Memphis BBQ: anyone been recently?

[jgould]

would love to begin a thread on memphis bbq & whether or not anyone has recently been so as to be able to update some of the old favorites like:

the interstate, neeley's, leonard's, the commissary, A & R, cozy corner, central bbq; & provide info on any new ones discovered or opened fairly recently.

[Chris Cognac]

I was so upset, I had my only trip to Memphis last year for the Memphis in May BBQ seminar and did not even get to eat at any of the little places...ended up going to Issac's in the Beale St. mall..but I am trying to bring a california team for this years event.....that will be BBQ heaven!

[jgould]

WOW! that's it!? one response??? are there no bbq lovers in one of the major bbq capitals in the country?????????????????????

[Chris Cognac]

WOW! that's it!? one response??? are there no bbq lovers in one of the major bbq capitals in the country?????????????????????

Maybe no one has the internet in Memphis!...

I really liked Memphis and got the chance to see it from the air in a helicopter for about 90 mins...We circled around Graceland and all that stuff....it was really nice,loved walking downtown and looking at the old buildings and just thinking what it was like 50 yrs ago.

[jgould]

thx chris! i guess its just me & u. no wonder memphis 'Q' is going downhill.

[Memphis Bob]

I've been kinda hooked on Central BBQ for awhile - in addition to their shoulder and ribs, I love their homemade chips. I go once or twice a month. It's been busy everytime I've been in there. It's probably still the newest place in town (open what, 2 or 3 years now).

And I must confess that the Corky's drive-through makes it tough to drive down Poplar.

They serve Neely's at the Pyramid (supplanting Corky's) and - in the future - at FedExForum. Everytime I'm in the airport I get Interstate (I know, that's a little odd).

Haven't hit Cozy C in awhile, but it's still doing business. I keep meaning to try Jango's (on Jackson kinda near the Pyramid), Payne's (on Lamar) and The Big S but haven't gotten around to it yet.

[FoodZealot]

About 3 years ago, I ate at Cozy Corner, Interstate, Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous, Corky's and Willingham's. I hear Willingham's has since closed.

I thought the Cozy Corner pork sandwich was one of the best things I've ever had, but it doesn't fall into the regional style that you might expect from a Memphis place.

[jgould]

beautiful!! thx very much, keep'em coming

[jgould]

hate to beat a dead horse, but is that it from all our friends in memphis??????

[jgould]

hate to beat a dead horse, but is that it from all our friends in memphis??????

UPDATE:

neely's Interstate vs. Neely's: Neely's wins!!!!!!! & they are the cousins & nephews!!!

[SiseFromm]

I remember very well traveling to Memphis and meeting Jim at Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue. He was dripping with gold and confidence. A total character! I had rib tips, my wife had barbecue spaghetti, and a buddy of mine had the combo platter, referred to as "all da meats". Best barbecue ever. Experience plus quality of the barbecue made for an amazing experience!

[project]

Memphis 'Q?

My information is wildly out of date!

My connection with Memphis 'Q goes back 40 years!

In 1961, I was frequently eating lunch at Beretta's near the campus of Memphis State University. Another place was on the SW corner of Poplar and Union just west of a railroad overpass. On fishing trips in TN, AK, and MS, ate 'Q at many small places.

The 'Q was nearly always in the form of chopped 'Qed fresh picnic pork shoulder. Nearly never ate ribs in Memphis.

Last time I was in Memphis was in 1974 (FedEx).

In those days, Memphis was nearly covered with little 'Q places: Some had used school desks for dining room furniture.

Since then have eaten very similar 'Q in Knoxpatch.

Such 'Q is good food. Recently from my current location (70 miles north of Wall Street) I've done rough utilitarian approximations: Just get a shoulder, sprinkle on some rub, roast in a slow oven, let cool down a little, separate, chop, sauce, heat through, chill uncovered and then cover. To serve, microwave. It's okay, but the real thing has benefit of lots of practice, smoke flavor from a real pit, and lack of the two extra heatings.

FG's recent Carolina wanderings showed how confused some people can be! Gee, I really like hush puppies: At one seafood house in MD used to pig out on hush puppies and fried scallops washed down with beer! But, hush puppies with 'Q? Ah, come on! With Memphis 'Q, the standard extras are 'Qed beans, maybe some potato salad, and dessert of chocolate ice box pie! Extra super-hot hot sauce and beer, of course, are 'standard'!

[jgould]

Memphis 'Q?

The 'Q was nearly always in the form of chopped 'Qed fresh picnic pork shoulder. Nearly never ate ribs in Memphis.

the real thing has benefit of lots of practice, smoke flavor from a real pit,

FG's recent Carolina wanderings showed how confused some people can be! Gee, I really like hush puppies: At one seafood house in MD used to pig out on hush puppies and fried scallops washed down with beer! But, hush puppies with 'Q? Ah, come on! With Memphis 'Q, the standard extras are 'Qed beans, maybe some potato salad, and dessert of chocolate ice box pie! Extra super-hot hot sauce and beer, of course, are 'standard'!

simply beautiful

[Thrak]

When i lived in Memphis in the 70's we used to eat at Leonards,Colemans,Topps,Loebs, and Colettas.I think Colettas had the BBQ pizza. We also ate at Irelands steak and biscuits and the "Roaring 70's" many times. We lived in Germantown long before what it is now and i learned that Memphis has the finest BBQ without question. Beans and fries are my sides with my BBQ sandwich w/slaw.

[jgould]

When i lived in Memphis in the 70's we used to eat at Leonards,Colemans,Topps,Loebs, and Colettas.I think Colettas had the BBQ pizza. We also ate at Irelands steak and biscuits and the "Roaring 70's" many times. We lived in Germantown long before what it is now and i learned that Memphis has the finest BBQ without question. Beans and fries are my sides with my BBQ sandwich w/slaw.

beans does seem to be the memphis bbq side dish(?)

with leonard's having been sold (years ago), i wonder how the new leonard's is & how it compares to the original in its heyday. mind you, my memories of leonard's were such that i thought it was the best bbq place IN THE COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alicembk]

I'm an Austinite attending Rhodes College here in Memphis.

My all-time favorite ribs are at Corky's (which, interestingly enough, is owned by a prominent Jewish family). People talk about the Rendez-vous all the time, but I don't care for it. The ribs are good, but the atmosphere is terrible: very impersonal, very rushed. Extremely rushed. Also overpriced, in my opinion. Meanwhile, the ribs at Corky's are just as good, and the servers are extremely friendly and helpful. Plus they bring you as many hot garlic biscuits as you can eat before you even order.

I've heard many, many good things about Neely's but haven't made my way over there yet.

I'd also suggest a trip to Isaac Hayes, in Peabody Place (next to Beale Street). Make sure to go on a night when they have live music, which is always fantastic (http://www.clubisaachayes.com for the schedule). The collard greens are amazing. I've just started bartending there (*please* come over and say Hi! I love my fellow e-gulleteers!) and it's a fun place.

Outside of Barbeque? My all-time favorite restaurant in Memphis (which says a lot; we've got some terrific places) is Bosco's Squared on Union (midtown). They have this stuffed portabella appetizer... and their pear gorgonzola salad... big treats ($20 or less for entrees).

Sawadii on Union (downtown) is a lovely Thai restaurant. It has a very upscale setting, but is very reasonably priced (12$ or less for entrees). I love the Masaman. Try the Thai tea as well.

Happy eating!

[jgould]

I'm an Austinite attending Rhodes College here in Memphis.

My all-time favorite ribs are at Corky's (which, interestingly enough, is owned by a prominent Jewish family). People talk about the Rendez-vous all the time, but I don't care for it. The ribs are good, but the atmosphere is terrible: very impersonal, very rushed. Extremely rushed. Also overpriced, in my opinion. Meanwhile, the ribs at Corky's are just as good, and the servers are extremely friendly and helpful. Plus they bring you as many hot garlic biscuits as you can eat before you even order.

I've heard many, many good things about Neely's but haven't made my way over there yet.

I'd also suggest a trip to Isaac Hayes, in Peabody Place (next to Beale Street). Make sure to go on a night when they have live music, which is always fantastic (http://www.clubisaachayes.com for the schedule). The collard greens are amazing. I've just started bartending there (*please* come over and say Hi! I love my fellow e-gulleteers!) and it's a fun place.

Outside of Barbeque? My all-time favorite restaurant in Memphis (which says a lot; we've got some terrific places) is Bosco's Squared on Union (midtown). They have this stuffed portabella appetizer... and their pear gorgonzola salad... big treats ($20 or less for entrees).

Sawadii on Union (downtown) is a lovely Thai restaurant. It has a very upscale setting, but is very reasonably priced (12$ or less for entrees). I love the Masaman. Try the Thai tea as well.

Happy eating!

have a family reunion weekend of march 6th, will try to stop by, thx

[Tater]

Finally able to post to this thread after some issues with my login. It's upgraded and I can finally contribute.

My favorite for sandwich is a tie between the BBQ Shoppe on Madison and A&R on Elvis Presley. The Shoppe has better side dishes and "apps" (get the bologna/sausage/cheese plate). Some choose the Texas toast but you get more meat on a bun. Chopped of course.

The Shoppe also has the best ribs I've eaten in Memphis. I've long been an apologist and defender of Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous, but it has gone downhill in the past 3 years. I still love the atmosphere and it will ALWAYS be better than what they serve at Corky's, but I can't stake my rep on it anymore. The Shoppes dry ribs are as perfect as you can get in Memphis.

Cozy Corner has become the darling of the foodie set for a hole in the wall joint. It has great ribs too and you won't go wrong. Their cornish game hen is really, really good but a lot of work for little payoff.

The best ribs I've ever eaten period are from a little joint about 1.5-2 hours north/northwest of Memphis in Holcomb, Missouri. Strawberry's is the name of the place. If word ever gets outside of the 1 hour radius it draws people from, it will be the next Ridgewood BBQ (highly touted by the Sterns/Roadfood over in East Tennessee). Get there before everyone hears about it. They sell out quickly.

[Memphis Bob]

When i lived in Memphis in the 70's we used to eat at Leonards,Colemans,Topps,Loebs, and Colettas.I think Colettas had the BBQ pizza. We also ate at Irelands steak and biscuits and the "Roaring 70's" many times. We lived in Germantown long before what it is now and i learned that Memphis has the finest BBQ without question. Beans and fries are my sides with my BBQ sandwich w/slaw. 

Funny, my parents and grandparents used to take me to Leonards on South Parkway when I was little (in the 70s) - it was an old Memphis BBQ place. Coletta's still is famous for their BBQ pizza. Recently, I've been getting the great BBQ pizza at Romeo's, a deli-style Italian place on Southern (between Perkins and Colonial) which is owned by former bbq maven John Wills. His bbq place on Central near the Fairgrounds was one the best in town in the 80s before a terrible move to a more upscale location in East Memphis (which has been closed awhile).

My standard sides (with pulled pork sandwich with slaw) have been beans and onion rings. This is changing since fewer places seem to serve homemade rings.

The one thing that makes Memphis BBQ so unique is it's importance to most (if not all) locals. You simply can't drive very far without seeing (and smelling) a BBQ joint. I have a friend who always has maintained that if he was given the choice for his last meal, he'd take a good BBQ sandwich over anything else. I have to agree.

[schaem]

In my short, lovely, stay in Memphis, I found Payne's to have the best sandwich. Can't beat the atmosphere either; an older woman and her daughter, small kitchen stove, sticky counter.

Granted this opinion is based on very limited experience with Memphis-style Q.

I should also note that the heralded Abe's at the "crossroads" in nearby Clarksdale, Mississippi was disappointing.

[Milt]

On Sunday evening of last Labor Day weekend we were in downtown Memphis trying to find Rendesvous for dinner. We were informed that they were closed on Sunday and Monday and got a recommendation on the street that Blues City Cafe at 2nd and Beale St had the best ribs in the area. We waited a long time for a table because the Labor Day Blues Festival was underway, but they background music was enjoyable.

I had a full rack of ribs for $19.95 and my wife ordered Southern Soul Stew (otherwise known as beef stew). The ribs were quite good and the stew was decent. The tea was the weakest I have been served in years. The slaw was decent, the fries overdone, the onion rings decent and the toast was good.

[lainmemphis]

Hope I'm not jumping in too late, but wanted to add Germantown Commissary to the list... It's in a cool old building in sprawling suburbia. It has terrific ribs, cooked over hickory, great pulled pork and unreal desserts. Don't miss the coconut pie.

[Thrak]

Hey next time you,re in Germantown swing into Poplar Estates-6887 Havenhill cove and let me know how the house my parents had built, in '68, looks. It's the one with the 12' pool slide. Living in Chicago since '75 i would love to visit the area as i know it's pretty crazy now! BTW which buiding is the G'town Commisary located?

[fierydrunk]

Was back home (memphis) a week ago and took my fiance to Payne's on Lamar...he said he could have easily eaten 2 pork sandwiches,they were that good!!!!! We got extra spicy too and the taste and spice of the sauce was in my mouth for a good 2 hrs!

anyone know recipes for that sweet cole slaw they use at Payne's? it is like pickled cole slaw.

[k62hall]

For those old enough to remember the orginal Leonard's BBQ on Bellevue -- with the tiny pots of beans and your choice of white, dark or "mixed pig" -- you'll be happy to know that the founder's stepson has opened a place just below the state line in Southaven, MS. It's called Tommy Leonard's and is on Highway 51 about 50 yards south of Goodman Road.