HYPERLOCAL NEWS HUB BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM
Barksdale's… Yes You Can Find Something Traditional in Cooper-Young
By Peter Dupont/MicroMemphis Reporter
October 3, 2011
The Cooper-Young area of Memphis… what comes to mind? To me, it’s a neighborhood that’s very artsy, a little grungy, not in line with the stereotypes of being in the deep South. However, right in the middle of this neighborhood sits a breakfast place that doesn’t try to put an alternative spin on breakfast, and I’m just fine with that.
Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant, located on 227 S. Cooper, offers everything you could want in a breakfast spot. Eggs, French toast, brown sugar oatmeal, omelets, bacon, biscuits with sausage gravy, all at a price that won’t hurt your wallet. The hot cakes, small thick pancakes, are a Barksdale specialty.
Almost everything on the breakfast menu is less than six dollars. Two eggs with a rib eye steak will cost you $8.25.
You get the feeling that a lot of the people that eat at Barksdale are regulars. The place was PACKED at 10 a.m. on a Saturday. The staff was extremely friendly; always ready to offer me a refill on my orange juice or do anything else they could to help a struggling journalism student. Bob Henry is the owner. I found this out when I asked, “Are you the owner?” He replied, “Me and the bank.”
Henry told me the place is busiest from 8-11 most mornings. I asked Jeff, the man that sat next to me at the bar, why he picked this particular breakfast place. He said “I’ve been coming here for years, it’s close, the food is good, and they treat you right.” I have a feeling most people in the restaurant would have told me the same thing.
The place was opened in 1967, and was originally on Barksdale street. The location changed about 20 or 30 years ago (no one could remember for certain). The first owner was Jerry Stamson Jr. Bon Henry has managed the place for the last 11 years, and says business has always been good.
Bob’s is open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Check out the menu before you go. By many reviewer's accounts, its considered one of Memphis's three best breakfast places. Read some reviews from everyday people about the place, and what LocalEats had to say.
Peter Dupont / MicroMemphis Reporter
Peter Dupont is a senior print journalism major at the University of Memphis. Born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey, Peter is an aspiring sports journalist. Consider him an expert on college and NBA basketball. Look for his work on Micromemphis and follow him on Twitter.