Memphis Restaurant Guide

What started out as a small eight-stooled restaurant in downtown Memphis more than 80 years ago, Jim's Place East has been nestled in its current location at 5560 Shelby Oaks Drive since 1976. The owners attribute the longevity of the family-owned restaurant to keeping with tradition, attention to detail, good food, reasonable prices, quality service and hands-on owner involvement.

Still one of the best kept secrets in Memphis, owners brothers Costa Taras and Dimitri Taras and brother-in-law Angelo Liollio believe consistency is the key to their success. Many of today's recipes are the same ones used by past generations of the Taras and Liollio families carried across the waters from their homeland of Greece.

Jim's Place East is the site of the old Taras family summer home. Before becoming a restaurant, it was a rural retreat complete with live lambs, goats and festive holiday celebrations for the local Greek community. Over the years, Jim's Place East has been a popular site for everything from wedding receptions, parties, business meetings and intimate dinners.

But Jim's Place East wouldn't be what it is without the food which features traditional Greek and American cuisine.

Private parties, banquets, business meetings, rehearsal dinners, bridal luncheons, and other special occasions can be held at lunch or dinner accommodating 12 to 100 people. Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday is dinner only 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Reservations requested for parties of 6 or more. The menu consists of hand-cut charcoal steaks over real charcoal, the freshest seafood available, family Greek specialties and homemade breads and desserts.