The Dame Bar — Restaurant in Memphis

One Word: Prejudice. My sister and I were excited to try a new spot in our downtown area we were super stoked to check out this place after hearing good things. Upon arrival, the aesthetics were beautiful, and we just knew we were in for a great night. We took a seat at a high-top table in the center and started enjoying the new scenery. But the night quickly took a turn. A group of women sat near us after we arrived, yet they were immediately greeted, given water, and had their food orders taken all while enjoying jokes and laughter with the server. Meanwhile, we were left waiting, completely ignored, in a room that wasn’t even busy. I had to physically turn my entire body toward the bar to get the server’s attention as if I needed to beg to be served. When he finally came over, his attitude was nothing short of irritated and unwelcoming. Despite his energy, I tried to remain positive complimented the venue, asked about the upstairs seating, and tried to keep things light. His response? "No, it’s a hotel but you wouldn’t know." Excuse me? Still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, I let that slide. But then mid-order, another man came over and directed him to serve someone else no “excuse me,” no warning, just walked away. When he came back, he looked at me and said: "What you wanna order?" Not “May I take your order?” or even “Sorry about that” — just flat-out rudeness. We moved to the bar hoping for a better vibe, but the energy remained cold and dismissive. Then came the final straw: A large group of Caucasian women walked in. Suddenly, this same server transformed. He was all smiles — attentive, charming, doing the absolute most. Water was served, menus handed over, the full VIP treatment. So I politely said, “Excuse me, sir,” and he turned and said: "Yea, what’s up?" We only wanted water while we waited on our food but that bothered him too. That was it for me. I wasn’t sure if I was still at The Dame or at a fast-food chain with zero service standards. To be clear, the group who received attentive service appeared Caucasian. The server ,a Black man named Nate — treated us, two Black women, as if we were invisible, undeserving, and unwelcome. Nate, you completely ruined what should have been a fun, exciting night out. Your unprofessionalism, bias, and clear disregard for treating all customers equally were disgusting and disheartening. For anyone considering The Dame: aesthetics don’t matter if the experience feels discriminatory. I’ll be sharing more details on my own platform soon. Thank you, Nate or Nathaniel for showing us exactly where not to spend our time and...

The Dame: A Historic Memphis Gem Reborn Excellent for after-work drinks and catching up with friends

After 119 years of history, Hotel Pontotoc has reopened its doors, and what a spectacular return it is! This beautifully restored hotel and bar feels both timeless and refreshingly new – literally. Walking in, you're greeted by that wonderful "new" smell that immediately tells you this place has been lovingly renovated.

The Food & Drinks Let's talk about that spinach dip – it's a game-changer. Perfectly pureed and so incredibly delicious that I'm convinced I'll never want spinach dip any other way again. It sets the bar high for everything else.

The cocktail program strikes an excellent balance between classics and creativity. While you can't go wrong with their well-executed Negronis, Mint Juleps, and Manhattans, the signature cocktails are where The Dame truly shines: Crystal Shrine Grotto pays beautiful homage to Memphis with its tequila base and smoked rosemary – a thoughtful nod to the stunning grotto in an East Memphis cemetery. It's refreshing without being overly sweet.

The Flip Side was my personal favorite: watermelon liqueur and vodka with lemonade that's absolutely perfect for Memphis sizzling summers. Crisp, refreshing, and exactly what you want when the heat is relentless.

The Atmosphere The space is beautifully decorated with excellent attention to detail, and whoever curated their music playlist deserves recognition – it creates the perfect backdrop for conversation without overwhelming it. I have eclectic music tastes, and what I heard did not disappoint. The beauty of this place is that it isn't one of those places where you have to shout to be heard.

Bottom Line The Dame is ideal for a chill nightcap or those after-work drinks where you actually want to catch up with friends. The combination of historical charm, excellent drinks, thoughtful food, and a perfectly calibrated atmosphere makes this a...

Honestly, the atmosphere is really good, nice decoration truly brought me to NYC bars… good memories ! BUT the food options not much… the charcuterie board barely one cheese 🤔 but off course you can try the spinach deep it’s good! And you can think 🤔 It’s a bar the most important part… well if you’re willing to wait more than 40 minutes per cocktail it’s your option! 😅 … It’s too bad — the atmosphere is amazing, but the service suffers from bad organization and timing … the live...