Memphis and Ecco (July 29, 2011)

Danielle

Being a Southern girl with a long history of cooking homemade meals for family, I’ve never loved Memphis as much as other Californians. I decided to give happy hour a shot because both the menu and “deal” seemed fabulous. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food for the price.  The cheap drinks were also stiff which equates to a win-win! I had the mini meatloaf sandwich, the golden popcorn shrimp (addicting small cornmeal crusted goodness), and southern crab cakes (meh…). I also taste tested my friend’s pulled pork sliders.  The service was fantastic and our waitress was very attentive despite the patio being busy. The ambience was “down home.” You could be seated inside at the bar or outside on the patio (our choice). Being seated outside makes it difficult to scope out the other patrons and monitor the comings & goings of the bar area. There were absolutely no single men (with the exception of someone’s dad sitting at the bar) there during the time we were there between 5- 6:30PM.

Food: ★★ ★☆☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

On a side note, we crossed the street and dropped in Ecco. We discovered we had 30 minutes left of happy hour. I had not been here since Aire Global Cuisine closed years ago. The ambience was hip and open (perfect for people watching). The small bar crowd was interesting because it was so mixed (race, style, age). It started to get busy around 7:30 when we had to head out to meet friends; however, it seemed “couple heavy.” We did not have any food since we had just eaten at Memphis and had not planned to hit a 2^nd happy hour spot. It definitely warrants a better report so I’d head back on another day to update.

Food: N/A

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Candice

I have never been to Memphis Café in Costa Mesa and so had no expectations, being that it was a small unpretentious-looking building located on an isolated lot.  I was also pleased with the quality of food and well-priced stiff drinks to pair.  I chose the Zumi flatbread and the Bloody Mary.  The food was fantastic.  The flatbread came out in a pizza-style but was warm, dense, and flavored with a cornmeal crust that was perfectly toasted.  Of the selection of foods among myself and friends, the flatbread was my choice for the evening.  All the other selections were decent but not as flavorful as the flatbread. The drinks were well-made with just the right kick each time and reasonably priced for its stiffness. Although the patio area catered toward a mellow mix of people, it was not a place for people watching (at least not the evening we were present).  Good service and food, nice people and crowd, but nothing interesting to note during this particular outing.  For those single ladies out there, not a priority choice for a total package “hot spot.”  

Food:   ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★★☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Although my friend would give Ecco another chance, I’d rather spend my time in search for a better alternative.  Yes, the interior was well-decorated in an eco-friendly modern design and the place felt trendy, the overall energy and vibe felt low.  We sat at the bar area and the happy hour drink and food specials had a varied selection but nothing stood out as impressive.  The location is pretty nice and I would swing by again if I happened to be around there. 

Food: N/A

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★☆☆☆

The deals:

Memphis (2920 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa)

$5 HAPPY HOUR FOOD

Everyday 3:00pm to 6:30pm
Late night Wednesday & Thursday 9:30pm to Midnight
$1 off Beer and Wine by the glass

housemade pizza
roasted tomato garlic sauce, fresh tomatoes, okra, chicken andouille sausage

steamed mussels and clams
trinity, chicken andouille sausage, white wine-tomato broth

mini meatloaf sandwich
aged cheddar, housemade barbeque sauce, mayo, lettuce

golden popcorn shrimp
with roasted jalapeño tartar sauce

zuni flatbread
sage pesto, corn salsa, pepper jack cheese with smoked chicken add $1

chicken and shrimp gumbo-bowl
smoked chicken, shrimp, okra, chicken andouille sausage, steamed rice

southern crab cakes
herb salad, smoked tomato beurre blanc

goat cheese and beet salad
arugula, fresh roasted beets, pecan crusted goat cheese, roasted garlic vinaigrette, yam chips

pulled pork sliders
spicy slaw, hawaiian bun, house made barbecue sauce

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

baybreeze
bloody mary
cape cod
cuba libre
fuzzy navel
greyhound
gimlet
madra

margarita
tequila sunrise
tom collins
salty dog
screwdriver
seabreeze
vodka collins
whiskey sour

$5 Memphis Favorites

memphis mint julep
evan williams bourbon, sugar, fresh mint served over ice

pink lemonade martini
ketel one citreon vodka, raspberry liqueur, sour mix, fresh lime, pineapple shaken and served up with a sugared rim

rye whiskey manhattan
old overholt straight rye whiskey, splash of antica formula vermouth, dash of bitters shaken and served up with a cherry

seven & seven
seagrams 7 american whiskey, sprite served over ice

Ecco (2937 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa)

5-7PM  Monday-Friday

Appetizers:

½ wood grilled artichoke $6

Meatballs $5

Marinated olives $4

Bruschetta $5

Calamari fries $6

Ecco personal pizza $8

Chopped salad $5

House fries $4

Beverages:

KS Summerlight $3

Seasonal beer $4

House red or white wine $6

Well martini $6