Chef Tam's Underground Cafe - Restaurant in Memphis - 668 Union Ave, USA

On my very last day in Memphis, I had to go to the this place because it was on my travel bucket list. I discovered this place on TikTok just like everybody else. My first impression was it wasn't what I expected visually. It's a bare bones place. But guess what? That was perfect for me. No expectations of being uncomfortable. You can be yourself. We were greeted by the host and seated. No problem. She waited for us to take pictures and everything. We immediately ordered food. I listed everything we ordered. There was not one dish that we didn't like. We all had catfish for an entree with different sides. I ordered the Fried Chicken to go. I had to let my daughters see how good this food was at this place. She has a store selling her cookware, seasonings and spices. I ordered the grill pan when I got home from her website. It was $70 percent off. What a steal. This spot will definitely feed your belly and soul. Tam's Tacos-$9• Catfish Blackened /Fried or Jerk Shrimp on a Flour Tortilla Garnished with Coleslaw, Pico De Gallo, and our House Spicy Drizzle Chicken and Waffles Sliders-$15• Soft Waffles topped with a cream cheese drizzle & finished with a Southern Fried Chicken Tender Deep Fried Ribs-$13 • Four Bones Marinated, Breaded, Fried & Dipped , In Buffalo Sauce , Honey Gold , Teriyaki , and Jerk Sauce atop fries Bayou Fried Chicken-$20• Southern Seasoned ,Crispy, Deep Fried Mixed Chicken ½, Breast, Wing, Thigh, & Leg Fryday Night Live-$19• Mississippi Catfish Fillets(2), Breaded With A Seasoned Cornmeal and Deep Fried Soul Infused Sides Muddy Water Mac and Cheese Red Beans and Rice Candied Yams Southern Greens Fried Okra

We were told upon arrival that the wait time would be 30-35 mins to be seated. It actually took over 1.5 hours for them to call us to our table. This honestly annoyed me because I would rather the staff be up front with the wait time and if it’s going to be a while, take our phone numbers and text or call us to let us know our table is ready so we can sit in our cars and wait (there’s not enough seats in the waiting area for everyone). However, the waitress we had was amazing and the food was honestly worth the wait. I got the chicken and waffle slides for apps and it smelled and tasted so good. For entree, I got Bayou fried chicken with Muddy Water Mac and Cheese and honey corn. It the mac and cheese was so good and the honey corn was literally the best corn I’ve ever had in my life. The chicken was good, but it tasted better with Chef Tam’s special seasoning they put down on the table. That seasoning was out of this world. I wanted to buy it from them. It’s that good. 😂 I also tried the corn bread, honey butter bread and candied yams. The corn bread and honey butter bread were not the best I’ve had but they were good. The candied yams was delicious.

The foods absolutely phenomenal. The best fried catfish that I ever had. Chef tam seasoning is a good additive. However, the waiting is way too long. I came on a Saturday at 2. Didn’t get seated until 5:30. I had to rushed through my “lunch” to get to my even events. Definitely must try! However, they need a some kind online booking system. The space is limited hence I understand the wait. But it is way too long. Fantastic service

I'll start by saying that the plating of each dish was nice & the staff was friendly. My friend & I drove 3 hours to try the restaurant, and we went in for lunch around 12. There was no wait before being seated. Initially, we were seated in a window with the sun shining directly in my friend's face and requested to move to seating behind the bar but was declined. That seating was designated for 3 or more people. The place wasn't packed, there were several tables available. We were moved to a 2 seater table across front the bar, close to the service window. Once we placed our order, it took 40+ minutes to receive our room temperature appetizers. While waiting for our appetizers, we watched several tables that were seated after use receive their entrées. Though the portions were large, they were barely warm & my fried greens tomatoes tasted like fish. My friend ordered the fried ribs. They were room temperature as well. After waiting x amount of time & watching everyone around us get their food. I finally requested that our entrées be canceled & our ticket be brought to us. Our waitress assured us that our food was up next.... it did come out shortly afterward but only to be a beautiful disappointment. I ordered the Salmon & Dirty rice. My rice had several uncooked pieces & was room temperature topped with a fresh piece of hot fish, topped with a room temperature sauce. My friend ordered the chicken and waffle, his waffles were fresh and flimsy & his chicken was room temperature and hard. Though, when I warmed my leftover, the dish was an easy 5-6.

The service and food was good! We had multiple appetizers, and all of them were good. The food came out hot and was on point! If you’re downtown and want some great food, I recommend you visit, and you tell me how much you enjoyed it!

The food was OUTSTANDING. The hostess bland an not welcoming because she was high. The waitress was wonderful and nice. The food didn't take long. I definitely would go back.

I'm not sure if I came in at a bad time (2pm) or if the place is just understaffed. The host, I guess she's the host, saw me standing alone, said something to other guests ahead of me and then walked off, she didn't greet me. As I stood there another woman who might have been a server because she had plates of food in her hands walked by, spoke to the guests who walked in after me & then proceeded to walk away. The host came back, walked the party that came in before me into the restaurant, sat them & them and then greeted me. The host was friendly so that helped a bit, though the restaurant was out of several things I wanted. If the food I ordered is good I'll revisit when it's less busy or on days they are likely to be fully staffed.

Didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. Very very long wait, and my food was $31. I don't believe it was worth that much, especially since my food had little to no seasoning. The catfish was good and the shrimp and grits were not bad but the red beans and rice had no flavor what so ever.