365 Things to Do in Memphis #65: Eat At The Calvary Waffle Shop
365 Things to Do in Memphis #65: Have a Waffle (But Only During Lent)
Get ready for waffles, tomato aspic, and fish pudding, people!
Get ready for waffles, tomato aspic, and fish pudding, people!
You may be giving up chocolate, caffeine, or swearing for Lent, but there's no reason to give up waffles. Assignment #65 in the 365 Things to Do in Memphis is to have lunch at the Calvary Waffle Shop.
What Is The Memphis Calvary Waffle Shop?
Calvary Episcopal Church's Waffle Shop and Lenten Preaching Series is actually more than a tradition, it's an institution. Since 1928, the Calvary Episcopal Church in downtown Memphis has sold lunch in their basement on weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.
Many of the recipes (and some of the people in the entirely volunteer-run kitchen) have been the same for years. The Memphis Lent waffle shop opens for 2024 on February 15th.
Calvary Waffle Shop 2024 Plans
- Waffle Shop dates: February 15 - March 22, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
- 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- The Waffle Shop is at the church, 102 N. Second Street
- On Wednesday evenings, you can enjoy a Waffle Shop type experience from 5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. before the live podcast recording. Learn more here.
Calvary Waffle Shop Menu
The menu changes daily, but there are some staples you can expect. There's always pie and waffles made to order from the Waffle shop's secret recipe.
And then there's the chicken hash, chicken salad, tomato aspic, shrimp mousse, and fish pudding (on Fridays). Yes, fish pudding. These vintage recipes sound like they're straight out of one of those 50s cookbooks where everything is a weird color, made of gelatin, and garnished with a curly kale leaf—but people love these dishes.
If you're not brave enough for aspic, that's okay, there are always waffles in some form and more everyday church lunch plates like spaghetti with rye bread, seafood gumbo and cornbread, or spring vegetable soup.
See the 2024 menu schedule on the Calvary website.
Go there:
102 North 2nd Street
Memphis, TN 38103
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