Body Found Inside Ernestine & Hazel's | WREG.com I guess all the "spooky" azure is in the part of the building that was closed.We did have the "Soul" burgers, which were pretty good.More. Compliments you when you've had a bad day. This place was exactly as described! Then moments later and without warning, the jukebox stops. While the upstairs had to be closed during construction as well, longtime upstairs bartender Nathaniel Barnes (Mr. Nate to his regular customers) will be tending bar in the back bar space as well. "This building is part of Memphis history. The team seeks to help a former bartender confront both the light and dark forces haunting the mysterious music hall. All rights reserved. Gerald Bud Chittom was quite the legend in Memphis. The soul burger, the only food, is dive bar perfect. more. George realized you dont have to pile on the toppings to have a good burger. Their drinks are made PERFECT!!!! Season 2: Episode Two: Earnestine & Hazels, https://earnestineandhazels.com/about-us/the-bar/, https://www.thrillist.com/eat/memphis/earnestine-and-hazels-memphis-burger-dive-bar, https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/breaking/2019/07/18/bones-found-earnestine-and-hazels-bar-memphis/1766422001/, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/earnestine-hazels, https://www.vice.com/en/article/vvxnmb/this-is-what-its-like-to-work-at-the-most-haunted-bar-in-america, https://www.publicbooks.org/earnestine-hazels-in-memphis-a-place-known-for-its-dead/, https://www.readitforward.com/excerpt/last-call-earnestine-hazels/, https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2020/11/23/earnestine-and-hazels-for-sale-memphis/6393322002/, https://www.gosouthmain.com/tour/2017/3/21/531-south-main-earnestine-hazels, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Mitchell, https://historic-memphis.com/memphis/hippodrome/hippodrome.html#:~:text=Club%20Paradise%20was%20opened%20by,soul%20music%20got%20its%20start, https://spinditty.com/industry/Club-Handy-On-Beale-Street-In-Memphis-Tennennee-TN, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/588e7b92b8a79b901b666cec/t/59833d43c534a5647e5afb99/1501773268903/south-main-tour-final1.pdf, http://historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/drug-stores/drug-stores.html, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/abe-plough/, https://www.ediblememphis.com/stories/nate-barnes-earnestine-and-hazels, https://www.facebook.com/523244314686217/posts/ernestine-hazels-one-of-the-top-ten-haunted-bars-i-spent-my-25th-birthday-in-nas/709814999362480/, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patent%20medicine, https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/02/20/memphis-back-beginning-memphis-may/, https://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2013/09/09/body-found-at-earnestine-and-hazels, https://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2018/09/06/restaurateur-bud-chittom-has-died, https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/commercialappeal/obituary.aspx?n=gerald-mackie-chittom-bud&pid=190171250&fhid=5683, Season Two: Episode Three: Memphiss Oldest Eateries. We had a blast! The contracting company's vice president, Chris Tigner, said word got out quickly about the discovery, and someone alerted police, and inaccurately told thema body was located in the bar. It was important to me and it was so, so important to my father.". It has been run by a fella named Nate, since George opened the bar. Great if youre staying at the Train station Hilton. Then, in the 1930s, the place became a pharmacy until the owner invented a gel-type hair product that made him rich. There may be unexplained noises or tinkling of piano keys, but nothing malicious happens. Was kindly, Annette C. said: I hate to give 4stars out on first time visits but this place, Kevin W. said: This place restored my faith in Moes. The well-known South Main bar attracts hundreds of locals and tourists weekly, many of whom return for the famous "Soulburgers" and juke box that plays the music of renowned artists like Otis Redding. Russell George died from a self inflicted gunshot wound on September 8, 2013. Call Menu Info. Disable the NSFW warnings that refer to content considered inappropriate in the workplace (Not Suitable For Work). Russell George, owner of Earnestine and Hazel's, found dead Earnestine & Hazel's Bar Grill is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers: Where to Drink in Memphis This New Year's Eve, 84 E Ge Patterson Ave, Memphis, TN 38103-4410. George was born and raised in Memphis by parents that had a love for good music. "This has to be a costly repair," said Jeff Zepatos of The Arcade Restaurant. Though hes a South Carolina native, Nate has been living in Memphis since 1962. Schering Plough and the Plough Foundation became a major philanthropic entity in Memphis. (WMC-TV) - The owner of a popular bar on South Main was reportedly found dead Monday morning. He was 19 years old when he came to the Memphis area to visit his sister and brother-in-law, who were stationed at the Air Force base in Millington. After decades of decadence, 13 souls remain at the bar to party for eternity. He loved food and he loved music and he spent his life giving both of those to many Memphians and tourists alike. Ernestine and Hazel's - Haunted Houses **Earnestine and Hazel*S*Owner*Found*Dead** You just needed some cheese, pickles, sauteed onions, and the secret sauce. On March 16, Earnestine & Hazels hosted a party to celebrate Nates 27th anniversary of working at the establishment. The Central Station Memphis, Curio Collection by Hilton, National Civil Rights Museum - Lorraine Motel. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This is a place to come have fun. See production, box office & company info. Delivery & Pickup Options - 254 reviews of Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill "Come down and grab a Soul Burger!!! The identity of all those who died within the walls are not known, but its speculated some were the sex workers, one might have been a john who did not treat his lady with the respect she deserved, and the final one, well talk about later. With the positive changes that were starting to happen, a brothel wasnt something a visiting tourist wanted to see (well most visiting tourists that is) or needed to see. He called it Jefferson in the Rear. He left Earnestine & Hazels to his daughter, Caitlin. Ernestine & Hazel - Sundry and Former Brothel. I would never do anything to change it. Earnestine & Hazel's Bar Grill - Tripadvisor Music. Delivery & Pickup Options - 257 reviews of Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill "Come down and grab a Soul Burger!!! He was the only white kid to enter the James Brown dance competition, held at the Coliseum. Ernestine and Hazel's. Jack and Katrina investigate a Memphis, Tennessee, blues bar with a sordid past. Videos. Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill Popular Dishes, Keith G. said: Almost did not come to this location due to the reviews but I figured, Jiten S. said: Great service here! It was during his time owning Pantaze that Plough started to expand his brand and continued on to find his fame. Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill - Yelp You can also order a mixed drink at the downstairs bar, instead of having to head up and see Nate. I asked Nate if he would like to speak about Donnies death, or about how he has been dealing with the grief in the public eye. A house favorite for all of these years. As we mentioned at the top of the story, Earnestine and Hazels is now up for sale. If Earnestine and Hazel's didn't have enough haunted lore swirling around the historic dive bar already, bones of an unknown origin tumbling out of the walls and landing at the feet of construction crews serves as one more paranormal episodethe bar can now tout. So historic that it's crazy; true time travel. They had to find the perfect person to take over their property and do it justice. is available at the time). Sometimes people get out of hand. Apparently benches lined the walls of the hallway so that men waiting their turn had a place to relax. Id not ever seen that video. Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigate a Memphis, Tennessee, blues bar with a sordid past. When she found out the news, she was obviously devastated. A large police presence could be seen in front Earnestine and Hazel's just before 11 a.m. You definitely get what you pay for! Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill 263 reviews Claimed $ Dive Bars, Burgers Edit Open 5:00 PM - 3:00 AM (Next day) See hours See all 213 photos Write a review Add photo Save Menu Website menu Full menu Location & Hours 531 S Main St Memphis, TN 38103 Downtown Get directions Edit business info Sponsored Moe's Southwest Grill 44 6.6 miles And there you have the story of Earnestine and Hazels. Whatever he saw upstairs, scared him to death, and apparently he wont go back up there. The team seeks to help a former bartender confront both the light and dark forces haunting the mysterious music hall. But lets rewind. The cafe, however, was holding its own, for the time. Earnestine and Hazel's - Dive Bar in Memphis - Foursquare It freaked them out so much they left the bar. It is very interesting and has a lot of history, unchanged inside. Their drinks are made PERFECT!!!! Earnestine and Hazel's - US Ghost Adventures Not only did the ladies use it in their salon, it was also being used all over the eastern part of the country. Crime had escalated and it was something like a wasteland. Do they have anything besides beer? She made some maintenance improvements where needed and brought in local craft beer on tap. Until doing the research, I was unaware that he actually owned the building and Russell George managed it and made it what it was. He said the black room was most active. Haunting in Memphis: Fright fans hunt for ghosts ahead of Halloween A new episode of #PortalsToHell "Ernestine and Hazel's" drops on @discoveryplus and is on @travelchannel TONIGHT at 10/9c. I wanted to go to see the ghosts. There was no body, and no one can say with certainty what organism the bones originated from. At ten years old, George had all the right moves and Brown crowned him the winner. I said, Lord have mercy., Nate has a reputation for being well-liked, and he says the secret to extreme likeability is simple: The number one thing is you got to treat everybody right. Memphis: Home of the Blues, Barbecue, andBagels. more menus Dinner Menu Brunch Menu Late Night Menu . By the age of 20, he was a band manager and a dancer with a local R&B band. Derk Meitzler, who is a member of the Downtown Restaurant group, seems to be heading this operation. I do own that album and its fantastic! Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill Popular Dishes, Keith G. said: Almost did not come to this location due to the reviews but I figured, Everette B. said: I go into a fast good joint expecting sub par service. They would stroll down for some cheap soul food and good alcohol before retiring for the night to the nearby Lorraine Motel, or possibly for an hour of fun in one of the upstairs rooms. whatever they're doing up front doesn't change this great old place, and that they're open for visitors (for real) soon! I couldnt find an exact date, but the assessors office lists the current buildings date as 1918. How is Earnestine & Hazel's Bar Grill rated? Mari Fritz - Google It became a tradition for famed folks playing the nearby Club Paradise tom come by after their shows, which means Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Sam Cook all made their way over to the cafe. I didn't see any, but plenty of things happened to me after we left. I think most of the time they know better, but the alcohol tells them something else, he says. ALL NEW TONIGHT AT 9! The club became a favorite spot for musicians. Earnestines husband, Andrew, who went by the name of Sunbeam, opened a venue nearby for musicians, called Club Paradise. One of the most haunted things in the building is the jukebox. Today, the Memphis gem is famous for live music, top-notch burgers, cold drinks and a jukebox DJed by ghosts. She wrote a letter expressing her feelings. The story from the investigator that heard everybody is a star, well, he had set up several cameras over two nights, trying to capture some activity on the second floor. How is Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill rated? Any cocktails? I sat down with him recently to hear some of the nitty gritty as the sun was setting into his cozy, corner bar on the second floor. !More, This place is the same as it has been many years ago. While the cafe and the brothel kept the cash flow stable, the late 80s brought about more challenges. The spot that is now occupied by Earnestine and Hazels at 531 South Main St was once the exact opposite of what it was to become in the future. Copyright 20042023 Yelp Inc. Yelp, , and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp. So she made the hard decision to sell. With his additional money, Plough found his way into the cosmetics and sunscreen business and eventually acquired St. Josephs Aspirin brand. Even in that picture, you can see an orb. The only thing on the menu is the soul burger, which was good, but don't expect anything out ofthe ordinary. Second floor is awesome and creepy.More. It hasnt been opened since Covid hit. Nate and his wife Marilyn had three children together, only one of which is still living. Ernestine & Hazel - Sundry and Former Brothel | MemphisRap.com He worked with him at Murphys. Georges office is now padlocked and no one goes in anymore. When not immortalizing the movements of ballerinas, circus performers and mermaids, he spends his time finding candid moments involving delectable cuisines and the people that create them. Bud Chittom, his daughter explained, wouldn't want the place to change. by Memphis Rap September 9, 2013, 7:07 pm, Ernestine & Hazel Sundry and Former Brothel, Your email address will not be published. Delivery & Pickup Options - 263 reviews of Earnestine & Hazel's Bar & Grill "Come down and grab a Soul Burger!!! It's a dive bar, and I love that. Lots of different rooms to explore and several bars to get drinks from. Maybe it was because the "front" of the house was closed due to "safety" concerns or maybe because we were there at lunchtime, but it was basically a bar. He pedaled his antiseptic healing oil, that he created in a room above his fathers shop, to the drug stores in and around Memphis. It was a residential area that remained so until the early 1900s, when the railroad was built. The Possessed Jukebox Is Nearly As Famous As The Burgers At Earnestine We had a great time eating here and hearing about it's past life. Side note: patent medicines are basically ones that marketed as medicines, but have no proven effectiveness. If you are looking for the ghosts of Memphis, go here. Construction in the main room, and signs point to being able to get in the back, but the doors were locked up and nothing looked open. Smiling through a somber moment, he said that it wasnt time yet to talk about his loss. Its a great place to stop in and get a drink and listen to the. Orbs can be seen floating in almost every picture that is taken there. To make additional money, the ladies offered up the upstairs rooms as a brothel for local ladies of the night. It was said that more people were in jail (about 1000 people) than actually lived downtown. People didnt frequent the area anymore, it wasnt safe. I couldn't believe the price for a double burger with golden flakes chips. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Ernestine and Hazel's Episode aired Jun 4, 2022 TV-14 42 m IMDb RATING 8.6 /10 10 YOUR RATING Rate Reality-TV Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigate a Memphis, Tennessee, blues bar with a sordid past. According to the building owner, Russell George's death is being investigated as a possible suicide, likely caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Note: your question will be posted publicly on the Questions & Answers page. Police and fire crews swarmed the bar around 11 p.m., Tigner said. The team seeks to help a former bartender confront both the light and dark forces haunting the mysterious music hall.Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman investigate a Memphis, Tennessee, blues bar with a sordid past. Be sure to record or watch and swing by for your. (WMC-TV) - There are rumblings that a Memphis dive bar known around the world has an uncertain future after its owner was found dead inside last month. It's too important as is, to too many Memphians. Eric Berry for TravelCoterie in partnership with Tripadvisor, Hotels near National Civil Rights Museum - Lorraine Motel, Hotels near Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Hotels near Slave Haven / Burkle Estate Museum, Restaurants near Earnestine & Hazel's Bar Grill, American Restaurants with Private Dining in Memphis, Cajun Restaurants for Large Groups in Memphis, Mediterranean Restaurants for Families in Memphis, Restaurants for Special Occasions in Memphis, American Restaurants with Outdoor Seating in Cooper Young Community Association, Central Gardens Area Association Restaurants, Cooper Young Community Association Restaurants, Families with children Restaurants in Downtown, University Area Neighborhood Association Restaurants.