Public Bistro is AMAZING. I’ve had several meals here and I’m always impressed. I also love their mocktail (yay for alcohol-free inclusion). The restaurant is beautiful and staff is fantastic. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Goudy Jerry
Good food, fantastic appetizers - will be going back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Goat Cheese
Chelsie C.
We went to the Public Bistro on Saturday night. We frequent a lot of new restaurants, but outside of new ones- we simply eat out a lot and enjoy fresh, new concepts. The atmosphere here was lovely. Very quaint but with modern touches. However, the bistro chairs at the 3-top tables were extremely uncomfortable. I didn't linger on that. The host was lovely, as was the wait staff. Very accommodating. We had the deviled eggs, which were good, and the burrata cheese salad. My only complaint with the burrata, was that 5 roasted and chills tomatoes did not complement the dish well. We felt this would have been great with sliced heirlooms instead, or maybe simple a few more tomatoes. Also, once burst open- the tomatoes needed a sprinkle of salt. However there was none of the table. We also ordered the beef stew seasonal soup- it was great. My biggest issue was with the main dishes we ordered. Ny husband had the chicken sandwich- he enjoyed it and it was quite good for a handheld. However, he substituted fries for brussel sprout- and they were burned and beyond edible. I hoped this would be isolated- but I ordered the half chicken with seasonable broccoli. The chicken was "okay", the skin was not crispy but the mashed potatoes were good. The broccoli was beyond terrible. We cook a lot at home, and imagine you accidentally left the broccoli in the oven and burned it....and then served it to a table of new visitors. It was black and soggy to the point that it was actually terrible tasting. I did tell our server, who informed the other seasonal option was carrot or the Brussels (which we knew were also cooked the same as the broccoli) so I opted for carrots. They were only okay as well. They were hot and crispy which was nice, but they also needed a touch of salt- which again, wasn't at the table. Normally I will never ask for salt, because when it is not on the table- it's because the chef is seasoning his food the way he would like. It felt as if maybe the chef was not on duty this night. My husband had two cocktails he enjoyed. I'm only leaving this review in an attempt that the chef will see it and hope to improve his vegetables- and someone who attempts to eat healthier options- they just were very subpar. I gave it 3 stars- I hope to go back and maybe try something else...perhaps that will change the overall experience.
Francie Saunders
Have really enjoyed our dinners at this new Midtown Memphis restaurant! Would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seasonal Soup
Chris Cooper
Beautiful newer Cooper Young spot. Very open space and nice atmosphere. Great menu with plenty to choose from for any group.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Margaret Wickham
I recommend going for evening drinks/dinner. Cocktails are good, service is good, great atmosphere. Dinner food is also good. But I just went for brunch and it was meh. Bloody Mary was good and the breakfast potatoes were DELICIOUS, but I was surprised at the quality of the breakfast sandwich. It was tasty in its own right, but it was just three ingredients on a hamburger bun (not really the “brioche” the server said it was), something I could get wrapped up in foil at a grocery store. For a higher level restaurant, I was expecting something more. Would also love to see more options for egg Benedict than just pork belly; salmon is on the menu so it seems like it would be easy to put that as an egg Benedict option.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Amber B.
Had a nice Valentine's dinner here. Didn't have reservations but they were able to accommodate us. This place is really spacious on the inside with full bar, variety of seating. Service was great. Drinks kind of pricy in small glasses. Overall, good vibes. Deviled eggs were really good
Kelly Addison
Our group of friends had a great time at The Public! Drinks were really good - especially the house cocktails. All of us tried different things on the menu & I had something with gin & sparkling wine, it was very tasty! Food was good - especially the burrata, Brussel sprouts, roasted chicken & cheesecake. Yum! And our server was attentive & very friendly. Overall a nice welcoming dinner experience.I will say it was "loud" in the dining room but it was also Friday night & I didn't find it overly noisy, just lively & a fun space. I will definitely be back again soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lynette H.
I went to dinner with my colleagues the other night. We ordered the Brussel sprouts and jalapeño dip for starters. I was doing a dry January and didn't get wine or a cocktails but a lot of my team ordered French 75s. They were pleased. I ordered the pork chop. WHOA DELICIOUS and it was huge! The sweet potatoes and veggie bed it was in was perfect. The ambiance is nice. I like the variety of seating and the bar looks trendy. I took one start off because our server seemed totally annoyed with us the entire time.
Taylor C.
Waited over an hour for our food. It was very loud, difficult to hear each other talking. Burger wasn’t good, didn’t eat most of it. The fried goat cheese was good.
First time and we were running to the door at 8:45 pm. Guess what?! They let us in and we sat at the bar. Maddie was kind enough to make some delicious mock tails for dry January (my husband really loved his). I ordered the Mac and cheese and turns out they are Great on the fries. Yep, it was sorta iconic (might wanna add it to the menu). Anyhow, the restaurant's closing and we order a Dessert! Yep, the apple crisp was delightful with the ice cream. It wasn't perfect but it was Good! Go check them out! I left my phone and he wouldn't let me take photos, otherwise I would've shown y'all how cute it was on the inside. The bathroom was great too ladies, perfect for selfies!
Luke McDowell
Great place for a birthday celebration
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jennifer B.
Couldn't recommend it more. Friendly, informed, and inspired staff. Great lighting and overall feel. Plus an approachable menu that has a ton of fun surprises. Oh and the cocktails are complexed, balanced , and a triumph. Thanks James!
Katie G.
So happy that this place opened in midtown. I love Knifebird and go there often, and there is a similar ambiance that is really cool and laid-back. Music is jazzy and reminds me of being in an upscale piano bar that also happens to have amazing drinks, food, and service. The people who work here and so nice and accommodating, and the owners are also amazing. I highly recommend the burger (which is what I got), but the menu overall has a great selection.
Haley Houghmaster
I went here with some girlfriends for dinner. We all ordered cocktails but I can only speak to mine- both delicious. I had the Sloe Down which was a gin and peach cocktail that was sweet and very good. The bartender made my second cocktail on the spot- I asked for gin and “refreshing”. I wasn’t exactly sure what was in it but it tasted like lime and cucumber. Also very good.We ordered the biscuits, the fried goat cheese, Brussel sprouts, and eggplant dip. Everything was tasty but the eggplant dip was a standout for me. For an entree, I had the steak frites. The fries were perfectly salted and the steak had a nice bernaise sauce. I asked for rare and it was veryyy rare.For dessert, I ordered the creme brûlée. It was fantastic. Best creme brûlée I’ve ever had in Memphis.Overall, I highly recommend. The service is top notch, the decor is gorgeous, and the location is easy. Can’t wait to go back!
Public Bistro is AMAZING. I’ve had several meals here and I’m always impressed. I also love their mocktail (yay for alcohol-free inclusion). The restaurant is beautiful and staff is fantastic. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food, fantastic appetizers - will be going back soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Goat Cheese
We went to the Public Bistro on Saturday night. We frequent a lot of new restaurants, but outside of new ones- we simply eat out a lot and enjoy fresh, new concepts. The atmosphere here was lovely. Very quaint but with modern touches. However, the bistro chairs at the 3-top tables were extremely uncomfortable. I didn't linger on that. The host was lovely, as was the wait staff. Very accommodating. We had the deviled eggs, which were good, and the burrata cheese salad. My only complaint with the burrata, was that 5 roasted and chills tomatoes did not complement the dish well. We felt this would have been great with sliced heirlooms instead, or maybe simple a few more tomatoes. Also, once burst open- the tomatoes needed a sprinkle of salt. However there was none of the table. We also ordered the beef stew seasonal soup- it was great. My biggest issue was with the main dishes we ordered. Ny husband had the chicken sandwich- he enjoyed it and it was quite good for a handheld. However, he substituted fries for brussel sprout- and they were burned and beyond edible. I hoped this would be isolated- but I ordered the half chicken with seasonable broccoli. The chicken was "okay", the skin was not crispy but the mashed potatoes were good. The broccoli was beyond terrible. We cook a lot at home, and imagine you accidentally left the broccoli in the oven and burned it....and then served it to a table of new visitors. It was black and soggy to the point that it was actually terrible tasting. I did tell our server, who informed the other seasonal option was carrot or the Brussels (which we knew were also cooked the same as the broccoli) so I opted for carrots. They were only okay as well. They were hot and crispy which was nice, but they also needed a touch of salt- which again, wasn't at the table. Normally I will never ask for salt, because when it is not on the table- it's because the chef is seasoning his food the way he would like. It felt as if maybe the chef was not on duty this night. My husband had two cocktails he enjoyed. I'm only leaving this review in an attempt that the chef will see it and hope to improve his vegetables- and someone who attempts to eat healthier options- they just were very subpar. I gave it 3 stars- I hope to go back and maybe try something else...perhaps that will change the overall experience.
Have really enjoyed our dinners at this new Midtown Memphis restaurant! Would recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seasonal Soup
Beautiful newer Cooper Young spot. Very open space and nice atmosphere. Great menu with plenty to choose from for any group.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I recommend going for evening drinks/dinner. Cocktails are good, service is good, great atmosphere. Dinner food is also good. But I just went for brunch and it was meh. Bloody Mary was good and the breakfast potatoes were DELICIOUS, but I was surprised at the quality of the breakfast sandwich. It was tasty in its own right, but it was just three ingredients on a hamburger bun (not really the “brioche” the server said it was), something I could get wrapped up in foil at a grocery store. For a higher level restaurant, I was expecting something more. Would also love to see more options for egg Benedict than just pork belly; salmon is on the menu so it seems like it would be easy to put that as an egg Benedict option.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Had a nice Valentine's dinner here. Didn't have reservations but they were able to accommodate us. This place is really spacious on the inside with full bar, variety of seating. Service was great. Drinks kind of pricy in small glasses. Overall, good vibes. Deviled eggs were really good
Our group of friends had a great time at The Public! Drinks were really good - especially the house cocktails. All of us tried different things on the menu & I had something with gin & sparkling wine, it was very tasty! Food was good - especially the burrata, Brussel sprouts, roasted chicken & cheesecake. Yum! And our server was attentive & very friendly. Overall a nice welcoming dinner experience.I will say it was "loud" in the dining room but it was also Friday night & I didn't find it overly noisy, just lively & a fun space. I will definitely be back again soon!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I went to dinner with my colleagues the other night. We ordered the Brussel sprouts and jalapeño dip for starters. I was doing a dry January and didn't get wine or a cocktails but a lot of my team ordered French 75s. They were pleased. I ordered the pork chop. WHOA DELICIOUS and it was huge! The sweet potatoes and veggie bed it was in was perfect. The ambiance is nice. I like the variety of seating and the bar looks trendy. I took one start off because our server seemed totally annoyed with us the entire time.
Waited over an hour for our food. It was very loud, difficult to hear each other talking. Burger wasn’t good, didn’t eat most of it. The fried goat cheese was good.
Food: 2
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fried Goat Cheese
Restaurantji Recommends
First time and we were running to the door at 8:45 pm. Guess what?! They let us in and we sat at the bar. Maddie was kind enough to make some delicious mock tails for dry January (my husband really loved his). I ordered the Mac and cheese and turns out they are Great on the fries. Yep, it was sorta iconic (might wanna add it to the menu). Anyhow, the restaurant's closing and we order a Dessert! Yep, the apple crisp was delightful with the ice cream. It wasn't perfect but it was Good! Go check them out! I left my phone and he wouldn't let me take photos, otherwise I would've shown y'all how cute it was on the inside. The bathroom was great too ladies, perfect for selfies!
Great place for a birthday celebration
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Couldn't recommend it more. Friendly, informed, and inspired staff. Great lighting and overall feel. Plus an approachable menu that has a ton of fun surprises. Oh and the cocktails are complexed, balanced , and a triumph. Thanks James!
So happy that this place opened in midtown. I love Knifebird and go there often, and there is a similar ambiance that is really cool and laid-back. Music is jazzy and reminds me of being in an upscale piano bar that also happens to have amazing drinks, food, and service. The people who work here and so nice and accommodating, and the owners are also amazing. I highly recommend the burger (which is what I got), but the menu overall has a great selection.
I went here with some girlfriends for dinner. We all ordered cocktails but I can only speak to mine- both delicious. I had the Sloe Down which was a gin and peach cocktail that was sweet and very good. The bartender made my second cocktail on the spot- I asked for gin and “refreshing”. I wasn’t exactly sure what was in it but it tasted like lime and cucumber. Also very good.We ordered the biscuits, the fried goat cheese, Brussel sprouts, and eggplant dip. Everything was tasty but the eggplant dip was a standout for me. For an entree, I had the steak frites. The fries were perfectly salted and the steak had a nice bernaise sauce. I asked for rare and it was veryyy rare.For dessert, I ordered the creme brûlée. It was fantastic. Best creme brûlée I’ve ever had in Memphis.Overall, I highly recommend. The service is top notch, the decor is gorgeous, and the location is easy. Can’t wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5