Silky O'Sullivan's

If you’re ever on Beale Street, Silky O’Sullivan’s is a must-stop spot! The atmosphere is always lively, the live music is great, and the cheese fries are absolutely awesome—crispy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor. Perfect for sharing (or not!). Whether you’re sitting inside or enjoying the patio, it’s a fun place to kick back with friends and soak up the Memphis vibe. Highly recommend!

No matter which door you go in, it’s always good. I’ve been to a bunch of other spots on Beale and tonight (Tuesday) I think I got the best food so far. It’s a place open since 1973 and a lot of people come here for the oysters and beer. Known for large crowds of party people. Has live diving goats. See the video. And the service by Katy so Awesome made thing that much better.

Silky O’Sullivan’s is always my favorite place to come to in Memphis. I had lunch here today and ordered the BBQ nachos—absolutely delicious, loaded with flavor and the perfect portion. The atmosphere is fun and welcoming, the service is friendly, and they even had a phone charger handy when mine died, which I really appreciated. This place never disappoints!

We stopped during the day for a cocktail. We returned later for the Piano Bar. I have to admit the kindness from doorman during our day visit is what made us want to return. It was a BLAST!!! If you wanted to be part of the fun, they included you. If you wanted to sit back and enjoy the show, it was just as enjoyable. We didn't have any food, just cocktails and entertainment. The door man made sure we got to our Uber and was taken care of.

Cool old place. Lots to look at. When we walked in, the employee barely looked up from whatever she was doing and told us to seat ourselves. We were a group of four and we all ordered a drink and lunch. I ordered chili cheese fries and really enjoyed them. While were there, a guy came in to set up to play guitar. The bathroom was decent. Probably a really fun bar on weekends with live music.

We got Rockefeller oysters and chili for food and two large Yuengling beers. It was late afternoon on a weekday so it was pretty dead inside. There was tons of seating though! I was extremely disappointed that this bar was in no way shape or form an Irish bar! The only thing Irish about it was the clover in their logo. Our server was great and as were the other waitstaff! The oysters were pretty decent and the chili was a 7/10. I can only what this place looks like on a Memphis Grizzlies game night since the stadium is only about a block away.

Came for dinner and to see the duelling pianos, which were fantastic! Good southern food, but we wished it had been a bit more warmed up. Atmosphere of this place is fantastic with the live music, and there are cute goats in the outside area

Great atmosphere. Has live music and a decent crowd for a Monday night. Service was extremely slow. Quality of the food was good but the quantity was not so much for the price.

Great food, drinks and ambiance. Would probably frequent here if I lived in Memphis! Loved the dueling piano guys!

Friday 3/13/24- 2:15pm. Super slow service with only 4 people sitting at the bar. Bartender, long braided hair never smiled or greeted us. We waited at least 7 minutes for her to ask what we wanted. Waited another 10 minutes after asking for a menu. She never engaged with us or others and was not proactive in asking us if we wanted another drink. She did not bring oyster set ups; crackers, plates or hot sauce. The oysters Rockefeller were slimy and mushy. She was lackadaisical and acted as if we were an imposition on her slow day. Maybe she was better when it was busy? But it got busier and she was the same way with others. A man at the bar grabbed a waitress, placed an order and sat at a table because she never came back to him after ordering his beer. He had already asked her for a menu. Lots of money and tips lost on this shift and this bartender. We left and went elsewhere. The only employee we saw smiling and engaging was a short female with dark brown straight shoulder Length hair who greeted us And a tall male with short dark brown hair who came in around 4pm. He greeted us With some Energy and a smile, he was moving Quickly and went to work the outside or back bar. Been coming here for decades and this visit was a real disappointment.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I do believe that this club is a mere shadow of the place it once was or could be! The pianos are not real baby grands, half the beers are not available, and the goats don't dive anymore!! Hell, they aren't even allowed to come out and share a beer with you!!! Nothing more disappointing than a goat that is afraid of heights and on the wagon!!

Came here for a conference event so we had some drink tickets as well as catered food. The food was decent...pulled chicken bbq was actually quite good but the options were limited; no complaints from me because I wasn't paying! Bartenders were friendly and even though the place was pretty crowded, they really hustled. There was live music inside and outside. The piano player inside was really good but the guy on the keyboards outside was amazing. I really enjoyed listening to both of them, although I would have preferred if they weren't so deafeningly loud. The event was a networking event so it's kind of hard to network when you have to have someone scream directly into your ear to hear them. Not for nothing, but Covid is still a thing so being covered in the spit of dozens of strangers as they shout directly into my ear isn't tops on my list of activities for 2023. Other than that, it was a fun evening. For live music and beer in plastic cups, this is the place to be!

I was so excited to try out this pub! The fact that this place is located on Beale street, was a huge disappointment. After reading reviews we decided it wasn't the place to eat and in all honesty I was there for the goats and my daughter was there for the drinks. We were greeted at the door and said we'd be outside with the goats. There were only two goats and the service was nonexistent. It smelt inside of stale beer hence going on the patio in the heat. The place really needed to be scrubbed from top to bottom. After waiting over 20 minutes we decided to venture elsewhere. Not sure if it was the day and time we went but it certainly wasn't a highlight.

There is really not much Irish about this establishment except for the Guinness beer. I got the nachos. They were good if not a bit over priced for the portion. What bothered me, was the bait-and-switch on the margarita. I was told the drinks were nine to eleven dollars. I ordered a margarita and was asked if I liked jalapeños. Yes! I was offered the chance to have jalapeño tequila. No mention was made of the fact that a 6.00 dollar up-charge would be added to the 9.00 margarita. That's not going the break the bank but the slight-of-hand bothered me. The at-the-table payment devices also default to 25 percent tip. I think there are probably better establishments to visit.

Was in town for a wedding and it was close to our hotel. Service was great and server was very attentive. They had awesome live music. They had a good selection of drinks. Food was decent.

This place is a treat. Not the best place to go for ribs, had to tear them off the bone like an animal, but the atmosphere. Wow. This is a very chill place with an exciting vibe. This is probably my favorite spot on Beale Street. Dueling pianos, blues singing, who knows. There is always something popping at this place. And of course the gallon diver bucket is delicious, but that's not even the highlight of silly's in my opinion. I can't recommend this place enough. Only if you enjoy good music, fun people, and tasty drinks.

Terrible, Awful, Horrible service! Food sucked too but the service was the worse! I had BBQ Nachos with cold cheese, cold meat, cold bbq sauce. Hubs had Catfish basket with Fries he said it was ok. Enjoyed the dueling pianos for entertainment. Wait staff couldn't seem to figure out who was in charge of which tables. It was embarrassing! We sat for 10 mins before anyone acknowledged us. Then three others eventually came over and asked if we been helped. Once we got our food no one came to check on us for at least 30mins. We never got refills until we waved someone down. When we wanted to leave not a waitress in sight. I reckon they were all outside. Once we finally waved one down and asked for our bill we waited an additional 15 mins for someone to come with it. We were definitely forgotten and neglected. Thank Goodness for the entertainment to keep us content. We will not return!

I have fond memories of Silkys, great dive bar that offers live entertainment such as dueling pianos, bands, etc Drinks are inexpensive and they don't charge a cover. Service is fine and the location offers indoor and outdoor dining areas.

I was so incredibly impressed with this restaurant and bar. Went there to have lunch and a Bloody Mary. I ordered the 3 rib Silky with baked beans and coleslaw. The rub on the ribs were delicious and the barbecue sauce on the counter was to die for. The baked beans were the best I've ever eaten not to mention the slaw. My Bloody Mary was perfect as well with the right amount of spicy and flavor. All sauces and Bloody Mary mix are all made on the premises by the bartender and the chef. The service was great as well. This experience made me so happy because sometimes you go out to eat and get a crappy meal for a great expense. Not only are the prices reasonable but are worth every penny. My happy tummy thanks you all.

I realize that this is an old established bar, I have been coming here for over 15 years. I have seen the quality of food decrease over time and the overall maintenance also decline. The piano needs to be tuned! And if you don't want to be sick Do Not Order Oysters

We picked O'Sullivans because it looked cool from the outside. For the first time in my life, I didn't finish a platter of raw oysters. They didn't kill me, but I just could not finish them. I guess oysters have to be fresh. The beers were not great, but at least they were new to me. They billed them as 'Regional Imports' ... a new term to me, as well. The performer on the patio got old very fast. On a Thursday afternoon, you wouldn't really expect Bono to be on stage, but he did help us decide to leave.

We came to listen to a little dueling pianos and grab dinner. The pickles and brisket nachos were the appetizers. I focused mainly on the pickles and oh man are they tasty. For our mains, three of us ordered the brisket sandwiches and one ordered the catfish. We all agreed the brisket had incredible flavor but was a little light on the amount of beef. The side of chips were home cooked and a delight. Wash everything down with a Guinness, Black and Tan and a Smithwicks and our group was pretty happy. Our service was fantastic, friendly and attentive and we enjoyed the live music.

Not the prettiest place, but then again, nothing in the area looked pretty. Food was good. Service was okay. Place is loud. Live piano player. He was pretty good. Had ribs for the third straight night. These were meatier than the past 2 nights. Not a large selection of sauces. I ended up adding hot sauce to the house sauce. Not bad. Of course I had a Guinness.

I think this place is meant to be enjoyed after drinking all night... But, we came in at 5pm, completely sober. The food was not good. In fact, mine was inedible and I sent it back. The waiter wasn't shocked and said, "You don't have to get that again. You can order whatever you want." I took that as code for, "Honey, for the love of God, don't order that again." So, don't order the shrimp poboy. I'm giving two stars because the service was great!

Great potential falling short. Great music, great atmosphere, okay food, and about 4 service people away from being really good. 3 bartenders doing nothing, 3-4 wait people trying to do it all, not well balanced at all! Doesn't reflect well on management.

Came here when it was super busy for the Bull Game so not sure how the vibe usually is. But we also ate here. It was ok. Just typical bar food. Not the best but will suffice. The live music they had was cool though.

We had a wonderful experience her. The drinks are delicious, the food is good, and the live music was entertaining. It's located in the heart of Beale Street abs has an indoor and outdoor option. I started out with a bowl of Gumbo. I was really good and flavorful packed with veggies and meat. I also had the nachos. They were plentiful as well.

Nice place with good music and a nice bartender on the day I was there. I didn't eat anything but tried a couple of different beers and I will go back.

Yummy! BBQ pork pizza for me and a Rueben for my husband. It was a great way to have bbq in a different format. The patio is gorgeous and huge. The service was attentive but not overbearing.

My party of 6 ate here this evening before the Grizzly's game. The service was good, and we were even commenting about that. When the server brought out my bill, he didn't give me a printed, itemized bill....he only showed me my bill on a hand-held device. Neither the server, nor the device said anything to me about an automatic 18% tip. It did ask me what I wanted to tip, so I tipped 25%. My server got a $29.38, automatic 18% tip + my very generous 25% tip of $50.84 on top of that. This is a totally dishonest way of doing business. I should have been informed that my tip was already included. I just looked up the menu online, and it does say tips are included for parties of 6 or more, but if you don't get a physical copy of a printed bill to look at until after you're asked on an electronic device what % tip you want to add, this is completely dishonest.

If Aubree is your server leave! Waiting on our food for more than an hour while everyone else around us, who arrived later was getting their food. Terrible

Reading some past poor review I am reminded sometimes your experience is about your involvement not just the facility. And yes, if you go there a 5pm you messed up, this place hops late at night. Beale Street is about great music and having a good time that you have to embrace. I would not go their for dinner or complain that it is seedy, I went for a good time and we definitely found it here. They have a massive patio and a great band was playing classic 70s R&B with a horn section. A stranger asked me to dance and the dance floor was jumping. And what? Am I imagining there a are diving goats? Have I had too much to drink? No, it's true. This was clearly a place not to be missed on any visit. Taste Quality/Freshness Presentation/Uniqueness ***** Service *** Atmosphere ***** Bar **** Cleanliness * Value *****

Was here 11/12 to experience Memphis. Was alright, wasn't wowed. $5 cover was cheap and the dueling piano players were okay.

Fun place to listen to piano's rock and roll jazzy loud music. Met some really nice folks from England. Gumbo really good and authentic, oysters Rockefeller were very tasty. Raw oysters had good size and homemade horseradish sauce. Party atmosphere. Service was good and quick.

Hugely disappointed. Admittedly it was a Thursday night. Walked in and it was pretty slow / dead. When I planned my trip to Nashville I wanted to come here to here the music and see the lives goats. Went to the bar and stood for a while until a slow and kinda unfriendly bartender came, took our order and forgot it. I only ordered their famous drink, the Diver. Not sure how he could forget that. Went out back to see the goats. There were two old goats fenced in a small area just standing around. Tried the drink and it was not good, way to sweet. Went back into the main bar area and it was a night for just one piano player instead the normal weekend dialing pianos. Again my fault for coming mid-week. He was good on the piano and signing but we left.... And threw out the last half of the watered down from ice melting overly sweet drink.

The first time we came here, we ordered drinks in the outdoor bar. I was disgusted to find a lot of dead flies in my drink. There's more dead flies than what the picture is showing. Definitely don't want to come back here again. In addition to the disgusting drinks, we've been sitting outdoor table for a while and the waitress kept passing us by not giving us a menu at least. Other guests who came after us were serviced.

Loved sitting outside on a warm Fall day. The food was pretty good. My ribs were a little over cooked in spots. Our waitress was adequate.

Service was good. Drinks are a little pricey. Food was ok. I love downtown Memphis. This is a decent spot to eat

I had such a great time here. I had read there were goats so a man working outside confirmed that there were indeed Goats here, matter of fact-there are 2. I sat inside at the bar and ordered the GOATS TOWER drink. It was sweet, fruity and could be deadly if I kept at it. I had the BEEF BRISKET BBQ sandwich which was good, but not awesome. I feel like it could have used a little more sauce. I had the fries in place of chips and they were great. The seasoning made them! But for the best part-the entertainment. The guys at the pianos were awesome. They took requests and as result played everything from Snoop Dog, Ozzy,, Beatles to Jerry Lee Lewis. They were so much fun. Silky O'Sullian's might be on the touristy side but it was fun. I might go back today!

What can one say and try to be kind. The deck was nice and so was the super nice waitress. Unfortunately the food was horrible and that is saying it nicely. The brisket sandwich was a tiny bun with a few pieces of brisket, with lots of gristle. Macdonald's is better. The ribs were very dry with were probably made in the Mojave. Rather than go on, nobody finished there meal. Sorry we picked this place.

Our server Jax-n was very attentive. He suggest these nachos and they were amazing!! The beer was awesome and the service was very friendly. We loved the vibe!! We will definitely be back

Great location , very convenient spot and great for hanging out with a group of ppl. I enjoyed the live acts that was going on inside and outside on the patio.

First visit to Memphis and they have a life changing sauce, sitting right there on the table! Their vinegar spice sauce has the best flavor - not too spicy, not too sour, just perfection! The new owner, I think her name is Anna, was kind enough to share her secret recipe with me! Can't describe how wonderful it is, and how kind she is! Service was perfect, the Pink Cadillac was not overly sweet. We had the chicken strips, gumbo, and bbq shrimp. Everything was cooked really well and the gumbo has amazing flavor! I didn't try the shrimp because my husband was too stingy to share, but I think the fact that he finished it in about 3 minutes says everything. I really liked this place, and I think you will too!

Cute place. $5 cover which was very reasonable. Decent selection of craft beer. Piano players were ok.

Bad food, bad service, bad drinks. Don't go here! Nothing is good. The live goats got us, don't be fooled.

Came to visit Beale Street and had our Dogs with us. Searched dog friendly establishments and found this restaurant was dog friendly. When we arrived we went to the patio entrance and was greeted with a very rude and mater of fact waitress that immediately said we do not accept dogs and I told here the websites said they were and her rude response was I'll let the new owners know. There were about 12 people on the patio and did not look busy at all. I can see why with this pitiful service. DO NOT GO to this establishment!!!! Thumbs down!!!!

This is a very large place. We chose to sit on the patio. You can watch the goats, look at the handprints in the concrete near the bar area outside, and listen to the live music when they are playing. We got a table in the shade and enjoyed some beverages before ordering the little silky with has 3 ribs (there were 3 of us), cole slaw, beans & bread. These ribs were very good - but way too much seasoning on top (I think this seasoning is called the silky shake). They are a dry rub, but it comes with a side of BBQ sauce, which wasn't really needed. The cole slaw also has too much seasoning. The beans were just okay. They tasted just like out of a can. The charbroiled oysters didn't have a strong taste in my opinion. (I've had charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, and they are 100% better!) The patio area is amazing for a beautiful afternoon - If the weather is decent - I would choose this!

Silkys used to be fun, but the other night one of the outside bartenders named Tyler gave himself a 25% tip without my consent (which is already illegal). Then when I tried to talk to him about it he called me a "fa**ot" and kept asking what I was going to do about it. The other bartender (who was actually very nice) came in and tried to de-esclate situation, and while he was doing this Tyler came around the bar, shoved a dollar in my face and said "here's your dollar back b*tch." I have never seen someone so angry after tipping themselves over 20%. I hope poor Tyler has some happiness come into his life soon.

We were there two nights late last week and had a fabulous time listening to the incredibly gifted Adam Quinn and Craig Schuster. This was a highlight of our trip to Nashville.

Absolute worst service in the world from Michelle. She was blatantly rude to us because we gave up from waiting and ordered from the bar. She was slow, dismissive and disrespectful. If you end up with her as a server, run!

Very expensive. Didn't mind. I had the money. Tried to find out what the vinegar sauce tasted like but apparently the spout was clogged, so when I attempted to force the juice to come out, the lid popped off and splash, my pants and the floor and my friend's shoe were drenched with sauce. Pfff. Never got a discount or even really an apology, although they acted like they were concerned. They gave me a wet rag to wipe my crotch off--thanks a lot! The ribs weren't juicy with sauce but dry with rub but they were pretty good. I would give their ribs a better score if they hadn't acted like drenching their floor with sauce was MY fault, that their container of sauce malfunctioning was my fault--they even came up and sort of demanded payment for the bill as if they thought I might be making things up, maybe trying to skip out on the bill or something. We were barely sipping on our second drinks when the waitress came up asking if we wanted the bill so we said sure. Instead of leaving a bill and letting us look at it, she took out an electronic contraption and demanded our money right then and there on the spot, even suggested to us that we should tell her what percentage of tip we wanted to give so that she could calculate it for us as if we were some kind of morons. It was really rude. I mean, I had more money in my pocket than this little waitress makes all week but she's acting like I'm some kind of bum. Meal for two: about $127 (not a typo) not counting my $50 pair of pants destroyed. I gave an 18% tip (yeah, I figured that out all by myself in my own brain honey) and didn't even get a thank you for it. (Oh, forgot to mention the flies. Okay, we were outside in the garden but give me a break. Our $45 slab of ribs was so infested with flies that we spent most of our time at O'Sullivan's trying to swat them away.) Throughout the entire affair I acted like a gentleman and remained cool, because I intended to spend the rest of the evening in Memphis and didn't want to let these jerks spoil my fun. But now is my chance to tell the truth about Silky O'Sullivans.

Pre-pandemic review: Went to Memphis for a last minute trip to visit a friend returning to China. We were told Beale street is the place to go and our uber drivers recommended Silky's as a top place to go for good bbq and also drinks. Food was great and price was right. Had some good bbq ribs and gumbo. The diver was a special mystery cocktail. Sweet and fruity and good to share. Friend was allergic so I downed one of those entirely by myself. Best of all they let you keep the bucket. Ambiance was awesome, love the live music and singing performance. Would definitely come here again in the future.

A fun stop during our trip complete with backyard goats. Live music, friendly bartenders, and plenty of seating. Not to worry if you can't find a seat anyway because you can always take the drink to-go.

Stop over at Silky O'Sullivan's Resturant and bar for our Very 1st Meal while in MEMPHIS. One reason why we decided to check this spot out is because when we were driving around DOWNTOWN Memphis we seen signs on their Resturant windows saying SEAFOOD oysters and RIBS so that caught our attention. Parking - Not to sure I'm parking, I Believe Street parking is one choice or if not walk/ride share. Food - I'd Say their food here is 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. We basically tried different types of dishes from their sampler and half shell oysters *Ribs *Pulled Pork *Shrimp *Char broiled oysters *i believe *half shell oysters *Baked beans *Diner rolls Basically everything was All GOOD, but at the same time we was super hungry since it was a first Actual meal in Memphis. To the Staff worker who served us that night on Friday 2/28/2020 he was very helpful and always checked up on us and also gave us some INFO and IDEAS on what else is a good spot for EATS Etc while in Memphis. Would I recommend this spot to people visiting MEMPHIS? YES of course I highly would recommend checking out this spot while visiting Memphis. #LetsGoLAKERS

Well I stopped here on my last day to try the oysters Rockefeller. Had a kahlua coffee that I will never forget . The Rockefeller s were definitely not worth going in to the place . The best I ever had were in Honolulu at Nicks . Then my own that's it . They advertised so I came . Blah The kahlua coffee was another joke since I worked at Buena Vista in SF . Where they first brought Irish coffee to America supposedly. The coffee was brought over with the kahlua when I asked about the cream I was given a small plastic cup with heavy cream and a surly look . I understand I guess you think I will never be back so go ahead huh . Well sure never be back to Silkys but Memphis for sure been 7 times

I definitely recommend stopping here for drinks, not food. They have a large variety of drinks and beers, including all of the Irish regulars (Harp, Irish car bombs). We had the fried pickles and mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. The mozzarella sticks were actually pretty darn good. No complaints there. The pickle chips were so thin and salty that we didn't even finish the whole order. Definitely not the best. I checked out their menu prior to arriving and was excited to see they had a bbq sampler platter. It came with ribs, brisket, pulled pork, slaw, beans and a roll. The pork and brisket were OK. The ribs were not. All the food was definitely reheated and we were able to watch the guy cooking someone elses order of ribs prior to us. Not his fault, he does what he is told and his cooking space was visible from the bar. Throws it on the grill, loads it with spice and bam. Done. There wasn't much meat on the bones and they just weren't anything special. Definitely disappointed overall with the platter and all of the sides as well. They advertise their oysters which my husband considered getting. He opted out based on the experience with the rest of the food and him being weary of ordering seafood in a landlocked state.

Food is awful and the dueling pianos fellas were super rude. First time visiting a Memphis and already disappointed.

We didn't eat much here but the review is for the ambience! We had so much fun! They have a big screen in the middle part of the place, with a dueling piano show that made the experience even better! There is an outdoor area with a live band and a covered patio area with audio on the tv. They offer of course a variety of alcoholic beverages and their famous bucket drink. People watching was great here and we really enjoyed the bar. The waitress was wonderful and attentive amongst the busyness of the place which was impressive! Definitely a go to if you visit Beale Street!