Memphis has over 100 barbecue restaurants — more per capita than any other city in America. That's an embarrassment of riches, and also a genuinely hard planning problem for first-time visitors. This guide cuts through the noise: here's where to go, what to order, and how to plan a Memphis BBQ itinerary whether you have one meal or five days.
Memphis has over 100 barbecue restaurants — more per capita than any other city in America. That's an embarrassment of riches, and also a genuinely hard planning problem for first-time visitors. This guide cuts through the noise: here's where to go, what to order, and how to plan a Memphis BBQ itinerary whether you have one meal or five days.
The Memphis BBQ Legends (Start Here)
The Memphis BBQ Legends (Start Here)
These are the restaurants that put Memphis on the barbecue map. If you have limited time, this is your list.
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous — Downtown
The Rendezvous is the most famous BBQ restaurant in Memphis, possibly in the South. Hidden down an alley off Monroe Avenue, it's been serving charcoal-grilled dry ribs since 1948. The founder's Greek heritage influenced the spice rub — heavier on herbs, lighter on heat — and the chargrilling method that sets the Rendezvous apart from every smoker-based joint in town. Order the dry ribs, the cheese and sausage appetizer plate and a cold beer. Don't skip the slaw.
What to order: Dry ribs (full or half rack), cheese & sausage plate, coleslaw, barbecue nachos
Payne's Bar-B-Que — Lamar Avenue
Payne's is a small, cash-only, no-frills institution that locals will defend with their lives. The pulled pork sandwich, chopped pork on a bun with yellow mustard slaw, is one of the most argued-about items in Memphis BBQ. They also smoke bologna, which sounds like a punchline until you try it. Go before they sell out.
What to order: Chopped pork sandwich, BBQ bologna, slaw
Cozy Corner — North Parkway
Cozy Corner has been serving some of the city's most distinctive BBQ since 1977. Their signature item is the barbecue Cornish game hen – a whole bird, slow-smoked and slathered in a tongue-tingling hot sauce that regulars crave year-round. Don't sleep on the ribs, and bring napkins. Many.
What to order: Barbecue Cornish game hen, ribs, hot sausage
Interstate Barbecue — South Third Street
Jim Neely built Interstate Barbecue from scratch. No family recipe and no inherited technique. What he created instead became a South Memphis institution. The sauce is the star: a sweet-tangy proprietary blend that Neely developed over years of experimentation and still doesn't share. Get the rib tips.
What to order: Rib tips, pulled pork, Jim Neely's sauce on everything
Central BBQ — Multiple Locations
Central BBQ is the most accessible entry point into Memphis BBQ for newcomers. They offer multiple locations, an approachable menu and a knack for creative applications of smoked meat. Their BBQ nachos (pulled pork, tortilla chips, BBQ drizzle, jalapeños) have become a Memphis standard. But don't overlook the smoked wings, which are among the best in the city and a reason to visit on their own. The downtown location on Butler is the most visited; East Memphis on Summer Ave is the local's pick.
What to order: BBQ nachos, smoked wings, pulled pork sandwich
Neighborhood Picks
Neighborhood Picks
Memphis BBQ is spread across the city, and the neighborhood you're in will shape where you end up. Here's a quick reference by area.
Midtown
The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue is the Midtown anchor and one of the most distinctive pits in the city. It's the birthplace of BBQ spaghetti — pulled pork and marinara over noodles — and Frank Vernon (son of founder Eric Vernon) carries the tradition forward with the same devotion to dry rubs and slow smoking that's defined the restaurant for decades. But the sauce is what sets them apart from every other joint in Memphis. Dancing Pigs sauce — named and commercialized by the Vernon family — traces its recipe back over 50 years to the original Brady & Lil's BBQ that preceded the restaurant. It's thick, vinegar-forward, and comes in Original and Hot. The Hot variety won national awards at the Fiery Food Challenge. It ships nationally. Buy a bottle before you leave.
What to order: BBQ spaghetti, dry ribs, Dancing Pigs sauce (Original or Hot)
East Memphis
Corky's on Poplar is the East Memphis institution. Known for heavily sauced wet ribs and a menu that takes sides seriously, Corky's baked beans (cooked with rib drippings) and onion loaf have their own devoted following.
What to order: Wet ribs, baked beans, onion loaf
Whitehaven
Marlowe's is a Whitehaven landmark — a sprawling, festive BBQ destination with a full bar and live entertainment on weekends. It's one of the most fun places to eat in Memphis, and the BBQ holds its own. A short drive from Graceland makes it a natural stop on an Elvis pilgrimage.
What to order: Ribs, pulled pork, anything with their signature sauce
Germantown (Shelby County)
The Germantown Commissary sits in a renovated general store and serves some of the best allaround BBQ in the greater Memphis area. The pig chips (house-made potato chips) are as addictive as anything on the menu. Get there early — they sell out.
What to order: Ribs, pig chips, pulled pork sandwich
What IS MEMPHIS-STYLE BBQ?
Any city with a reputation for smoking meat has its own way of doing things. In Memphis, we tend to favor pork, specifically pulled pork and a big ‘ole rack of ribs. Of course, we don’t discriminate. Memphis pitmasters smoke beef, sausage, bologna (we’re looking at you, Payne’s) and chicken — especially wings. But the star of the show around these parts will always be the pork. So if you’re at a Memphis barbecue restaurant and unsure of what to order, start with the pork. You won’t be disappointed.
MEMPHIS BARBECUE HISTORY
How barbecue is seasoned and sauced also matters in the South, and varies from city to city. A lot of the variation in barbecue flavors and sauce can actually be explained by geographical factors. Since Memphis is a port town, barbecue cooks in the city have long enjoyed access to a wider variety of ingredients to slab on, plus all the molasses that was shipped up the mighty Mississippi River. That kinda became our style — warm spices balanced by a sweet, tomatoey sauce.
Not sure where to start? Get the free Memphis BBQ Trail pass. It delivers recommendations, directions, hours and contact info directly to your mobile device (no app required). Check in at participating restaurants to earn points toward prizes, from stickers to a bottle of Memphis' secret-recipe barbecue sauce.
UNIQUE MEMPHIS BBQ RUB & SAUCE recipeS
Slabs of Memphis’ best ribs generally come rubbed with dry spices, each joint having its own secret combination that may (or may not; they’ll never tell) include the following: garlic, onion, chili pepper, black pepper and paprika. Most places actually rub the spices into the meat before cooking. Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous is one of the oldest and most famous advocates of the dry rub. The restaurant’s rub nods to its founder’s Greek heritage (a unique chargrilling technique further set Rendezvous barbecue apart).
Each Memphis bastion of barbecue concocts its own sauces as well. Cozy Corner’s hot sauce makes your lips tingle (try the famous barbecue Cornish game hen slathered in it, if you dare!). Interstate Barbecue’s Jim Neely didn’t have a family recipe to rely on, so he made up his own and doesn’t share the ingredients. But it strikes a nice balance between sweet and tangy.
MEMPHIS BBQ SIDES & APPETIZERS
Beans, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, greens, cornbread . . . these are the throwdown sides for barbecue found just about everywhere in Memphis. The folks over at Corky's Ribs & BBQ know the meat is just half the battle. That’s why they put an emphasis on their baked beans, potato salad and seasoned fries, among other mouthwatering sides. The pig chips at Germantown Commissary are some of the best house chips in the area and pair perfectly with a pulled pork sandwich. Another delicious pairing are the crinkle-cut fries at Tops Bar-B-Q (try dipping them in Tops’ tangy BBQ sauce — yum!).
We can’t forget about appetizers. Memphis BBQ joints go above and beyond with starters. Corky’s offers mouth-watering fried chicken wings and an onion loaf that has become a local favorite. Or try a classic — the cheese & sausage plate at Rendezvous is a perfect snack before the main course.
BEYOND RIBS: MEMPHIS BARBECUE Creations
Barbecue pizza was invented at Coletta's in the 1950s (Elvis was said to be a fan) and you can still sample those delicious pies today. Speaking of Italian, you'll find barbecue spaghetti (pulled pork and marinara over spaghetti noodles) at a few spots around town, most notably the Bar-B-Que Shop. Then there are barbecue nachos: crunchy chips topped with smoky pulled pork and sweet, tangy barbecue sauce. Central BBQ has a solid option. And in Memphis, even vegetarians can get in on the barbecue action. R.P. Tracks, though not a traditional barbecue restaurant, offers excellent BBQ tofu nachos.
WHERE TO FIND WORLD-FAMOUS BBQ IN MEMPHIS
Whether in the form of a pizza, pasta or just nestled in next to a plate of delicious sides, one thing remains constant: the meat is what matters most, and Memphis gets that. In fact, we have two festivals packed into one weekend devoted to the art of smoke and sauce: the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest and SmokeSlam.
But any day is a good day to sample Memphis barbecue. See more of your options, along with curated recommendations, below.
Memphis BBQ is Second to None
Memphis is known as the barbecue capital of the world, and for good reason. At Memphis' 101+ barbecue joints, you'll find mouthwatering 'cue creations cooked to perfection by some of the world's greatest pitmasters. Watch as Frank Vernon, of The Bar-B-Q Shop, explains what makes Memphis-style barbecue world famous.
Memphis BBQ with Kelly English
Barbecue means serious business down here in Memphis. But don't take our word for it. Let Kelly English, chef and owner of Restaurant Iris and The Second Line, tell you why everyone should "come taste what's cookin' in Memphis."
Up Next:
Off the Beaten Pit: Hidden Gems & New-Generation Joints
Off the Beaten Pit: Hidden Gems & New-Generation Joints
Memphis BBQ isn't frozen in amber. A new generation of pitmasters is pushing the tradition forward.