Welcome to Table Talk, The Daily Memphian’s weekly food and dining newsletter for subscribers only. 

They say we first “eat” with our eyes. Next comes smell — a key part of taste, even before we eat a single bite. 

But a new app is helping restaurant-goers with another one of the five senses: hearing. 

The SoundPrint app was designed to measure ambient sound so people know how loud a place is before they go. The tool can be particularly helpful for people with hearing loss or small children.

After downloading the app, it uses your phone to measure the decibels in the space. It’s kind of like Shazam but it measures all ambient sound instead of zeroing in on music.

That data is then put on SoundPrint for other users to see. 

I spoke with SoundPrint founder, Greg Scott, who told me that the, albeit limited, data Memphians have already provided shows one thing: We’re pretty loud.

“Memphis restaurants registered an average of 77.9 decibels, which is loud,” he said of sound prints uploaded during peak hours between 6 and 10 p.m. “And 42% are simply so loud that constant exposure for diners or employees to such loud noise can endanger one’s hearing health.”

According to the Hearing Health Foundation, safe sound is anything at or below 70 decibels. Sounds that reach 85 can potentially cause permanent hearing loss.

East Memphis’ Hog & Hominy, River Oaks Restaurant and Huey’s Poplar all register as “very loud” on SoundPrint, with more than 80 decibels each. 

You can probably imagine how the bars on Beale Street rate.

More than two dozen local restaurants already have SoundPrint data in the app, but the entries are limited. Many local restaurants haven’t had any data uploaded on them yet. The more people who upload audio during different times of the day, the more comprehensive the app’s information will be.

So far, only 35% of local restaurants on the app are considered to be “conducive for conversation.”

Places such as Taqueria La Guadalupana on Summer Avenue and RP Tracks near the University of Memphis registered quiet and moderate sound levels, respectively. Moondance Grill in Germantown earned the app’s “Quiet List Nominated” badge for its 68-decibel reading.

“We always try to create a very welcoming environment and a very consistent environment,” said Moondance beverage manager Jeremiah Clark. “Any day of the week, no matter what time of day you come in, we want to be a lively environment but a focused one where you can still enjoy conversations.” 

The older I get, the more particular I’ve become about the dining rooms I visit. And it’s not just about the food (though cuisine is always my priority). It’s about the service, the atmosphere, the aesthetic and, yes, the dining room’s volume.

There are absolutely times and places to scream half-heard sentences over driving basslines and other screaming people, but over pancakes and berries just ain’t it. 

Luckily, there seems to be an app for just about everything.

This week on the Memphis food scene

Robert Smith flips burgers at Piccadilly To Go. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

The new Piccadilly To Go location hosted its grand opening on Wednesday, April 1.

Central BBQ debuted its mobile ordering app, eliminating customers’ need for phone orders and third-party apps for carry-out and delivery orders.

In her latest $15 deal, Erica Horton explored Downtown’s latest food obsession — and her own — at Kuya.

In Food Files, Sophia Surrett outlined where Dutch Bros Coffee and Tommy’s Burgers may want to open their next locations, a Guthrie’s merger and Playa Bowls grand opening.

Surrett also spoke with chef Jimmy Sinh about his plans for the former By the Brewery space.

In-N-Out vice president of store development Mike Abbate confirmed the restaurant’s first Memphis location on Poplar Avenue. (David Zalubowski/AP file)

In-N-Out vice president of store development Mike Abbate confirmed the restaurant’s first Memphis location, coming to Poplar Avenue, in another story from Surrett. 

Jennifer Chandler uncovered the secret to luxe deviled eggs with expert and restaurateur Felicia Willett Schuchardt in our latest Recipe Exchange.

With Easter around the corner, crawfish season is nearing the sweet spot were prices drop and quality peaks.

The World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Festival is launching the World Wing Cup, a competition-within-the-competition with a grand prize of $25,000.

And, lastly, activated charcoal creates striking beverages, so I explored the wellness part of the trend.

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