometown. Is it the best? No, but they’re not claiming to be.
Dixie Queen knows what it is and does a good job of it. I just can’t believe that I made the rookie mistake of not ordering the patty melt.
Dixie Queen
1884 N Germantown Parkway
Cordova, TN
(901) 321-5185
Website – https://dixie-queen.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/dixiequeenstores
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/dixiequeenstores
Monday OPEN 24 HOURS
Tuesday OPEN 24 HOURS
Wednesday OPEN 24 HOURS
Thursday OPEN 24 HOURS
Friday OPEN 24 HOURS
Saturday OPEN 24 HOURS
Sunday OPEN 24 HOURS
Dixie Queen Delivery
The night before we left Memphis, we ordered some Dixie Queen delivery. Nothing says late-night meal like a smoked sausage, a chili dog, and a cheesesteak. Marcela sat this one out, so this was all Fred and I.
It was exciting to see a branded styrofoam cup because it’s been years since I’ve seen one. It seemed like back in the 1990s, every mom-and-pop restaurant had one.
First up was the smoked sausage with onions and yellow mustard. This one had me written all over it. One bite in, and I’m thinking, how do I prevent Fred from wanting any?
Then we opened the chili dog, and this fella had a very Fred look to it. I mostly say that because I’m not into beans in chili, and he prefers it that way.
Both seemed a bit overdone and crispy, but I tend to prefer those when we’re BBQing at home. And then we unwrapped the cheesesteak….oh no…there’s lettuce and tomato.
They lost me at the lettuce and tomato. I took a small bite on one of the ends where I could ignore the offenders.
After some quick negotiations, I ended up with the smoked sausage and chili dog while Fred ate the cheesesteak. We were both happy campers.
Elvis Presley and Dixie Queen
After filming for Fun in Acapulco had wrapped, Elvis Presley and Priscilla stopped in at Dixie Queen for milkshakes on April 2nd, 1963. Unfortunately, that specific restaurant at 1181 S Bellevue Blvd in Memphis, which he frequented, recently shut down permanently.
Tops Bar-B-Q in Memphis
Tops Bar-B-Q is another old-school Memphis food spot. It has been charming local folks since 1952. There are now seventeen locations, including a few outside Memphis, Mississippi (Olive Branch, Southaven) and Marion, Arkansas!
While Marcela was hitting up an antique shop, I was out exploring and saw the Tops Bar-B-Q sign. They slow-cook all of their meats with hickory wood, and as my luck would have it, there’s a burger on the menu.
I place a very simple order at the drive-thru for a quarter-pound cheeseburger. It comes standard with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, white onions, pickles, and mayo.
None of all that brouhaha for me, just cheese, please. There really is nothing like a smokey piece of beef with melty cheese on a soft squishy bun.
It brought me back to my family grilling on Sundays. I just wish I had ordered a second one so Marcela could have tried it, too. On second thought, that burger may not have lasted with that intoxicating smell in my car.
Tops Bar-B-Q
3353 Summer Avenue
Memphis, TN
(901) 452-5616
Website – https://topsbarbq.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/topsbarbqburgers
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/topsbarbq
Monday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday 6:30 am – 9:00 pm