Brushmark

I think the Brushmark is one of the most underrated lunch-​brunch spots in Midtown Memphis.
The restaurant offers a great variety of food selections and such a peaceful and beautiful atmosphere right in the middle of the Brooks Museum. You can’t beat it.
Aside from the Mississippi River, the Brushmark has one of the most relaxing nature settings in town.
Parking is a breeze. Even if you don’t get a space right out front, you can park in the park and enjoy a short walk through the trees and beautiful scenery.
The actual restaurant has a cozy feel and I just love the full length window overlooking Overton Park. I often feel like I’m actually in Central Park, NYC at Tavern on the Green, when I visit.
They always have fresh flowers on the table, serene music playing in the background, and a seasoned staff.
The cost of your meal will be quite reasonable and the quality of the food has never let me down. It’s delicious. Being that this is in the middle of the museum, they’re pretty great about crafty presentation as well on your plate.
The Brushmark is a great restaurant to bring your parents, a gal pal or to host a birthday, wedding or baby shower.
Heck, why not just come here for lunch on a workday, when you really need to center yourself.
Thanks, Brooks Museum, for this wonderful gem!
#BrooksMuseum

Went with a group before a movie at the museum on a Sunday. The staff was overwhelmed to say the least. I’ve had better service here before.

Lunch here was good. The biscuits were above par. The grilled salmon tasted fresh and nicely cooked. The vegetable plate was tasty, but got a little boring with just hericot vert, cherry tomatoes and cracked farro. I’d wished there was something more to the plate. The caeser salad was crisp and the dressing flavorful. I’d dine here again if in town. But, I’d definitely try something different.

I ate brunch here yesterday and this was the worst dish I’ve had in a restaurant for a long time. The only reason they get two stars is that my daughter liked her shrimp and grits. I had a bacon scallion omlet and home fries. There was less than one piece of bacon in the whole omlet and there were no scallions in it. The home fries were cold and soggy and looked like frozen hash browns. The service was slow and the waiter never once asked if everything was OK. I will not go back and don’t recommend the omlets.

Ate lunch with a friend recently, it was awful. Salad was from a bag with wilted soggy bits stuck to the stale bits. Not even sanitary. The crepes were cold, the filling terrible. almost raw carrot pieces with curds of some kind of cheese, not sure it was the advertised ricotta. Ordered cheesecake for dessert to try and fill up, the ordered key lime pie was «all gone». The server was subpar too. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this place gets such high ratings, unless because there is such a dearth of places to eat lunch in Memphis.

This is hands down one of the best places to go in Memphis.
The wait staff was on it and the food was incredible.
One in our party had the eggs benedict and I had the burger. Flavored, fresh and tasty.

I consider the Brushmark to be poor man’s Acre, the much pricier East Memphis restaurant. My only complaint is that the service is completely dependent on who you get; some of the servers are excellent and others are sub par. The space is beautiful with an amazing patio overlooking Overton Park.
The only meal that I can review is Sunday brunch. That being said, I have had Sunday brunch here at least once a month for the past few years. Their omelettes and quiche are always full of quality ingredients done in great combos. The menu changes about once per season, which is nice for variety without having to worry that the kitchen is constantly having to learn something new. The biscuits that come with brunch are awesome as is the house coffee. I love that you can get a salad (house or ceasar) as opposed to the home fries… it makes the cheddar bacon omelette seem a tad less indulgent. Other stand outs for me have been the peanut soup, the minted pea soup, the special crepes (changes weekly), and the mini bagel with goat cheese and smoked salmon.
After brunch, be sure to check out the museum and gift shop. Brooks is a true Memphis treasure as is all of Overton Park. They regularly rotate their own collection as well as bring in wonderful exhibits from elsewhere.

My boyfriend and I came here for brunch with another couple, and wow! The patio was gorgeous, the service was excellent, and the food was simply fantastic. The usual brunch libations (mimosa, bellini, Bloody Mary) were well-​done, and I could have eaten the entire pastry basket, it was that good. The only thing restraining me was the vague memory that I had ordered eggs Benedict… which was also delicious.
My only minor complaint is that the portions were rather generous — they could scale back a little bit with no harm done, and less food left on the plate (brunch isn’t exactly take-​home friendly, if you ask me). The prices are a little steep, but I think it’s worth it for the quality of food they delivered.

After two and a half years of living in Memphis, I have somehow always forgotten about this restaurant inside the Brooks Museum. I saw the billboard for the Brushmark and decided it was finally time to give it a try! My eating buddy and I went right when it opened for lunch, so the restaurant was empty.
I love restaurants that give out bread and butter, so I was delighted by the basket of bread that was immediately brought out to us. However, when I reached in, there was no warmth and all I felt were half hard half soft slices. Not the biggest fan of crunchy bread, but was able to salvage one soft piece!
The lunch menu did not have many options, but it had your basic lunch staples with a few interesting «exotic» items such as Senegalese peanut soup and Korean kimchi fried rice. We ordered those two items along with the Crêpe of the day. The peanut soup was good, but lukewarm… it was as if they microwaved the soup as to where the edges were hot but the center was cool. The fried rice and the crêpe of the day also reminded me of microwaveable food. The crêpe was smothered in what looked and tasted like cheese dip, which was yummy because it was cheesy, but I felt like I was eating a TV dinner. The kimchi fried rice was meh… I dipped it in the cheese sauce from the crêpe…
Even though my lunch experience at the Brushmark was less than pleasant as far as the food goes, I am still looking forward to trying their Saturday brunch sometime soon!

My favorite time to go to the Brushmark is when the weather is beautiful so you can sit on the patio and look at the most gorgeous view of Overton Park.
Since it is located in the Brooks Museum, it is a great place to brunch on the weekends. You can pop through the galleries afterwards — a great way to spend the afternoon summer or not.
I’ve mostly been during events (wedding and such) and have been extremely impressed with it as a venue.
The food is always great –I love their soups and sandwiches for lunch — perfectly light!

Went today with a group of 8. Took way over an hour for our food to come out. I believe they had my burger on the grill the whole time as it was a hockey puck. Our waitress was nice but also a little clueless. The best way I can describe the food is hotel food. Not horrible but not good either. We were all going to hit up the Video game exhibit after but four people just left after due to the wait. Just won’t be able to ever make myself go back. Too bad as its a nice location and atmosphere.
Just wasn’t very good. Looked much better than it tasted. Pancakes were total batter inside due to under cooking. The corned beef hash was actually thin sliced corned beef with sunny side eggs over potato cakes. Not bad and looked good but lacked in flavor. The eggs and chorizo were just eggs with a few pieces of cut up link sausage. The biscuits were pretty good and the pancakes would have been good if properly cooked. I liken it to a fancy hotel breakfast. Someone was trained to make food look good but forgot how to make it taste as good. The server made a few mistakes but did realize it before bringing the bill. She comped the drinks and gave a 10 percent discount. Nice patio but don’t think I’d go back. If you were only after atmosphere maybe but I want better food.

Perfect place for brunch. If the weather is nice, sit outside on the patio overlooking Overton park and the Golf course. We came right at 11:00 on Saturday morning, and we were the first table they sat. Although we had reservations, I don’t think they were necessary. And no, you don’t need to pay admission even though you’re entering through the art museum. When you walk in the front doors just take a right.
Brushmark has delicious biscuits with butter and jelly – as a free starter. We also had the small basket of pastries with things like mini-​donuts, croissants, danishes, etc – good to split amongst 4 – 6 people. For the main courses, we had the crêpe special, quiche lorrain, and a bacon/​cheddar omelet. The Quiche Lorraine is spectacular. The peanut soup is also very interesting – it has flavors similar to an african stew. The mixed green salad was just so-​so. The prices were reasonable as well.

Located inside the Brooks Museum, this restaurant is one of my favorite lunch spots in Midtown.
First of all, let’s talk about the view. The restaurant is in the rear of the museum, overlooking a very scenic portion of Overton Park. In the spring and fall, it’s especially pretty. And the restaurant has a patio, perfect for outdoor dining on nice days.
The food, prepared by highly acclaimed Chef Wally Joe, couldn’t be better. The last time I went, I started with the signature Brushmark Peanut soup, which is indescribably delicious and something I get every single time I dine here. I also had the Mushroom-​Feta Ravioli with a Sweet Pea-​Scallion Salad & Soy-​Mushroom Broth. It sounds rich and heavy, but it is surprisingly light and very tasty.
They are only open for lunch from 11 to 2:30, Wednesday through Friday, and brunch Saturday and Sunday during the same hours. They have a nice dinner each Thursday evening from 5 to 9 with small plates and seasonal items.
Reservations are absolutely required for both lunch and dinner.

Had lunch here with Poopsie and a friend. It was quite good. They both had salads and I had a Pork thingy. Food was very tasty.
Service was a bit haphazard but it was good once it started. One of the few places you need a reservation for lunch. We arrived without one, then made a reservation for 30 minutes later and went back into the museum. Having a museum attached makes for a very nice waiting room.
Even though we needed a reservation, prices were reasonable. My Pork thingy was the most expensive at $ 13, but was worth it.