The Arcade Restaurant

The Arcade Restaurant, at 540 S Main Street, opened in 1919 and is the oldest restaurant in Memphis, a diner run by the same Greek-American family for more than a century in the South Main Arts District.

Elvis, movies and a Greek immigrant's diner

Founder Speros Zepatos came from the Greek island of Cephalonia and started cooking for hungry Memphians on potbelly stoves in a small wooden building. In 1925 he replaced it with the Greek Revival Arcade Building that still stands, with retail shops that gave the restaurant its name. The diner has appeared in films including Elizabethtown, The Client, The Firm and Walk the Line, and the Elvis booth, where the singer reportedly liked to sit, draws curious visitors.

What to eat

Breakfast is served all day, and the sweet potato pancakes are the dish that put the Arcade on the map. Country fried steak with eggs, a breakfast casserole and biscuits and gravy fill out the morning menu. Lunch brings a daily meat-and-two plate special on weekdays, along with salads and sandwiches, and the restaurant also offers handmade pizzas. The classic fried peanut butter and banana sandwich is the order if you sit in Elvis's booth.

The restaurant sits on the trolley line, which makes it an easy stop if you are exploring South Main.

Common Questions

What are the hours?
Sunday to Wednesday 7 AM to 3 PM, Thursday to Saturday 7 AM to 11 PM. Call 901-526-5757 to confirm.

What is the Arcade famous for?
Being the oldest restaurant in Memphis, sweet potato pancakes and the booth associated with Elvis Presley.

Is breakfast served all day?
Yes.

Who founded it?
Speros Zepatos, an immigrant from Cephalonia, Greece, in 1919.

Where is it?
In the South Main Arts District, near the trolley line.