Memphis has long had a reputation for being one of the best places to enjoy a night out in the whole of America, and many of the Memphis bars and clubs offer great live music, and not everyone that you hear playing is an Elvis impersonator. The influence of Elvis cannot be overstated in Memphis, sometimes you feel like you are in a tin pot dictatorship with the King as glorious leader; such are the number of Stalinist pictures of the young Presley that can be found everywhere.

This is also the case in the Memphis Bars and clubs, where there is almost always a man in a rhinestone jumpsuit standing at the bar, ready to say thank you very much, and clap you on the back with a fat hand when you chat to him. The bars are good fun though, and an excellent place to meet people.

Thanks to the sheer number of tourists who pass through Memphis, the bars and clubs tend to be busy throughout the days and at night and you will always find somewhere to get out of the sun for a refreshing drink. There are bars to suit all tastes, from spit and sawdust places where you can hear live music from young bands through to dance clubs that cater to a slightly more sophisticated audience. There are also plenty of Memphis bars and clubs that offer karaoke, and sports bars where you can watch the big game on a Saturday afternoon and enjoy a little glass or two of beer at the same time.

Some of the best Memphis bars are the ones located close to the University of Tennessee campus close to the city center. While these are generally filled with younger people who can be quite rowdy, it is often refreshing just to be away from the middle aged Elvis fans that flood the bars in the city center itself, and demand that you sing the words to “Love Me Tender” on the karaoke for the tenth time that evening before joining you in the diner for a quick plate of cheese burgers and fries. Thank you very much!