Earnestine & Hazel’s

531 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103, USA

Memphis is blessed with some great dive bars and burger joints, but no place combines the two concepts better than Earnestine & Hazel’s, an iconic spot on the edge of downtown, just a short walk from the debauchery of Beale Street. An excellent option for a nightcap after an evening of madcap fun, the eatery is best known for its Soul Burger, a classic griddled patty served on a buttered bun with pickles, onion, cheese, and top-secret “Soul Sauce.”

Beyond the menu, however, the biggest attraction at E&H is the grungy ambience, plus the reputation that the former hotel-cum-brothel is now the most haunted building in Memphis. Employees and customers alike have reported seeing shadowy figures moving through the hallways, and the legendary jukebox has been known to play songs that are spookily in sync with something a patron just said at the bar. Come for the burger, stay for the ghosts.

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Have a drink with the ghosts

Looking for a dive bar where you can drink with ghosts in a former brothel? Earnestine & Hazel’s is the spot. The longtime Memphis favorite is a quintessential dive bar complete with one of the best burgers in town, the Soul Burger. Pull up a stool and have a drink with your burger as you get up enough courage to head upstairs where the ghosts await. Upstairs is filled with mysterious rooms with dark and cozy spots to have a quiet drink while you wait for the ghosts under the dim lights. Follow the creaky stairs to the long hallway, where the neon glow from the outside sign shines in just enough to light the way. Yes, it really was at one time a brothel. Let your imagination run wild as you have a look around.

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