A plate of fried chicken with greens, yams, macaroni and cheese and cornbread can make a very persuasive introduction to The Four Way. The Memphis restaurant serves the sort of Southern food that encourages a little deliberation at the counter, followed by the happy problem of deciding which leftovers will make it home.
The cooking is freshly prepared, hearty and broad enough to reward repeat visits. Fried chicken, catfish, turkey and dressing, neck bones and fried pork chops sit alongside a serious roster of vegetables and comfort-food sides: cabbage, black-eyed peas, okra, yams, greens and macaroni and cheese among them.
But food is only one layer of the visit. The Four Way occupies an older building whose dining room is filled with historic photographs, newspaper clippings, vintage objects and memorabilia. It is a restaurant where lunch can turn into an informal introduction to a slice of Memphis community life.
Start with the fried chicken
Fried chicken is a natural place to begin. It has a crisp exterior and juicy interior, with dark-meat pieces, wings and two-piece orders all appearing on the menu. A recurring local-style combination pairs wings with greens, yams, macaroni and cheese and cornbread.
The menu makes it easy to build a plate around a favorite main dish. Catfish offers another classic direction, while baked chicken, chicken-fried steak, chopped steak and mashed potatoes with gravy bring in the Sunday-supper side of Southern cooking.
Portions tend to be generous. Saving some for later is common enough that takeout containers fit neatly into the rhythm of the meal, and staff may help pack up what is left.
The sides deserve their own attention
Greens have a particularly devoted following here, and they are not treated as an afterthought beside the entrée. They belong in the middle of the meal, especially with a bite of cornbread close by.
Yams bring sweetness to the plate, while cabbage, black-eyed peas, okra and macaroni and cheese give diners plenty of ways to mix vegetables, starches and savory mains. Ordering several sides turns a straightforward lunch into a small survey of the kitchen.
A glass of sweet tea is a fitting companion. A half-sweet, half-unsweet version has also made an appearance at tables, a useful middle ground for anyone who likes tea without committing fully to dessert-level sweetness before dessert arrives.
Brunch and a few less expected orders
The Four Way is not limited to the standard meat-and-three formula. Brunch brings shrimp and grits, a richer, slower-paced option than a quick chicken plate.
Salmon croquettes, fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles and fried pork chops add more range. This is helpful for a family table where one person wants a familiar fried-chicken dinner and somebody else has been thinking about breakfast food all morning.
Indoor meals span lunch, dinner and brunch, and the dining room is often quiet to moderately lively rather than so noisy that conversation has to compete with the room.
Leave room for pie
Peach cobbler has earned a reputation as the dessert to remember. Warm Southern cooking has a way of making a diner declare that one more bite is impossible, then reconsider when cobbler appears.
Sweet potato pie is another tempting finish, and taking home a whole pie has been known to seem like the sensible choice. Lemon pie offers a brighter alternative for anyone who wants tang after a plate of gravy, greens and yams.
Choosing between peach cobbler and sweet potato pie can require assistance, and the staff knows the menu well enough to help a first-time diner make the call. There are worse decisions to face over lunch.
A dining room with stories on the walls
The historic material throughout the building gives The Four Way a warm, nostalgic character without turning the meal into a museum visit. Photographs, articles and vintage pieces provide plenty to look at while waiting for the food or lingering over pie.
The displays connect the restaurant to people and events in the surrounding community, and a Southern University flag is among the memorabilia that has caught diners' attention. The individual images and objects invite a closer look rather than functioning as generic décor.
Staff members can share the restaurant's history and its neighborhood connections. That conversation is a welcome bonus for visitors who arrive hungry for traditional Memphis food and leave with a fuller sense of the place around the table.
Hospitality with a family-table ease
Service at The Four Way is warm and personal, with staff checking on tables and helping people settle in. The atmosphere has the easy familiarity of being fed at a relative's home, even for newcomers.
The owner may stop by to welcome diners, adding another small human touch to a meal that already feels far from anonymous. It is an especially comfortable setting for locals returning to favorite orders, but travelers are welcomed into the same easygoing routine.
The restaurant can also handle a larger table without losing its informal character. A group can spread out across fried chicken, catfish, vegetables, cornbread and desserts, with enough choices to keep individual orders from becoming a negotiation.
A few useful details before you go
The dining routine may begin with placing an order before sitting down. Once that is done, the meal unfolds in the indoor dining room amid the restaurant's historical displays.
Parking is available in a lot beside or associated with the restaurant, and free street parking has also been available, though spaces may be limited. Some popular dishes can sell out before closing, so the full range of choices is more likely earlier in the day.