Side Street Grill - The Red Bar

Location: 31 Florence St. Memphis, TN 38104
Phone Number: (901) 274-8955
Cover Charge: N/A
Food: Upscale Grill - Steak, Pasta, Seafood, Sandwiches, Salad, Appetizers
Entertainment: TV, Cigar Parlor
Crowd: Slightly more mature, but varied
Service: Great, very friendly servers
Cleanliness: Very clean
Drink Specials:

• Regular Martini: $7.75
• Jumbo Martini: $12

Smoker Friendly: Yes, cigar smokers welcome too. (For those that heavily dislike cigar smoke, I couldn't smell any hint of cigars on my trip.)
Review: I’ve been to Side Street Grill/The Red Bar a few times now. I decided to visit it again for a lovely night out with my girlfriend, celebrating our one year anniversary. She loves martinis, it’s close to home, and it’s incredibly easy-going and comfortable. Side Street Grill/The Red Bar are two locations combined into one renovated midtown house in Overton Square, and it couldn’t have been done any better. Side Street Grill is located on the left side, and attached to the right by a small hallway is the lounge area known as The Red Bar. I’m going to refer to the entire location as Side Street Grill from here on out.

As I mentioned, Side Street Grill is located in midtown and is quite a unique bar that everybody should enjoy at least once. From the outside, it blends in with nearby houses, but on the inside, it’s remarkably different. It has rustic dark wooden floors and the red accented walls are scattered with old 40’s – 50’s era photos and artwork. There is plenty of seating available and multiple sizes of candle-lit tables to accommodate any group. If you want to sit at the bar itself, there are a handful of seats in both the grill and lounge area.

One reason Side Street Grill is so unique is that it has a very long list of specialty martinis (around 25) to choose from. They also have two sizes: regular and jumbo. They aren’t kidding when they say jumbo either... If you just want to stick to one choice, get the jumbo. But if you want to sample two of the martinis, opt for the regular size. I’m a standard martini drinker, so I ordered the jumbo “Dirty Martini," vodka. My girlfriend loves variety and started with a regular sized “Wedding Cake” martini, and topped the night off with a regular sized “Nutty” martini (Amoretto, Stoli Vanil, Kailua). To get an idea on the variety of martinis, you can also try a “Tequila Kiss”, which is Tequila and Grand Marnier lined with a burgundy rim, or you can have a “Chocolate Martini” – a sweet, chocolate, alcoholic drink lined with a chocolate rim.

If martinis aren’t your thing, Side Street Grill explicitly welcomes cigar smokers. You can sit in the cigar lounge, purchase your favorite cigar, and enjoy it with a single malt scotch or a cognac. You can find in the menu that they have the "finest selection of single malt scotches and cognacs" in Memphis, and it’s obvious they pride themselves in that fact. For you winos, they have a great selection of vintage wines to suit your taste.

I usually don’t get much to eat at bars, but when I first walked in, I saw people eating off plates beautifully decorated with very generous serving sizes of amazing looking food. If you’re looking for entrees, they’ll cook you a reputably awesome steak, some seafood, or some pasta. I had just eaten prior to arriving, so I narrowed my choice down to two appetizers: honey baked brie or artichoke dip. I opted for the dip and got to eat the heartiest warm artichoke dip I’ve ever had off lightly toasted flatbread slices. YUM-O! (Rachel Ray anyone?)

Though I haven’t experienced it, I can almost bet this place has a great crowd before and after a play at the nearby theater. You can have a couple of drinks here in your jeans and t-shirt while the party at the table behind you is dressed to the nines and neither of you will feel out of place. The atmosphere is extremely relaxed, and the servers are very friendly and patient. The music playing consisted of modern rock/pop, which I feel didn’t suit the environment. I would have preferred some “jazzy” sounding music which would have complimented the environment well. The ambient noise isn’t deafening, so you won’t have to talk over your company. It was too cold for us to enjoy this time, but Side Street Grill has a large patio outside that almost doubles the amount of patrons the bar can handle. I have sat outside here before during the summer, and it’s extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend it if you have the opportunity.
Definitely give this place a shot if you’re in the area. It is entirely possible that you will plan to only stay for an hour at night, but end up staying a lot longer.
Anything Else: Excellent alternative to Downtown's martini bar: Swig (Swig is now closed)
Website: N/A