What's to eat at Beale Street Music Festival this year? Here are some of our favorites.
Go for the music, but be sure to take time to enjoy the eats.
Memphis in May's Beale Street Music Festival has 19 food stands lined up for this year’s event, which runs May 5-7 at Tom Lee Park. It's a few less than last year, but that's to be expected given the smaller footprint of the park. As in the past, vendors will be located throughout Tom Lee, as well as on Riverside Drive.
And whether you're in the mood for healthier vegetarian fare, fried seafood or a good old Pronto Pup, there is an option to satisfy your craving.
Here's a look at some of Beale Street Music Festival's food options.
Fan favorites return
There are always long lines at Island Noodles, a popular stand offering wok-fried soba noodles tossed with a variety of 21 fresh vegetables and a proprietary island-style sauce. Order with chicken, or leave off the meat for a vegan option.
Memphis-based Fresh Gulf Shrimp will also return with some of its signature items like fried shrimp po-boys, charbroiled oysters and deep-fried Oreos. Downtown Memphis restaurant The Genre will be serving its signature catfish nuggets, along with egg rolls and baskets of fries.
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The Gouda Boys will be back again this year, serving their popular hearty festival delights that include burgers and mac-n-cheese. Memphis food truck Peace Love Quesadillas will offer its signature quesadillas.
And, of course, Pronto Pups will sell its iconic festival snack — which happens to be the best seller year after year.
Looking for healthy options?
There will be plenty of vegetarian fare to be enjoyed, with 11 vendors planning to offer vegetarian menu items. Grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit smoothies, veggie quesadillas and loaded mashed potatoes are just a handful of the vegetarian options. Nine vendors will also offer gluten-free dishes.
Want to support Memphis-based companies?
In addition to Fresh Gulf Shrimp and Peace Love Quesadillas, The Genre, Pronto Pups and Yancey’s Smoking Good Food are all locally owned. Yancey’s chicken-on-a-stick is a particularly hot seller at Memphis in May, and the stand’s barbecue nachos, turkey legs and funnel cakes are also crowd favorites.
MemPops, another Memphis original, will sell its signature handmade frozen pops for those looking for a sweet treat to cool them down. The signature sky blue Airstream will be on hand, as well as carts located throughout the park.
All vendors should take cash as well as accept credit and debit cards. You'll want to refer to the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival official map for exact vendor locations.
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.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What to eat at Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival 2023
