Ed. Note: Contributor Stacey has done the hard, difficult work of trying out yet another delicious Memphis restaurant, this time with the help of several teenagers. Keep reading to find out about their experience trying out the infamous stuffed burgers, Southern food, and wings from Mot & Ed's. 

A few weeks ago, I took my monkeys (Satchel, 15, and Jiro, 13) and a teenaged lady-friend (TLF) to Mot & Ed’s for dinner. The plan was to go after the monkeys’ orthodontist appointments out East, which didn’t last nearly as long as I thought. So, we ended up arriving at 4:30 p.m., which was a little weird, and made us the only people in the restaurant, but it turned out great. We had everyone’s full attention!

I had heard that the service could be a little slow, so I thought it best to arrive before the kids were totally starving. (But I’ll tell you, teenagers are pretty much always starving.)

We grabbed a seat at the table in the window, but when we discovered that the menu board was all the way in the back, we all had to get up and go look. I’m assuming it changes every day which is why there’s no paper menu. One board featured soul food classics and a second was dedicated to the stuffed burgers.

The stuffed burgers are rather legendary, so I was pleased when Jiro ordered an Angus burger stuffed with bacon and cheese. (He also opted to have cheese on top.) Satchel and his TLF were going to split some chicken tenders, but I insisted that my wing nut actually try the wings. I went with the fried catfish, fried okra, and mashed potatoes and gravy.

I told the kids it might be slow and to prepare themselves for a wait, but assured them that everything was being made to order and would be delicious. After about twenty minutes, all of our food came out, and wow, was I right!

Jiro made short order of his burger. I think he wished it was twice as big, and he regretted not having it stuffed with several more ingredients. But he loved it and said he’d definitely want to come back.

Satchel and his TLF also polished off the wings and accompanying mashed potatoes in no time flat. There were eight party wings, which is typically an appetizer for Satchel. He finally admitted that he and his TLF had eaten Sonic right before the orthodontist appointments, so he wasn’t able to fully pig out.

My plate of food was definitely more than I thought I could finish, but everything was so good, I couldn’t stop eating. I think the kids got tired of watching me eat, but too bad! The okra was perfectly crispy, not greasy at all. Ditto on the catfish. And man, those mashed potatoes were out of this world. The thick, rich gravy definitely made them something special.

I really wished we would have saved room for coconut cake. It was just plain dumb that I couldn’t convince three teens to eat a piece of cake!

As we were finishing up, Ms. Edna (The Ed of Mot & Ed’s) came over and introduced herself. She asked our names, how we found the place, and if we liked everything. She was super sweet, and even gave Satchel a little ribbing about his TLF. “I thought she might be your sister,” said Ms. Edna, “But then I noticed how close you are sitting to each other.”

Ha!

We had brief discussion about whether we liked Mot & Ed’s better than Chef Tam’s, but there was no clear winner—rather a consensus that we needed to eat at both places more often.

I should note that the hours at Mot & Ed’s are a little odd. Well, I guess that depends on whether you like to eat lunch before 11:30 a.m. or if you like to eat dinner after 7:30 p.m.! Those are their hours Tuesday through Friday. They are open 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday and are closed Sunday and Monday.

(In the past they’ve done open mic nights, comedy shows and a “Soul Speak” event after regular hours with a special menu and BYOB/set up fee. Check their Facebook/Twitter for more info.)

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., and Saturday 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Closed Sunday and Monday.)

Go There:
Mot & Ed’s (Southern Eatery)
1354 Madison
(901) 249-8976
instagram.com/motandeds

About The Author

Stacey Greenberg is a freelance writer who lives in Cooper Young with her two teenaged sons. She’s a contributor to Thrillist.com, Edible Memphis, I Love Memphis, and Memphis Travel. She’s also the author of the award winning blog, Dining with Monkeys (diningwithmonkeys.com). A lifelong Memphian, she loves the fact that she’s never met a stranger here.