The Second Line

The Second Line is easily one of the top spots in the Midtown area located beside it’s fine dining counterpart, Restaurant Iris! Both are owned and operated by Memphis cooking royalty, Kelly English. English offers French & New Orleans cooking styles the Mid-​South.
The Second line is a po’boy haven. My two personal favorites are the White Pasture Oaks (braised beef & Swiss) and the Verno (braised chicken & Swiss). Finally you must try the pimento cheese crawfish and sausage cheese fry appetizer as well as the equally delicious BBQ shrimp appetizer and be sure to use that bit of bread they serve with it by dipping it into the left over BBQ sauce.
Prepare yourself for the weekly cravings that will follow and when you’re in need of a special, romantic evening be sure to head down to Restaurant Iris!

We went with a group of five for the Sunday night steak special among other creative dishes.
The place was crowded and TVs going with NFL football.
The service was spotty at best but the steak special (ribeye) was a masquerade. The ribeye cut was so thin and so rare that I felt like it was cooked on a griddle for only a few minutes and then plated on a cold plate. My steak was sent back as too cold and too rare. The steak (maybe it was a cheap thin NY strip) special is not so special. The restaurant made an attempt and credited half the cost of the entrée before we left the restaurant. This was appreciated.
I should have had gumbo and corn bread which looked fantastic. I might go back for their burgers as well.

Second Line is one of our favorite casual restaurants. With a sick baby, we were craving Second Line, but didn’t want to go sit down. We found out they will do take out orders during the week and you can order at the bar for take out on weekends. Therefore, we were to get our BBQ shrimp poboys with red beans and rice! So good!

The food is AMAZING, and the service from the waiter is just as impeccable! We have loved our experiences here with one exception. The heavy wannabe-​blonde girl who is the hostess is so rude that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. She doesn’t just have bad days. She has bad everything. Otherwise fantastic experience at the second line, every time!

I don’t know what took me so long to get here– maybe it’s the lack of reservations (yes, that is the only factor). This is a Kelly English restaurant, so I came in with high expectations, and was not let down!
We were on a double date before a Minglewood Hall show, and stopped in on a Sunday evening where we were delighted to find a semi-​full restaurant with no wait. I knew it was a po-​boy type restaurant, but these are more like rich-​boys! The depth of flavor in everything we had was so deep I needed a scuba suit and head lamp just to find my way out of the lusty eyerolls and «oh-mah-gah“s. We ordered the Besh (NOLA-​style BBQ shrimp) Shrimp, and brought the remaining sauce home to sop up with toast. The greens were delicious, my husband was so full that he only ate half the gumbo. I was so happy with the shrimp, and with prior experiences at Iris that I asked our server to surprise me for dinner. What I ended up with was this (here come the eye-​rolls again) sumptuous, juicy, tender pot roast and swiss po-​boy with a bigger-​than-​my-​face bowl of horseradish and creole mustard flavored skin-​on red potato salad.
The décor is easy going, with stone, metal, and a handmade «chandelier» in front of some vintage blue bottles and rebar. The football game of the night was playing on a big screen on one side of a dividing wall. So this is what it’s like to be inside Kelly English’s brain. I like it a lot. We will be back, over and over, and always on Sunday.

Atmosphere is nice and cozy. Love the stormy morning. We ordered bbq shrimp, which is great but I think it’s a bit too salty. The bread that come with it is sooo goooooddddd. Gumbo is very delicious. My bf ordered cheeseburger po-​boy. He says it’s thin but cooked perfectly and tasty.

Let’s start with we love this place, lol
Great service, can’t tell you how many times we were asked if we needed anything.
The atmosphere is casual, with a touch of class.
Started with a couple of Bloody Mary’s which is my drink of choice and I am very picky about, these are right up there with the best.
We are here for lunch and ordered two appetizers for meals, I had a Fried oyster Salad. My wife had the Happy Enchiladas. Both were outstanding and unique. Nothing ordinary about this place.
Truly enjoyable. Can’t wait to return.

Some items are better than others but after several trips I’m a bit underwhelmed overall. Service can be a bit spotty but pretty good overall. Actually haven’t been in a while because it doesn’t seem to call to me anymore. I did have a oyster bread pudding chef English made at a catered event that was really good. Try that if he has it on the menu.

My absolute favorite item: the cheese grits. I’m not sure what’s them, but it’s heavenly. I’d eat these grits everyday if I could!
The cocktail drinks here are unique and delicious.
If you can sit on the patio — go for it! I prefer outside to inside here. When the inside is crowded, the noise level is intense.

I have to update my review because I am in the midst of a total love affair with their patio. In fact, it may just be my favorite patio in Memphis. It. Is. Gorgeous.
Service was still a little slow at the bar inside, but they were slammed, even on a Tuesday night… which speaks to how popular they are. Don’t worry, the bartender was as gracious as could be even though it took a good 10 minutes to get my order. I can’t complain, she was running around nonstop taking orders. I just waited my turn and by the time my glass arrived, my table on the patio was ready.
But outside. Oh, outside. This is the epitome of why I love Memphis… especially midtown. I kept bumping into people I know. The wine was phenomenal. The food was good. The weather was perfect. Our waitress was kind and attentive. There was a puppy who melted my heart. My friends were particularly funny that night. It was just a magical evening that I can’t wait to repeat.

This is one of my favorite places in Memphis and my very favorite place in Overton Square.
With the New Orleans based menu I was pretty skeptical as I fancy myself as a bit of a NOLA food «expert» and rarely eat Louisiana or «Cajun» food outside of the great state of Louisiana.
I was seated the first time before I figured out the LA/​NOLA tilt so I stuck it out.
Man, I am so glad I did. I love this place. The food and the portions are great.
The PoBoys are superb. The shrimp is my favorite followed by the Cheeseburger
The Andouille Pimento Cheese fries are the best. Period. End of story.
Go.

I’ve been to Second Line several times although this is my first review. It’s turning out to be my favorite place in Overton Square for a mature crowd and a good «grown up» drink!
Dinner here is heavy, don’t come if you’re on a diet. Most items on both the appetizer and the dinner menu are either fried or dipped in heavy butter or sauce. I usually opt for a po-​boy, the shrimp one being my favorite. The shrimp are always well portioned and well seasoned and the dish comes with fries. The drinks are likewise good, but they don’t have a large variety of vodka based cocktails. Ultimately I go with the «Kudzu» or a glass of red wine and I’m happy.
The thing that I like most about this spot is that the crowd isn’t loud and swamped in beer and there aren’t many kids running around like you find at some other spots in the square.

Items Selected:
The Original Andouille + Crawfish + Pimento Cheese Fries
The Johnny Snack — Hot Ham + Cheese with Beef Debris with Spinach Madeline
Pecan Bread Pudding — Salty Caramel + Vanilla Ice Cream
Opting against Restaurant Iris in favor of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen for Friday dinner, and unable to fit the revered Memphis fine dining establishment into our schedule given their Sunday and Monday closure, it was to Chef Kelly English’s more casual Second Line that we headed for a late 2pm brunch on Mother’s Day and opting to sit at the bar as opposed to waiting for a table it was to Cavs vs. Bulls game four and friendly service from a young female bartender that we were treated, LeBron James’ game winning three and one of the best bread puddings I’ve ever tasted more than making up for a menu already sold out of several items including a Goo-​Goo Cluster Sundae ordered early on but given to another table for reasons only explained by a service ‘mistake.‘
Larger in size than it looks from out front, particularly given the al fresco patio tucked behind the restaurant and shared with Iris, Second Line embraces the more casual side of New Orleans cuisine honed by English during his time in the Big Easy training under the tutelage of Chef John Besh, and with nods to his mentor in the form of prawns at the top of the menu it was with a few Second Line signatures that the meal progressed, one sandwich and one appetizer plus the aforementioned dessert providing a sizeable and affordable snack without spoiling appetites for dinner later that night.
Still crowded despite the off-​hour, many ladies and their families lingering over all-​you-​can-​drink mimosas or glasses of champagne despite tables at that point devoid of food, it was perhaps fifteen minutes after ordering that a tray and two cast iron pots arrived, the former containing a ham and cheese Po-​Boy topped in rich gravy alongside buttery spinach soufflé while the second Staub piece contained a veritable mountain of hand-​cut spuds that maintained plenty of crispness even when topped with bubbling pimento cheese and a heap of spicy sausage plus sweet crustacean that tasted as though it was just plucked from its shell.
Admittedly a bit miffed that the sundae had been sold out from under our noses, but certainly not willing to pass on Bread Pudding made by a chef trained under Besh, it was much to our surprise that two ramekins of the caramel soaked brioche were served for the price of one and although we’d originally planned to share just one in order to save room for later such restraint was immediately cast by the wayside after the first bite, the custard-​soaked brioche with crispy edges still quite capable of soaking up slowly melting ice cream without becoming mushy while toasty candied pecans added just a touch more sweetness to all the butter and vanilla, a classic no less perfect than that at Luke and perhaps even superior given the texture of the base.

My husband and I stopped here for dinner. This was our second time eating here. I’m not a big fan of the food. The menu is very small and some of the food is missing flavor. We had the following: red beans & rice (no seasoning), cheese grits (I had better… just cheese melted on top of grits), i.b.y.a. shrimp (pretty good… spicy), & gumbo.

I’ve reviewed this place before, but my previous review seems to have evaporated…
Anyway, went with friends last weekend. I have to say the hostess at the front door was anything but friendly. I was kind of put off by the cold reception. The rest of the evening was fine.
Our server, Haley, was great, service was excellent. Always there just in time to refill drinks. She was friendly and very helpful.
PD had a cocktail and I had a few beers. PD declared the drinks were great, the beer menu was good. Not extensive, but featuring Memphis beers on tap.
We shared a cheese fries for an appetizer, it was really good. Fries were excellent, well covered by the cheese.
The main courses were good, but my po’boy was a bit soggy. The red beans and rice were a bit dull too. Food was good, but not great.

The one thing that is kinda bothersome about all these restaurants is that they don’t take reservations. We had a group of 6 so I was a little nervous about the wait. Luckily, we got there around 7:30 and didn’t have too bad of a wait… probably due to ice still being on the roads.
I don’t know if it’s the fact I hadn’t eaten all day, but I actually really enjoyed their food. We got two appetizers, the gulf shrimp midnight snack (which also comes with a loaf of bread!) and the andouille, crawfish & pimento cheese fries. Both were ridiculously good. My only complaint would be the crawfish tasted a little fishy, but I understand sometimes that happens.
For my entrée, I got the fried oyster plate. Definitely worth the $ 16. I was so incredibly full afterwords. It comes with a side of fries, a few hush puppies, and a little side salad. I have to say out of all the entrees mine looked the best :).

Couple things worth mentioning:
— the place has very few tables and it is cramped.
— because of above, be ready to wait a long time.
— there is bar section, but those also small and cramped.
— neighborhood behind is not parking spot. Use parking buildings. There is also valet.
Now, for food wise. They are good and enjoyable. There is one side item that is worth all the wait in the world, and it is red bean and rice. It is so good that I had that, and ordered and extra to go. It is super good, and feels home made.

All i can think about is the greens i had here!!! Dare i say that they were the best ive ever had in a restaurant! I seriously thought they had my momma held up in the kitchen!
I also had the oyster po boy which was unbelievable! the server did suggest that i have them put their sauce on it and wow she was on point with that!
I will definitely be going back!!!

Love this place! Food is always on target. In the summer the back area is open (with more bar spots). Bar spots = quicker service instead of the long 1 hour wait. I always put myself on the list and scoop up a bar spot while I wait. Their po-​boy bread supposedly comes straight from NOLA fwesh! nom nom nom!
Catfish poboy is my favorite! but gosh not sure if you can go wrong with anything! Service is great and they can split the check! For those of you who don’t know what a second line is– do a quick wiki on Nola and second line… we had one at our wedding. the theme of the restuarant (décor etc) will make more sense if you know what it means!

I’ve been dying to come here, and when my girlfriends suggested this spot as our weekly ritual date spot, I more than happily obliged.
First things first, the PIMENTO CHEESE FRIES. omgasm. just get them. they’re drizzled with a exceptionally right amount of cheese, with andouille and crawfish to give it that little spunk in your mouth. SO GOOD.
fried chicken yo po’boy — its pretty good. I’m not going to say its the best po boy i’ve ever had (since i’ve been to nola), but its not bad for an upscale foodie take on po boys. I think it could have used a little more meat, it was slightly breadier /​more fried than i would like it to be. but its not bad! a good option for memphis, but im excited to eat through the menu.
The atmosphere is so cute, and i love the décor. The servers are very on point, and was always refilling my water, which I super appreciate! Also one of my friends ordered a coke, and she got a refill without asking which was incredibly convenient and much appreciated!
Highly recommended if you love cajun/​creole food and you are a foodie. Good spot for a date night. They have a bar counter top thing where you can watch the game and drink drinks if you’d like. It’s a cute little place, and I’m ready to eat through more of the menu!