memphis or nashville
 

Hi all - taking my husband away for his 40th birthday, first time leaving the baby with my parents - we live in NYC and i was thinking Nashville or Memphis since he loves beer, bbq and music. Which one do you suggest, we only have 2 nights??
Thanks!!!
Lori

Nashville, without a doubt. It has more to offer and is a "nicer" place to stay.

Search this forum for info.

For BBQ-definitely Memphis

For music-either/or

For BBQ and Music-Memphis!!

If he likes beer, bbq and music, I'd suggest Memphis. I've lived in both and they're both great cities to visit, but Memphis is *known* for it's bbq! Stay downtown near Beale street and visit there in the evening for blues and other music. Be sure to tour Sun Studios, see the Civil Rights Museum, hang out in the lobby of the Peabody, eat some great bbq (several threads on this site on that topic), etc.

The barbeque at South Street in Nashville (near Vanderbilt) is better than any in Memphis.

While I find that hard to believe, Gekko, there may be one good (or even great) bbq restaurant in Nashville, but there are dozens in Memphis.

I like both cities. If I had a choice of which to live in, it would be Nashville all the way. But for how the OP describes her DH, I think Memphis is the ticket!

Gekko, one thing I learned early in my youthful 4H Club days was .........once you cross the Tennessee River leaving Memphis headed toward Nashville and/or Knoxville, do NOT order bbq! It just ain't the same, babe! Maybe it's good if you don't know any better or never had Memphis Q.

have to agree with lisette....I grew up in the Memphis area, but went to school near Nashville and love love love Nashville.

But for BBQ and Music - it's BBQ & Blues, baby and that's in Memphis.

I lived in TN for many years and have dined at many bbq places in both Memphis & Nashville ... and South Street in Nashville is the best, in my opinion.

The OP is going for 2 nights ... how many places can they eat bbq???

Nashville has better microbrew & music options, as well.

Wrong gekko........you are so wrong on this one.

You can eat bbq for 2 days a plenty..

Wrong about what?

BBQ -- that's clearly a matter of opinion.

Music options? There's no debate that Nashville has more (and better) options.

Microbrews? Again, no debate that Nashville has more options.

The OP said nothing about microbrew....just let him drink beer.

ummmmm, thanks for the responses but now i'm really confused :) re: how much bbq, oh yeah we can eat a lot if its good! Re: beer, doesn't matter microbrew or not, just some nice cold beer. Re: music, we love blues. What we're looking to do is be somewhere in an awesome hotel that right outside our door (figuratively) is easy access bars/music/food, so we can really hang and make those 2 nights seem longer......
it seems like the consensus is leaning towards memphis?? we will def. be back to hit the other one someday, so really i just want him to have an incredibly fun 40th b-day party weekend.

Ok, with that post, Lori, there is no doubt that you should DEFINITELY go to Memphis!

re: how much bbq, oh yeah we can eat a lot if its good! -- Memphis. Lots of options.

Re: beer, doesn't matter microbrew or not, just some nice cold beer. -- Plenty of that in either city.

Re: music, we love blues. -- If you love the blues, Memphis it is.

What we're looking to do is be somewhere in an awesome hotel that right outside our door (figuratively) is easy access bars/music/food, so we can really hang and make those 2 nights seem longer...... -- that perfectly describes the Peabody hotel, steps away from Beale street and its dozens of bars with live music/food.

2 nights is the perfect amount of time for Memphis, too.

Have a great time!!

Given the new information, I have to agree ... if cold Coors Light, blues & barbeque are your focus, then Memphis is the choice.

But Nashville is still the nicer place to visit, in my opinion.

Lori, if you stay at The Peabody, you can just cross the street to the alley and have some fabulous ribs at The Rendevous....Now, they use a dry rub and many don't care for that ...my sister does not like the ribs there, but I love them.

For just a good old bbq sandwich, you can get that in about a million zillion places.

You will love seeing the ducks do their parade at The Peabody. Remember the cocktail party in the movie "The Firm"? It was filmed on top of the terrace at The Peabody.

Gekko, you are priceless...what new info?....Geez louise. And, whoever heard of "dining" at a BBQ place...Man, you chow down at a bbq place...you don't dine.

What's the majority as far as music scene in Nashville? Country or Blues?

I've a friend whose thinking of going down .. she's hoping to do some singing to "get her first big break" and I'm thinking she should be thinking blues instead of country; but I don't know.

She's only 19 & will be travelling with 22 yr old boyfriend. Will she even be able to get into bars & clubs?? Thanks.

Have you considered New Orleans? Certainly has the beer and music steps from great hotels.

rb -- more country than blues in Nashville, but the production companies that are there are all the big names (Sony, BMG, Warner, etc) and they produce all kinds of music. If she wants to get discovered, there are many more opportunities for that in Nashville. She should try to sing at open mike night at the Bluebird Cafe where many up and coming singers and writers get their start. She will likely not be able to get into any clubs for recreation, though, if she is under 21.

I live in Memphis and work downtown. If you stay around the Peabody hotel downtown (there are many other hotels within blocks if this is too high), you can walk most places you need to go. Beale Street has Blues City Cafe- a small, smokey joint on Beale with great steaks, ribs, etc. (Pres. Clinton ate there!) At lunch you can see the Memphis Grizzlies coaches and managers at the front table.