The name Folk’s Folly carries a small piece of Memphis business history: an entrepreneur’s restaurant idea that did not inspire much confidence among his peers.

Humphrey Folk Jr., a developer with an appreciation for food and wine, opened the restaurant in 1977 despite having no restaurant or culinary background.

He converted a house into an eatery and paired his surname with a word reflecting the doubts surrounding the venture.

Nearly five decades later, that name offers a useful starting point for understanding a Memphis institution beyond its dinner menu.

The story is about someone pursuing an unfamiliar business and the generations that followed.

In 2003, Folk welcomed Memphis restaurateur Thomas Boggs as managing partner, an agreement the restaurant describes as sealed with a handshake.

The business’s history identifies Folk’s four sons and Boggs’ three daughters as active partners, connecting the restaurant to both families.

For One Local Thing, those connections matter more than adding another superlative to a steakhouse recommendation.

A restaurant can be part of a city’s story through the people who build it, the choices that sustain it, and the occasions diners associate with its tables.

The current address is 551 South Mendenhall Road in East Memphis.

Beyond the dining rooms, Humphrey’s Prime Cut Shoppe next door extends the business into food customers can enjoy at home.

The restaurant also offers private dining, with arrangements handled directly rather than through its standard online reservation system.

Anyone planning an occasion should review the current dress policy, menu, and reservation options before visiting.

This is a history-focused introduction, rather than a firsthand dining review, and the appeal begins with the unlikely name on the sign.

The next time Folk’s Folly comes up in conversation, there is a story to share before anyone discusses a cut of steak.

It began with a developer, a house, and an idea that outlasted the doubts.