Local Restaurant Review: The Dixie Cafe in Memphis Serves Great Southern Food

The Dixie Café in Memphis, Tennessee has absolutely fantastic Southern food. It is probably my children's favorite place to eat. The service is always friendly and very quick. If you're passing through Memphis and want some great Southern food, stop by and give it a try. We have taken our relatives from California there, and they loved it. We also took our exchange student from Spain there, and he thought it was outstanding. There are two locations in Memphis. The restaurant used to be called The Black-Eyed Pea.

Our favorite item is the "chicken fried chicken," which is a chicken breast heavily breaded and fried. It's certainly not healthy, but it tastes great!They used the same technique for the chicken tenders and they are just as good and juicy. Another great entrée is the fried catfish, which is not greasy at all. The breading has a nice selection of spices. And my husband loves the chicken and dumplings. My son says the white gravy is to die for.

All the entrees come with two vegetables, and you will have a difficult time choosing. There are so many, and they are all so good. Whatever you do, don't pass up the squash casserole. It's the best I've ever eaten. I have found copycat recipes for it on the web, but mine still doesn't taste as good as the one served by the Dixie Café. It's different from any other squash casserole I've eaten or made myself. I could eat it every day.

The Dixie Café is pretty well known locally for their yeast rolls. Served hot out of the oven, they're delicious. The server keeps on bring them for as long as you like. The cornbread muffins, enhanced by the addition of jalapenos, are outstanding, too.

Save some room for dessert. The Dixie Café has an old-fashioned soda counter for ice cream delights. But the cobblers are what I like best. They taste just like the cobblers my grandma used to make years ago. You can usually find blackberry, apple and peach on the dessert menu.

Although I almost always get the chicken fried chicken, I have ordered a main dish salad a few times, and I've never been disappointed.

Another great thing about the restaurant is you can order a "light" serving even at dinner. It costs a little less and doesn't waste food.

The only thing I've ordered and didn't care for is their rendition of black-eyed peas. Every Southern knows you need to cook black-eyed peas forever to get that great taste, but these just don't pass the test.