Memphis Foodie

The Beauty Shop is where I ended my birthday weekend on Sunday morning for brunch. As I usually work every Sunday morning, I wanted to go to some place that only serves brunch one day a week instead of Saturday as well. It was a real treat to do this. Apparently, The Beauty Shop is THE place to go for brunch on Sundays, as the place was packed out the door when we walked up.

The hostess Lindsey greeted us at the door and asked if we had a reservation. Since we did not, as my Type A personality went out the door this weekend, she said it would be about a 45 minute wait. Normally, this would throw me off. I was hungry, and I needed pancakes.

However, I saw the bloody marys out of the corner of my eye, and I knew I would be fine for that 45 minutes. She wrote our name down, and I instantly went to the bar to order three “Bad Boy Bloody Marys”. (I had two people with me. It’s Sunday morning for heavens-sake people.) They were HUGE. Not only that, but they are handmade! The bartender did everything from the tomato juice, au jus, additional sauces, seasoning, and garnishes. No mixes for this place. I have never had a bloody mary quite like this one. It was really sweet, but had a good kick to it as well. I normally order my bloody marys extra spicy, but I didn’t want to be a pain as I saw the bartender was super busy. This one, however, was spicy enough on its own to make me happy. Not to mention, the bartender was super cool. She was quick in making our drinks and even told us we tipped her too much. She gave us back money!

The wait also gave us a chance to soak in the details of the decor, which are unique and eclectic in themselves. The place is designed like an old school beauty shop. It has lot of funky details, including glass brick booths and hair dryer seats, that can keep your attention for quite sometime.

We were sat before we could finish our drinks, which was nice. It didn’t take as long as expected.  Since it was still my birthday weekend, I got to sit in the salon chair. (It doesn’t work. Don’t worry.) We got the menu, and everything looked amazing. This became another one of mine and Erin’s foodie events, except this time Scott came along. Every time we ordered something else, he simply rolled his eyes and looked away.

To start, the three of us split the beignets with a homemade plum sauce, biscuits and gravy, and lemon ricotta pancakes. The beignets were crispy, yet we prefer ours crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. However, the plum sauce made it well worth it. I wish I could bottle it up and take it with me. The biscuits and gravy were creamy and doughy, just like they should be. This is one of Scott’s favorite foods, and he is a biscuits and gravy critic. He approved, so we knew they were good. The Lemon Ricotta pancakes were by far my favorite! Erin and I both took a bite, our eyes got huge, and we just stared at each other for a moment. Sweet, citrusy, light, fluffy, and everything a pancake should be. This is the perfect Spring breakfast item. I went into my own little world for a moment while eating them.

After we split those, we all orderd our entrees. Erin got the seared salmon benedict, which was yummy. The fish wasn’t too strong, so it worked very well for breakfast. Erin loves eggs benedict, so you go to her if you want an expert opinion. Scott ordered the Cinnamon and Banana French Toast. This is his other favorite breakfast food item. We all thought the portion was a little small. Compared to everything else we got, one piece of toast did not seem like a lot. It looked like it should go under the small plates instead of the entrees.

I order the fried chicken and waffle. Yes, you heard me right. As a Southerner, I have always felt a bit ashamed that I have never had chicken and waffles. It seems like one of those old fashioned staples that I had to be familiar with. This was my opportunity. So I went there. All Scott could say over and over again was “My. Girlfriend. Ordered. Chicken and Waffles.”  I must say, it wasn’t all that super compared to the hype it sometimes gets. I got two fried wings, one waffle, and a side of sausage gravy. I first tried pouring syrup over the waffle and eating chicken with it. Then I tried pouring gravy over the chicken and eating the waffle with it. It wasn’t terrible, but it is not an entree I would ever order again I don’t think. I do not know if this is because of the location or the dish, but there are better things out there. I wouldn’t assume it’s the location, because everything else we ordered was great.

After stuffing our faces, Erin and I remembered one of the things that makes The Beauty Shop so great. They have handmade milkshakes in eclectic flavors! How could we not order those while there. Erin tried the Nutella milkshake, which was impossible to be bad. I was curious about the Sherry Fig milkshake. Both were delicious. The Nutella tasted extra sweet and chocolately, like a milkshake should. The Sherry Fig is hard to describes, but it was sweet and creamy for sure! It also had real chunks of fig in it. You would be a little turned off by the name, but I would highly recommend it. It’s different, but its worth it! You will find nothing else like it either.

Other flavors include White Chocolate Blueberry, Olive Oil and Basil, and Orange Macadamia Nut. How can you look at those and not be curious?

Overall, the food is amazing. I have had the dinner menu before, which is equally as good. The braised pork chop and pears entree is a must! This is another one of Karen Carrier’s magical creations, as she also owns do sushi and noodles, Mollie Fontaine Lounge, and Another Roadside Attraction catering. How could you not love a restaurant whose slogan is “Look Good. Eat Good.” The service was a little slow, but they were incredibly busy. I am usually willing to overlook that if the server has a great attitude and is friendly, which ours definitely was. I really appreciate her not calling us “fat” for ordering so much food as well.

The Beauty Shop is a little more expensive than I am willing to spend on an average meal, but it’s good for special occasions or an occasional nice Friday night out. The experience is definitely worth it.

Finally after two and a half hours, Scott rolled his eyes at us for the last time, and we got up to leave, to-go boxes in hand.

Though it does not have much information, you can check out The Beauty Shop website. You can also find more information at American Cuisine, Yelp, Urbanspoon, or their Google Map page.