What is the best barbecue in Memphis? Check out this article for your answer. Rendezvous Barbecue is the epicenter of the Memphis barbecue scene. It is also one of the most famous restaurants in Memphis. Check out Memphis Travel for more information.
It’s not often that the passing of a barbecue restaurant owner receives national attention. But that’s what happened on March 30, 2010, when John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance and evangelist of all things Southern, penned a poignant obituary in The New York Times of our very own Charlie Vergos.
Founder of Rendezvous barbecue restaurant in downtown Memphis, Vergos established the city’s dry-rub style, making it world famous in 1985 by offering to ship his ribs overnight through a now well-known toll-free number: 800-HOGS-FLY. Thank you, FedEx. From that point on, Rendezvous became the epicenter of the Memphis barbecue scene. With its dry-rub ribs, wall-to-wall flair that would make even the most diehard TGIF enthusiast proud and family atmosphere (the employees are lifers), Rendezvous is the essential first stop for every barbecue lover that visits Memphis. The front door of this hole in the wall is in an alley about a block away from the Peabody Hotel and AutoZone Park, home to our Triple-A Redbirds. We could use this space to give you more specific directions, but trust us when we say all you need is your nose.
If Charlie Vergos is the godfather of Memphis barbecue, then the Neelys are its first family. Jim Neely got the family business going over 20 years ago when he opened up Interstate Barbecue on South 3rd Street, not far from I-55. As skilled as any Mid-South pitmaster in the art of smoke, Neely’s actually known for his sauce, which he took two years to perfect before opening shop. And that sauce is used on just about everything, including pasta. That’s not a typo, people. Memphis loves it some barbecue spaghetti, a just-right mix of noodles and chopped pork smothered in sweet barbecue sauce. Jim, thankfully, was kind enough to pass on some of his secrets to his nephew, Patrick who, along with his brothers Tony, Gaelin and Mark, built the Neely Barbecue Empire. With two restaurants in Memphis and one in Nashville, the Neelys have become a household name in large part to Patrick’s wife, Gina. Specifically her charm, wit and total control over the kitchen on the couple’s Food Network TV show "Down Home With The Neelys."
The Memphis barbecue scene isn’t limited to the semi-famous. In fact, two small shops in the Midtown neighborhood have been winning awards for years with their unique spin on some familiar ingredients: The Bar-B-Q Shop’s famous Dancing Pigs sauce is the backbone for pork, or beef barbecue sandwiches and ribs, both wet or dry. Available in mild, hot, and dry, the sauce at Bar-B-Q Shop is a balance of fire and sweetness and goes perfect with the pulled pork sandwich sided with a piece of Texas toast.
Open since 2002, Central BBQ in Midtown Memphis continues to be a local favorite. In addition to ribs and shoulders, Central has a handfull of other delicious options including dry-rub wings, smoked sausage, seasoned homemade potato chips and an 8-inch portobello that is marinated, grilled, and topped with smoked Gouda cheese. Pair any of these choices with a Ghost River beer on the patio and you're close to heaven on earth.
There's more to Memphis barbecue than a smokey slab of rib or fall-apart pulled pork. Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizzare Foods on the Travel Channel, has declared Payne's Bar-B-Que as having the best smoked bologna sandwich in the country. A big 'ol thick slab of bologna pinned between two slices of white bread will fill the hungriest of men. Not into bologna? Try Payne's pork sandwich (pulled, chopped or sliced) with a dollop of sweet yellow slaw. There is no other way.
What is the best barbecue in Memphis? Check out this article for your answer. Rendezvous Barbecue is the epicenter of the Memphis barbecue scene. It is also one of the most famous restaurants in Memphis. Check out Memphis Travel for more information.
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