Memphis claims to be the barbecue capital of the world, and with more than 100 barbecue restaurants and the annual Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, it's hard to argue the point. The standard barbecue here comes in two basic types -- hand-pulled pork shoulder (pulled off the bone rather than cut off) and pork ribs. The latter can be served wet or dry (that is, with or without sauce). The best pulled pork shoulder in town is at Corky's and the best ribs are served at The Rendezvous.
However, it isn't just pork shoulder and ribs that get barbecued here in Memphis. You can get barbecued spaghetti, barbecued pizza, and even barbecued bologna! Everyone in town seems to have his or her own favorite barbecue joint, and listed below are some of the ones that consistently get the best reviews.
The Cozy Corner, 745 N. Parkway (tel. 901/527-9158), is just what it sounds like and is located in midtown Memphis. Neely's B-B-Q, 670 Jefferson Ave. in downtown (tel. 901/521-9798), and 5700 Mt. Moriah Rd. in East Memphis (tel. 901/795-4177), does the usual, but also does barbecued spaghetti and barbecued bologna. The Beale St. Bar-B-Que, 205 Beale St. (tel. 901/526-6113), is a serviceable place to grab 'cue if you're doing the blues thing, but Beale Street's best ribs are at Blues City Café, 138 Beale St. (tel. 901/526-3637; www.bluescitycafe.com). They make mean tamales, too.
Down near Graceland, which is located in one of the city's poorer neighborhoods, there is an abundance of barbecue joints and bonafide dives worth the drive: Try Payne's, 1393 Elvis Presley Blvd. (tel. 901/942-7433); Interstate Bar-B-Que Restaurant, and A&R Bar-B-Q, 1802 Elvis Presley Blvd. (tel. 901/774-7444), the last of which draws raves for authentic barbecued sandwiches, ribs, and spaghetti.
