Lanes are blocked, parking lots are filling up and restaurant lines are growing longer —the immensely populated street connected to White Station is a growing hub for the food industry. The 30-mile-long Poplar Avenue boasts an array of family restaurants, food chains and food trucks. The question is: where can a hungry student find the best burgers? 

Shockingly enough, some of the best rated restaurants are less than a mile away from the school. Student favorites include Soul Fish Cafe, Huey’s, Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Houston’s. 

Soul Fish Cafe 

Soul Fish Café, although not known for their burgers, boasts a burger that’s worthy of changing the minds of those who dislike burgers. The restaurant’s soul food focuses more on the likes of seafood but still manages to cook up a tasty and gooey grilled cheeseburger. 

“I think I was 10 or 11 or something when I tried [their cheeseburger],” Kirsten Tilford (12) said. “It was a long, long time ago because I remember I wasn’t all that into burgers, and that was one [of] the like first ones that I tried, and I was like ‘Oh, okay, now I’m into burgers.’”

Depending on the taste that you desire, Soul Fish Café might just have the burger you’re looking for.

“I definitely rate it a nine and mainly just because of the burger texture itself,” Tilford said. “A lot of people have oven-baked burgers but with theirs it’s like a chargrilled type of burger, and I like those more than the regular.”

Houston’s 

If you happen to find yourself with a bit of extra cash to treat yourself, Houston’s is definitely the right place to go. If you do find yourself dining in, an easy menu choice is their signature cheeseburger. The burger is made with freshly ground steak, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and topped with a toasted egg bun. The combination of perfect chewiness and crispy bites make this Houston’s cheeseburger one of the best.

Huey’s 

Having impressed a large portion of the Memphis population, Huey’s has gotten many quality reviews since its opening.  Huey’s first location was built in Midtown in the 1970s and opened the doors for many other locations to blossom in and outside of Shelby County since then. Huey’s on Poplar has definitely thrived considering almost all day there are people waiting in line and a full parking lot. 

“I got this burger from Huey’s, and it is called the ‘West Coast Burger,’” Daniella Morales (11) said. “It has avocado, Monterey jack cheese, a whole wheat bun and a lot of other stuff. It was the most appealing [burger] for me.”

The only thing students may have to worry about are the prices. 

“I got [a burger] at Huey’s, and it’s called the ‘Bluez ‘Heinz’ 57 Burger’, and they use the seasoning, the Heinz 57 sauce,” Caleb Brown (9) said. “I would say the price to quality ratio is slightly too high, but if it were lower, I would definitely go eat there more often.”

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

Situated within the Laurelwood Shopping Center, Hopdoddy Burger Bar has attracted customers since it’s official opening in April of 2018. The Texas-owned chain has developed its following on Poplar and at the Midtown location before its eventual close in 2020. Their Poplar location, however, continues to fill up its parking lot on busy weekends. If you’re up for something new to try, this burger joint is a solid start. Watch out for the prices though, because despite being a chain, Hopdoddy serves delicious burgers with a higher price tag than most others.