A few weeks ago, I got together with a college classmate and his friends for drinks at R.P. Tracks. It wasn't my first visit there, for I've visited it many times while I worked in East Memphis but I never had an appreciation for it. For me, it was just a bar to grab a beer from before going home and nothing more. I never saw R.P. Tracks as a restaurant despite the good things I heard about it, such as the nachos. Fortunately, fate (via a University of Memphis basketball game) brought me back for surprisingly good food.
Initially, we planned to just watch the game while drinking a pitcher of beer. As we were doing this, our hunger urged us to get some munchies. My former classmate persuaded us to get R.P.'s Famous Nachos that many of my friends love. I was cool with the choice, although I didn't believe it was good enough to blog about. It isn't often that I devote a review to an appetizer like nachos because I don't believe that I can add any additional insight to what most are familiar with. Whether it's from places like Neil's or The Green Beetle, they're all more or less the same. Trying to compare nachos is almost like evaluating two cats of the same breed. There might be subtle differences, but not enough to clearly choose one over the other. However, I will make an exception for R.P. Tracks that does a brilliant job of making some of the best nachos in Memphis.
Dubbed "R.P.'s Famous Nachos," it has all the things that most are familiar with like lettuce, tomato, jalapeños and queso atop a bed of tortilla chips and chili. What sets it apart from most are the latter two components. 
The tortilla chips (fried in-house) are full of corn flavor and so good that I initially thought that they were better than the ones from Memphis' most popular Mexican Restaurant, Las Delicias. When I told this to one of my friends, he reacted like I insulted Mother Teresa (or his favorite Saucer Girl). After thinking about it, he's probably right, for Las Delicias' tortilla chips are that good but R.P. Tracks can hold its own. The chili is equally impressive because of its tasty ground beef that is the basis of this meaty appetizer. Its only drawback is that it's watery, which makes its use in a nachos plate messy although my friends and I didn't mind. Overall, R.P.'s Famous Nachos made me a believer, for it's head and shoulders above nearly all others in the Bluff City.
My friends and I had a great time that night, made all the more enjoyable with nachos and a pitcher of High Cotton Brewing Company's ESB (the beer is a good pairing for the nachos/chili). The night ended on a good note with the U of M beating Gonzaga 60-54, but the score didn't matter because we all enjoyed each other's company. I hope we can get together again because the good times are worth it, especially with great food from places like R.P. Tracks.
The tortilla chips (fried in-house) are full of corn flavor and so good that I initially thought that they were better than the ones from Memphis' most popular Mexican Restaurant, Las Delicias. When I told this to one of my friends, he reacted like I insulted Mother Teresa (or his favorite Saucer Girl). After thinking about it, he's probably right, for Las Delicias' tortilla chips are that good but R.P. Tracks can hold its own. The chili is equally impressive because of its tasty ground beef that is the basis of this meaty appetizer. Its only drawback is that it's watery, which makes its use in a nachos plate messy although my friends and I didn't mind. Overall, R.P.'s Famous Nachos made me a believer, for it's head and shoulders above nearly all others in the Bluff City.My friends and I had a great time that night, made all the more enjoyable with nachos and a pitcher of High Cotton Brewing Company's ESB (the beer is a good pairing for the nachos/chili). The night ended on a good note with the U of M beating Gonzaga 60-54, but the score didn't matter because we all enjoyed each other's company. I hope we can get together again because the good times are worth it, especially with great food from places like R.P. Tracks.
More Than Nachos!
UPDATE (March 12, 2025): After writing this review, I realized that I didn't mention any signature dishes from R.P. Tracks. For a long time, I had a bit of a guilty conscience about not putting the restaurant in the best light. However, until now, I'll admit that righting this wrong wasn't a priority because I don't have a lot of reasons to go either the Highland Strip or East Memphis overall (maybe if I decide to get a Master's degree, I will have a reason to hang out at the University of Memphis). The day I made my second trip (as a food blogger) wasn't planned, but I needed a haircut and there happens to be a barber shop across from R.P. Tracks. I decided to kill two birds with one stone by having dinner at the bar/restaurant after getting my cut. With most bars that I've visited, it' s usually hit-or-miss when it comes to getting a full course meal. Some places like Bardog Tavern offers not only a menu of "meat-and-three" entrees and pasta plates but also daily specials featuring full course dinners. On the other end of the spectrum are places like City Winery that serves nothing but appetizers, small plates and tapas to munch on with an alcoholic beverage. Most bars fall in between those extremes, with many of them serving burgers and sandwiches and in some cases pizza. That's the group that R.P. Tracks falls into, with its most substantial meals being burgers and sandwiches. Being indecisive about what to choose, I split the difference by getting the restaurant's Original Patty Melt that consists of a Black Angus beef patty with Swiss cheese and grilled onions sandwiched between slices of rye bread. Along with fries, the "melt" with its perfectly cooked "medium rare" beef was a really good sandwich/burger that tasted even better with a glass of Newcastle Brown Ale. Not exactly what I was looking for (Garibaldi's Pizza that's across the street from the bar would've been a better choice for a full course meal) but R.P. Tracks gave me what I needed and I appreciate that.
SIDE NOTE: An Uber driver told me that R.P. Tracks occasionally serve full course dinner specials for things like catfish. If that's true, that's something to look forward to.
Website: RPTracks.com
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