Memphis is blessed with some great dive bars and burger joints, but no place combines the two concepts better than Earnestine & Hazel’s, an iconic spot on the edge of downtown, just a short walk from the debauchery of Beale Street. An excellent option for a nightcap after an evening of madcap fun, the eatery is best known for its Soul Burger, a classic griddled patty served on a buttered bun with pickles, onion, cheese, and top-secret “Soul Sauce.”
Beyond the menu, however, the biggest attraction at E&H is the grungy ambience, plus the reputation that the former hotel-cum-brothel is now the most haunted building in Memphis. Employees and customers alike have reported seeing shadowy figures moving through the hallways, and the legendary jukebox has been known to play songs that are spookily in sync with something a patron just said at the bar. Come for the burger, stay for the ghosts.
