Who knew that Mayor Wharton was a crooner? When he strode into B.B. King’s Blues Club, he was handed a “Lucille” guitar and immediately broke into a Bobby Bare hit, singing “Last night I went to sleep in Detroit city...,” then he jumped on the folk classic “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain.”

No surprise. When he was growing up in Lebanon, Tenn., the mayor says, “everyone had three things: a Holy Bible, a .22 rifle and a guitar.”

No surprise either that B.B.’s Beale Street club took the prize from our readers for not only Best “Band” Bar but Best Blues Club, as well.

Another double winner is across the street, where Club 152 on Beale reigns as Best Nightclub and Best Singles Bar. General manager Kelly Potter says the three-story Club 152 pursues several markets, hitting up the lunch crowd with a full menu, including ribs, and running through the afternoon and night with parties and live bands.

Elsewhere Downtown, Bardog on Monroe has the prize for Best Happy Hour Bar. Why? “I have customers’ beers ready before they sit their butts on the barstool,” says bartender Amanda Parks. “Once I learn their names and drinks, I don’t have to ask.” 

No misery here! Cheers!

Best “Band” Bar

Winner:   B.B. King’s Blues Club

B.B. King’s Blues Club woke up in the morning with an MM award in its hand. Yes it woke up in the mornin’ with that MM in its hand. Its fans won’t ever leave it, long as it keeps bringin’ that BB King All-Stars Band.

143 Beale St., 524-5464; memphis.bbkingclubs.com

Finalist: The Hi-Tone Cafe

1913 Poplar Ave., 278-8663; hitonememphis.com

Finalist:  Newby’s Restaurant

539 S. Highland St., 452-8408; newbysmemphis.com

Best Beale Street Bar

Winner:  Blues City Café

Blues City Cafe also won for Best Barbecue Ribs, so it’s a double Beale whammy by nailing this category. With nightly live entertainment in the Band Box (players have included everyone from Kid Rock to Queen Latifah), you could just dance those blues away.

138 Beale St., 526-3637; bluescitycafe.com

Finalist:  B.B. King’s Blues Club

143 Beale St., 524-5464; memphis.bbkingclubs.com

Finalist:  Silky O’Sullivan’s

183 Beale St., 522-9596; silkyosullivans.com

Best Beer Selection

Winner:  Flying Saucer

Flying Saucer is seriously obsessive about its beers. Ommegang Hennepin (draught), Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, and coming soon: Fruili Belgian Strawberry Wit. Not so serious that there isn’t a barrel of fun involved, and you’d better have fun, or the aliens will foam you.

130 Peabody Place, 523-8536; 1400 N. Germantown Parkway, 755-5530; beerknurd.com

Finalist:  Young Avenue Deli

2119 Young Ave., 278-0034; youngavenuedeli.com

Finalist:  Boscos Squared

2120 Madison Ave., 432-2222; boscosbeer.com

Best Blues Club

Winner:  B.B. King’s Blues Club

Got my B.B. King’s Blues Club, comin’ home with another award. Yes, I got my B.B. Blues Club, comin’ home with a big award. So don’t mess with Mr. King’s baby, ’cause it’s time to be adored.

143 Beale St., 524-5464; memphis.bbkingclubs.com

Finalist:  Blues City Café

138 Beale St., 526-3637; bluescitycafe.com

Finalist:  Rum Boogie Cafe

182 Beale St., 528-0150; rumboogie.com 

Best Cocktail Bar

Winner:  The Silly Goose

The Silly Goose serves up a certain silly elegance, plus cool but silly bartenders, efficient and silly wait staff, and lots of fine art that’s often quite silly. Or maybe not, because this is all just silly. Why are you even reading this, silly person? You can’t have one of their cocktails unless you’re there. Silly.

100 Peabody Place, 435-6915; sillygoosememphis.com

Finalist:  The Cove

2559 Broad Ave., 730-0719; thecovememphis.com

Finalist:  Mollie Fontaine Lounge

679 Adams Ave., 524-1886; molliefontainelounge.com 

Best Happy Hour Bar

Winner:  Bardog Tavern

Bardog Tavern isn’t a mere bar, it’s a community. If they don’t know you, then you’re either brand new or not trying very hard. It’s coming up on two years of giving their customers what they want, which is not only a great happy hour, but spaghetti and meatballs, Original Memphis Sliders and tomato bisque. Nobody said it was just average.

73 Monroe Ave., 275-8752; bardogtavern.com

Finalist:  The Flying Saucer

130 Peabody Place, 523-8536; 1400 N. Germantown Parkway, 755-5530; beerknurd.com

Finalist:  Chili’s Grill & Bar

Several locations; chilis.com 

Best Neighborhood Bar

Winner:  Celtic Crossing

Celtic Crossing puts Ireland smack in the middle of the Cooper-Young area with lots of feel-good diversions from a Sunday brunch to pub quizzes, shepherd’s pie and Guinness, Irish whiskey and Scotch. Indoors or out, it’s “an over-powering tumult that had yet many pleasant secondary notes,” as Yeats might’ve said.

903 S. Cooper St., 274-5151; celticcrossingmemphis.com

Finalist:  Bardog Tavern

73 Monroe Ave., 275-8752; bardogtavern.com

Finalist:  Huey’s

Several locations; hueyburger.com

Best Nightclub

Winner:  Club 152 on Beale

Club 152 on Beale takes the Memphis Most prize in this category because it strives to have something for everyone. LIve entertainment seven days a week and three floors of fun means multiple parties and multiple excitement all in one bumpin’ joint.

152 Beale St., 544-7011; club152memphis.com

Finalist:  Raiford’s Hollywood Disco

115 Vance, 528-9313; hollywooddisco.com

Finalist:  B.B. King’s Blues Club

143 Beale St., 524-5464; memphis.bbkingclubs.com

Best Singles Bar

Winner:  Club 152 on Beale

Club 152 on Beale knows about singles, because it used to operate on a single level. Now it’s got three floors with a variety of possibilities and isn’t that what singles are looking for? If you don’t see it happening at the party on three, try the live music on two or the food on one. No excuses.

152 Beale St., 544-7011; club152memphis.com

Finalist: Celtic Crossing

903 S. Cooper St., 274-5151; celticcrossingmemphis.com

Finalist:  Spindini

383 S. Main St., 578-2767; spindinimemphis.com

Best Sports Bar

Winner:  Fox & Hound English Pub/Grille

Fox & Hound English Pub/Grille is a sport fan’s heaven with Wi-Fi, HDTVs, dozens of brands of beer, a full-service bar and a major league commitment to the kinds of comfort food that the fan needs, whether thrilling to victory or agonizing in defeat.

5101 Sanderlin Ave., 763-2013; 819 Exocet Drive, 624-9060; foxandhound.com

Finalist:  Buffalo Wild Wings

Several locations; buffalowildwings.com

Finalist:  Calhoun’s Sports Bar

115 E. G.E. Patterson Ave., 528-8600