It is absolutely, positively, undeniably the best barbecue restaurant in Memphis, period. And so is that one. And that one. And that one.
If you ask a dozen Memphians where to get the best barbecue, you’ll get as many different answers. But one thing’s for certain, wherever you land in the city that’s home to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, you’re bound to get a mouthful of flavor.
Characterized by pork ribs and shoulder prepared with dry rubs and served with a thin but sweet tomato-vinegar sauce on the side, Memphis-style barbecue is one of the powerhouses in the hotly contested barbecue debate. (For sticky-sweet wet beef, try Kansas City-style. Want spicy mustardand vinegar-based pork barbecue? Hit up the Carolinas.)
“It would lean more toward
sweet and smoky here than a lot of other places,” says Memphis Restaurant Association President Mike Miller, who moved to town from Kansas City 20 years ago. The flavor comes from a lot of hickory wood, he says, and the light reddish-brown Memphis-style sauce is quite a bit less spicy than other styles. (Of course, many places offer a hotter, more vinegary version in addition to their sweeter house sauce, he adds.)
But whether you’re ordering a slab of ribs, a pulled pork sandwich (which comes topped with a scoop of coleslaw unless you specify otherwise), barbecue nachos, barbecue spaghetti or even hot tamales, you’ll be experiencing a regional identity, one that visitors should not miss.
“The taste of Memphis barbecue is definitely a signature item for us,” Miller says. And “there’s a ton of places around.”
Most Mouthwatering
Here are some of the most well-known barbecue spots in Memphis:
Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous: Extremely renowned, the Rendezvous boasts the tagline, “Not since Adam has a rib been this famous.” Started in 1948 when Vergos was cleaning the basement below his diner and discovered a coal chute that could serve as a vent for a grill, the restaurant now serves charcoal-broiled pork ribs to several thousand people on any given Saturday night.
It’s located down the stairs in the alley at 52 S. Second St. in downtown Memphis. The Rendezvous will be closed Dec. 31, and open from 11 a.m. to11p.m.Jan.1and2.Itwill be closed from Jan. 3 through Jan. 14; the restaurant always takes two weeks off around the holidays. Information: 901-523-2746 or www.hogsfly. com.
Interstate Bar-B-Que: “We are the original,” the first to put the Neely name on the Memphis barbecue scene, the Web site boasts. Founded by Jim Neely in an old grocery store, Interstate Bar-B-Que cooks its meat for about five hours in specially built pits. Neely can cook up to 500 slabs of ribs at a time, though the restaurant is especially celebrated for its pork barbecue sandwich.
It’s located at 2265 S. Third St. It will be open with reduced
hours on New Year’s Eve and closed New Year’s Day. Information: 901-775-2304 or www. interstatebarbecue.com.
Neely’s Bar-B-Que: Started in 1988 by four of Jim Neely’s nephews (Gaelin, Tony, Mark and Patrick), Neely’s (and its second Memphis location, which opened in 1992, and a third that opened in Nashville in 2001) has been featured on “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America” and on The Food Network with Bobby Flay. Co-owners Pat Neely and his wife, Gina, host The Food Network television show “Down Home with the Neelys.” The restaurant’s BarB-Que Spaghetti (“Mother’s Choice”) is a mixture of barbecue and spaghetti sauce poured over pasta and pork.
There are locations at 5700 Mount Moriah Road
(901-795-4177) and 670 Jefferson Ave. (901-521-9798) in Memphis. The Moriah Road location will be closed on Jan. 1; the Jefferson Avenue location will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Information: www.neelysbbq. com.
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ: Don Pelts founded the popular multistate chain in Memphis in 1984. The restaurant smokes its ribs and barbecue over hickory wood and charcoal for 18 hours.
The original is located at 5259 Poplar Ave. and will be open from 10:45 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Dec. 31 and until 10 p.m. Jan. 1. Information: 901-685-9744 or www.corkysmemphis.com.
Leonard’s Pit Barbecue: “Is what real pit barbecue is all about,” its slogan says. In 1922, Leonard Heuberger began selling barbecue sandwiches from a
little stand — for 5 cents apiece. His establishment has been one of Memphis’ barbecue Meccas since. Leonard’s offers a lunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. except on Saturdays, and an evening buffet from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and 4 to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
It’s located at 5465 Fox Plaza Drive and will be open from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve and until 9 p.m. New Year’s Day. Information: 901-360-1963 or www.leonardsbarbecue. com.
Central BBQ: In addition to ribs and barbecue, Central BBQ — which was opened by Roger Sapp and Craig Blondis in 2002 — offers award-winning wings. The eatery is certified by Project Green Fork, a nonprofit Memphis community initiative to create a more environmentally sustainable restaurant industry; it carries biodegradable packaging, recycles, composts and uses environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.
Central BBQ has two locations: 2249 Central Ave. (901272-9377) and 4375 Summer Ave. (901-767-4672). Both will be open Dec. 31 and closed Jan. 1. Information: www.cbqmemphis.com.
Small Place, Big Flavor
“But there’s a lot of other, smaller places around” Memphis that are extremely good, too, Miller adds.
Like:
Cozy Corner Restaurant: A tiny “hole-in-the-wall shack” that’s “absolutely unique to Memphis,” Miller says. It’s certainly not for a busload of people, he says, but perfect if your party is small. “Man, it’s worth a great stop.” One of its specials is a bologna sandwich.
It’s located at 745 N. Parkway. Information: 901-527-9158 or www.cozycornerbbq.com.
A&R Bar-Be-Que: “Putting heat to the meat,” the motto says. Founded by Andrew and Rose Pollard in 1983 as a takeout barbecue place, the dine-in restaurant also offers turkey legs and hot link sandwiches.
There are three locations: 1802 Elvis Presley Blvd. (901774-7444), 7174 Hwy. 64 (901266-0545) and 3721 Hickory Hill Road (901-365-9777). Information: www.aandrbbq.com.
Three Little Pigs Bar-B-Q:
“We serve no swine before its time!” Family-owned and operated since 1989, it serves pork shoulder barbecue that’s been hickory-smoked for more than 20 hours.
It’s located at 5145 Quince Road. Information: 901-685-7094 or http://threelittlepigsbarb-q.com.
Other Eats
But what if barbecue just isn’t your thing, or the idea of eating smoked hog whilst wearing Razorback red just doesn’t sit well with you?
“We have quite a variety of other ethnic and local foods,” says Miller, who owns the soul food restaurant Patrick’s Steaks and Spirits. (Patrick’s does offer a small number of barbecue items, though. Miller’s competitive team, the Knob Creek Smokers, won second place in best ribs at the World Championship in 2006.)
Of the more than 2,000 food service outlets in Memphis, maybe 10 percent to 15 percent are barbecue restaurants, Miller says. So folks shouldn’t have trouble finding something else to suit their tastes.
For more information on all kinds of restaurants — like hours, price range, payment types accepted, addresses and even some menus — visit www. memphisrestaurants.com.