Alcenia's in Memphis

Fantastic fried chicken, and fried green tomatoes. Southern hospitality that you rarely find these days.

The BEST food we had in Memphis. Best fries wever ever had. Felt like family, with hugs and kisses on our forehead. Interior is so cute and loved the staff.

This place is amazing. The food was so good, I literally asked for the recipe. Come to find out, you can buy the recipe books! Such kind people. You always get a free hug also! What an experience you will never forget. Thank you for the great food and memory

Easily one of the best plates of food I’ve had in Memphis.

Everyone that has ever been here is family. Thankful for the hug and yummy meal. Loss of one star for super slow service today. It was hard to tell of it was because of staffing issues or slow kitchen. Maybe it was because every inside table was full and a film crew was filming for Tennessee CrossroadsEither way, although I was sad to pay $3.10 for only one glass of ice tea and never got my hot sauce, the meal and experience was delightful, but be prepared for casually slow service. It was a nice place to spend a couple hours honestly.

Take a break and enjoy Soul Food at its finest! Grilled catfish, mac & cheese, green beans, hot water cornbread, and pecan pie for dessert! Yum!

First time visit! And we were impressed.. BJ came out more than once to check on us once we got our food.. we will be back.

Very Please with the service and food at Alcenias. we had a party of 6 for lunch everyone was ready for a nap after. We also got a chance to meet the owner she a very loving person with a beautiful spirit. We will be back.

The restaurant is close to the convention center. It is pass the underpass. I stopped in and was warmly greeted with a hug. I was welcomed into the Alcenias family. She is super friendly. I had the sweet tea which was not too sweet. It definitely quenched my thirst on a hot summer day. I ordered the fried chicken, yams, cabbage and it came with corn bread. The corn bread was really good. The fried chicken was good. The portions are not huge so you can probably finish it in one sitting and probably not share a dish.The decor is bright and colorful. I would visit again.

The food and hospitality are second to none. I had the fried chicken, rice with gravy and cabbage. They cook like you dream about cooking.

Great Food, Great Customer Service, and the Owner Come Out to Greet You like FAMILY with LOVE👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Some of the best home cooking I have had. I highly recommend this restaurant. Great food and excellent service.

Good fried green tomatoes. The owner was very accommodating oh and the best sweet potatoes ever!!!

Good soul food, I had the smothered pork chops. Try the fried green tomatoes. The owner came out and greeted every customer.

ALCENIA’S!! The greatest soul food restaurant in America! I am a Memphis native that currently lives in Houston, Texas and if you want to know what soul food really taste like, you must visit Alcenia’s. Not only great food but genuine hospitality and a spirit of love and care from the owner and staff. Definitely a must see!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The best atmosphere with the friendliest service! Food was amazing. We will definitely make this a place to stop at when we come through Memphis!!!!!

I enjoyed my order of Chicken white meat with pinto beans and yams. What impressed me was the fact that we came near the end of the day; and the service was wonderful.

What a beautiful place! The food and vibe are amazing! You gotta go, you wont be disappointed 💜 Kudos to Ms. BJ 💗

The staff was very helpful and attentive. The food was tasty. They definitely have somebodys "Big Mama" in the back cooking.

The food was good I have never been here it was a great experience I will be back for more

This was my first time here someone told me about it. First off the restaurant was small but quint and I really enjoyed the coziness. It was decorated very pretty with a eclectic style. The staff was friendly. I had the smothered chicken with mac and cheese and yams the for dessert I had the lemon icebox pie. I would recommend this place plus I like to support black owned businesses.

The food was goooood I had the fried chicken and waffles whole chicken wings

Horrible manners towards guest. I waited over an hour for my food, only to be met with attitude and verbal abuse. The lady voiced how she was the only server, and thought it was okay to blatantly disrespect a guest. I can’t even comment on the food due to the fact I wasn’t able to receive it. Prepare yourself for vile women working with their attitudes on their shoulders. I won’t be giving this restaurant a second attempt.

Ms BJ is great - the experience is like having dinner with the family you didnt know you had. Everything is made with love and absolutely delicious.

Southern hospitality at it finest. Warm and kind hearted service. I loved taking my Aunt to Alcenias while downtown before her grandsons graduation. B.J., her granddaughter and staff are the best.

Amazing authentic soul food. I absolutely loved coming here the experience was wonderful. The food was delicious so tasty, rich in flavor and fresh. They do not have precooked food. If you don’t like waiting for fresh food this is not the place for you. Hospitality was so authentic. BJ kissed all of on our head and checked on us constantly I truly felt like I was at my family members house. Loved the environment. 10/10White meat chicken comboSalmon Pattie’s comboFrench toast -forgot to take a picture.The pictures don’t do the food no justice. Definitely will be my go to before hitting the road to go back home. Y’all she even ships pies 🤭. We will be calling ahead from now on for the pies.

I liked this place from the moment I stepped in the door. Very eclectic decor where every table setting is completely different and all are colorful and welcoming. We both ordered the fried chicken, but I got green beans and a side of meatless spaghetti just for fun. It was surprisingly delicious as was all the food that comes out. The best little surprise is a fried bread cake concoction. I wish I would have asked what it was, but all I can tell you is that its delicious. My companion loved the side of yams and went on and on about both that and the breading on the fried chicken, which was truly wonderful.The menu is a cool strip of paper where you check off what you want and add your name to the top. Its a cute, unique concept. But the best part is when the owner comes out in a bustle after you complete your meal and approaches you like family, giving you a hug and a kiss on the head. She is absolutely darling and authentic, and it truly matters to her that you enjoyed your meal and that you feel comfortable and welcomed at her place. That type of care is rare nowadays, so I greatly appreciated it. Do note that this is not a place to come if you are in a hurry. Everything is made to order and comes out fresh and steaming hot. But that takes time, so settle in, grab a drink, and prepare yourself for a great meal.

Food is decent (went for lunch, so wasnt able to experience the mac and cheese), but definitely go for the EXPERIENCE. Youll be treated like family, and if youre lucky theyll even do a Facebook Live with you.

Location is great. Decor is beautiful. Customer service was amazing! I had the waffles and an omelette. It was nothing to write home about. The waffle was dry and the omelette was very very basic for the price. The ghetto punch was a little too sugary for me. Everyone else had the fried chicken and 2 sides and seemed to enjoy it. I would go back to try the fried chicken and tomato gravy.

Wonderful brunch on a late Saturday morning. The food was awesome. Just like eating at a grandmothers home. Exactly what we needed.(UpdateSo good we returned the next morning. Excellent!

We loved Alcenia’s. From the moment we walked in we knew we found where we needed to be. We were greeted by BJ with a hug and then kiss on the head. Service was friendly and always making sure we were doing ok. I just went with the suggestions that were given and I wasn’t led astray. Food was amazing and most importantly do not go without trying the delicious infamous tomato gravy. So glad we found this place and will go back when in Memphis. Best of luck always. Can’t wait to see your new patio.

Great food. Even better hospitality. Its like going back home to your grandmothers house!

Small place with a lot of love. Home made food with an incredible staff. Skip the food on Beale St and come here. Itll be worth it.I ordered the meatloaf and it was fantastic.

An extremely welcoming owner and some of the most authentic soul food I’ve tried. I recommend their sweet potato pie!

This was my favorite experience in Memphis! I felt right at home and the food is hands down the best I had on my Memphis experience!

Incredible experience. Each person is greeted individually and each plate is made to order. Service is not fast, but food is well worth the wait. Very homey atmosphere, makes you feel like you went to grandmas house for brunch.

The atmosphere was quaint. The owner greets each customer personally. Fried chicken was wonderful (portions were bigside potions were normal. Only one thing that would prohibit me from returning again was the extremely long wait to get your food. There were only two other couples in the restaurant when we arrived when they first opened and it took almost one and a half hours before our food arrived. Once it arrives it was hot and tasty, but the wait was way too long for me

We came from out of town and we enjoy supporting black owned businesses wherever we travel. We heard the food was amazing. The atmosphere was pleasant and very family oriented. Unfortunately, after we were seated, we waited a half hour to receive iced tea. After waiting at our table for over an hour, we did not receive our food and we decided to leave. We wish the restaurant all the best but unfortunately we can not give an honest review of the food.

Possibly the best catfish Ive ever had in my life. Theres a jukebox with 45s. Service is great. Everything was great. We bought her cookbook, too. Highly recommended.

Being from the south and now living in Colorado I miss Southern Cookn. Absolutely, an 11!I was greeted with a hug when I entered and called family when I left. Come on yall, you just dont see that anymore!Oh and the food... breading on the catfish is spectacular, mashed potatoes bomb, mac-n-cheese other worldly and the fried cornbread... you really have to try this place to know what I mean...

Food was so good and the service was beyond excellent. The only problem was that Justin ate food that wasnt his. It made me laugh and then feel bad and then feel bad for laughing. I went outside after and smoked a cigarette and read a sign about the first something on a historical sign. It didnt stick with me so we all know it wasnt important or written well enough to stick with anyone.

Thats the best friend chicken Ive ever had. Lightly crispy on the outside, incredibly juicy on the inside. The yams were perfectly cooked. Not too mushy, and not overly sweet. Highly recommend for anyone looking for southern hospitality and soul food!

This was our last meal in Memphis and let us leave full, content and happy. How can you have a bad time when you get a kiss on your head at the start of the meal?! My family loved the whole experience, the juke box, games, bright colorful decoration and of course the owner, B.J. If you want a happy place and some handmade comfort food this is the spot.

Alcenias is an awesome place to eat at. Got a hug and kiss from the owner the moment I was seated. I ordered fried smothered pork chops with mashed potatoes and green beans. The food was delicious! Everything was fresh and made to order. This is a must stop when in the area. Theres enough pork chop to feed three people.

Food is 5 stars all the way. Owner is very nice and friendly she takes care of her customers and make you feel at home. The food menu is awesome she has something on special everyday. Fries cat fish, chicken and sides all are awesome. Sauces are home made. The only thing I see she needs to improve is cleanliness of her joint. It really needs a deep clean and if she can upgrade from plastic plates and bowls to something nice. I do recommend this place if you are staying at Sheraton downtown it’s less than 5 minutes walk so it’s a must try place.

Amazing Soul Food. The owner has been on several food network shows including Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Chopped. She was so nice and greeted us with a hug; "Yall are family now!". The food was outstanding. I had the smothered pork chop with mash and gravy as well as cabbage.

The owner is lovely sweet very down to earth lady who puts her heart and soul into her cooking. She warms your heart as soon as you step foot in her restaurant. Most of the time you will be greeted with a great big hug and that says a lot.My husband and myself both had the pork chops. He had the chicken as well. Both of the meats were delicious. It wasn’t bland at all perfect juicy pork chops full of deliciousness. My favorite side is the mac and cheese. The mash potatoes and cabbage was well seasoned and tasty . You can’t ever go wrong with the desserts. My humble opinion is order over the phone what you want over the phone and eat it there. If not your subject to wait anywhere from 30 minutes or more because she makes the meats to order.

Got to eat the most wonderfulest meatloaf after my moms and even got a hug and a kiss. Definitely will be back...

I had heard of Alcenias from friends for some time and always wanted to try them out, but it seemed every time that I tried it was too late and they had closed. Staying at a hotel by the convention center, went over for their lunch. It was pouring down rain, but we were seated, given a kiss on the forehead and then brought paper towels to dry our faces and hair.The waiter came over and went through just about every item on the menu, making them all sound out of this world good. He said his favorites were the meatloaf, smothered pork chops, catfish and more. The green beans he said are beautiful and make everything else on the plate look more beautiful, too. He raved about everything.We ordered appetizers of fried green tomatoes and sweet potato fries that had cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on the batter. It was like eating cinnamon toast sweet potatoes and oh so good. The tomatoes were melt in your mouth good.For entrees, I ordered fried chicken with black eyed peas and yams. My fiancé ordered the smothered pork chops with mac & cheese and green beans. Everything made from scratch so its not quick, but worth every minute of wait. The yams especially were so sweet youd cry from so much goodness in your mouth.We ordered unsweetened ice tea, that kept being filled. We wondered about the "ghetto Kool Aid" which was a mix of different Kool Aid flavors, "we cant guarantee what color itll come out," said the waiter. A bit more sugary than we probably wanted, so stuck to the tea.So much food that we couldnt eat it all, but no way were we going to leave a single crumb behind and took it with us back to the hotel. This is amazing food. The sign outside says that they were rated the best soul food restaurant in the country. Its easy to see why. This is food so good that every bite feels like its making love in your mouth. Well be back, this is food worth hitting up despite a 2000 mile trip to get here and a excellent reason to head back every time!

We always try to plan our travels so that we can stop for B.J. Chesters wonderful chicken and fried green tomatoes. She is so kind & welcoming, it is like coming home!