The Soul of a Good Burger

It's all about the love and grease.

Jul 19, 2025

How many sensory overloads can you cram into one experience?

I had just left world-famous Beale Street in Memphis, underwhelmed perhaps because you have to pass through a phalanx of police and a gun detector screening just to get close to BB King’s nightclub, along with a bustling block of other venues. It felt very – Vegas? – and I was looking for something a bit more real. Enter Earnestine & Hazel’s.

I’d read that it was a good dive bar, and the crowd of young smokers and hipsters outside seemed a good sign. That and the screaming blues of a live band filtering out into the humid night air.

I hunkered down for a superb set and when the band went on break, I was hungry. The place definitely had food. I saw it being served, but there was no menu in sight. Just numerous signs around the bar offering up one dish entitled “The Soul Burger.” I pulled up a barstool in front of a tiny grill area and ordered up another Bud. That’s when I realized this place had a second stage show.

I’ve long had an unnatural fascination with an open griddle. The chef working this one was nothing short of magical. At any given moment he had two dozen thin patties sizzling in the cramped space, a line of orders over his bandana-ed head. He built as he flipped, with an exactitude over each burger that replicated Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin. This dude wasn’t slinging hash – he was creating love. I could not get enough.

I am not going to upload a photo of The Soul Burger. I shot it in a dark bar and it will not do the dish justice (stay tuned for the Beyondish review). Let me just say, you could palpably sense the chef’s handiwork: the combination of simple flavors lovingly attended – onions, pickle, mayo, and well-seasoned griddle grease bringing every bite into sharp food-gasmic focus.

A good dive bar need never shout its credentials. Friendly barkeeps, local music, a decent jukebox. Pay a visit to Beale. I’m sure BB King’s is terrific. Then wander over to Earnestine’s. That’s the nightcap you won’t soon forget.