The Butcher Shop: Memphis restaurant marks 40 years of charcoal-grilled steaks and burgers
It’s hard to find a parking spot at The Butcher Shop at lunchtime on Friday.
For decades, customers have flocked to The Butcher Shop for its weekly Friday “steak burger” lunch special.
It’s just one of the things that has made this Memphis steakhouse a favorite for 40 years. The restaurant known for its hickory, charcoal-grilled steaks is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month.
When it opened, The Butcher Shop was a ground-breaking concept. The one-of-a-kind steakhouse gave diners the option to choose and cook their own steaks. It was one of the first restaurants to allow patrons the ability to actively engage with their food before and while it cooks.
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How it all began
The Butcher Shop opened its doors in 1981 at 101 S. Front St. in Downtown Memphis.
Dennis Day, who also ran The Pier restaurant, created the steakhouse concept that featured grills where customers could cook their own steaks. Simpson Hughes, a current minority owner, was heavily involved in operations throughout the restaurant's 40-year history as well.
Originally from Iowa, Day sourced grain-fed beef direct from the Midwest. The Butcher Shop cut and aged all the steaks in house; it’s a process they still do today.
In 1999, Day expanded his concept by opening a second location in Cordova at 107 S. Germantown Parkway. The new space was massive compared to the original location in a historic Downtown Memphis building. At approximately 21,000 square feet, the building offered a large dining room with seating for close to 200 guests, an expansive bar, a large outdoor patio and a ballroom that can seat around 250 people.
The Downtown restaurant, which had been a dining destination for Memphis diners for almost three decades, closed its doors in 2012.
The Butcher Shop today
Today, the restaurant is run by the next generation, with Day’s daughter Michelle Day Harkins at the helm.
When guests enter the doors of the restaurant, the first thing they see is the massive charcoal grill where every steak, burger and piece of fish is grilled.
“What makes our steaks special is that they are cooked over an open flame,” Harkins said.
Guests still have the option to cook their own steak, but according to Harkins, most customers choose to have the restaurant grill their steaks for them. Harkins said plans for the future include cooking classes on how to cook steaks over a live flame.
Harkins said The Butcher Shop is a “value-orientated concept for fine dining.”
“We are not competing with restaurants like Folk’s Folly or Capital Grille,” she said, explaining they offer top quality steaks at an affordable price.
Matt Reisinger has been a loyal customer of The Butcher Shop for more than 20 years.
"Besides having the best patio in the Memphis area, it is a great location for any event. As a former coach, I have had sports banquets at The Butcher Shop. As a general manager, I have hosted company Christmas parties as well as staff dinners,” Reisinger said. “The Butcher Shop is a Memphis institution that is head and shoulders above any other restaurant in the Tri-State area.”
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Megan Dickey Bock has been going to The Butcher Shop her entire life. As a child, her parents took her to The Butcher Shop for special occasions like rehearsal dinners and work parties. Now as an adult, The Butcher Shop has become a favorite date night destination.
“One of my favorite things about The Butcher Shop is it’s an old school restaurant that hasn’t changed. There’s something comforting about that,” Bock said. “It has one of the most under-rated bars. It’s a beautiful bar, and it’s a relaxed place to get a drink and a bite.”
And let’s talk about those burgers
One day years ago (Harkins can't remember the exact date), Day decided to cook some burgers for his friends. He used the scraps from trimming the steaks to make the ground beef. It wasn’t long before Burger Fridays took off.
While he had been retired from day-to-day operations of the restaurant for a while, Day — who passed away on Nov. 4 — and his wife could be found most Fridays enjoying a burger in the dining room.
Every Friday, The Butcher Shop sells between 600 to 1,000 burgers. The line is out the front door as guests file through the burger buffet that wraps around the restaurant’s signature grill. Diners are served freshly cooked burgers straight from the grill.
“They are really ‘steak burgers,’” Harkins said. “People love them. And at $8.99 each, you can’t beat the price.”
To celebrate the restaurant's 40th anniversary, The Butcher Shop is offering a $40 three-course meal until Nov. 24.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
At a glance
The Butcher Shop
Where: 107 S. Germantown Parkway
Hours: 5-9 p.m. daily; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch on Friday and Sunday only
Phone: (901) 757-4244
Online: thebutchershop.com
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis restaurant The Butcher Shop celebrates 40 years of business
