Christian H.
Yelp
Whenever I'm driving anywhere even remotely south of Memphis, my route always goes through Holly Springs. The building speaks for itself - I remember reading somewhere (correct me if I'm wrong) that way back when, it was a tavern that kept a handful of, shall we say, women of ill repute upstairs. What is it with burger joints that used to be brothels? Anyway, there's a Civil War historical marker outside, and a beautiful old railroad depot that has a story all its own.
But as unique and interesting as all of that is, I don't come here for the building. Phillips could be a clapboard shack in the middle of a field, and I'd still go out of my way for the burgers. They're big, cheap, and the perfect blend of grease, toppings, and hand-formed beef - better than any burger I've ever had in Memphis. I now consider onions, pickles, and mustard to be the holy trinity of cheeseburger toppings, and Phillips is the reason why. As other reviewers have mentioned, they also have glass-bottled sodas, tater tots, and fried pies, which secures their place as just about the best old-school comfort-food restaurant in the world in my book. If you're reading this in Memphis now, and you're hungry, saddle up and head south on 78. It takes 45 minutes at most. You'll thank me later.