New Memphis restaurants: From smoothies to tacos to pizza, 6 new spots you should try
Looking for a new restaurant to try in the new year?
Here are six new Memphis-area restaurants that opened recently and offer everything from smoothies to tacos to pizza.
Vibe Foods
1350 Concourse Ave.; (901) 572-1127; lovevibefoods.com
Vibe Foods opened its second Memphis location on Nov. 29. The new spot for the Colorado-founded restaurant is in Crosstown Concourse. You can find it in the West Atrium, near Church Health Memphis.
Whether you're in the mood for bowls, smoothies or wellness shots, everything on the menu is carefully crafted to take you on a journey to wellness. The family-owned restaurant chain opened its first Memphis location at 3139 Poplar Ave. in 2020.
Hours: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
Rotolo’s Craft & Crust
1337 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville; (901) 673-4056; rotolos.com
Rotolo’s Craft & Crust opened its new Collierville pizzeria at 1337 W. Poplar Ave. on Dec. 4.
It’s the second Memphis-area location for franchise owners Blaire and Taylor Bobo. The couple opened their first Rotolo’s in Memphis at 681 S. White Station Road in 2022.
The new Rotolo’s occupies a 3,800-square-foot space in Suite 101 at the Water Tower District in Schilling Farms next door to the new SOB restaurant.
The restaurant features a variety of pizzas, including deep dish, Chicago cracker thin crust, original crust and specialty pizzas. Other choices on the menu include burgers, salads and a variety of appetizers.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Zaxby’s
436 Perkins Ext.; zaxbys.com
Zaxby’s, known for its chicken wings, chicken fingers, sandwiches and salads, opened a 2,400-square-foot, to-go-only concept on Dec. 11 at 436 Perkins Ext. It is located in the building that was formerly a Back Yard Burgers restaurant.
The to-go-only location is equipped with double drive-thru lines for patrons, along with new digital menu boards, a payment window as well as a drive-thru delivery door for quicker pay and pickup. The new Zaxby’s also has a walk-up window for guests to place takeout orders.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m. daily
Chukis Tacos 2
3445 Poplar Ave., Suite 1
Chukis Tacos 2 opened Dec. 14 at 3445 Poplar Ave., Suite 1 in the University Center shopping center at Poplar and Highland.
The Mexican restaurant serves traditional home-style Mexican recipes like bierra tacos, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), burritos and agua frescas. There is even a salsa bar.
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Co-owner Abraham Valenzuela said it’s the second location for the group that opened Chukis Deli Mexicano in Olive Branch.
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Local Lime
7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Germantown; (901) 244-2204; locallimetaco.com
Local Lime opened on Dec. 20 at 7605 W. Farmington Blvd. in the Shops of Saddle Creek. It’s the third location (and first in Tennessee) for the Arkansas-based restaurant known for its tacos and margaritas.
The restaurant makes all its salsas, sauces, dips, pickles, tortillas, marinades and juices fresh daily.
Start with a salsa “flight” of three of its signature salsa options or the signature Queso Flameado cheese dip. Original tacos include Caribbean Beer-Battered Fried Shrimp and Fried Chicken with Jicama-Jalapeño Slaw and Jalapeno Ranch Sauce.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday
Market23
2362 McIngvale Road, Hernando; (662) 316-8241; studmuffinsonline.com
Market23 is the newest concept from the owners of StudMuffins, a Southaven-based meal prep service. It opened Dec. 21.
Located at 2362 McIngvale Road in Hernando, in the former Big Muddy Coffee Shop, Market23 is a sandwich and soup shop that also features a grab-and-go section of StudMuffins prepared foods.
Molly Jolly, who founded StudMuffins with her husband, Trey, said Market23 is the sandwich and soup shop she was wanting in her neighborhood. Top sellers since opening have been the Loaded Potato Soup, Blond BBQ Sandwich (a shredded chicken sandwich with white barbecue sauce) and the Spicy Turkey Crunch Sandwich.
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday
Memphis restaurants that closed in December
Zebra Lounge, an Overton Square piano bar at 2114 Trimble Place, closed in mid-December.
Vietnamese restaurant Pho Binh at 1615 Madison Ave. closed on Dec. 24.
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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: New Memphis restaurants to try: 6 spots that opened in December 2023
