By definition, a great bar should have character — often developed through years of colorful patrons, fascinating stories, and maybe even the occasional ghost sighting. (There’s a good reason why a tavern is frequently referred to as “a haunt”). The South is replete with bars that ooze history from their ancient walls and the stories passed from generation to generation of regular customers. Here are some of our favorite spots to literally drink in history.
Earnestine and Hazel’s
Location: Memphis, TN
More Info:Â earnestineandhazel.com
The stories about this beloved downtown Memphis institution are wild! It was founded as a pharmacy in the 1930s as part of Owner Abe Plough’s chain of Pantaze Drugstores. Two cousins, Earnestine Mitchell and Hazel Jones, rented out the upstairs of the building to run a hair salon, and they made Plough a lot of money by using and popularizing a revolutionary hair-straightening product that he had invented.
Out of gratitude, Plough gifted the building to the cousins during the 1950s, and they turned it into a jazz cafe. Well, “cafe” is a bit of a euphemism because while the music was lively downstairs and the soul food was legendary, the real attractions and action were upstairs, where Earnestine and Hazel rented out eight rooms as a brothel. It was also a favorite hangout for legendary musicians like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, B.B. King, and the Rolling Stones when they were passing through the Bluff City.
The cousins continued to operate the venue through the early 90s when economic downturns made it difficult to survive as a business in downtown Memphis. They eventually sold it to a young Memphis native named Russell George, a music promoter who hoped to revitalize the property and take it back to the days when musical luminaries would frequently stop by after local gigs.
After some building rehab brought the structure back up to code (or at least close), George decided to simplify the expansive menu of soul food. Under his direction, the kitchen concentrated on creating the ideal late-night snack that would hit the spot after an evening of beer drinking, music, and dancing. ‘
He settled on the now famous “Soul Burger,” a simple patty cooked on a greasy griddle and served with cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and the restaurant’s secret “soul sauce.” Accompanied by a bag of chips and a beer or soda, the Soul Burger is still a main attraction for visitors at Earnestine & Hazel’s.
Another big draw is the legends of ghosts that haunt the hallways of the building. Supposedly, more than a dozen people have died inside E&H, and bones were discovered hidden inside the walls of the former bordello during renovation work in 2019. Employees report lights turning on and off by themselves at night and the sensation of being touched on the shoulder when no one else is in the room.
Even more famous is Earnestine and Hazel’s haunted jukebox. Always stocked with classic rock and R&B songs from throughout the ages, the jukebox is said to have a mind of its own. It will sometimes just start playing even though nobody has inserted any money or selected any songs, and some people say that the jukebox has an uncanny ability to pick just the right song to accompany a conversation between bar patrons.
Still popular among lovers of music and history, as well as ghost hunters, Earnestine & Hazel’s is more of a late-night destination for partygoers seeking a last refuge before heading home. They sometimes open the upstairs for visitors, but one of the rooms remains padlocked. That was Russell George’s office, where he took his life in 2013 after suffering from cancer. Yes, George was the 13th person reported to have passed away inside Earnestine & Hazel’s.
Brown’s Diner
Location: Nashville, TN
More Info:Â thebrownsdiner.com
While there’s some disagreement about whether Nashville dive bar The Springwater Supper Club & Lounge or Brown’s Diner holds the oldest beer license in the city, there’s no question that both are essential long-time Music City institutions. Brown’s got their license in 1927 when the bar and grill originally opened in the shell of a former mule-drawn trolley car. Ada and Charlie Brown operated the bar for decades, eventually adding a small dining room at the back of the trolley.
A certainly apocryphal legend asserts that Brown’s epic burger is so excellent because the kitchen hasn’t changed the frying oil on the griddle since the restaurant’s opening. While that is certainly (probably) untrue, a burger and a beer at Brown’s has been a delicious and affordable meal at Brown’s for generations.
That’s also a big reason why Brown’s has traditionally been a gathering spot for Nashville singers and songwriters — a place to while away an afternoon while swapping creative ideas and polishing lyrics. Musicians have been known to hop up on the tiny area that passes as a stage to try out new tunes in front of their compatriots. Under new ownership, the performance spot has been slightly expanded to allow full bands to perform (albeit closely!).
The bar crowd at Brown’s has long been a tight-knit group, to the point that when city ordinances banned smoking inside of bars, a group of patrons went home and dragged old lawn furniture onto the minuscule stone patio in front of the door to the bar to create their own smoking lounge for each other.
Another nice change by the new owners has been the construction of an expansive wooden deck to allow for al fresco drinking and dining, so the lawn chairs have been folded up and put away for good.
While Brown’s now has a full complement of beer, wine, and spirits, it’s still a longneck bar where strangers become friends quickly over a cold one, and regulars renew old friendships during spontaneous happy hour meetups. In a nod to Brown’s history, the new owners have even bought a refurbished trolley can that they placed beside the building to serve as a mobile auxiliary kitchen. What did they name the new acquisition? “Trolley Brown,” of course, in honor of the diner’s original operator!
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar
Location: New Orleans, LA
More Info: lafittesblacksmithshop.com
In a town as well-known for bars as New Orleans, the distinction of being the city’s oldest bar is a huge deal. Some even claim that Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar on the quieter end of historic Bourbon Street may be the oldest bar in the country. There’s undoubtedly some compelling evidence to attest to that fact.
Built as a colonial townhouse in the heart of the French Quarter in the first part of the 18th century, the building has a history of housing a smithy operation … but the records are murky. The legend continues that it was once a cover for the smuggling operations of the famous pirate and privateer Jean Lafitte and his less famous (but equally infamous) brother Pierre.
Whether they actually ran their shifty business out of the shop is open to debate, but the building’s location certainly would have been a convenient base for the brothers’ nefarious operations along the Gulf Coast in the early 1800s. It’s where they were instrumental in assisting General Andrew Jackson’s defense of New Orleans in the War of 1812.
Centuries later, the dimly lit bar doesn’t look much different from what it must have looked like when the Lafittes ruled the neighborhood — except for the addition of oodles of pirate memorabilia for the tourists, which would have been a dead giveaway. The dark rooms of the bar are an excellent place to hide out from New Orleans’ summer heat while enjoying strong and inexpensive drinks.
The backroom piano bar is a festive spot for live entertainment, and the keyboard is manned by a revolving roster of talented pianists playing from bottomless repertoires of bawdy singalong songs that keep the tip jar filled. New Orleans reveres its history, and the fact that Lafitte’s still thrives is a testament to the lengths the city will go to protect its past.
Capt. Tony’s Saloon
Location: Key West, FL
More Info:Â capttonyssaloon.com
Sloppy Joe’s is probably the most famous bar in Key West, and tourists flock to find a connection to famous former Key West resident Ernest Hemingway. But the building where the famous writer actually spent most of his time drinking “Papa Doble” daiquiris is not where the visitors shop for souvenirs today.
Capt. Tony’s Saloon was actually the original home of Sloppy Joe’s from 1933 until 1937. Here, Hemingway would arrive to hold court daily at 3:30 p.m. and regale his friends with tales of past exploits or whatever story he had spent the morning working on in his pool house.
Other literary luminaries who spent time in the building include Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, but Capt. Tony’s is about so much more than novelist name-dropping. The building was constructed in 1851 as an ice house, a significant business in Key West in the decades before refrigeration. Because it was the coolest place in town, the building also served as the town’s morgue, which is more than a little creepy.
In the late 1800s, a wireless telegraph office was located in the building, and it transmitted the news of the sinking of the USS Maine, which set off the Spanish-American War. Through the years, it became a cigar factory, a house of ill-repute, and a popular Navy bar. The bar took on a new name in 1958 when a local charter boat captain named Tony Tarracino took over the building.
The New Jersey transplant became a legend around Key West. The small but scrappy saloonkeeper inspired a song written by one of his good friends — and the most famous frequent performer on Capt. Tony’s stage (time for a little more name-dropping) — Jimmy Buffett.
The lyrics to the King of the Parrotheads’ song “Last Mango in Paris” are taken from Tarracino’s stories of past exploits: “I went down to Captain Tony’s / To get out of the heat / I heard a voice call out to me / ‘Son come have a seat.’ He said I ate the last mango in Paris/Took the last plane out of Saigon/Took the first fast boat to China/And Jimmy, there’s still so much to be done.”
Tony ran for mayor of Key West four times and eventually won a single term in 1989 before losing reelection to a joke candidate who ran on a platform of seceding from the U.S. and forming the Conch Republic. Capt. Tony sold the bar after winning the mayorship but remained a regular patron until he died in 2008. Visitors still flock to Capt. Tony’s to listen to live music, enjoy cold beverages, and leave autographed dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceiling.
Regulars speak of secret passages and hidden treasures in and around the building, and some believe that there is a haunted tree outside the bar where a woman hanged herself. There are tales of other ghostly presences associated with the building, too, but don’t let them scare you off. Capt. Tony’s is still a vibrant institution and a living reminder of the fascinating history of Key West, a city that never takes itself too seriously.
Red’s Blues Club
Location: Clarksdale, MS
More Info:Â visitclarksdale.com
In the Mississippi Delta, authentic juke joints are precious commodities to be protected and revered. While more modern performance venues have popped up offering opportunities to listen to regional blues performers, authentic joints like Red’s are becoming increasingly scarce.
What defines a juke joint? Obviously, a jukebox should be present. And also a place to dance to the blues and R&B tunes that usually take up most of the box’s record collection. Drinks should be cheap and cold (sometimes available from a cooler of ice through the honor system), and feel free to raise an eyebrow at any purported juke joint that accepts credit cards.
The lights need to be dim enough to get away with a few indiscretions but bright enough to see whatever solo musician act or band is entertaining the audience. Air conditioning is strictly optional, which means that in the sultry atmosphere of the Delta, things might get a little bit sweaty.
Red’s Blues Club is the epitome of all these factors, down to the cans of bug spray on the bar to help patrons chase off the thirsty mosquitoes who buzz in through the open windows. Red’s was the brainchild of Red Paden, a fervent long-time fan of the blues from his youth until he passed away late last year. Red purchased a run-down music store named LaVene’s in the early 1980s and converted it into a shrine for blues musicians to show off their chops.
Red could usually be found greeting guests at the front door and escorting them to mismatched seats near the “stage” — a carpeted area in a tiny neon red-lit room with walls covered with music posters from the past.
The low ceilings and tight walls turned the listening room into a giant speaker cabinet, amplifying the screaming guitar work and growling vocals of blues luminaries that appeared there, including T-Model Ford, Big Jack Johnson, and Robert Belfour, along with the current crop of younger guns like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Anthony “Big A” Sherrod.
Although Red Paden will no longer be standing outside his juke joint smoking ribs to attract hungry customers, his legacy of preserving Delta blues traditions lives on. If you want to hear real roots music live, you must visit Clarksdale and Red’s. Just remember to bring cash.
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