A P & H Story
		(click for larger image) Few places I've known give me that comfortable feeling I experience when I'm at the P & H. Whether it's wall-to-wall and the best band in Memphis is playing their heart out, or you're all the way in the back shooting stick with your pals, drinking beers and sneaking over to turn up the juke when Bob's not looking, the P & H is exactly where you needed to be. But for me, I like it most when I'm the only one there. I plop down on a barstool and respond to Nancy's welcome inquiry concerning my thirst. It's cooler inside but not too cool. You can still feel the summer Sun, outside somewhere about straight up, and it makes you that much more thankful for that cool comfortable feeling. The original P & H, which stood for "Pearl and Harrison", was first opened in 1961 by Big John and Ondine Barnes. Located at 1143 Jefferson, it operated there until 1965 when the now controversial Interstate 40 began construction. It featured nine bolted-to-the-floor barstools, five booths, a jukebox, and a pinball machine. Relocating to a larger home at the corner of Madison and Morrisson, it grew to include twelve stools, eight booths, and shuffleboard. It was then that Big John first dubbed the joint "The Poor and Hungry." In the month of December 1975, the P & H was opened under a new partnership between Ondine Barnes and an accomplished actress named Wanda Wilson. Now operating at 1528 Madison Avenue, its third home in fourteen years, the cafe grew larger still. Offering eight booths, eight tables, and fifteen barstools to plop down on, the pub was a favorite to anyone looking for a place to relax and maybe get a bite to eat and an iced tea. Patrons enjoyed playing shuffleboard, pinball, and the new video games. The partnership between the Barnes' and Wanda Wilson dissolved just a year later when Big John passed away. Continuing on, the P & H flourished for nine years under Miss Wanda's care. In January of 1984, the cafe relocated one last time to where I know it best. Now with the address of 1532 Madison, the popular neighborhood getaway was right where it had always been, in the heart of Midtown. For fifteen more years the P & H never failed to provide that comfortable feeling to all who found themselves in need of it. Then, in September of 1999, the cafe's history came full circle when Nancy Heaton, longtime employee and daughter of Big John and Ondine, along with her husband Bob, purchased the P & H. Only knowing that feeling for a handful of years, it's funny for me to think the P & H is approaching its fortieth anniversary. But sitting on a stool, holding a cold mug from the tap, and looking around at all the pictures, hearing all the good times echoing through stories told by longtime patrons like Lonnie Evans, and feeling the history of a hundred thousand thirsts quenched, and many more heavy loads laid down so hearts could have a chance to rest, I realize what makes this place feel so comfortable. Here are just a few of the friendly faces you'll find at the P & H: Bob and Nancy Heaton Owners Dennis and Jo longtime employees of the P & H