I recently did a story for Delta Magazine on Memphis barbecue. They wanted some places that were a bit more off the beaten path than our usual stand out places like Rendezvous, Corkey’s and Central BBQ.
I took a poll and asked as many people who wanted to answer about what their favorite barbecue was in Memphis. I did the math and the places mentioned in the story were the top favorites.
There are so many great BBQ places in Memphis, many great places went unnamed. If you have a favorite that was not mentioned, feel free to name it in the comments.
The places I visited, photographed and wrote about were, Paynes, The Bar-B-Q shop, Leonard’s, Cozy Corner and Blues City Cafe.
Hidden Gems of Memphis Barbecue
Wet, dry, naked, jerked, rubbed, tender, tangy, sweet, juicy, and always smoked low and slow, Memphis style. Those are just a few of the ways the 100+ places to eat in Memphis describe their barbecue.
When it comes to barbecue, Memphis has been called the “Holy City of Pork.” Amateurs come from around the world and compete for the barbecue World Championship each May. Some restaurants in town will ship their ribs overnight to customers who have just got to “Put Some South In their Mouth.”
Memphis is well-known for its barbecue and hospitality. Depending on the flavors, cooking styles and atmosphere you are looking for, there’s plenty of swell swine dining for everyone.
When visitors pass through Memphis, often with just a couple of days to visit, one of the most commonly asked questions is who has the best barbecue? Rendezvous, Corky’s and Central BBQ are some of the most obvious choices. But there are so many other wonderful places to pig out.
What place is most fit for a king? Elvis’s favorite barbecue was Leonard’s.
Leonard’s is 96 years old. It was established in 1922 in South Memphis before there was a barbecue place on every corner. It is now located near Mt. Moriah and I-240 in southeast Memphis. One of the things that makes Leonard’s Pit Barbecue unique is that they offer a buffet.
The current owner of Leonard’s, Dan Brown, has worked there since he was 15 years old; he is now 71.
Elvis was a big fan of Leonard’s Pit Barbecue. As he became more famous, he couldn’t come and eat during regular business hours. “He couldn’t go anywhere without word getting out, people followed him everywhere” says Brown. Leonard’s would close down the shop and then Elvis would come in with his guests around midnight. What was more exciting than being with Elvis? It was waiting for his tip, Brown says “I made 75 cents per hour back then and he would send $100 tip for the waitress and $50 for us. “ Brown says they would also stay late to make takeout for Elvis to bring into the movie theaters after hours.
Like most other places, the most popular items on the menu are the ribs and the barbecue pork sandwich. If you just can’t decide, or you just like it all, the buffet has chopped pork shoulder and BBQ chicken every day; they add the ribs to the buffet only on Tuesday and Thursday. Standard buffet items usually includes authentic crispy fried catfish, wonderful tangy wings, sausage, baked chicken, spaghetti, corn, potatoes, baked beans a few other veggies and classic desserts.
Longtime employee Loretta Hopper, who has worked at the restaurant 47 years, says consistency is key to their success. “A lot of factors go in to making barbecue consistent. “
Their rib sauce is described as very sweet and a long-time customer who returns to Leonard’s again and again described the ribs themselves as “succulent”.
They are open seven days per week but for lunch only.
Leonard’s Pit Barbecue
5465 Fox Plaza Drive
Memphis, TN 38115
901-360-1963
Sunday - Thursday: 11 AM - 2:30 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11 AM - 4 PM
http://www.leonardsbarbecue.com
The Bar-B-Q Shop in midtown Memphis on Madison is a favorite of locals and foodies, but not as often visited by the average tourist. Also a family-owned restaurant, it is quickly becoming a well known and highly recommended barbecue darling. They are located in between Overton Square and downtown Memphis, with parking around back.
The pork shoulder sandwich at this “Home of the Dancing Pigs” is the most popular thing on the menu. It’s served with the slaw on top--true Memphis style. Their tender ribs fall off the bone and served with a tangy sauce, wet or dry, with Texas toast, beans and slaw.
The most unique thing on the menu is the barbecue spaghetti, but the sour cream potato salad may be the thing that makes you most squeal in delight. You can order a double potato salad in place of another side if you’d prefer.
They also offer gluten free chicken nuggets and a BBQ Veggie Burger for those guests who need alternatives.
Bar-B-Q Shop
1782 Madison
Memphis, Tennessee
901-272-1277
Open Monday – Saturday from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
A lesser-known, very casual place that rises to the top of many favored barbecue lists is Cozy Corner, a favorite of especially younger Memphians. Tucked away in a humble little corner building on the northern side of downtown, you could easily pass by this gem without noticing it. A four-generation family-owned shop, cousins Sean Robinson and Bobby Bradley learned the art of barbecue from their grandparents, who opened the restaurant after encouragement from friends who they often entertained with their good cooking.
“Every piece you get has been flipped by a man” brags Bradley. They get their smoky downhome flavor using real pits that have real people always manually tending to the meat, which is cooked over charcoal. He says he can’t produce his down home product any other way.
A specialty here is the Cornish Game Hen, which they say, holds the smoky flavor really well. The most popular dish is the Ribs and Wings Combo. They will serve it wet, dry, mild, medium or hot but their goal is to “make the meat so good you don’t need the sauce” says Robinson.
You may want to hog their dessert. In a truly southern style, they offer a divine locally- made sweet potato pie that is just the right sweetness.
A recent gaggle of teenagers from Hattiesburg, Mississippi stopped in here while on a barbecue tour of Memphis. Kayla McNeil described the barbecue as being so good “it makes you want to slap your mama!”
Cozy Corner
735 N. Parkway
Memphis, Tennessee
901-527-9158
Open 11 am-9pm
Closed Sun and Mon
http://www.cozycornerbbq.com
When it comes to barbecue, people often eat elsewhere before coming to Beale Street to party. However, you can get one of the best barbeque meals on Beale at Blues City Café. Serving up no less than 300 racks of sweet, wet, slowly smoked ribs per day (and over 1000 on New Years Eve), Blues City Café is another local favorite.
Blues City has always done a great business with their steak, which is ordered by the pound, their catfish, tamales, and marinated salad. However, their ribs are their most popular dish.
The late chef Bonnie Mack was chef to President Bill Clinton before becoming the head chef at Blues City Café. Mack taught current manager and chef Larry Crawford everything he knew about making mouth watering BBQ before he left this world.
Crawford is smart enough to soak in all he can from his elders. He has also made his grandmother’s turnip greens into one of the other most popular things on the menu. Part owner and restaurateur Bud Chittom says the “turnip greens will turn a dead mans head.” A side of the steamy red boiled potatoes is a simple but tasty treat as is the signature Apple Dumpling served sizzling hot with ice cream on top.
There is such great ambience here; a scene from the movie The Firm was filmed inside.
Blues City Café is really a one-stop shop with great food, great atmosphere, late kitchen hours, a bar and live music. You are most likely to encounter a line here on weekends, so come early and leave late.
Blues City Café
138 Beale Street
Memphis, Tenn.
901-526-3637
Sun-Thurs 11am-3am
Fri-Sat 11am-5am
For a more off-the-beaten-path and very casual experience, Payne’s Bar-B-Que on the southern side of Midtown off Lamar is a neighborhood favorite. Neighborhood foodie Bill Jackson says “when you got some aches you need to get you some Payne’s.”
Payne’s is another family-owned-and-run small business where the secret recipes have been passed down from the grandmother to grandchild. “We all work really well together,” says Candace Parker, who was a teacher before coming back to the family business. She loves the customers too, “ some have been coming here since we only did shoulder on white bread.”
“People come from all over the world,” she says as she serves up some slaw on top of a sandwich. The chopped pork sandwich is the most popular item, which is served with baked beans and chips. The baked beans are served with chunks of shredded meat. The bright yellow slaw is mustard-based and the barbecue sauce is sweet. They do not do rubs and they add their sauce at the end. You can request hot, medium or mild, and wet or dry.
The ribs are fresh on Tuesday and if you come on a Saturday they will stay until they sell out, but they say best to come early. They are not open nights.
They are known for their barbecue bologna and smoked sausage and were once featured on the TV show This Is Us.
What is their secret? Keep it simple, Parker says.
Payne’s Bar-B-Que
1762 Lamar Ave;
Memphis, Tennessee 38114
(901) 272-1523
11-5 Tues- Sat.
Sat. 11-3
Closed Evenings and Sunday and Monday
There are just too many places to choose from in Memphis. So many choices and opinions, each place has its own unique style and following. While we chose to just highlight a few, the list goes on. Some of the other most popular are, Interstate, Three Little Pigs, One and Only, Elwoods’s Shack, The Commissary (Germantown), Captain Johns (Collierville).
Written by Karen Pulfer Focht ©
Delta Magazine