Cafe Olé

One of the best brunch spots in Memphis. They have $ 5.00 double mimosas and a fantastic patio. Their brunch is pretty good and the service is always great. I would recommend the bacon wrapped shrimp…

Two stars is generous only because the manager and our waiter were really fantastic. Additionally, the patio at this place is a gem! That’s all I have for praise. Unfortunately this place sells you on their looks and then serves you food that is of low-​end chain quality. The chips were clearly fried at too low of a temperature as we could pour the oil off of them. This was true of the fried avocado sticks, and the fried jalapeños, too. The ghost pepper grits had no flavor, and no spice – how is that possible?! The husband said the taste and texture reminded him of warm cottage cheese – he was absolutely correct. When ordering the street tacos don’t fool yourself into anticipating the delicious, stuffed tacos you get on a beach in Mexico with flavorful meat, cilantro, and white onion a plenty. Instead, be prepared for a few chunks of meat I wouldn’t consider feeding my dogs. When asked if the chef could add extra meat (we were willing to pay extra) the answer was no, and for us to order something else. I would understand if this was high quality food and the chef had a no-​substitutions rule, but Applebee’s would be better than this place (if they had the patio). And anyone who knows me knows I wouldn’t be caught dead in an Applebee’s! Last, the margarita. Don’t order it. In short, this place could really benefit from a massive overhaul of their menu using fresh, quality ingredients and a chef who puts a bit more care into the food they serve. They have the location, they have the service, they just need the food.

Great deck, nice waitress. Mediocre food. Ideas are good but execution is poor. I always wonder what a Superior Grill could do in this space. Wish someone would call NOLA!

Build your own quesadillas for $ 11? Um… Yes please??? I’m not really a Mexican food kind of person and anyone that knows me can definitely vouch for that but their quesadillas are the absolute greatest. I typically get steak or chicken as my meat, queso fresca as my cheese, and a butt load of veggies. And their freaking MIMOSA BONG. DUDE. MIMOSA. FREAKING. BONG. That shit is 100oz of pure happiness. And their servers! They have the best wait staff I’ve ever encountered in all of my years of going out to eat. This place is literally my home away from home!

I’ve always loved this place but I hadn’t been in a while, and boy was I surprised! They totally renovated. The outdoor seating area in particular is now fantastic. It has a tropical island vibe and it made me feel like I was sitting out by a beach somewhere. Their strawberry margaritas are delicious and pack a punch. Their food is still pretty great too. And their servers are very friendly. They have TVs inside if you’re interested in watching the game. They get very busy on the weekends, but I always like to come here on a weekday. Makes for a good midweek break. Give this place a try for sure!

Café Olé was once an oasis of good drinks and good food in Cooper-​Young, but as the tide has risen in the neighborhood, This place has become the Titanic of local restaurant shipwrecks.
We once loved Olé’ for the good service, great patio and decent prices, but the last two visits have been pitiful experiences and we won’t be back. Ever.
This time, our server was a sloppy, disinterested, wanna-​be hipster who wouldn’t recognize a problem if it smacked him in his brooding face.
The food was awful — cold cheese dip, bland tacos and a «Chipotle Chicken» that looked and tasted like a Swanson frozen dinner, delivered on a huge plate with a tiny chicken breast and a haphazard dollop of cold rice. Not even a hint of a vegetable to take up that extra real estate. We also ordered a $ 4 side of the chorizo hash and left the bowl on the edge of the table to alert our «Waitster» that it was inedible and he never got the hint. The grits which came with the cardboard tacos joined the hash in exile.
The drinks? Frozen Margaritas in a hurricane glass with a taste which reminded me of my favorite lime flavored Slush Puppy beverage when I was seven years old … unfortunately with the same amount of alcohol at 10 times the price.
I remember Olé in the 90s and 2000s as a great place to spend a beautiful, sunny afternoon and they served an awesome dish called Aztec Chicken — grilled chicken with a little cheese and a great side of SPICY vegetables. Sometimes I would order just a plate of those vegetables with chips and cheese — that’s how good they were. When I asked if there was anything like Aztec Chicken, the response was «Uhh, no we can’t make that but that Chipotle Chicken sounds like it.»
No, sir.
I’ve eaten Aztec Chicken.
I’ve loved Aztec Chicken.
That Chipotle Chicken is no Aztec Chicken.
Yes, at the risk of a bad pun, «Adiós to Olé» and there will be no otra vez, and this is not the Café Olé’ we all once knew and loved.

So I had not stepped foot in here in years, but apparently its under new management (for a few years now I understand) and the feel of the place is better, the food is better and the staff is really friendly. These are in stark contract to what is was the last time i walked in 2 or 3 years ago. This is a perfect place to go, especially on a nice day, for some food and a few cocktails. I had the chile relleno and it was very tasty I definitely recommend! The cheese dip is quite different from many other places. Its kind of creamy… at first I wasn’t sure of it but chip by chip it won me over. Speaking of the home made chips are really good as well. All in all very happy.

When I was in college, we spent a lot of time at this place. But, let’s be honest — when you’re 21 (–ish) and broke your main priority is booze — cheap and strong — and Café Olé always delivered. I’m not sure if I can remember a single dish on that late 90s/​early 00s menu, but I could probably recite the margarita menu after all of these years.
Anyway, have paid a couple of visits here since I moved back about a year ago, and it’s definitely not my favorite place, food-​wise. They’ve cleaned up the place a lot, still have a really great patio, and the drinks are still strong and pretty cheap. But, when it comes to dining, there are just so many other great options in Cooper-​Young, that I have no idea why people would voluntarily eat here. Everything I’ve tried has been tasteless, blah, and unappetizing-​looking.
The service is generally good, and I would gladly sit on their patio when the weather’s nice and have a couple of beers, but go elsewhere for food.

Finally ate here tonight for a little birthday celebration. Great experience. Awesome patron margaritas along with good food everyone loved what they chose to eat. Great atmosphere also. There was a guy right by the door singing and playing a guitar and it was very calm music went well with the vibe. I would definitely come back here

My sister, her husband and myself decided to try out this restaurant. We ate outside. I enjoyed being on the patio. Margaritas are great. Great atmosphere and great food. The quesadillas are good. The prices are affordable.

We had a wonderful experience here! The outdoor patio is magical. It’s so relaxing out there, and the live music was perfect. I had a veggie fajita and it was fantastic. The chips and salsa are very good. Things were pretty reasonably priced. The drink special last night was ½ off bottles of wine, our merlot was very nice. The service was outstanding. We will definitely be back.

I’d heard so many good things about Café Olé, and I’d read some Unilocal!reviews about it that weren’t great. My friend and I were in the neighborhood the other night and decided to check it out. I’m just going to start at the beginning.
It was 8:30 on a Tuesday night, but there was really loud music on the patio, which smelled of stale liquor and there were several people having a booze-​fueled fabulous time. Fine. We walked on to the main entrance, more loud music, but different from the patio music, but the patio was open to the indoors, so the loud and different musics were competing and just creating a cacophony. My friend and I were seated, our server was friendly. The chips and salsa were good, better even than at some of the local Mexican restaurants (and I wouldn’t necessarily call Café Olé Mexican). We decided to try the stuffed shrimp appetizer, which was really, really tasty (and a big part of that third star I’m giving). I had street tacos, which were tasty enough, even if I got flour tortillas when I asked for corn. My pal ordered a taco salad, which was pretty mundane on its sad bed of watery, tasteless iceberg lettuce. If I choose to go back, it will be for the stuffed shrimp. And if I was with a group who all wanted to go, I’d go along… since I could have the stuffed shrimp.

Live music. Amazing outdoor patio with palm trees. Came from Chicago for work and the scene was laid back, chill, didn’t have any food but the bartender could pour good drinks and they had sports on TVs. Maybe the food isn’t amazing, but I didn’t know or care.
Charvey Mac live on guitar on Thursdays. It was a great Thursday night of some amazing music and tremendous vocals by Charvey Mac, who seems to be a hidden gem of Memphis but he plays well over 200 hundred gigs per year in this music town. Awesome!!!
I would return here with friends any Thursday night for drinks and great music. Very fun! Cool night in Midtown Memphis and I didn’t have to deal with any annoying hipsters. Café Olé was a cool spot and gets my approval for sure. Charvey Mac, see you and your guitar again someday my man!

5 years ago Café Olé was a different sight altogether! We used to come here for Thurs night college nights and this place was basically a huge party! That’s where my love for this place sprouted. But this time when I visited, I was refreshingly surprised. This place has ‘sobered down’ if you may. My friends and I came in here for a quick bite. The food is basically Tex-​Mex but it was ample options for vegetarians. Build your own quesadillas, fajitas, burritos, tacos. the usuals! It’s got an outdoor patio and a great location in the heart of Cooper-​Young!
Margaritas are strong and delicious — well worth the $ 7 price tag! It’s a good olé time for your belly, for sure!

I actually tried the food this time. This place is nice. I like it. It’s not super classy but it’s definitely not trashy like some of the bars in that area. I loved the fact that I could build my own quesadilla and you know what, it was actually a good portion. I paid $ 11 to build my own quesadilla and $ 7 for a house margarita. That margarita really had me buzzed. IDK what kind of tequila they put in there.
The complimentary salsa was to die for! It was so tangy and bold. The chips had to have been house made, they were crunchy and light.
They had a live band on the patio but it was too humid so we sat inside.
I’m excited to go back and try something different the next time I’m in Memphis.

By far the best Mexican place in Memphis. Quesadillas are a must! They have a great atmosphere and the staff is very friendly. Would recommend to anyone.

We stopped in here for a break from the heat and the crowd at Cooper Young Fest. It was crowded, but by the time I got a margarita at the bar, our table was ready.
I cannot find the dish I ordered online. It may have been a special for the fest or they may have changed menus, but I have no specifics. Essentially, it was two pork tamales with a side of corn on the cob topped with a creamy cheese. The corn was delicious. The tamales were a bit dry, but that’s always a risk and they were tasty. The margarita was solid, too. I’m sure if they dodge the mix, but I couldn’t taste sweet and sour.
The service left me wanting for nothing. Aside from the quick seating given the crowd and the friendly bartender, our waitress was very attentive. She saw me cutting the corn off the cob with a butter knife and came to offer me a steak knife before I was on the second quarter. One of our group turned to look at something and gestured toward it in conversation. The waitress (I wish I’d asked her name) came over immediately to see if he needed something. The tab was quick. We noticed they were cleaning the table for the next group before we were out the door. Overall awesome given the number of bodies both seated and waiting.
I’m excited to go back and try a few of those brunch items!

I love the bartenders and waiters and waitresses here. Everyone is so friendly and inviting. There is never a dull moment. The queso dip with ground beef is the business! I make sure on Tuesdays I am here to enjoy good music and good drinks. And with the big screens everywhere you can always catch a good sport game. Everyone must go to Café Olé.

Well tried to give this place a chance I give up. Stopped in here during Cooper young festival my group let me run in and get a margarita. I got my drink then tried to leave they would not let me leave the place with my drink. I did not even think about not being able to leave there was not one sign or one person that mentioned that they just let me buy my $ 10 margarita. I asked the guy at the door to please let me put my drink down and walk out and wave at my group I did not want to drink this whole thing fast. He said no you can not go out per the manager. I will not be back.

What a total shit hole. Location I guess keeps this turd open. Please somebody buy this dump and start over. Horrible food and staff. One of the best locations in the city that has for decades been a complete stinking dump.

I like customizing my quesadillas. However, they aren’t the best ever. Their chips are awesome. The salsa is spicy. House margarita is weak. I added two shots of tequila to mine. Patio is awesome. Service is good.

Very nice change at this place. Much more open layout. Staff is very nice. Food is tasty. But, it’s very limited on choices for food and there is no lunch menu.

The best thing about this place was our server Tommie. She was very accommodating to us and asked the kitchen about everything to make sure it was vegan.
Other than that, the place was okay. The salsa was good but I didn’t care for the chips. Some of them tasted burnt. There was nothing vegan on the new menu, but our server had the kitchen make us veggie fajitas. They were pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The patio was cool, but I wouldn’t recommend this place.

If you want good magaritas, this is the place to come to. Usually, after one small magarita I’m tipsy. This place is great for groups or even some alone chill time. I love the patio… some good «people watching» could be done from here. The bacon wrapped shrimp is delicious… be aware kind of spicy. The salsa is too spicy to enjoy… it’s good, but just extremely caliente! The Mexican corn is really good as well. I like spending summer nights at this place. Great vibe, good food, and awesome drinks!

The remodel really opened up the place.
The bar looks so clean & brand new.
Good chips thicker than most.
Salsa tastes fresh and has just the right kick.
Bartender is very friendly seems like somebody you would like to hang out with
& watch the game.
I was very impressed with the menu
It is not the standard taco meat 16 ways menu.
I had the Mexican pizza.
I thought it was a little pricey at $ 12.
It was good and there is a lot of it,
but $ 10 would seem like a fair price.
My future fiancé had the grilled shrimp taco.
I thought it was wonderful,
some of the best shrimp I have ever had.
She has spent time in Houston so she wasn’t impressed with the shrimp.
I look forward to visiting this restaurant again

This is definitely by far one of my favorite spots for weekend brunch! So far I’ve tried the chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, breakfast tacos, and the sopapilla pancakes (not all in one visit, but tempting). EVERYTHING has been fantastic. Also, I’m not sure what it is about their scrambled eggs, but they are the best.
Another thing I love about their weekend brunch — they open at 9 AM! So that means I can get my mimosa fix earlier than the standard 11 AM brunch at most places. Mimosas and bloody marys are just $ 2.50 during brunch, so you can get your hangover cure here without breaking the bank. They also have Mexican coffee (which is dangerously delicious, but be careful because it has tequila in it) and a super tasty mimosarita, which is exactly what it sounds like, a bubbly margarita. Try it!
Café Olé isn’t really a happy hour or dinner spot for me, mostly because I’m not a midtowner, so if I’m in the area it’s usually on a weekend day. I’ve been for lunch and dinner a few times and really enjoyed my meal.

New owners, new renovations, new Café Olé (thank heavens)!
I mean, they have a mimosa bong, y’all. And their bar with a giant TV is pretty sweet. I’m excited Cooper-​Young has a new option because it has stayed pretty stagnant over the past few years. I mean, the restaurants there are oldies but goodies… just no new flow (minus the revolving door across the street) and I like trying new things!
Anyways, I went here for brunch on Sunday (they open at 9 am!!) and was in heaven with their breakfast tacos, pancakes and bacon… yeah, I’m a fattie… err, foodie.
And for you alcohol lovers they have a full bar and a very nice bartender. Plus they are open until 3 am some nights… I looooove me some late night.
Seriously, y’all, give it another chance if you haven’t been in a year or two. The renovations and complete rehaul have been major.