Editor’s Note: Welcome to The Greater Plate! This is a series for our GREATER blog where we feature some of the fantastic restaurant offerings in the Greater Memphis area. My hope is that you will discover (or maybe even rediscover) a restaurant in town where you can meet new people and experience one of the crucial elements that makes Memphis greater—good food. Join me, Taylor Ann Carpenter, on this journey and find a restaurant for every one of life’s cravings.
If you walked down Main Street in the 1910s, and 20s you’d see a block full of theaters. Silent films were all the rage. It was a popular pastime for Memphians. As technology advanced so did the film industry. As our world continued to evolve so did downtown Memphis. Though we may not go downtown to watch a silent film, the legacy of the silent film era remains in a handful of buildings like the Majestic Grille.
Six months after getting married, Patrick and Deni Reilly opened the doors of the Majestic Grille. Now almost twenty years later, it remains a key player in Memphis dining.
“We really wanted it to be a neighborhood place,” said Deni.
Who Are the Reillys
Patrick Reilly is originally from Ireland and went to culinary school in Dublin. Throughout his career he worked at a Michelin star restaurant in London, worked in restaurants in several major U.S. cities but landed in Memphis when he was originally set to work on a restaurant in Nashville.
Deni is originally from New Jersey. She worked in the hospitality and event planning industry. After her employer merged with a Memphis company in the late 90s, Deni decided to follow them to the city.
The two connected through music and the rest was history.
“I just came here, and I just fell in love with the city and fell in love with her,” said Patrick.
How Majestic Got Its Start
The Majestic Grille’s restaurant concept pays tribute to its namesake, Majestic Theatre No. 1, and is housed in the very same building. When the downtown landscape began to evolve, many of the theater buildings were torn down and rebuilt.
However, due to its size, Majestic No. 1 Theater was prime real estate and could easily be converted into other businesses. The 145 South Main Street building was everything from a theater to a retail store, and now a restaurant.
When creating the restaurant, the couple wanted to, as Deni put it, “honor the building.”
Patrick added, “You want to have a story to tell, and there was a great story here.”
The front of the building was restored to the original façade and much of the interior is the same as the theater. Upon entering the building, the walls are lined with stills from some of the original pictures played in the theater and pictures from Majestic No. 1 back in the 1910s. A screen playing silent films and classic movies hangs high above the ground.
Something for Everyone
A meal at the Majestic Grille is met with good food and good people.
“We have the pillars upon which our business is built and they’re of equal importance,” Patrick explained, “They’re our customers, our employees, our vendors and our investors.”
And the driving force behind these pillars is integrity. They understand that they interact with people from all walks of life on a day-to-day basis. For the Reillys it is important for the Majestic to be seen as a cornerstone of Memphis, but they can’t represent Memphis without integrity.
Deni recalled a review someone once gave that has always stuck with her, “It said, ‘Majestic might be the one place that has something for everyone.’”
She continued to describe what that meant to her and said, “What I love about that is it means that somebody can come in a Grizzlies’ jersey and a baseball cap, sit at the bar, and have a burger and a beer before they go to a game and be just as comfortable as the mayor having a meeting, two tables over.”
Patrick explained that even at the restaurant’s conception, this was the idea.
“I’ve always wanted to have a culture that was very supportive and inclusive.”
And the couple has done just that.
“What we have really tried to do is really try to set an example of, the hospitality industry, restaurants in particular, being a noble place to work. And being a place that you can have a career in and support your family and be proud of what you do and be part of something greater,” said Deni.
Throughout the pandemic they continued to offer healthcare and other resources for employees. When the pandemic was winding down and people were returning to work, the Majestic Grille had 100% of their employees return to the restaurant.
They have employees who have been with them from the start. They’ve seen people come and go, but they have many employees who have stayed with them for most of the restaurant’s life.
The Reillys pride themselves on the culture they’ve built around the restaurant, but they know it’s not solely dependent on them.
“Together, we all work to create this thing that is the Majestic,” explained Deni.
Consistency and Comfort
“To me, there’s nothing worse than going to a restaurant where I got something before, and it was awesome…Then you get it [again] and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is not what I want,’” said Patrick.
As a chef, Patrick wants to produce work that is good and consistent. Throughout the restaurant’s history, he has workshopped dishes, let guests try them, and ultimately created a menu that customers can count on.
“Consistency is a big part of what we hang our hat on,” said Deni.
The food at the Majestic Grille takes an elevated interpretation of classic dishes. For instance, the grilled cheese is not like your regular grilled cheese but is a hit among customers. Deni even recalled a frequent customer who moved away, and after six years returned to the Majestic Grille saying, “I’ve been thinking about that grilled cheese for six years.”
The delectable grilled cheese consists of aged white cheddar, bacon, tomato, house made creole mustard, and sourdough bread. It satisfies your hunger, yet somehow has you wishing you had a few more bites left to enjoy.
“I wanted to have a really good grilled cheese,” Patrick said. “I wanted to have an entry level, entrée that’s not expensive but really good.”
The Majestic Grille serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Their menu caters to all different tastebuds. Handmade beignets, classic dishes like oysters, French toast and mimosas populate their brunch menu. For dinner their filet mignons, flatbreads and seared tuna are sure to bring down the house.
Their shareable salmon appetizer comes with homemade focaccia bread crisps creole mustard and house smoked salmon. Patrick made this dish for years, but when he opened the restaurant and “Memphis-ed it up” by adding barbecue spices.
Speaking of spice, the Majestic Grille has a harissa grilled chicken served on rice with toasted chickpeas, spinach, roasted red peppers and harissa butter.
Harissa is a chili pepper paste native to Africa. It is jam packed with spices and herbs. For the dish at the Majestic Grille, Patrick perfected his own harissa recipe and used it in the dish creating a flavorful meal with a spicy kick to it.
There are so many meals at the restaurant like the perfectly cooked and seasoned steak that melts in your mouth. Or the variety of their signature flatbreads with ingredients suitable for sharing.
Suffice to say, you can’t go wrong with anything at the Majestic Grille.
Final Thoughts
The Majestic Grille is vital to the Memphis community. You can go into the restaurant knowing what you’ll get—good food, good service and a good time. Whether it’s a night downtown, a quick bite before a game or a business dinner with a client, the Majestic Grille will take good care of you. They are a one-stop shop for holiday dining, rehearsal dinners, business gatherings, catering, take out and more!
You can reach the Majestic Grille by phone at 901.522.8555 or visit them at their location downtown, 145 S Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103. For more information about their menu, private dining, or to order online visit their website www.majesticgrille.com
