Photo credit: Belmont Grill
Belmont Grill is closing its doors after 42 years, bringing an end to one of East Memphis’ longtime neighborhood hangouts.
The beloved restaurant and bar will serve its final customers Saturday after the property changed hands. According to Memphis magazine, a commercial real estate investment firm purchased the property.
For generations of Memphis residents, the restaurant has been more than a place to grab a drink or a bite to eat. It became a familiar gathering spot where regulars built friendships and memories over the years.
Belmont Grill Has Served Memphis for 42 Years
Located at Poplar Avenue and Mendenhall Road, Belmont Grill became known for its distinctive atmosphere.
The restaurant features dark-paneled walls and Christmas lights that remain on throughout the year. That familiar look helped make the neighborhood spot instantly recognizable to longtime customers.
Owner Jeff Anderson was behind the bar Monday afternoon as regulars stopped in to enjoy the restaurant before its closing.
Many customers expressed sadness about losing a place that had become part of their routines.
Patrick Sala, a longtime customer, reflected on what the restaurant meant to him and other regulars.
“I’ve come up here for a long time. It’s been a big part of our lives, and it’s sad to see it go,” Sala said.
He also pointed to the friendships and memories people created there over the years.
Belmont Grill Building Has an Even Longer History
While the restaurant operated for about 42 years, the building itself has a much older history.
The property dates back to the days when White Station remained a small community outside Memphis’ city limits.
According to the bar, the building originally served as a grocery store. Its construction dates to sometime between 1910 and 1920.
That history adds another layer to the closing. The building has stood through decades of changes in the East Memphis community.
Now, however, the future of the property will look different.
Memphis Regulars Say Goodbye
News of the closing has left longtime customers reflecting on their experiences at the restaurant.
For many, Belmont Grill represented a familiar place to meet friends, relax and catch up.
The restaurant’s closing also marks the end of an era for a neighborhood institution that remained part of the Memphis community for more than four decades.
Although the building’s next chapter remains ahead, customers will soon have to find a new place to create the same kind of memories.
Belmont Grill will close Saturday after 42 years in East Memphis.
Source: WREG / Memphis magazine
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