If you think Progressive Ultimate Texas Hold&rsquo;em is a Frisbee lovefest in Austin, you&rsquo;re not getting out enough. Southland has that and more: slots, a high-limit room, blackjack, craps, roulette, and carnival games like Three Card Poker and Mississippi Stud.&nbsp;

Best Casino

What makes Shelby Farms Park the Best of Memphis? Is it the 40 miles of trails, the Greenline, the fishing, the bison, the woodland and water playgrounds, the horseback riding, the dog park, or the zip line? Maybe it&rsquo;s just the space &mdash; 4,500 acres of it. It&rsquo;s the perfect place for humans and dogs alike to escape from the city&rsquo;s concrete jungle.

Best Dog Park

The Memphis Zoo is the finest way to break the spell of screens and reintroduce the family to the living world. The gorillas have no iPads; the pandas have no phones. The elephants content themselves with playing their trombones. In brilliantly designed habitats, see creatures living in harmony with their environment.&nbsp;

Best Family Entertainment

Cooper-Young, named one of the &ldquo;Top 10 Great Neighborhoods in America&rdquo; by the American Planning Association, is what makes this art and music festival unique. Beyond the arts and crafts, community groups, and three stages of music (two this year), you have the bucolic surroundings of Memphis&rsquo; largest historic district.

Best Festival

Since 1916, the Brooks Museum has been a beacon of the arts in the Mid-South &mdash; all the arts. With 29 galleries, two art classrooms, a print study room, a research library, and a state-of-the-art auditorium, it favors the visual arts, but don&rsquo;t miss offerings like Iris Orchestra&rsquo;s chamber music series.

Best Gallery

Best Live Theater

Hailing from our sister state to the south, this blues-based group is beloved in Memphis. After their group DDT (with Paul Taylor), Luther and Cody Dickinson played Beale Street and the Antenna Club before hitting it big. They&rsquo;ve never settled for one style, pursuing innovation with each new album.

Best Local Band

Those who know Cobb&rsquo;s voice as a WEVL DJ may not realize the heights to which her voice can soar, but she&rsquo;s a stellar performer. Though she excels at jazz, her first single was a country song, and her self-penned &ldquo;Dig the Gold&rdquo; borders on Afrobeat funk. A singer truly beyond category.

Best Local Singer

The National Civil Rights Museum is something Memphis can be proud of, evoking the troubled quagmire of race relations in this country even while offering hope that change is possible. There&rsquo;s poetic justice in making the site of a tragedy such an inspiration, embodied in this year&rsquo;s 30th Freedom Awards.

Best Museum

Best Outdoor Gathering Space

Best Park

Its curation of world-class productions, from Hamilton to Hadestown, makes this a beacon for theater lovers, but the Orpheum is about more than just theater. From genre-busting musicians like Black Violin to comedians like John Crist, artists revel in performing in this classic space. Its built-in acoustics and decor transport you to another realm.&nbsp;

Best Performing Arts Venue

The Memphis Open Air Theatre, as it was known in 1936, is the crown jewel of both Roosevelt&rsquo;s WPA and Memphis, hosting countless musical artists over the decades. The Levitt Shell has preserved both the structure and its inclusive mission, curating concerts, mostly free, with keen ears for all genres.

Best Place to See Live Music

Best Bakery

Best Bar Food

Best Barbecue

Since it won Best Brunch and Best Bloody Mary, The Beauty Shop is a double hitter for foodies who want to combine the drink with food. The Bad Boy Bloody Mary &mdash; the tangy, mostly-for-mornings cocktail &mdash; goes perfectly with brunch fare, which includes everything from beignets to biscuits. And you can get grits, of course.

Best Bloody Mary

Breakfast isn&rsquo;t breakfast unless you eat it at Brother Juniper&rsquo;s. It&rsquo;s literally a break in your morning to relax and eat eggs, bacon, and everything else you might whip up in your kitchen. But then it might not taste as good. And who really wants to make pancakes when you can get them within minutes?

Best Breakfast

Best Brunch

Best Burgers

You don&rsquo;t have to go to Louisiana for Cajun or Creole food. You just have to go to Overton Square. &ldquo;Laissez les bons temps rouler&rdquo; &mdash; &ldquo;Let the good times roll&rdquo; &mdash; is a term you can use every day at Bayou.

Best Cajun/Creole

Best Carry-Out

Kelly English is well-known for his restaurant ventures, including Fino&rsquo;s from the Hill, The Second Line, Restaurant Iris, and the soon-to-open Panta. He&rsquo;s also no slouch on social media. But it&rsquo;s English&rsquo;s well-regarded chef skills that have led him to be named the Best of Memphis.

Best Chef

I may or may not have exceeded my delivery food budget ordering Mulan Asian Bistro this summer. The restaurant&rsquo;s extensive menu &mdash; from sushi to hibachi to traditional Chinese dishes &mdash; can cure just about any Asian fare craving.

Best Chinese

Best Coffee Roaster

Lobster ravioli, shrimp and grits, and Chilean sea bass are just a few of the offerings at Coastal Fish Company. The fresh seafood is a winner, and the view of Shelby Farms&rsquo; Hyde Lake from the patio is even better.

Best Date-Night Restaurant

Best Dessert Shop

Loflin Yard is the best place to grab food and a drink with your four-legged friend. The spacious yard makes a great place for you and your dog to kick back and relax.

Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant/Bar

You know if you can get a maple bacon donut, you&rsquo;ve found the right shop. Gibson&rsquo;s sells those as well as 47 other flavors. It&rsquo;s also a place to see and be seen. Depending on the hour, it&rsquo;s the contemporary version of the malt shop, where teenagers jam into the place for their favorite circular treats.

Best Donut Shop

Poplar Avenue&rsquo;s popular Ethiopian eatery edged out a win in this competitive category. Abyssinia&rsquo;s wot, a traditional chicken stew, and lamb gomen are perennial favorites, but don&rsquo;t sleep on the vegetarian combo.

Best Ethiopian

Best Fine Dining/New American

Did someone say Taco Tuesday? At Taco Nganas, every day is Taco Day. The tacos are authentic, tasty, and made fresh every time. As far as food on wheels goes, Taco Nganas is doing it right.

Best Food Truck

If you want to see for yourself why Gus&rsquo;s made the No. 1 spot, drive by Gus&rsquo;s on Front Street. People are waiting to get in. You have to drive slowly to watch out for hungry people rushing across the street to get in the door. Gus&rsquo;s serves a pleasingly-spiced chicken. Pile it on your plate and you&rsquo;ll probably eat every bit of it.

Best Fried Chicken

Pescatarians can go to town at Soul Fish. They can order salmon, trout, and catfish dinners. But Soul Fish also sells barbecue, hot wings, and tacos, among other items. And guppies have their own menu list, which includes chicken tenders and PBJ sandwiches.

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

There&rsquo;s something heavenly about slow-smoked meats. A rack of ribs, some jerked wings, or a pile of pulled pork smoked with hickory and pecan wood at Central BBQ proves it &mdash; and our readers agree.

Best Hot Wings

India Palace, buffet, oh how we miss you. The lamb meatballs. The garlic naan. The mushroom bhaji. Tandoori chicken. Okay, we&rsquo;re drooling just thinking about it, and so are our readers.

Best Indian

Nothing beats Pete &amp; Sam&rsquo;s for celebrations or just dining with friends or alone in a cheerful restaurant that defines restaurants. The bar and redecorated dining room with comfy booths are great accompaniments to the food, which includes classic Italian dishes, as well as other cuisine, including fried chicken and steaks.

Best Italian

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

Best Late-Night Dining

Memphis showed Wiseacre a ton of love this year. An extraordinary amount of votes for the brewery earned it the title in the category. They have beers for everyone: a Tiny Bomb Pilsner for, say, the craft curious; a Bow Echo Hazy IPA for, say, the trend-chaser; and endless seasonals (like the Tarasque saison) to keep beer nerds coming back for more.

Best Local Brewery

Ugly Mug has the best cup of joe in the city. It&rsquo;s brewed by the cup and made fresh to give you the pick-me-up you need.

Best Local Coffeehouse

Best Lunch

How about a nice, award-winning treat next time you go out for Mexican? Molly&rsquo;s La Casita sure knows its way around the classic concoction. Whip it up frozen, on the rocks, or even half-and-half with Molly&rsquo;s secret recipe. Or grab some of that top-shelf goodness with a mix of Bribon 100 percent agave tequila and Grand Marnier.

Best Margarita

It&rsquo;s all in the name, isn&rsquo;t it? Everything on the Las Delicias menu &mdash; tortas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, you name it &mdash; is a hit. Founder Antonio Martinez has kept the focus on high-quality authentic Mexican cuisine since he opened the restaurant nearly two decades ago, and it&rsquo;s still going strong today.

Best Mexican

Head to Casablanca for some of their knockout special tea, and have another cup, and another cup, and another cup, and oh my gosh, this is my sixth cup and I haven&rsquo;t even ordered yet. No exaggerations here; the tea is the perfect accompaniment to a falafel big mac sandwich, or one of many shawarma dishes.

Best Middle Eastern

Torchy&rsquo;s Tacos has quickly become the new spot for tacos in a town that loves its tacos. Maybe it&rsquo;s that great location, or maybe it&rsquo;s those wild (and delicious) tacos of the month. Whatever it is, Torchy&rsquo;s is a new favorite in Memphis.

Best New Restaurant

Best Patio

When Memphians want a superb slice of pizza, they choose this namesake cafe. From barbecue chicken to the Hey Meat! pie to the s&rsquo;mores dessert pizza, there&rsquo;s something for everyone.

Best Pizza

Memphis has some interesting characters, and there&rsquo;s no better place to see them than at the Peabody or on Beale Street. Plop down in the lobby of the Peabody or take a stroll on Beale, and you&rsquo;ll be sure to catch a glimpse of Memphis&rsquo; best.

Best Place for People-Watching

Folk&rsquo;s Folly is a Memphis institution &mdash; dark and intimate, yet relaxing and fun. And they&rsquo;re still serving those great steaks and the finest New American dining in town.

Best Restaurant

It&rsquo;s unclear if they actually have a factory out there on Germantown Parkway where those delicious cheesecakes are made, but it doesn&rsquo;t matter to Flyer readers. They say The Cheesecake Factory has got the best restaurant desserts in Memphis.

Best Restaurant for Dessert

Best Ribs

Try one of their Best Sandwiches with their Best Lunch when you take that important break in your day at Elwood&rsquo;s. Try pulled pork, pimento, and other sandwiches, including subs. And, if you want to put it between bread, you can make Elwood&rsquo;s one-of-a-kind steelhead trout tacos qualify as a sandwich, too.

Best Sandwiches

Best Seafood

If you venture down the alley and down those steps to the famous Rendezvous, maybe ask to sit in Dean Reese&rsquo;s section. He&rsquo;s the best in town, and we&rsquo;re not ribbing you.

Best Server

What&rsquo;s not to love about Huey&rsquo;s? Burgers and bar food, dine-in or carry-out, late-night or with the kids, the bartenders, servers, and kitchen staff have hit a home run year after year in the Flyer&rsquo;s Best of Memphis poll. We&rsquo;ll have some cheese fries, please.

Best Service

Amy and Hannah Pickle have expanded their operation to three locations, and Memphis Flyer readers can&rsquo;t get enough. Juice cleanses are their speciality.

Best Smoothies/Juices

Best Steak

Maciel&rsquo;s has long been a haven for hungry Flyer staff Downtown, but now Midtown folks get to enjoy the city&rsquo;s best tacos, too. There are classics like chicken and beef, but Maciel&rsquo;s throws together anything from veggie options to al pastor. My heart goes out to the fried tinga tacos, a spicy chicken blend that threatens to spill over the edge of the crunchy shell.

Best Taco

Bangkok Alley has made its mark on Memphis with its Thai cuisine and sushi, as evidenced by locations all over town. It certainly has some of the best red curry I&rsquo;ve ever tasted, a smooth milky sauce slowly seeping into a soft bed of rice and enriching some nice cuts of chicken (or whatever protein is chosen. There&rsquo;s no wrong choice at Bangkok Alley).

Best Thai

"Beef? What&rsquo;s that? Give me one of City Silo Table + Pantry&rsquo;s Silo Burgers (based around black and kidney beans, green lentils, and quinoa) any day. Or perhaps the Beet Walnut Burger or even the Portobello Burger for our mushroom-minded friends. City Silo&rsquo;s vegetarian and vegan takes on staple dishes show that you don&rsquo;t have to compromise on flavor."

Best Vegetarian/Vegan

It used to be a ritual to put on my snorkel and goggles and dive headfirst into Pho Binh&rsquo;s lunch buffet. Lemongrass tofu! Low-key some of the best fried chicken in town! Egg rolls! So many choices, so little time, so &lsquo;twas best to just pile that plate up high and hope for the best. The buffet may be no more, but everything that made Pho Binh a prime-time lunch spot is still there, ready for hungry Memphians.

Best Vietnamese

Flight has long been known for its extensive wine menu and its flights of wine and food pairings. This year was no exception, as Flyer readers named the Downtown dining mainstay&rsquo;s wine selection the best in the city.

Best Wine List

Best Alternative Smoke Shop

You&rsquo;re gonna need a bigger shopping cart. Sheffield is a big deal with more than 300 dealers spread out over 78,000 square feet and packed with antiques, collectibles, jewelry, lighting, floral arrangements, and decorative accessories. Plus the outside patio has all your garden irons, statuary, and outdoor furnishings.

Best Antiques Store

There are more than a dozen Gateway centers to take care of not only tires but oil changes, brakes, alignments, and all sorts of automotive fixes. Its reliable service will keep you rolling.

Best Auto Repair

Best Beer Selection (in a store)

Flyer readers have declared victory for Victory Bicycle Studio when it comes to two-wheeled transportation. Whether it&rsquo;s road bikes, mountain bikes, tri-bikes, or gravel bikes, Victory has got you covered. And check out their spinning classes if you prefer to bike indoors.

Best Bicycle Shop

They&rsquo;ve changed names and locations over the years, and customers remained faithful. But you know a bookstore is really special when rumors &mdash; and eventually the sad news &mdash; swept over the city that it would close. That was a few years ago, a new ownership group took over, and our readers come to Novel to, well, read. What a novel concept!

Best Bookstore

Charlie is no longer behind the counter of the little butcher shop he opened on Summer Avenue in 1967, but the second generation of the Hogan family has once again been voted the No. 1 place for any cut of meat you could ever want.

Best Butcher

Feeling stressed? Sure, we all are. Visit Memphis&rsquo; homegrown CBD store for all the latest cannabinoids to help melt that stress away. Flower, gummies, brownies, crunchy treats &mdash; you name it, Ounce of Hope makes it.

Best CBD Store

Every business needs some flavor,&rdquo; say the principles of Sauce Marketing. For a few years, this women-owned full-service agency &mdash; which first opened in founder Kim Hummel&rsquo;s Bartlett garage &mdash; has been voted the city&rsquo;s top creative agency by our readers, who obviously enjoy the taste of what&rsquo;s cooking there.

Best Creative Agency

Memphians have a wide selection of places that can hold a small business meeting or conventions. They all offer first-rate services, wonderful catering, and ultra-modern facilities. But what makes the Memphis Zoo our readers&rsquo; top choice is something no other place offers &mdash; a unique environment, surrounded by lions, tigers, bears, oh my!

Best Event Rental Venue

When Memphians look for fresh produce, dairy, and meat sourced from local and regional farmers, they choose the long-running Agricenter Farmer&rsquo;s Market, open six days a week during market season.

Best Farmers Market

I like tulips in the garden. I like tulips of many hues. But my favorite tulips are the tulips I get from Pugh&rsquo;s (and roses, mums, daisies, and more). You can&rsquo;t have any flowers from the Best of Memphis florist if you haven&rsquo;t botany.

Best Florist

Dan West is the BOM diggity according to Memphis Flyer readers. In fact, you dig and Dan West Garden Center will have plants, flowers, and shrubs to fill the hole. You will also find the best bows, ribbons, wreaths, ornaments, and trees at the Christmas Shop. Fir real.

Best Garden Center

This cute little Midtown shop has something for everyone &mdash; customizable fragrances, toiletries, coffee, tea, herbs, and a variety of novelty gifts just scratch the surface. Memphis loves Maggie&rsquo;s!

Best Gift Shop

The golf course where the pros play in the FedEx St. Jude TPC is also the course Flyer readers have named the best in town. Which seems logical. If it&rsquo;s good enough for Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bubba Watson, it&rsquo;s not surprising it&rsquo;s been named the best in Memphis.

Best Golf Course

He&rsquo;s no average Joe, Trader Joe. He&rsquo;s traveled the globe to find the best groceries so you don&rsquo;t have to. But you already know that. From gluten-free to vegan cheese, olive us Memphians think you are just souper.

Best Grocery Store

As good Americans, we all demand our freedom of assembly, and nowhere is that more available than at IKEA, even though it&rsquo;s Swedish. Not only is it a favorite place to get stuff for your house, but it&rsquo;s highly interactive (you put it together yourself). Also: meatballs.

Best Home Furnishings

Last year, Two Broke Bartenders was cobbled together to provide new career paths for workers thrown out of the restaurant and hospitality industry by the Covid pandemic. Today, they&rsquo;re the most-trusted hammer-swingers in the

Best Home Remodeling Services

The Peabody has their ducks in a row. From cheese and quackers at Chez Philippe to the light touch of Feathers Spa, Memphis finds that the South&rsquo;s grand hotel fits the bill. Memphians voted this Best of Memphis hotel quite ducky.

Best Hotel

The case to be made for Ballin, Ballin &amp; Fishman is the firm&rsquo;s results in pursuing criminal defense, personal injury, and business and commercial litigation. If you need zealous representation for a legal issue, the attorneys at BBF are ready to bring it on.

Best Law Firm

If you find that your cup is half full or half empty, maybe you need a cupless bustier. You can get one at Coco &amp; Lola&rsquo;s, Best of Memphis winning lingerie shop. Shop teddies, camisoles, and garters. We recommend them in lace &mdash; it is knottier.

Best Lingerie Shop

Even though its renovation was complete in 2015, walking into the &ldquo;new&rdquo; Buster&rsquo;s still strikes that &ldquo;ahhh&rdquo; chord of a heavenly choir. Acres (it seems) of beer, wine, spirits &mdash; and everything that goes with them &mdash; are all right at your fingertips, and the possibilities seem endless.

Best Liquor Store

Outdoors Inc. sets the standard for outdoor clothing, outdoor gear and equipment, and outdoor shoes and sandals. For everything from canoes to tents to fleece jackets, they&rsquo;ve got you covered.

Best Local Athletic Goods Store

Orion not only gets it right when it comes to handling your money, it offers solid customer service as well as community involvement, including a love for the arts.

Best Local Bank or Credit Union

Mednikow Jewelers has been family-owned since 1891, which means they take a personal interest in helping you find something timeless, elegant, and beautiful. The vast selection and international reputation guarantee that you&rsquo;ll sparkle.

Best Local Fine Jewelry Store

The name itself &mdash; Oak Hall &mdash; conveys a certain high-level quality, don&rsquo;t you think? And that&rsquo;s what you&rsquo;ll find here. Whether going to a casual garden party or the finest gala, this store, in business since 1859, will dress you in style. First-rate service and the city&rsquo;s top tailors ensure anyone can look their best.

Best Local Store for Men's Clothing

We don&rsquo;t care if, just the day before, you bought the best shoes you ever owned, and you came to Kaufman just to &ldquo;look around.&rdquo; You&rsquo;ll walk out with a new pair of shoes, boots, flats, sandals, or whatever can fit on your feet. This family-owned business, a Memphis institution since 1947, offers comfort, style, selection, and great prices.

Best Local Store for Shoes

Did you know that Indigo is one of the largest denim retailers in the South? Memphis thinks they&rsquo;re jeanious. Voted by Flyer readers as the BOM, purse-shoe your fashion dreams at Indigo, the best local store for women&rsquo;s clothing.

Best Local Store for Women's Clothing

What&rsquo;s the simplest musical instrument you can think of &mdash; a triangle, maybe? Amro has those. What&rsquo;s the largest &mdash; a grand piano comes to mind, or a stand-up bass? Amro has those, too. Look, if you suddenly decide to create your own orchestra, Amro is the one-stop shop for everything you could possibly need.

Best Music Equipment Store

The dealership has won awards for taking care of business because it&rsquo;s not just about moving vehicles, but about treating the customer &mdash; and the community &mdash; just right. They care, and they&rsquo;ll sell you a great new car.

Best New Car Dealership

BrownDog Lodge is like the Ritz Carlton for dogs. They offer lodging, grooming, and day care so dogs can play, get pampered, and relax all in one place.

Best Pet Boarding/Day Care

Whether you need a toy for your puppy or food for your goldfish, Hollywood Feed has it all. The friendly staff will help you find everything you need for your animal companions.

Best Pet Store

We remember when the various Goodwill outlets offered piles of donated clothes and cast-offs, and they&rsquo;ve really made an effort to improve their quantity &mdash; and quality. Looking for something at a good price to wear to work, a party, or even the prom? You might find it here. Even if you don&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s fun to look around.

Best Place to Get Vintage/Used Clothing

There&rsquo;s one thing everyone agrees on: Memphis&rsquo; real estate market is absolutely nuts right now. Our readers trust Upchurch to help them navigate the ups and downs of finding a new home, and getting the biggest return from their old one.

Best Realtor

It&rsquo;s a record store, a recording label, a music festival, and now a streamer. Zac Ives and Eric Friedl&rsquo;s Memphis institution shows no signs of slowing down.

Best Record Store

The Tigers have a good reason to roar. Don&rsquo;t just take our word for it. U.S. News &amp; World Report ranks U of M #258 in its 2021 ranking of &ldquo;Best National Colleges and Universities,&rdquo; #98 in its list of &ldquo;Top Performers in Social Mobility,&rdquo; and here&rsquo;s the kicker &mdash; #98 in &ldquo;Top Public Schools.&rdquo; And the football and basketball teams are pretty darned good, too.