The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Go on a BBQ tour
5 Memphis barbecue sandwiches in just 4 hours; here’s what we ate
Who has the best barbecue sandwich in Memphis? Well that’s a question not easily answered. h If you want to find the answer, you need to get out and taste test. h The Commercial Appeal staff did just that a few weeks ago, hitting five of the most famous barbecue restaurants in town. h Yes, we ate at five barbecue restaurants in just under 4 hours. h There are lots of great barbecue shops scattered throughout the city, but luckily five of the most famous are within blocks of each other. (You can easily follow our route to do your own research.) h We started our barbecue tour at Payne’s BAR-B-Q, meeting in the parking lot just before the doors opened at 11 a.m. Our next stop was the original Central BBQ on Central Avenue, followed by a hop-skip-and-a-jump over to The BarB-Q Shop. The last two stops were Cozy Corner and then Elwood’s Shack. h Along the way, we discovered that the basic technique of cooking pork butts or shoulder — low and slow — is the common denominator for every Memphis-style barbecue sandwich.
But that’s where the similarities end. Each barbecue joint in Memphis does its sandwich in its own unique style.
Barbecue sauce recipes are secret family recipes most often never shared outside immediate family members. Even coleslaw recipes are kept under lock and key with only a handful of people knowing the ingredients. Some restaurants pull their pork, others chop it — and one even slices it. Even the buns were different at each establishment.
“It’s how all the ingredients complement each other, how the barbecue sauce and coleslaw go along with the pork shoulder,” Cozy Corner manager Bobby Bradley told us. “It should be a party in your mouth.”
Here’s a description of each sandwich we enjoyed. You won’t go wrong if you pick just one, but trying five is so much fun.
Payne’s BAR-B-Q 1762 Lamar Ave.; (901) 272-1523
Our first stop was Payne’s BAR-B-Q, a family operation that has been in business since 1972. This place is the real-deal, and one of the few truly old-school barbecue joints in town.
The menu is as bare bones as the dining room, focusing only on the barbecue essentials. It’s the chopped pork sandwich that is the star.
Pork shoulders are cooked low and slow over coals in a pit that is adjacent to the service counter. The housemade barbecue sauce, perfectly balanced with sweetness and a vinegary tang, simmers on a vintage stovetop. The proprietor, Flora Payne, chops the shoulder for each sandwich — something she has been doing for almost 50 years. The sound of her cleaver on the cutting board is one of the ways you know you are at Payne’s.
Each sandwich is mopped with barbecue sauce just before being served and topped with the signature fluorescent yellow mustard slaw. Candice Payne-parker explained to us that both recipes are from her grandmother.
“The ingredients are simple, people try to guess but never get it,” she said. “I can tell you that we add love to it. That’s what makes it special.”
No one else makes a sandwich like this one — and I love it. There is so much going on in each bite.
Payne’s may be one of the sweetest and vinegary sauces around — but I think that strong, one-of-a-kind flavor is what makes that sandwich.
— Jennifer Chandler, Food & Dining reporter
Central BBQ 2249 Central Ave.; multiple locations throughout Memphis; eatcbq.com
Central BBQ is the first restaurant I ate at when I moved to Memphis. In the months since I’ve tried many others, all of which bring something unique and special to the barbecue world, but there’s just something remarkable about Central that makes it an ideal place to bring out-of-town guests.
A Memphis classic, the original Central location on Central has limited space in front of the ordering counter, but plenty of seating throughout the restaurant and outside on the pet-friendly patios.
The sandwich is served with a slaw and mild sauce, but there are other self-serve sauce options, including a hot sauce, that can be added. The sauces are sweet and tangy, with the hot sauce having just enough of a kick to it.
The meat itself is reminiscent of the dry ribs Central is famous for, a little bit understated but moist and filled with a smoky flavor. The basics of genuine Memphis barbecue are done very well at Central, and that is no more clear than when it comes to the pulled pork sandwich. Served on a plain bun, all the attention is given to the meat, which delivers the punch of flavor Memphians have come to expect.
Sometimes Memphians have a tendency to diss Central for being too plain or simple. But Central knows how to do Memphis barbecue without any of the bells and whistles, making it a great place to take anyone who is visiting Memphis for the first time.
(P.S. It’s not sandwich related, but if you have a chance, get a side of the BBQ nachos. You won’t regret it.)
— Gina Butkovich, Desoto County reporter
The BAR-B-Q Shop
1782 Madison Ave.; thebar-b-qshop.com
I consider myself a dainty eater, using a fork and a knife to keep my fingers and clothes as clean as possible. However, after numerous attempts and looking incredibly silly eating ribs with a fork and knife, I’ve learned to commit to the delightful mess that is eating Memphis barbecue. I just keep a wet nap and some stain remover nearby.
But, to my surprise, the award-winning The BAR-B-Q Shop’s barbecue pork sandwich holds itself together with a composed authority.
Eric Vernon, third-generation owner of The BAR-B-Q Shop, boasts its sandwich as the most consistent in Memphis. The reason: You can count on one hand how many people know the recipe for the slaw and barbecue sauce and have been making it for decades.
The sandwich has a balance that allows both its tangy barbecue sauce and sweet slaw to both shine, a testament to the equal care Vernon says is poured into the slaw and barbecue sauce. As the dressings blend, the chopped cabbage adds a crunch to contrast the tender chopped pork.
The two toasted slices of Texas toast retain the hydration seeping from the juicy pork and sauce.
It’s perfect for a filling, clean and quick lunch break. — Astrid Kayembe, South Memphis and Whitehaven reporter
(901) 272-1277;