Liberty Bowl / Memphis Recon.

A word of warning first, Memphis is an odd city in that you don't have the usual rich, middle class, and then dirt poor sections of town. You will be driving down a street with million dollar homes and the very next block will be an urban war zone where even the cockroaches are packing heat. What looks like a nice enough place to stay could be in the middle of gang land central.

My suggestion would be to stay on the other side of the river in Marion, Arkansas (I happen to live there). They have recently built a slew of brand new hotels that are fairly nice and affordable. Memphis is 10-15 minute drive away and you are closer to Beale Street then 90% of Memphis.

There is one nice chain hotel in West Memphis but I'd avoid staying in the roach trap motels there next to the Dog Track/Casino. Drive a few more miles down the road to Marion and be a lot safer. Plenty of chain/local places to eat right next to the hotels here and just across the interstate is Big John's Shake Shack. The burgers aren't bad and the catfish is very good. The ton of Elvis and John Wayne memorabilia is fun to see as well.

There is quite a bit to do and see in Memphis, and more restaurants then you can shake a stick at. Memphis is the medical, cultural, and culinary capitol of the Mid-South area after all.

If you are staying on the Memphis side of the river the Peabody is a very nice and famous hotel with the sort of price tag you would expect for that fame. Go and see the ducks parade through the lobby to the fountain and enjoy some drinks at the bar.

I would suggest the Germantown and Southaven areas to stay in if you don't go the Peabody route. Both areas are fairly nice and have a wide variety of places to eat.

Most of all check the area around where you are thinking of staying at on Google street view to be on the safe side. More then one person I know of has booked a room in what they thought was a nice part of Memphis only to discover they were surrounded by housing projects.

I should add, I'd usually offer to stake some of y'all out to dinner or drinks while you were in town for the bowl game but I'm going to be on the other side of Arkansas for the holidays this year.

Five days of sharing a home with my brother and his small horde.

Toss a few drinks back for me please.

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Mizzou is staying at the Peabody. It will be a fun place.

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The Peabody is one of the great hotels of America. If you have the budget for it then stay there and have a wonderful time.

If you don't... stay in Marion and go to the Peabody which is just across the river.

I'm kind of iffy on Corky's. I dunno, but it just doesn't get me going. I've had better ribs in Memphis. I've had better ribs in Missouri. And Arkansas. And quite a few other places.

As Missouri Mule says... super subjective though.

A note of warning for our more frisky readers, I think Memphis passed a law recently where all the strip clubs are now bikini clubs.

If any of you have questions, let me know. I'd be glad to look something up for you.

Once the Platinum Plus closed, one of the greatest performing art centers in the world, that part of entertainment in Memphis has been non existent.

All good recommendations for food and I agree about either Arkansas or East Memphis for hotels. The only place I would recommend for beef bbq is Elwood’s Shack on Summer and Perkins. It is a cinder block building in a Lowe’s parking lot. Great food besides bbq. I missed out on their once a year tamales.

Main Street has good bars and restaurants. It is the street with the trolley cars. A couple of blocks from Beale Street.

I am 30 minutes from Elwood’s but it is an easy ride for good vittles