The Cove

Adorable ambiance. We loved the ship bar and the paintings of pirates all around us. The bar itself is cozy and fun. The drinks were a little lackluster. My Moscow Mule was flat with little to no lime juice in it, which was really disappointing because the place was otherwise a great spot for a Friday night drink!

This is a nice dive bar to go with friends and chill. The drinks are strong here! Wednesday’s are karaōke nights and I love it! Bring a group of friends, drink the night away, and sing to your hearts’ content. They have tvs and food you can order as well.

This was my first time here during the day, and I’ve got to say it’s way better than packed at 3am. The open hours may or may not be correct. I got here at about 3pm on a Wednesday, so technically it should have been closed. Mary, the owner, greeted me as I walked in and told me they were open. I had the pleasure of being the sole customer for the majority of my stay, but that was fine by me. I got the oyster sampler, and they were very accommodating and swapped the raw oysters for more of the phenomenal cooked ones. The bacon oysters were to die for. They’ve got a few local beers on tap. If you’re waiting for Wiseacre’s taproom to open this is a great spot to do it in.

I love a good dive bar, but this is a shithole trying to charge $ 15 for a pour of Old Weller Antique Bourbon that is $ 8 even in the overpriced Overton square district ($ 23 – 25 a bottle retail).
Unfortunate. Had high hopes.

Always a great place for catching fab live music and strong drinks. I haven’t ordered food from here but the drinks are reasonable, especially for the Whisky and beer and the music is great. There is a nice patio that is underused but perfect for a large group wanting private space.

Total dive bar, but it seems like ALL of the area’s business goes to Wiseacre (5-​star by my rating), so it was empty when we stopped in around 6−7pm on Saturday. Oysters were on special ($ 12 for 12), and they were fine. The main bartender worked his ass off, but everyone else seemed to just be «meh» about everything.
Sadly, I don’t think pirates are cool anymore (just like everyone who isn’t still living in 2010).

Since moving back to Memphis, this has become one of my favorite bars– divey enough to be fun and comfortable; sophisticated enough to promise an excellent cocktail and that you won’t smell like an ashtray when you leave. There’s always a good mix of people, the bartenders are excellent, and, who doesn’t love a pirate theme. They also, currently, hold the title of Best French 75 in Memphis, as Determined by Me (making a good French 75 seems to be more difficult than it should be). Anyway, check out The Cove, chat with the bartenders, and have a blast.

Just returned to the Cove after a long while, oysters and really awesome cocktails, the cove martini with caperberries, methinks I am in heaven. it’s a wee trek from town but worth it. That’s what Über is for right?

A friend and I decided to check this place out because we were in the area due to it being right down the road from Wiseacre Brewery. We are so glad that we did! The staff and the food were amazing! We arrived when they first opened in the afternoon and ordered a dozen raw oysters and one of their specialty entrées called Stoner’s Pie, which was two tamales covered in cream cheese, refried beans, and Rotel and you use Frito chips to eat it with. Omg! It was wonderful! My only regret is I didn’t gorge myself on it more because I’m still craving this dish today! It was very original and I enjoyed that. They have Wiseacre on tap so you can try the different varieties they brew which is also great. Our bartender was Slade and he was also very enjoyable! We will definitely be coming back!

Stopped in at happy hour. Had a couple of beers while I waited for a haircut at Paggios. I was kind of unimpressed. The buccaneer is defiantly better pirate bar.

This place is super divey but a lot of fun! I always enjoy coming here. Their main problem that kept most people away was the fact that they allowed smoking indoors but I was delighted to go there recently and find out that they put an end to that. They can also get seriously crowded later in the night.
It’s a very interesting place because the crowd is so very eclectic in age and lifestyle (always fun to see a bunch of hipsters sitting next to a more formally dressed group). They often have live bands playing which is always fun especially on a Friday night. They also always have some weird old movie playing on the TV at the bar with subtitles so you can actually sit at the bar and watch the movie if you’re there by yourself and aren’t sure what to do.
Their food is delicious. They are pretty famous for their oysters, pizzas, and spinach dip. The folks working behind the bar are incredibly friendly. I think they only have 2 beers on tap (an IPA and something else), which is a little disappointing, but they have tons of domestics and other interesting drinks on their menu that shall not disappoint.
I also came here on Halloween last year. It was super crowded and exactly what you would expect. So many interesting people were there. Very diverse crowd as always.
So basically, this place is tons of fun if you’re into divey bars. Next time you’re feeling brave on a Friday night and want to give something new a try, pop in and check The Cove out!

For dive bar, this place is not divey at all. In fact, it is comfy. Food is pretty good, and they no longer allow smoking. This improves the setting considerably for dinner and drinks. Drinks are fairly priced and so is food. I don’t think you can go wrong with food in this place.

Now smoke free. Instant bump up one star. This place has some good food and really fun bands.

Great little hole in the wall place on Broad. The Spinach dip is the best I’ve had. It gets crowded on the weekend, though. Love this area.

The Cove is a bar that could really grow on me. I’m a fan of divey bars, especially ones that have a nicer menu than their exterior would suggest. This place isn’t a TOTAL dive by any means, but is dark and eclectic and feels like it hasn’t changed in years. The drink menu is pretty extensive. I’ve tried the Memphis Mule and the Jimlet, along with a few beers, and they were all served up quickly and with a friendly smile from our waiter. I wish I could have caught his name. I haven’t tried much of the food, just the Not Wings and the Binghampton Pizza. They were both unique offerings, and pretty tasty. (Except the Binghampton had sweet pickles – yuck – on it. You gotta warn a girl about that! Sour for life!) I’ll be back to try the oysters for sure.
The only big turn off for me was the cigarette smoke. We’ve sat in both the main room and the small back room, and honestly, the air purification in the main room kept it from getting too bad. In the back room, even without anyone in there actually smoking, it got a little hazy and stinky. Oh, and the band last night was 1 ½ hours late going on. I left as they were rushing in the door to set up, as I hadn’t been planning on staying out super late, but I’m not going to fault the bar for that. (AHEM – BLUFFCITYBACKSLIDERS – AHEM)

This place could quickly become one of my favorite hideaways in Memphis. The staff was super friendly and the pirate theme is pretty awesome. I didn’t order food so the only food I can comment on is pita chips and hummus that I swipe from my friends and it was pretty good. The drink prices were on par with the area and their mixed drink selection was great. I look forward to coming back here and exploring their food and drink menu further.
Pro tip — The wifi password is «babybooboo»

This would probably be a 3 ½…
I went to the Cove to check out legendary Memphis band the SCRUFFS play a set last Friday! The band was amazing! Rocking their own classics and then finishing off the night with a huge supply of Big Star tunes! I even hopped on the Mic for Chris Bell’s «I am the Cosmos,» It was a blast! So great job to the Scruffs!
Now about the The Cove in general.
The place is really cool, kinda looks like your on a SHIP which made me think of the joke BARnacle! Get it barnacle, you at a bar! Ok I guess you had to be there!
Anyway, we got some drinks ordered and all was good until it was time to order food, no one came back for our order, so no big deal went to the bar to order and made it.
1 hour later still no food, 2 hours later still no food, finally we stopped a waiter told him our what was up and he went promptly to the kitchen to make the food! HE DID A GREAT JOB! THANKS TO HIM! So we finally got the grub which was great, but pretty late! Then at the end of the night we got our bills and naturally we were double charged, even though the first time they never actually got the order all the way to the kitchen to make the food! OH WELL At least the food was good, and the Scruffs were Great!

I have to think this is the best little secret of memphis! Ive heard of it before so its been on my list but I had no idea what I was missing! The décor is just great! Pirates, ships and fish oh my! Tons of signature cocktails and the food was very yummy!

Let me start by saying that only Tom E could convince me to leave my warm, cozy house at 11:15 on a Tuesday night when I’m falling sleep… and go to a bar. And not only was I tired, but I was rockin’ sweatpants, Uggs, a North Face jacket, no makeup, a ponytail, and glasses… let me put it another way… Evan, the bartender, who has met me twice before, mentioned later that he wasn’t sure if it was me. Yikes. Definition of rough I guess… or hot mess.
Anyways, I haven’t been to the Cove in years and Tom is always raving about this place, plus I heard they have good oysters (which I’m a sucker for) so I finally bit the bullet and met him at 11:20.
First impression? I couldn’t believe how crowded this place was. I’ve always associated the Cove with a dive bar that survives on a few regulars. Well, I was wrong. This place is thriving and I caught the tail end of their trivia game. Most bars see a swarm of people leaving as soon as the game is over, but they all stuck around… I was impressed.
Well, I was impressed until I realized their large quantities of cigarette smoke caused my eyes to burn and would also require me to take a shower before bed. But I digress, this place is cool. Real cool. And like others have said so often… it is a pirate bar with a ship inside. We all know how I feel about kitsch and themes… I was in love.
I hadn’t eaten dinner and was a little bit hungry so I ordered the raw oysters… and the rumors are true. They have some dynamite ones. Perfect with my two glasses of merlot. I was feeling pretty good with that warm feeling washing over me. Glancing at the menu made me hungrier and thirstier but I’ll save that for another time or two. It will take quite awhile to get through their extensive drink menu.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? The smoke. It made my eyes burn and after an hour and a half I couldn’t take it anymore. Tom mentioned that the bar is normally empty when he goes and that there isn’t smoke… but he arrives at like one in the morning and I’m in bed by then. No biggie but next time I’ll definitely try to steer clear of the people smoking!

I have been on the hunt for two things lately: great BBQ and great dive bars. I am still on the hunt to see if Rendezvous will get dethroned, but I think I found my new go to for a dive bar.
The Cove, which is open everyday (however it says tues-​sat out front, the website provides proper hours) until the wee hours, provides a taste of New Orleans with a pirate ship theme. This can only mean one thing– a guaranteed damn good time!
I first came here last Wed or Thurs night after work, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Drinks were cheap, and it wasn’t ultra crowded. There is a patio in the back, and the bar is shaped as a pirate ship. Hell yea!
Last night, I went out with my roomie and his gf for some dinner. They wanted to go see a movie, but it was already too late. So I suggested we check out The Cove. So the plan stuck. I ordered my beer, and realized it was only $ 2 (Sunday nights are $ 2 domestics– like Bud Light, High Life, etc.). I just found my new Sunday spot!
As we got to talk to the bartenders more, we learned more about the bar and the area. Very cool people! It all made sense when I saw Ghostbusters playing last night followed by Beetlejuice– so technically, we got to watch a movie!
After the drinks started flowing, I started ordering the crazy stuff– and thats when it got fun! I was mixing tequila, makers, cement mixers (baileys and lime juice), and anything else I could get my hands on. Then, the night ended with Jäger (haven’t had that since I was a teen!). It’s amazing I am even at work right now writing this. Hell yea!
On Saturday nights, they usually have live bands– and last Sat– they had a brass band, which is cool– def giving it that New Orleans flair. They also have oysters on tap, but I have not tried them yet.
This place is one hell of a great time and I cannot wait to go back (probably tonight after work, whoops!)! UYE anyone???

Longue liste de cocktails, très bons.
Meilleures olives mangées aux US et plateau d’antipasti vegan manquant un peu de salade, mais très bon.