Ride Your Bike (or Drive Your Dang Car) to CJ’s Blues Club in West Memphis

Ed. Note: Contributor Stacey has another gem for us in West Memphis, aka another reason to ride your bike/walk across the Big River Crossing. Or, as she says, you can just drive your dang car over to CJs to check out this new Mid-South patio.

You’ve ridden to Pancho’s, now it’s time to go a couple more blocks to CJ’s Blues and Sports Bar in West Memphis! CJ, whose real name is Clem Johnson, has noticed you guys.

He says, “When bikers come over [The Big River Crossing] they have nowhere to ride to. What they normally do is ride to the store and turn around and go back.” He wants you to stay awhile.

After talking to a few cyclists about opening up his patio on weekends, they encouraged him to do so. CJ enlisted the help of local artist (and tour guide extraordinaire), Tad Pierson to turn his formerly empty lot into a bonafide oasis.

CJ and Tad spent a few days hunting car and tractor tires in Crittenden County to paint and repurpose over the course of a couple of weeks. They came up with about 50 of them. As CJ says, “People throw away car tires everyday.”

Those old tires are now colorful tables, chairs, and planters. In addition to tires, CJ repurposed some old pallets to make an outdoor stage. Now Memphis bicyclists (ok and you drivers too) have a seriously cool place to hang, drink beer, eat barbeque, and listen to the blues.

He also plans to open up the back of the building where there’s a jukebox and a pool table. He’s got nice bathrooms for you too.

CJ is having a grand opening party for the new patio this Sunday, August 20, 2017 from 11 a.m. until 5.p.m. Ms. Nickki, who you may know from Wild Bill’s, will be performing along with Big John Cummings (a recording artist and writer for Bobby Rush) and Memphis’s own Soul Connection. (Show time is 2 p.m.)

CJ will be selling ribs, fish, and smoked sausage for $10 a plate. Cold beers are $2-$4 and bottled water is $1. Bring cash.

Can’t make it Sunday? No worries. CJ will open the patio every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from here on out from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. He says everyone is welcome. So go on and get a taste of West Memphis!

Go there:

CJ’s Blues and Sports Bar

3110 E Broadway Ave, West Memphis, AR 72301

Sunday, August 20th, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

(Then every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

About The Author

Stacey Greenberg is a freelance writer who lives in Cooper Young with her two teenaged sons. She’s a contributor to Thrillist.com, Edible Memphis, I Love Memphis, and Memphis Travel. She’s also the author of the award winning blog, Dining with Monkeys (diningwithmonkeys.com). A lifelong Memphian, she loves the fact that she’s never met a stranger here.