One of Germantown’s best kept secrets hides behind an unassuming exterior, nestled into a strip center at the southeastern corner of Forest Hill Irene Rd and Poplar Avenue. Owned and operated by Chef Drew Bryan and his wife Courtney, Blue Honey Bistro serves lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday, including a brunch menu on Saturdays. Be forewarned, the place is tiny! Though not technically required, we highly recommend calling ahead for reservations, especially for weekend nights. The great news is that, due to the small size, it certainly seems like the servers, bartenders, and chefs are able to devote extra attention to each and every visitor and make sure everything is perfect. There are a few stools at the very small, but cool bar if you want to try to walk in sans reservations, and they have an excellent selection of craft cocktails, wine, and beer. Whether you’re just stopping in for drinks and appetizers, a quick business lunch, or a romantic date night, they’ve got the perfect menu for the occasion.
We stopped in on a Thursday night for the full shebang with a party of five and snapped some photos. Everything was excellent! Cocktails, wine, appetizers, entrees, and dessert... it was all delicious and we would recommend everything we tried, although we did come away with some favorite dishes that we might have to get every visit. The service was top notch, and we also had the opportunity to speak with Courtney Bryan a little bit about some of their specialties and her personal recommendations. If the Chef's wife says it's good, you should probably order it.
Appetizers & Cocktails
As you can see from the picture, Blue Honey Bistro has a nice selection of hand crafted cocktails. We sampled a few, and the one that stood out was the wittily-named Tequila Mockingbird. The sweetness of the mango balanced the spice of the jalapeño nicely and took the edge off the tequila, but it still had plenty of kick! In addition to the cocktails, they also have a good selection of local craft beers, whiskeys, and an excellent wine list that makes it easy to find the perfect complement to whatever food you order.
We suggest the cheese plate as a starter, and just trust your server if you need help making the right choices. They have a great selection, and the servers are knowledgeable and eager to help. We also sampled the charcuterie plate, and though the selection was more limited, it was all tasty. All the appetizers were good, but one in particular stole the show. The mushrooms & toast with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, poached egg, and beurre blanc are simply amazing. This is seriously one of the best appetizers in Memphis, and we can’t recommend it highly enough! So, so, so GOOD! It's a house specialty, and it lives up to the billing. Even if you don't typically like mushrooms, we're willing to bet that you might make an exception for this dish.
Entrees
The menu is small like the restaurant, it’s incredibly well-balanced and diverse with something for everyone. They usually have a couple of specials each week to go along with the standard menu items. They have a vegetarian dish consisting of pan roasted zucchini, roasted carrot puree, farro, kale, golden raisins, and feta cheese that is one of Courtney’s favorites. You can also add grilled chicken if you don’t want to go full vegetarian. The Seared Salmon is wonderful, but it’s hard to go wrong with their Seared Beef Tenderloin. They often do a steak special, but the tenderloin stays on the menu, and it’s easy to see why. Cooked to perfection and served with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, caramelized onions, bacon, green beans, and finished with a demi-glace... it’s pretty close to perfect. Though we haven’t tried it yet, Courtney recommended the Kurobuta Pork Porterhouse, and we think the chef’s wife probably knows best, so we’ll be going back to try that soon!
Desserts
Whatever you do, make sure you save some room for dessert! In fact, you could always stop by JUST for dessert. We were told that their take on the classic Banana Split is incredible, but we simply haven’t been able to try everything yet. What we can say with certainty is that the Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Hazelnut Ice Cream is delicious. We didn’t think we had room for dessert, but once we tried it, we probably could have eaten two. It was the perfect end to a sublime meal!
Plan Your Visit
As mentioned earlier, one of the great things about Blue Honey Bistro is its versatility. You can easily stop in just for appetizers or desserts and drinks, or you can go for the full dining experience. We plan to stop in for a weekday lunch and a Saturday brunch service soon, too. The dinner service has us convinced that everything will be really good. They offer a special Happy Hour menu Tuesday-Friday from 4:30-6:00 with discounts on wine, beer, and cocktails. Of one thing we are certain: whatever you go for, you'll leave happy! For more information, visit their website.
The JudyMac Team Loves Germantown!
Incredible public and private school options, award-winning parks and recreation facilities, numerous big name clothing retailers, diverse dining options, and beautiful homes in safe neighborhoods make Germantown one the area's best places to live! If you’re looking for all the amenities and convenience of a metro area combined with quiet charm and small town friendliness, Germantown could be the place for you. To learn more about all it has to offer, contact The JudyMac Team today! You can also browse some current Germantown listings here, or call us at 901.277-5839 to schedule a showing or discuss your options. No matter what your real estate needs, we’ll find the perfect home for you and your family!
