A trio of hummus makes a lovely plate at Boneheads on Perkins in East Memphis.
For years, the intersection at Perkins and Poplar stayed relatively the same due to a stable collection of retail shops and a great-looking Sears store that has anchored the intersection’s northwest corner since 1958. Then the economy tanked, and businesses folded until a lovely new Jim‘s Place restaurant reversed the trend last year.
Now the busy East Memphis intersection has another promising restaurant with the opening of Boneheads, an Atlanta franchise specializing in grilled fish and chicken seasoned with a choice of five different sauces made from piri piri, a spicy pepper discovered hundreds of years ago in Mozambique by Portuguese explorers.
The restaurant is the first Boneheads in Memphis, but folks who frequent Humdingers will recognize the format: order at the counter from a menu offering complete meals for about $10, find a seat, and be served your food in less than 10 minutes. The piri piri sauces are used in cooking and are also available at the tables for extra seasoning.
Anna and I had lunch at the new Boneheads last week and liked the menu’s mix of salads, sandwiches, tacos and plates. The fish and chicken plates are served with seasoned rice and a choice of sides, which offer a nice change of pace: black beans and corn, chilled broccoli tossed with garlic, onions, sesame oil and sweet soy sauce, cilantro slaw, grilled asparagus or zuccini, seasoned regular fries and sweet potato fries.
We started with the $5.29 hummus trio (pictured above ) which was my favorite part of lunch. Three types of hummus (citrus, basil pesto and roasted red pepper) were plated on a cheerful Fiesta ware plate along with cucumbers, tomatoes and warm triangles of pita bread.
We also ordered fish sandwiches. Boneheads is committed to sustainable fishing practices, which is nice to know when deciding which fish to order. There were several choices and all came with a side. Anna got Mahi Mahi ($10.49), and I got Triggerfish ($9.29). Each was nicely grilled and served with fresh tomatoes, lettuce and a potato roll. The roll was way too much bread for both us, so we ditched the roll for a fork.
Anna, who lives on a tight budget in New York City, thought the sandwiches were overpriced. I’ve become accustomed to the $10 lunch, so I thought the pricing was pretty standard. We both liked the restaurant’s seafoam green walls and design scheme described by CEO Clay Carson as “more Bob Marley.”
Carson also said he expects a second Boneheads location in Germantown or in Oxford, Mississippi, where regional franchise owner Benton Smith lives.
Boneheads, 555 Perkins Ext., Suite 100, 901-746-8867 (eatboneheads.com)
