Barbecue in Memphis
With more than 100 barbecue restaurants, Memphis is the undisputed pork barbecue capital of the world. And don’t come at me with any Kansas City nonsense: Henry Perry, the so-called “father of Kansas City barbecue,” was from Shelby County, Tennessee, so I think that settles that.
The most common types of Memphis barbecue are pulled pork shoulder (meat that is pulled rather than cut off the bone) and pork ribs, which can be served wet (with sauce) or dry (without). Another time-honored Memphis tradition is the sausage and cheese plate, which must be made with smoked sausage, cheddar cheese, and saltine crackers—no exceptions—and which is the main attraction for a lot of locals. You may also add pickles and pepperoncini.
There are tons of places around town to find barbecue, but there are a few spots that stand out, so we’re going to do this Olympic gymnastics–style: the best-all-around spots, as well as some individual gold medal items. Then plan your attack using the “Memphis Bar-B-Que” map on the inside back cover of this book.
A few yardsticks before we start: Memphis prides itself on barbecue that is juicy, smoky, and flavorful with or without sauce. That is a key differentiator when you look at best-of lists. If you taste the meat on its own and it tastes like nothing, you’re not eating real Memphis barbecue. Also, pink is good: It indicates that the proper chemical reaction has taken place when the smoke hits the meat, which is what gives the meat its flavor.
Best All Around Barbecue Joints
Gold medal? That would be The Bar-B-Que Shop. You can read our complete review by clicking on the link.
Silver medal goes to Central BBQ (again, click the link to read our review). And the Bronze is a tie between The Commisary and Payne's Bar-B-Q.
Best Specialty Items
Some clear cut winners are BBQ nachos at Central BBQ (see above) and BBQ spaghetti at the Bar-B-Que Shop (see above). The Bar-B-Que Shop also comes out on top for best ribs, but splits that honor with Three Little Pigs (5145 Quince Rd.; tel. 901/685-7094), a simple counter-service joint in East Memphis that produces smoky, savory ribs that are amplified by their homemade hot sauce, if you should choose to add some (and you should). The best pulled pork sandwich is at Payne’s Bar-B-Q (see above).
Other items of note include the Cornish game hen and wings at Cozy Corner (735 North Pkwy.; (tel. 901/527-9158) and the sausage cheese plate at the Rendezvous, about which nothing will appear special, most likely because it’s not; however it’s the standard bearer for all Memphians despite the fact it’s made with Hillshire Farm smoked sausage and Land O’Lakes cheese (All the better for you to make at home with a sprinkle of Rendezvous seasoning, am I right?).
There are also a few good places to try the delicacy known as barbecue pizza in Memphis: Pete & Sam’s, an old-school Italian joint at 3886 Park Ave. (tel. 901/458-0694) near the University of Memphis, serves up personal barbecue pizzas as side dishes. Garibaldi’s Pizza (3530 Walker Ave.; tel. 901/327-6111), which has locations in that area and in Germantown, as well as at Aldo’s Pizza Pie, which uses Central BBQ meat, both serve cheesy, tangy, smoky, chewy pies. Legend has it, though, that the original can be found at Coletta’s Restaurant (1063 South Pkwy; tel. 901/948-7652). Opened in 1923, Coletta’s first put barbecue on pizza in the 1950s because people weren’t yet familiar with pizza but they did know barbecue, and it was the only way to move pies. The Commissary (see above) clocks in for best desserts with the aforementioned banana pudding but also for its lemon icebox pie and strawberry and coconut cakes.
Honorable Mentions
If you’re looking for barbecue near Graceland, you can’t go wrong with A&R Bar-B-Q, 1802 Elvis Presley Blvd. (tel. 901/774-7444), especially for pulled pork or ribs, or Interstate Bar-B-Que (2265 S. 3rd St.; tel. 901/775-2304), for ribs or an excellent spice-rubbed turkey breast. Leonard’s Pit Barbecue (1100 N. Germantown Pkwy.5465 Fox Plaza Dr.; tel. 901/360-1963) in East MemphisCordova has a solid buffet where you can sample everything from soul food to pulled pork. Incidentally, Leonard’s is the oldest continually operating barbecue joint in town (1922), and experts believe the tradition of putting coleslaw on a sandwich began here during an economic downtime when the shop stretched their meat by adding slaw to their sandwiches. The taste was such a perfect marriage it stuck and spread. Local Memphis chains Corky’s BBQ and Tops Bar-B-Q are your best bets for pulled pork sandwiches on-the-go, though the latter is actually better-known by locals for its fantastic cheeseburgers.
BBQ Fest in May
Should you attend this famous festival? Until very recently, this answer to this question would have been a clear “no” because of one simple fact: Local health regulations prohibit teams from serving barbecue to the general public at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. That means unless you know someone on a team who has a tent, food, and beer for you, there is no reason to go to BBQ fest unless you feel like smelling barbecue while you eat a Pronto Pup (which is a fine pastime in its own right). However, in more recent years, Memphis Tourism must have finally become hip to the fact that BBQ Fest is a seriously missed opportunity, so they’ve created options whereby the general public can sample and judge barbecue from teams by purchasing a ticket for the Kingsford Tour of Champions. BBQ Alley is also a new experience featuring three well-known barbecue restaurants plus sponsors (Big Green Egg) serving barbecue. Both of these are likely to sell out, so get your tickets in advance at memphisinmay.org. One-day tickets are $15 each; four-day passes are $54; and the new “VIPit Passes” are a bonkers $549 but will get you everything from meet and greets with teams to cooking demos to a judging class with a certified Memphis in May judge. Tip: Iif you’re traveling from a foreign country, check and see if your country has a team competing—often they do and will happily invite other natives into their tent if you contact them in advance.
The most common types of Memphis barbecue are pulled pork shoulder (meat that is pulled rather than cut off the bone) and pork ribs, which can be served wet (with sauce) or dry (without). Another time-honored Memphis tradition is the sausage and cheese plate, which must be made with smoked sausage, cheddar cheese, and saltine crackers—no exceptions—and which is the main attraction for a lot of locals. You may also add pickles and pepperoncini.
There are tons of places around town to find barbecue, but there are a few spots that stand out, so we’re going to do this Olympic gymnastics–style: the best-all-around spots, as well as some individual gold medal items. Then plan your attack using the “Memphis Bar-B-Que” map on the inside back cover of this book.
A few yardsticks before we start: Memphis prides itself on barbecue that is juicy, smoky, and flavorful with or without sauce. That is a key differentiator when you look at best-of lists. If you taste the meat on its own and it tastes like nothing, you’re not eating real Memphis barbecue. Also, pink is good: It indicates that the proper chemical reaction has taken place when the smoke hits the meat, which is what gives the meat its flavor.
Best All Around Barbecue Joints
Gold medal? That would be The Bar-B-Que Shop. You can read our complete review by clicking on the link.
Silver medal goes to Central BBQ (again, click the link to read our review). And the Bronze is a tie between The Commisary and Payne's Bar-B-Q.
Best Specialty Items
Some clear cut winners are BBQ nachos at Central BBQ (see above) and BBQ spaghetti at the Bar-B-Que Shop (see above). The Bar-B-Que Shop also comes out on top for best ribs, but splits that honor with Three Little Pigs (5145 Quince Rd.; tel. 901/685-7094), a simple counter-service joint in East Memphis that produces smoky, savory ribs that are amplified by their homemade hot sauce, if you should choose to add some (and you should). The best pulled pork sandwich is at Payne’s Bar-B-Q (see above).
Other items of note include the Cornish game hen and wings at Cozy Corner (735 North Pkwy.; (tel. 901/527-9158) and the sausage cheese plate at the Rendezvous, about which nothing will appear special, most likely because it’s not; however it’s the standard bearer for all Memphians despite the fact it’s made with Hillshire Farm smoked sausage and Land O’Lakes cheese (All the better for you to make at home with a sprinkle of Rendezvous seasoning, am I right?).
There are also a few good places to try the delicacy known as barbecue pizza in Memphis: Pete & Sam’s, an old-school Italian joint at 3886 Park Ave. (tel. 901/458-0694) near the University of Memphis, serves up personal barbecue pizzas as side dishes. Garibaldi’s Pizza (3530 Walker Ave.; tel. 901/327-6111), which has locations in that area and in Germantown, as well as at Aldo’s Pizza Pie, which uses Central BBQ meat, both serve cheesy, tangy, smoky, chewy pies. Legend has it, though, that the original can be found at Coletta’s Restaurant (1063 South Pkwy; tel. 901/948-7652). Opened in 1923, Coletta’s first put barbecue on pizza in the 1950s because people weren’t yet familiar with pizza but they did know barbecue, and it was the only way to move pies. The Commissary (see above) clocks in for best desserts with the aforementioned banana pudding but also for its lemon icebox pie and strawberry and coconut cakes.
Honorable Mentions
If you’re looking for barbecue near Graceland, you can’t go wrong with A&R Bar-B-Q, 1802 Elvis Presley Blvd. (tel. 901/774-7444), especially for pulled pork or ribs, or Interstate Bar-B-Que (2265 S. 3rd St.; tel. 901/775-2304), for ribs or an excellent spice-rubbed turkey breast. Leonard’s Pit Barbecue (1100 N. Germantown Pkwy.5465 Fox Plaza Dr.; tel. 901/360-1963) in East MemphisCordova has a solid buffet where you can sample everything from soul food to pulled pork. Incidentally, Leonard’s is the oldest continually operating barbecue joint in town (1922), and experts believe the tradition of putting coleslaw on a sandwich began here during an economic downtime when the shop stretched their meat by adding slaw to their sandwiches. The taste was such a perfect marriage it stuck and spread. Local Memphis chains Corky’s BBQ and Tops Bar-B-Q are your best bets for pulled pork sandwiches on-the-go, though the latter is actually better-known by locals for its fantastic cheeseburgers.
BBQ Fest in May
Should you attend this famous festival? Until very recently, this answer to this question would have been a clear “no” because of one simple fact: Local health regulations prohibit teams from serving barbecue to the general public at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. That means unless you know someone on a team who has a tent, food, and beer for you, there is no reason to go to BBQ fest unless you feel like smelling barbecue while you eat a Pronto Pup (which is a fine pastime in its own right). However, in more recent years, Memphis Tourism must have finally become hip to the fact that BBQ Fest is a seriously missed opportunity, so they’ve created options whereby the general public can sample and judge barbecue from teams by purchasing a ticket for the Kingsford Tour of Champions. BBQ Alley is also a new experience featuring three well-known barbecue restaurants plus sponsors (Big Green Egg) serving barbecue. Both of these are likely to sell out, so get your tickets in advance at memphisinmay.org. One-day tickets are $15 each; four-day passes are $54; and the new “VIPit Passes” are a bonkers $549 but will get you everything from meet and greets with teams to cooking demos to a judging class with a certified Memphis in May judge. Tip: Iif you’re traveling from a foreign country, check and see if your country has a team competing—often they do and will happily invite other natives into their tent if you contact them in advance.