Memphis At the Santora

1 star in order to write review. Waitress took forever just to take order. Then when she finally came around, had a condescending attitude about serving our table. Manager was unhelpful. I guess they can’t handle a 6+ group. You’re better off ordering from the street vendors. Never again.

The fried chicken was decent and I’m not going to give a full blown detail review on a place that’s closed. Also, I could make up a bunch of dishes that didn’t exist and you would never know. However, I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to write some jibberish to see if you actually read it.
Unilocal has become my playground. Why? Because I can and it’s fun. It’s like people who like to send me messages telling me about stuff I didn’t solicit. What do I do? I usually send back a very clever message back insulting their intelligence and waste their time. In other words, I’m using Unilocal to troll people now. Anyway, back to the Memphis that’s located in DT Santana. No not Tennessee cause you’re definitely not the only Ten I see?
I can say whatever non-​sense I want and people won’t figure it out until their done with reading my review. Gotcha, sweetheart. Fried chicken was decent.

Memphis, yes indeed and A-​OK.
I have been to Memphis a few times over the years. Downtown Santa Ana isn’t close enough for a quick meal, but it’s on the list when I am heading out with friends. Quite a few of those times, Memphis has been our destination.
The atmosphere is fun. On one side it feels more like a bar. On the other it feels more like a restaurant. It’s fun to have the option depending on who you are spending time with.
I do love the Open Table reservation feature with Memphis. It’s directly on their Unilocal page and it makes it so easy.
This last time, my book club met here to eat, drink, and have a book chat. We all ate and the food was good. However, the food can be inconsistent. Sometimes I love it and sometimes it isn’t memorable. It’s never bad, though, so Memphis remains on my list of places to eat.

Great place to relax and have a drink. My date and I came here last night and arrived around 9 ish and were greeted by one of the servers. Once we got seated we looked over the menu and took a look at their small plates. One of the servers brought some corn bread for us, I thought that was different since its usually a basket of bread. I didn’t mind at all since I like corn bread. After sometime of looking over the menu, we decided to share four small plates:
Mac N’ Cheese — I thought it was ok, it did have some spice to it, which I liked but I’m not really a big fan of mac n cheese. My date thought it was ok as well.
Hush Puppies — my date and I enjoyed this dish and the dipping sauce it came with. I’m not sure what it was but it was spicy which is why I think we enjoyed it so much.
Matchstick Fries — we really enjoyed these fries. They came with ketchup and I believe it was BBQ sauce but I feel like it had another ingredient in there. They had a nice crunch to it, they were so addicting.
Popcorn Shrimp — we really enjoyed this plate as well. They were lightly breaded and had some crunch to them, very tasty.
Dessert:
Crème Brulee — it was topped off with fresh raspberries, we really enjoyed it as well. It was perfect.
Of course no meal is complete without some drinks to go with it. So we ordered the following:
Kentucky Mule — we really enjoyed this drink, to me it seemed light, enjoyable.
Vodka Daisy — another drink we really enjoyed. I’m not sure what type of vodka they used but I didn’t care it was tasty.
Air Collins — I liked this drink as well. I honestly have no complaints about their drinks they were all delicious.
Our server was so nice and service was superb. She was attentive and made some great recommendations and was very helpful. The ambience was intimate which was perfect for us. The décor is modern, they had candles inside Ball Mason jars which I though was neat. We had an awesome time.

The fact that this place was more than half empty when I stepped in on a Friday night should have been a red flag. A friend and I were looking for a good restaurant to dine at while catching up. Since we were already in downtown Santa Ana, we figured we’d give this place a try. Oh man, so many regrets. We should have just gone across the street to The Gypsy Den or down the block to Chapter One. If you’re in this area, avoid this place. I came in hungry and left hungry.
Since there were many empty tables when my friend and I walked in, the hostess told us to pick any table. We sat at a table then waited… and waited. Thank goodness we’re girls and we talk a lot because that helped the time go by faster. Finally a disinterested and unenergetic waitress appeared and quickly recited the daily specials before disappearing again. We looked over then menu which did not offer much options, and decided on our dishes. When our waitress came back, we put in our orders.
Let’s just say that the best part of my meal was the free (and dry) cornbread they gave us as we waited. I ordered the Blue Corn Chicken Salad with a side of Matchstick Fries. The salad was okay but nothing amazing to say the least considering it was $ 11 for a plate. I at least expected an interesting ingredient thrown in to jazz up the salad but all ingredients were basic and uninspired.
Now for the Matchstick Fries. I am a lover of fries and an avid fry fanatic. I never knew you could go wrong with ordering fries until the day I ate at Memphis. DO NOT GET THE FRIES. Yes, I should have known better with a fry name containing «Matchstick» in it. These fries are skinny, stick-​like. And not the yummy skinny/​stringy fries you get at a place like Yardhouse. These fries were skinny, crunchy, and over-​fried – just like its name suggests. They could have basically acted as croutons for my salad. There was no soft center to the fries, no oily goodness, no slightly crunchy yet slightly soft texture. None of that. They were strictly matchstick-​like. Well, at least they live up to their name. So shame on me for thinking they could be anything different than what their name honestly and bluntly foretold. I should have known better.

The happiest hours of the day starts here on Friday afternoons. HH starts at 3pm and the bar is wide open for $ 5 beers and mixed drinks –try their «old fashion” — awesomeness in a glass and their Anchor Steam is on tap!
The service is speedy and courteous, the beverages are made with precision and ice cold. They have outside seating. I enjoy this spot, great place to kick off my weekends!

This was a pretty good restaurant. very nice staff and friendly. Interesting dishes. They supposedly have a crawfish thing you can make reservations for if you are into that you can call for details. but anyway my friends were late by half an hour and the staff was still very friendly as some restaurants get mad at things like that.
I will definitely go back again I had bison for the first time which was pretty tasty actually.

Came here for their happy hour (which ends at 6:30) before a YEE Event. They have a great outdoor patio for those warm SoCal nights (even in the middle of November). I ordered the Popcorn Shrimp Tacos and a lemonade. The tacos were a great mix of crunchy with the shrimp and soft with the grated pepper jack cheese on top. Added a little Tapatio and yum! The lemonade was the best I’ve had at any restaurant before too. Perfectly sweet and refreshing (and the free refills were great too)! The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming too.
Great décor and vibe in the whole place also.
As is the standard, parking is either on the street (if you can find it) or in the pay lot on Broadway and 3^rd (cash only).

Memphis is right up the street from my house. YAY!
Came here with some friends for a nice Friday night dinner and was not disappointed.
For starters, I love that it’s happy hour until 6:30 so dinner was pretty reasonable.
We ordered a few things to share:
zuni flatbread: sage pesto, pepper jack cheese, corn salsa
soul burger: chipotle aioli, pepper jack cheese, brioche bun, house made barbecue sauce
Everything was delicious and totally hit the spot. We ordered the pumpkin cheesecake to share and it wasn’t too sweet so we were able to basically murder the slice.
I’ll definitely be back for my Southern cooking fix.

Memphis is what would happen if Denny’s decided to reinvent its image by loading up a well-​stocked bar and target a young-​adult crowd. I guess it kinda works… but not really. It’s a good place to go when everybody is tired, the night is early but almost done, and a couple people in the group feel like one more round. Sort of like a church-​group-​outing-​but-​with-​a-​couple-​thugs kind of place. Coffees, teas, a few beers, and a fairly quiet environment for relaxing and having some conversation. Again, it might work, but mostly just feels a little awkward.
Also, avoid the Triple Belgian Chocolate Cake. It was toted as being very rich and being large enough to share among six people. In actuality, it should have been called like a Single Belgian Chocolate Cake or even a One-​Half Belgian Chocolate Cake, due to how bland and dry it was. I guess it definitely could have been shared amongst six people though, since the six of us found it so terrible that we left a full two thirds of it on the table.

Their house-​made ginger syrup probably Orange County’s best kept secret.
It’s created every few days from scratch with pound and pounds of meticulously hand-​peeled ginger. What results are some really well crafted drinks complimented by a incredibly warming yet refreshing kick of flavor. As much as I love my ginger beer, I’d rather just have a cup of soda water with their house-​made syrup any day.

Santa Ana… who knew?
That was our reaction to finding this really cool little restaurant with super good food and a great atmosphere! No limit Mimosa’s only $ 6.00 at this location! If you go to the Costa Mesa Memphis it will cost you $ 11.00. Memphis Eggs Benedict ($ 10.50) — the poached eggs were on the done side and instead of potato hash, it rested on a piece of potato. Maybe just a kitchen mistake and I’m willing to give them another chance! Especially since I was completely happy with the continuous Mimosa refills!

E side of Broadway just N of 1^st Street
I had an event here in hopes of reviving Memphis’ popularity again. I wanted to remind people how delicious their food was. Only time will tell whether this event proved to hold any clout. All I know is this kid had fun and the food was truly delicious.
I bought some appetizers for the table to share with each other. The only one I could snap a photo of was their Pulled Pork Sliders:
which were divine in their own tiny right. There was tender, juicy, and flavorful pulled pork with crispy onion strings all nestled lovingly inside tiny grilled Brioche buns. These sliders prove to be an awesome starter to a great Southern meal.
For my entrée I decided to go with their Southern BBQ Combo:
which was Hickory Smoked BBQ Pork Ribs with Black Eyed Peas and Mac n Cheese. Talk about a treat to my taste buds! I loved this meal. The ribs turned out flavorful and succulent practically melting off the bone, the black eyed peas were actually really good and the Mac n Cheese was stringy and dreamy. The sauce on the ribs were incredible and right up my alley. They were slightly sweet with also a nice bite of spiciness in the back end to include my two favorite flavor profiles. After having this food a sense of pride settled upon me for I knew that Memphis had taken care of all of us.
Service was really nice by the entire staff. I had been in communication with their P.R. person who got us our own section and extended out Happy Hour till 8 p.m. which was truly nice. Turns out that Sundays (the day we had it) is Service Industry Night and since we all work in the «industry» we were treated to half off entrees, so yay on that front too!
I’m really surprised that Memphis’ popularity has seemingly waned because they have so much to offer.
Once a month their resident bartender Dave (guy with the Cowboy Hat) will host a «Dinner with Dave» on I believe the 3^rd Wednesday of the month where he’ll offer free food for everyone (including the homeless if they show up) as well as live entertainment. While the food may not necessarily be any of the menu items I can tell you first hand that it is still very good!
Seating comes in the form of regular tables and booths inside and regular tables outside if you’d like to dine al fresca!
While the décor is not necessarily much to look at it is still modern looking and clean inside offering a sort of hip element to your dining experience.
There is no dedicated parking so you really have two options here: either on the street or at the nearby paid Parking Garage.

Great place to unwind
I came with my two girlfriends on a Wednesday at 8:30pm and there was barely any people inside. Once we got seated, we ordered some coffee. I got a bowl of gumbo. One of my girlfriends got the soup of the day (Chipotle soup) and my other girlfriend got the beet salad. The waiter also brought out some delicious corn bread. It was perfect with our soups. My bowl of gumbo was very salty but good. It was pretty hearty and really hit the spot. They give you about a scoop of rice in the center and that was enough. I had a bite of my girlfriend’s Chipotle soup, which I thought was okay. It was just a water broth soup with some veggies. The beet salad was very good.
Our total for everything was $ 27. We went on a regular night but for happy hour, they have a $ 5 menu for full size orders. Our service was excellent. Our waiter, Aristotle, was very helpful and friendly. He was really sweet when my girlfriend complained about her coffee not being hot enough. As for ambiance, it’s very intimate. They have different music based on different nights. On the day we came, they had a mariachi band performing. They also had a special going on for half off a bottle of wine. Overall, the food was pretty good and we had an awesome time.

Build your own Burger Tuesday! + Movie Night + Great Music + Exceptional Service = Memphis!!!
What can I say besides I love this place! Even after taking a difficult person here for lunch and watch her be who she is with the menu and service I still find this place charming, yummy, and welcoming!
Being greeted by one of the servers with, «Haven’t seen you two for awhile, how are you?» Really impressed me bc she didn’t have to say that at all, but she has been our waitress most of our visits to Memphis and really good one I might add!!! I’m not great with names so I just have to say she the cute, tiny girl with short brown hair…
Once we are seated I look up only to find a movie playing and not just any movie but Pretty In Pink with Molly Ringwald!!! As I get settled my husband shouts heeeeey Sixteen Candles! Lol
This was exciting for me bc the last movie we saw here was a comedy that my husband really enjoyed and now it’s my turn…
Then we created our burgers by selecting choices from a paper they provided much like The Counter and Slaters ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. I’m not that creative with my selection bc the burger was just a regular bacon cheese burger… not like the normal Soul Burger I order from there regular menu. I totally recommend by the way. Then I ordered the house salad on the side which was a pleasant surprise of freshness with mixed green salad, candied pecans, gorgonzola, red pear, golden raisins, sherry vinaigrette! Yum
I feel this is a cute date spot with a full bar, creative mixologist, and a southern style menu, with a hipster style. Try it out and then walk around… it’s located in the artist district of Santa Ana. A lot of the spots down there are fun and trendy… like my favorite next door… Lola Gaspar… then head around the corner to Chapter One… and finish the night at the Crosby for some drinks and dancing… depending on the DJ!
There you go… I planned your date night!
Cheers

You cannot wilt a salad and tell me they’re greens. I eat greens and Southern cooking all the time because it is delicious, but what was served to me at Memphis is some bastardization of the cuisine.
Memphis is to Southern what Olive Garden is to Italian. I could stop right there, but I won’t.
We had a very large group and a reservation. Upon arrival, there was a lot of disorganization with seating because they turned 2-​tops into 4-​tops, which really doesn’t pan out too well unless everyone is the size of a kindergartner.
The food was sad. In addition to fake greens, my catfish had almost no seasoning in the breading. The cornbread was painfully dry. I was told the ribs, chicken, and gumbo were bland and underwhelming as well. I couldn’t have the shrimp gumbo so I had the mixed greens salad. That salad was good, probably because it had nothing to to do with Southern food at all. It took over two and a half hours to get everyone’s order and serve two courses.
When it came time for the checks, there was drama. Between misinformation and poor cash handling with the waitresses, the checks were a small nightmare. My boyfriend and I had to pony up $ 55 for two entrees and appetizers. That did not include our drinks from the bar. That is way, way too much money for what we got.
The hipster behind the bar was the best thing at Memphis because he seemed happy over there doing is his thing. In fact, that’s the only thing I would ever return to Memphis for: the bar.

After 6 years of living in Orange County, I’ve made a crucial discovery…
Santa Ana has a good nightlife. And it’s places like Memphis that make it fun.
Dawn M. and I found this place while strolling the streets of Santa Ana on a Saturday night. It was approximately 10:30 PM and we weren’t quite ready to hit the dance floor at Proof Bar. We needed a couple tasty drinks and something to munch on.
Memphis’s Late Night Menu = JACKPOT
Whoa. How were we so oblivious? Talk about bang for buck. Check it out.
1 Greyhound Cocktail ($ 4)
1 Whiskey Sour ($ 4)
1 order of Matchstick Fries ($ 3)
1 order of Fried Okra ($ 3 – 4)
— — — — — — — — — — — —
$ 15 (with tax)
The drinks were delicious. If anything, the bartender had a bit of a heavy hand. Such a first-​world problem, right? The Matchstick Fries, as the name implies, were pretty thin. I actually liked this since I wanted to munch on something without getting too full. We both enjoyed the Fried Okra even though it was a tad dry.
The ambiance was relaxed. It was lively, but certainly not packed. The dim lighting created an intimate setting. Dawn M. and I were able to chat without loud music or rowdy patrons disturbing us. The seating area was clean and comfortable. Our waitress had purple hair and was totally cool.
Pro-​Tip: Late Night Menu –Thursday 10 – 12 PM, Friday/​Saturday 10 PM-​1 AM.

I haven’t «taken too long» to come here, I’ve just «waited» until 20 of my closest Unilocal friends have reviewed the place before venturing out.
Our group arrived mere minutes after happy hour (on a SATURDAY! Already four stars!) had ended, so I didn’t get a chance to enjoy what seems to be one of the better ways to experience this place. We came to eat before heading out to the Santa Ana Artwalk… still a good call.
The service was great as they easily accommodated a last-​minute reservation change and seated us very quickly. That service continued throughout the night and was a great balance of attentive and unobtrusive.
Everyone seemed happy with their dish, but none more so than the one person who had ordered the buttermilk fried chicken… I got to sample a bite and I almost — ALMOST — regretted not ordering it. But my pulled pork sliders really hit the spot, and I’d easily see this being something to get at happy hour ($ 5 for two, as opposed to $ 10 for three + onion strings).
I definitely prefer this one to the Costa Mesa location at the LAB.

For YEARS I have been wanting to try Memphis. Finally made it out with some friends for dinner.
When we arrived they were not busy at all — didn’t pick up until at least an hour into us being there. We had reservations, seated right away. Drink order taken — waited at least 20 minutes for one beer and one cocktail. The beer was the wrong one — not that she brought the wrong one, but she told my BF that they had a California IPA or something (I don’t know beer, forgive me if my words are incorrect) and he was served some other kind of beer that wasn’t IPA. He told her he was brought the wrong one, she said that was all that they had and she had just misinformed him on what they had.
Our friends arrived shortly after we did and they also had to wait about 20 minutes for one beer and one martini. My friend said his martini sucked, and honestly, my Tom Collins was one of the most sour ones I have ever had.
Looked over the menu and decided everything we wanted to order:
Cup of Gumbo
Cup of Shrimp Corn Chowder
Zuni Flatbread with Chicken
Popcorn Shrimp Tacos
Two orders of Buttermilk Fried Chicken — both substituted the greens for Mac & Cheese
Soul Burger
Lamb Shank special of the evening
The Gumbo and the Chowder were good, although not hot (temperature wise). The Flatbread had a nice kick to it, but the chicken was brought out in the separate dish after we had begun to eat the Flatbread. The Shrimp Tacos were pretty bland, and I didn’t really care for what I believe was a cornmeal breading on the shrimp. It didn’t work for me.
The entrees also did not wow me. I have read that everybody loves their fried chicken. Perhaps this was an off night? The chicken breast was pretty small. The breading was too thick and bland. In all honesty, Popeye’s would have made me happier for about ¹⁄₃ the price. The mashed potatoes and mac & cheese were both lukewarm, the gravy was cold. I would never order this again.
My friend’s lamb I did not try, but he said it was just okay. MY BF’s burger was quite tasty, but it was also not warm enough. What is going on with the food temperatures here? My best guess was our food was made long before it was brought out, Our service was not good at all, so I can just imagine how long our food sat under a heating lamp, or maybe just on a counter in the kitchen.
Our waitress would just disappear for 15 or 20 minutes and I wouldn’t even see her in the restaurant. Horrible service. Especially since it began from the moment we arrived, it clearly wasn’t a case of her being overworked and busy.
After dinner my friends ordered dessert, which again took an eternity to arrive at the table. I will say, the Bread Pudding was superb.
We ended up being at the restaurant for 2 ½ hours, which involved at least an hour of just sitting around waiting for things to happen. Unfortunately, the food also did absolutely nothing for me, so I will not even bother giving them another chance. Next time I want to eat in Santa Ana, you’ll find me dining at Lola Gaspar.

HAPPY HOUR REVIEW ONLY
(Tuesday — Saturday, 3pm to 6:30pm.)
DRINKS
Memphis offers probably one of the better happy hours around. They have awesome drink specials including $ 5 beers, $ 5 wines, $ 4 classic cocktails and $ 6 specialty cocktails.
My drink of choice? The $ 4 Greyhound (vodka & grapefruit juice). Other $ 4 cocktails include a Tom Collins, Cuba Libre, Whiskey Sour and a Margarita. Bottoms up!
FOOD
While there are plenty of items to choose from, the food is hit or miss. Prices are just right though. I recommend:
Mini Meatloaf Sandwich ($ 5)
aged cheddar, housemade barbeque sauce, mayo, lettuce
Southern Crab Cakes ($ 7)
herb salad, smoked tomato beurre blanc
Steamed Mussels and Clams ($ 6)
trinity, chicken andouille sausage, white wine-​tomato broth
Pass on:
Homemade Pizza ($ 5)
roasted tomato garlic sauce, fresh tomatoes, okra, chicken andouille sausage
Zuni Flatbread (5)
sage pesto, corn salsa, pepper jack cheese
The pizza needed more sauce and I was not a fan of okra and andouille sausage. The flatbread was dry and doughy and just bleh.
While Memphis isn’t perfect, they do enough right to get me coming back (for happy hour).