Food here is SO good. We were well taken care of, and the space is beautiful. They also have a lovely patio with happy hour specials.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shelly
First I want to share there were 3 of us and we thought one of us set a reservations. But the other 2 misunderstood the text. But we took a chsnce at 1715 and did a walk in. We were able.to be seated in a high top in the bar. We were greeted with a man pouring water in our glasses. He spoke no words.. very odd and he reached across everyone instead of going around the small table to fill water. 20 mins passed and had not seen a waiter. 3 bartenders slammed with a full bar with alot of waiters with hardly any tables. The bartender finally asks what we want to drink and even gave us the happy hour list the host didnt provide. We ordered drinks and an app from said list. Drinks come and we added a 2nd app. The 2nd app came out a min later wasnt very hot and the first app came 15 mins after. Our water and drinks were empty 30 mins. I asked 2 people in passing if we can get a waiter. We had a concert across the street and wanted to order food. 20 mins go by a different bartender came over and took our new drink order and since ao much time had past we order something easy to split. A charcuterie board for 4. 30 mins pass and atill no board. We address the waiter again.. he said he was sorry and he would get it out and take it off our check. The manager brought it but couldnt tell us what eat meat or cheese was she has to ask someone. Also the a/c wasnt up tp par for the space. To say i was disappointed in all of it.. makes me sad. The place has a hip vibe, Michael Donahue walked in 20 mins before we left. So you know its a likeable place. But they flow of the place is mis-managed. The drinks were good, the food was okay.. the bartenders were very nice. But the issue was the kitchen and they had the bartenders to heavily worked while others didnt have enough to do.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie Board
Karen Fell
We stumbled upon this happy hour to escape Memphis relentless heat. Great bar area with comfortable stools. The bar tender, larger guy with a bread was friendly, helpful, attentive and offered a bar snacks menu but also suggested that we could have the restaurant menu from 5 pm which we readily accepted. It was all sensational and we stayed longer and spent more because they were so welcoming and the wine and food fantastic. It was a great night, we tipped generously. Thanks so much
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Belly
Daniel Bencivenga
Must visit! Didn’t expect it to have a family style option, but trying a little of everything worked out perfectly. Food was excellent…corn mash, pork belly, chicken pasta, steak, tomato dish, and pork chop were all great. Desserts were all tasty with great balance and the port wine topped off an amazing meal. Our server was great and explained everything perfectly. She definitely talked us into trying more than we would have.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Justin Hopkins
Visited here twice and each time was excellent. Went for the pre-set valentines menu and the fish I had was maybe the best I’ve ever had.
Any of the veggie-based dishes (corn mash, brussel sprouts) are worth going and getting on their own.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carter F. Smith
What a wonderful meal with excellent service and a lot of options. It was clear that the chef and all who designed the experience knew what they were doing and were laser focused on the customer experience. Kacie was more than our server - she was our tour guide and travel partner. We will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dezirae W
Food and service were excellent. Would recommend 100%.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lorenzo Mazzei
Food is good, but when the ribeye is proposed, they should explain weight and cost, so as to avoid surprises.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Julien Luebbers
If you eat nowhere else in Memphis, eat here. The menu is exquisite, the drinks are thoughtful and diverse, and each dish is simply perfect. I honestly cannot think of many restaurants where I have eaten better, and not for lack of trying. The lobbyist is world class, and relatively affordable at that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C S
This was a fantastic dining experience. The atmosphere and the food were delicious. The food was so unique. I will be coming back. The service was very friendly and professional. It was an awesome dining experience. This is a place not to be missed.
The Lobbyist was fantastic. Our server explained everything to us. Even though I don’t like beer, the beer-based weight of love drink was very good. I also enjoyed the Brussels sprouts and Orecchiette with braised beef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Debisree Ray
We stumbled into this spot on a Saturday evening—no reservations, no plan—just a spontaneous dinner idea. Despite it being the weekend, we were seated right away. The place was buzzing but not overflowing, which was a pleasant surprise.
Now, parking was a bit of a pain. It’s in the downtown area, and between the street closures and a few events going on, we ended up paying a ridiculous amount for a nearby lot. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning a visit.
The menu had a fun, modern fusion vibe. We kicked things off with the focaccia shareable platter. The bread itself was great—light, fluffy, topped with flaky sea salt—but the rest of the platter felt a little underwhelming for the price. Think a few veggies and dips, nothing too exciting.
We also tried a non-alcoholic cocktail with mint and watermelon—super refreshing and surprisingly well-balanced. Definitely a highlight.
For mains, my friend went with the chopped steak and mashed potatoes—cooked perfectly medium rare with a beautiful char. Solid choice. I ordered a pasta dish with braised beef that had a curry-style seasoning twist. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the dish had an interesting concept, but it didn’t completely land for me. It felt like it was almost great—just missing that final spark.
We skipped dessert (too full!), but the vibe of the place was relaxed and lively, kind of laid-back chic. Service was friendly but on the slower side.
All in all, a decent experience with a few standout moments—but probably not one I’d rave about. Still, if you’re in the area and in the mood for something a bit different, it might be worth a try, but overpriced IMO.
Hannah Kiihnl
I had my graduation party here. The atmosphere was fantastic. The service was great and everyone was very attentive. They made it so easy to plan and help choose food and drinks. The food was incredible. I have nothing but great things to say about the whole experience.
Laurel Burgess
My children treated me to a Chef's Table experience at The Lobbyist as a birthday gift. The food, prepared and presented by Chef Jimmy Gentry, was delicious and each course was a wonderful surprise. The wines served with each dish were exquisite. The staff was exceptional - professional yet friendly and very helpful. The atmosphere was wonderful. What more can I say? It was amazing on all counts - an experience I highly recommend and will never forget.
Andrew Harris
Keona was an excellent server and made sure the experience was great. The food was excellent, paired by her and the drinks were delicious. She recommended the house tonic for my G&T and it was superb.
Food here is SO good. We were well taken care of, and the space is beautiful. They also have a lovely patio with happy hour specials.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First I want to share there were 3 of us and we thought one of us set a reservations. But the other 2 misunderstood the text. But we took a chsnce at 1715 and did a walk in. We were able.to be seated in a high top in the bar. We were greeted with a man pouring water in our glasses. He spoke no words.. very odd and he reached across everyone instead of going around the small table to fill water. 20 mins passed and had not seen a waiter. 3 bartenders slammed with a full bar with alot of waiters with hardly any tables. The bartender finally asks what we want to drink and even gave us the happy hour list the host didnt provide. We ordered drinks and an app from said list. Drinks come and we added a 2nd app. The 2nd app came out a min later wasnt very hot and the first app came 15 mins after. Our water and drinks were empty 30 mins. I asked 2 people in passing if we can get a waiter. We had a concert across the street and wanted to order food. 20 mins go by a different bartender came over and took our new drink order and since ao much time had past we order something easy to split. A charcuterie board for 4. 30 mins pass and atill no board. We address the waiter again.. he said he was sorry and he would get it out and take it off our check. The manager brought it but couldnt tell us what eat meat or cheese was she has to ask someone. Also the a/c wasnt up tp par for the space. To say i was disappointed in all of it.. makes me sad. The place has a hip vibe, Michael Donahue walked in 20 mins before we left. So you know its a likeable place. But they flow of the place is mis-managed. The drinks were good, the food was okay.. the bartenders were very nice. But the issue was the kitchen and they had the bartenders to heavily worked while others didnt have enough to do.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Charcuterie Board
We stumbled upon this happy hour to escape Memphis relentless heat. Great bar area with comfortable stools. The bar tender, larger guy with a bread was friendly, helpful, attentive and offered a bar snacks menu but also suggested that we could have the restaurant menu from 5 pm which we readily accepted. It was all sensational and we stayed longer and spent more because they were so welcoming and the wine and food fantastic. It was a great night, we tipped generously. Thanks so much
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Belly
Must visit! Didn’t expect it to have a family style option, but trying a little of everything worked out perfectly. Food was excellent…corn mash, pork belly, chicken pasta, steak, tomato dish, and pork chop were all great. Desserts were all tasty with great balance and the port wine topped off an amazing meal. Our server was great and explained everything perfectly. She definitely talked us into trying more than we would have.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visited here twice and each time was excellent. Went for the pre-set valentines menu and the fish I had was maybe the best I’ve ever had.
Any of the veggie-based dishes (corn mash, brussel sprouts) are worth going and getting on their own.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a wonderful meal with excellent service and a lot of options. It was clear that the chef and all who designed the experience knew what they were doing and were laser focused on the customer experience. Kacie was more than our server - she was our tour guide and travel partner. We will be back!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food and service were excellent. Would recommend 100%.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is good, but when the ribeye is proposed, they should explain weight and cost, so as to avoid surprises.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
If you eat nowhere else in Memphis, eat here. The menu is exquisite, the drinks are thoughtful and diverse, and each dish is simply perfect. I honestly cannot think of many restaurants where I have eaten better, and not for lack of trying. The lobbyist is world class, and relatively affordable at that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was a fantastic dining experience. The atmosphere and the food were delicious. The food was so unique. I will be coming back. The service was very friendly and professional. It was an awesome dining experience. This is a place not to be missed.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The Lobbyist was fantastic. Our server explained everything to us. Even though I don’t like beer, the beer-based weight of love drink was very good. I also enjoyed the Brussels sprouts and Orecchiette with braised beef.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We stumbled into this spot on a Saturday evening—no reservations, no plan—just a spontaneous dinner idea. Despite it being the weekend, we were seated right away. The place was buzzing but not overflowing, which was a pleasant surprise.
Now, parking was a bit of a pain. It’s in the downtown area, and between the street closures and a few events going on, we ended up paying a ridiculous amount for a nearby lot. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning a visit.
The menu had a fun, modern fusion vibe. We kicked things off with the focaccia shareable platter. The bread itself was great—light, fluffy, topped with flaky sea salt—but the rest of the platter felt a little underwhelming for the price. Think a few veggies and dips, nothing too exciting.
We also tried a non-alcoholic cocktail with mint and watermelon—super refreshing and surprisingly well-balanced. Definitely a highlight.
For mains, my friend went with the chopped steak and mashed potatoes—cooked perfectly medium rare with a beautiful char. Solid choice. I ordered a pasta dish with braised beef that had a curry-style seasoning twist. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the dish had an interesting concept, but it didn’t completely land for me. It felt like it was almost great—just missing that final spark.
We skipped dessert (too full!), but the vibe of the place was relaxed and lively, kind of laid-back chic. Service was friendly but on the slower side.
All in all, a decent experience with a few standout moments—but probably not one I’d rave about. Still, if you’re in the area and in the mood for something a bit different, it might be worth a try, but overpriced IMO.
I had my graduation party here. The atmosphere was fantastic. The service was great and everyone was very attentive. They made it so easy to plan and help choose food and drinks. The food was incredible. I have nothing but great things to say about the whole experience.
My children treated me to a Chef's Table experience at The Lobbyist as a birthday gift. The food, prepared and presented by Chef Jimmy Gentry, was delicious and each course was a wonderful surprise. The wines served with each dish were exquisite. The staff was exceptional - professional yet friendly and very helpful. The atmosphere was wonderful. What more can I say? It was amazing on all counts - an experience I highly recommend and will never forget.
Keona was an excellent server and made sure the experience was great. The food was excellent, paired by her and the drinks were delicious. She recommended the house tonic for my G&T and it was superb.
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