Giving A Shout Out
In the many years that I have blogged, I, an African-American, never acknowledged Memphis Black Restaurant Week (MBRW). I am a little embarrassed to admit this, for I have blogged about every other annual event in Memphis, with a few exceptions like MBRW. It isn't like Black restaurants are foreign to me, having grown up in an African-American household that is proud of its culture. So to make amends, I pledge that starting this year, I will highlight a Black-owned restaurant during Memphis Black Restaurant Week. In particular, I will try to highlight a restaurant that's unknown to most of us that's deserving of recognition. This year, I will review a restaurant that I haven't visited (another first) who I have only contacted via Uber Eats. Although I have never been there, I feel comfortable in recommending the restaurant to friends and others who love getting a good meal.
Before I begin, I want to talk about my strategy for ordering from food delivery apps like Uber Eats. Given that most food apps don't coordinate well with restaurants when it comes to pick-up times for deliveries, I often get lukewarm food that I have to heat up before consuming. Therefore, I try to cut the delivery distance by ordering from restaurants that are close to my house. Typically, that limits me to neighborhoods like Vollintine-Evergreen, Crosstown, New Chicago, Overton Square and other areas in Midtown and North Memphis. Of course, ordering from nearby restaurants doesn't guarantee freshness, but more often than not, I get my food in decent shape (except for fast food restaurants that never get it right regardless of location). Also a factor is price, for food delivery apps charge enormous fees for their services, often doubling the price of the initial food order. Part of that involves distance, for it is cheaper for me to get something from Crosstown than Collierville, everything else being equal. Also, I try to keep my costs as close to what I would pay if I actually dined out. Taking all this into consideration, I have a short list of restaurants that I order from consistently, with Hugstables Sports Bar & Grill being at the top. Its prices are very reasonable and I never got a cold meal (except for a night when I dosed off to sleep and totally missed my Uber driver, and even that meal turned out well 😅).
When I order from Hugstables, I usually get the typical Buffalo chicken wings that are indistinguishable from most hot wing joints. Sometimes, I get out of my comfort zone to break the boredom by getting something different. So one night, instead of getting saucy hot wings, I chose Hugstables Dry Hot Wings because I wasn't in a mood for using up half a roll of paper towels. I assumed that the heat from the wings would be similar to its saucy counterpart, but I got a spicy surprise when I bit into a wing. The wings were a lot hotter than I expected, for the heat level was just a few degrees below Habanero, and I was fortunate to have a glass of cold beer nearby. Despite the heat, the wings were very tasty, with the dry rub seasoning really acquitting itself well in terms of flavor. Although they are not one in the same, Hugstables' Dry Hot Wings are somewhat similar to the Flying Saucer's Mojo wings that also uses dry rub seasoning to spice up its wings (although the texture of Hugstables' wings are more akin to fried catfish, something you can also get at the sports bar). However, Hugstables wings are cheaper and when you factor in the delivery fees, its wings are on par with most restaurants in terms of price (of course those costs can be higher, depending on where you live). In fact, even after throwing in a tip to my Uber Eats driver, the total cost of my meal was under twenty dollars. So if you're looking for tasty and spicy wings without breaking the bank, you can't go wrong with Hugstables Dry Hot Wings!
When I'm not in the mood for wings, I opt for Hugstables' Double Cheeseburger. The burger is a behemoth, consisting of two huge beef patties along with cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and tomatoes. As far as burgers go, it is simplistic in its composition and it doesn't hit you with flavor like burgers from Roxie's do (I later learned that you can have "extra seasonings" added to the burger to make it more tasty (can't see why Hugstables doesn't make this a standard); in addition, adding jalapeños to that will make it even better). Still, the double cheeseburger is solid enough to satisfy even the most ravenous of appetites. In terms of value, its a little cheaper than comparable cheeseburgers so even with delivery fees, it is still reasonably priced as an entrée. So while there are better burgers in and around my neighborhood, most don't deliver as much value and satisfaction as a Hugstables burger (which by the way, never arrives cold).
SIDE NOTE: To my Downtown Memphis friends (not counting South Main residents), Hugstables is close to you, too (and you can also order through GrubHub).
I hope one day to actually visit Hugstables Sports Bar & Grill to get the full experience. If for no other reason, I want to meet and show my appreciation to the wonderful people who put in the time and care to make my wonderful meals so special. With it located in a part of town (North Memphis) that I don't often visit, I need to find the time to make this happen. It's people like them that makes Memphis special, and I'm glad Memphis Black Restaurant Week is devoted to honoring them. Hugstables and other African-American restaurants are ingrained in Memphis culture and deserves to be recognized for it. To keep this legacy going, go out and support local Black-owned restaurants.
Check out Hugstables Sports Bar & Grill on
Order Hugstables via food delivery apps
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