Huey's Restaurant

Something we have learned during the past 17 months of traveling is that some of the best places are those that we just happen upon. One evening, we went in search of a quick bite to eat around the neighborhood of our apartment. Two blocks away, we came across a little corner restaurant called Huey's. It is not much to look at from the outside, but we quickly learned that it is a Memphis landmark in its own right. Opened in 1970, Huey's ( the childhood nickname of founder Alan Gary) has been voted as having the best burgers in Memphis every year since 1984. And it shows: the place is always packed. Huey's is a fun place to visit and eat - the employees are always smiling; there is live music; and customers get into the spirit of the place by joining a competition to see who can blow the most toothpicks into the ceiling through a straw (apparently there is a prize). We loved it, and the food is good too.

  www.hueyburger.com

The little corner Huey's restaurant. From the street, it did not look like much, but locals we asked raved about the place.

Is this a bar or a pharmacy?

The back of the menu provides insight into the history of the restaurant.

In addition to all the toothpicks blown into the ceiling by customers, is the out-of-place crutch. A long-time patron wanted to throw her crutch into the Mississippi after a year's recovery from an injury. Huey's owner took it, instead, and shoved it into a hole in the ceiling. It has become a Huey's tradition in all of its restaurants.

The side room, complete with its own set of ceiling toothpicks.

One of the live bands that perform here daily.

Quirkiness also carries over to a collection of license plates tacked to the walls. Not sure of the significance of the fish, but it was a nice touch.