Considering that Memphis is only a scant six hours from the Gulf of Mexico, the lack of seafood in the local restaurant scene is hard to fathom. Seafood places have come and gone over the years, with Owen Brennan’s (one of the New Orleans family of fine restauranteurs) being the one constant. So when I heard that the new restaurant on the Highland Strip with the Memphocentric name The Bluff was going to feature Louisiana-style seafood, I quickly took notice, because authentic Louisiana seafood has been hard to get up here.
The Bluff occupies the former theatre space of the old Newby’s, which remains open next door, and thus features a large stage which will eventually be used for live music bookings. As for the food, I opted for the fried shrimp dinner, and was pleasantly surprised. The shrimp were lightly breaded, well-seasoned and beautifully fried, and almost reminded me of the ones I loved so well at Trapp’s in Monroe, Louisiana back in October. My plate was full of shrimp, fries and hush puppies. An order normally would also come with something called “cajun greens”, but I asked them to omit that, and they did. In addition to the amazing shrimp, The Bluff features Catfish, Oysters, Crawfish, Gumbo, Etoufee and a full selection of burgers. Although Sunday was my first visit to The Bluff, it will certainly not be my last.
The Bluff
535 S Highland
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 454-7771
http://thebluffmemphis.com