“Shhh…! Come with me, to the back side of the building, up the fire escape to the third floor.”
A hundred years ago, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s, someone may have greeted you in soft tones, urging you to “speak easy…” When alcohol sales were outlawed, secret places called “speakeasies” sprung up across the country.
While drinking alcoholic beverages is no longer forbidden, the speakeasy vibe lives on in Memphis, Tennessee, on Beale Street. It’s hidden in plain sight, on the third floor of the B.B. King’s Blues Club building. But you have to know it’s there, and how to access it.
Enter the Blue World of Itta Bena
Outside, toward the back of the building, look for a set of metal stairs. Climb to the top, open the door, and you’ll enter the blue world of Itta Bena. Everything in the restaurant is bathed in a cool, blue light, thanks to the tinted windows overlooking the more hectic scene below.
Itta Bena was opened in June 2007 by Tommy Peters, Memphis businessman and restaurateur, 16 years after opening B.B. King’s Blues Club in 1991. The restaurant was named for the small town in Mississippi where blues legend B.B. King was born.
The Itta Bena Experience
Peters’ daughter, Sara Fay Egan, assumed the role of CEO and President of Beale Street Blues Company after her father’s passing in 2021. She summed up the Itta Bena experience this way: “My father’s idea was to have a small, intimate restaurant with a 1920s speakeasy-like entrance — no sign — and you enter through the fire escape. Itta Bena takes you back to a simpler era where locals can come and have a different kind of dining experience. It combines Southern cuisine taken to a new level with great live music in an atmosphere of Southern hospitality.”
When time permits, arrive early to enjoy a beverage in the bar, near the piano. The evening we were there, Nat Kerr was on piano, with Art Edmaiston Jr. on sax. (Upcoming entertainment can be found on the Music Calendar.)
Enjoy a signature cocktail before dinner
Itta Bena’s bartenders will be happy to stir or shake things up for you with one of their signature cocktails. The Hemingway Daiquiri, pictured above, combines Plantation Rum, lime juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and grapefruit juice, garnished with mint. Bourbon Cider Punch mixes bourbon with apple cider, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, honey, and cranberry syrup. Or how about an Itta Bena Ranch Water, a combo of Blanco Tequila, Topo Chico, and lime? An extensive wine list and local brews are available, too.
Intimate dining experiences await
For celebrating special occasions, Itta Bena offers more intimate dining experiences in a cozy area called “The Cove.” In keeping with the speakeasy vibe, you’ll also find a small dining room near the piano and bar area, almost hidden behind a draped entryway.
A menu curated by Executive Chefs
Oscar Pena curated the menu. He also serves as Corporate Director of Culinary Operations & Development for Beale Street Blues Company, along with Itta Bena’s Executive Chef, Le’Shun Woods. Chef Pena, a member of the James Beard Foundation, has overseen culinary operations for Itta Bena, B.B. King’s Blues Club, and other Beale Street Blues Company restaurants for the past decade. Several of Itta Bena’s signature dishes perfectly fit the description of “elevated Southern cuisine.” They include Jumbo Shrimp and Grits, Cajun Pasta, and the Pork Chop Tomahawk with Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole.
Our special evening at Itta Bena
Chilean Sea Bass served on a bed of creamy spinach and red pepper Florentine was my entrée choice. Two other entrees, not mentioned above, included the New Zealand Lamb Chops and Atlantic Salmon.
The appetizer menu is one I could devour from top to bottom. Bacon lovers, don’t miss the Itta Bena Smoked Bacon app; it’s very shareable. Thick-cut smoked bacon strips are served with herb goat cheese, blueberry compote, sweet & hot peppers, and mozzarella balls. Parmesan French baguette slices, garnished with fried onion strings, complete this meal-in-itself starter.
The Crab Stuffed Avocado is my must-order app. Lump crab salad fills a cornmeal breaded, flash-fried avocado, topped with house remoulade and Pico de Gallo. We also sampled the Pimento Cheese and Caramelized Onion dips with Pita Chips.
Don’t leave without trying at least one dessert. The White Chocolate Bread Pudding with caramel sauce won out among our group. Other “sweet endings” include Creme Brulée, Chocolate Chunk Brownie, Key Lime Pie, and Cobbler of the Day.
Take a look around
While you are there, take a look around. Who knows? If you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan, you may even spy a team member at the bar; several of the NBA players are semi-regulars. Memphis native Justin Timberlake, musical artist and actor, also drops by when he is in town. Timberlake is an investor in the Grizzlies team and the Beale Street Blues Company, which owns B.B. King’s Blues Club and Itta Bena.
Itta Bena’s most memorable celebrity guest was a not-quite-18-year-old, Taylor Swift who had just had her first big hit, “Tim McGraw.” She was here for a daytime photo shoot for a teen lifestyle magazine two months after the restaurant opened in 2007.
Continue the evening at B.B. King’s Blues Club
This was my second visit to Itta Bena, along with a small group of travel writers. Thanks to Memphis Travel and Itta Bena for hosting us.
Debbra Dunning Brouillette blogs at Tropical Travel Girl.
Also, check out this post: And then there was the day Taylor Swift walked into Itta Bena with her guitar…
You may also enjoy reading: Memphis, Tennessee: Pride for Its Past, Hope for Its Future
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