Memphis BBQ: The Dangerous Assignment of Listing 7 Great Places to Get The Best BBQ
There are four main regional styles of barbecue in North America: Texas, Carolina, Kansas City, and (in my opinion, the best) Memphis style. Each type has its unique flavor, go-to meat, and cooking style, which makes them all amazing and different.
Memphis BBQ
What sets Memphis apart from the rest? According to Craig Meek’s book “Memphis Barbecue,” “Memphis is equal parts music and food — the products of a community marked with grit and resilience. The city’s blues and soul music have lifted spirits, while barbecue has been a serious business ever since pork first entered the culinary landscape of Memphis with Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto, who brought the New World its first herd of pigs.”
So, Memphis uses pork; that’s the meat portion. So, what else sets it apart? According to TheOnlineGrill, “Memphis-style barbecue can be summed up in just a few words: flavorful, tender, fall-off-the-bone pork. In addition, Memphians love to slow-cook pork over a charcoal-fired pit with hickory wood for that extra smoke.” Each restaurant in Memphis prepares its pork with a secret blend of herbs and spices known as a dry rub. Generally, most true Memphis-style rubs contain paprika and chili-style spices to help bring out that smokey flavor and add a bit of spice.
Best BBQ in Memphis
Now that there is a general understanding of what Memphis barbecue is, where does one go to find the best? As a Memphian myself, this question often leads to fighting and feuds, even within one’s family. Following is a list compiled of some of the best places in Memphis to find some of the best barbecues.
Please remember that this list is in no particular order; all the restaurants listed are great places to go.
Known initially as Brady & Lil’s Bar-B-Q Restaurant, The Bar-B-Q Shop hosts a one-of-kind barbecue spaghetti that combines pulled pork smoked for 12 hours with delicious soft spaghetti noodles and covered in a smoke-infused BBQ sauce!
This restaurant is worth it if you are willing to step off the beaten path. Owner and pitmaster Merritt Baily opened Ballhoggerz BBQ in Orange Mound in 2018. Mr. Baily has won several awards for exceptional pit-mastering skills as well. Ballhoggerz creates its seasoning and sauce in-house, and the meat is smoked on-site throughout the day. But, of course, you can’t go wrong with the ribs and a side of baked beans here!
Indeed one of my favorite places to go for barbecue in Memphis, Central BBQ, has been a local favorite since it was founded in 2002. Originally located on Central Avenue in Midtown, Central now offers four locations in Memphis and one in Nashville! You can sit outside in the warmer and enjoy some local music. While visiting, you want to stop in for a pulled pork sandwich Memphis style (pork, sauce, slaw) and some sweet tea!
This next place is on the list simply because it was the birthplace of an ingenious masterpiece. Have you ever wondered where the idea for a BBQ pizza came from? Founder Emil Coletta brought pizza to Memphis in the 1950s (unheard of outside of New York and Chicago) and topped it with BBQ for a bit of Southern flair. This dish quickly became one of Elvis Presley’s favorite foods. The pizza is voted “Best Pizza” by the Commercial Appeal newspaper (a very high honor in Memphis).
The Germantown Commissary started life as an old country store in Germantown, TN, until it was bought in 1981 and transformed into one of the finest BBQ restaurants in Memphis. Over the years, they have served celebrities such as Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett, Kathy Bates, The Eagles, and Aerosmith! The Germantown Commissary boasts a menu so good that it’ll “make you want to slap your mama,” a bold claim for Southern BBQ. All their seasonings and food are made in-house and slow-cooked, though they strive for a serve food fast culture.
Best known for its mustard slaw, Payne’s is a Memphis staple. Three generations have kept this small shop open in Midtown. Try the chopped pork, that’s right, CHOPPED, not pulled.
Where do you go if you want BBQ but don’t want to sit down and wait? What would be considered the fast food of BBQ in Memphis? Welcome to Tops Bar-B-Q. They offer great BBQ options, online orders, convenient locations around the city, and even a reward program and discounts! This restaurant has been serving the city of Memphis proudly for 70 years and has 17 locations across the city, in east Arkansas, and now also in North Mississippi! Tops is a great place to get a fresh burger and fries, brisket and potato salad, or pork sandwich and slaw!
