The Arcade Restaurant

The overview

Memphis' oldest cafe

The Arcade is Memphis's oldest restaurant, opened in 1919 by Greek immigrant Speros Zepatos near the South Main train station. Its neon sign, vinyl booths, and sweet-potato pancakes have made it a diner landmark — and a favorite of Elvis, whose regular booth is still pointed out.

A frequent film location and an unhurried breakfast-and-lunch institution, the Arcade serves the same Southern-diner comfort it has for over a century in the heart of the reborn South Main district.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

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Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. The Arcade Restaurant cleared every one.

✓Years in operation. Operating in Memphis since 1919 — 106 years of continuous business.
✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Memphis.
✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Memphis has kept The Arcade Restaurant busy for 106 years.
✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Memphis regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
✓Recognition in the local community. Named best diner in Memphis for 2025 for sweet potato pancakes and a South Main booth history that goes back to 1919.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Diner in Memphis Memphis, TN · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for The Arcade Restaurant →

Visit The Arcade Restaurant

Websitearcaderestaurant.com ↗

Location540 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103

In business since1919

Find them onTripadvisor · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about The Arcade Restaurant — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name: The Arcade Restaurant
Category: Restaurant
Founded: 1919, Memphis, TN
Location: Memphis, TN
Centurion Award: Best Diner in Memphis — 2025
Record last verified: July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after The Arcade Restaurant cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is The Arcade Restaurant?

Memphis' oldest cafe, open since 1919, where the turquoise booths have appeared in films and fed a century of regulars, Elvis among them.

Is The Arcade Restaurant award-winning?

Yes — The Arcade Restaurant is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Diner in Memphis, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best diner in Memphis for 2025 for sweet potato pancakes and a South Main booth history that goes back to 1919.

Where is The Arcade Restaurant?

The Arcade Restaurant is in Memphis, TN.