The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Skip the ribs and pulled pork!
5 Memphis BBQ dishes you need to try
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is this week, and we can't stop thinking (and talking) about Memphis barbecue.
Memphis is known worldwide for its ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. Memphians and tourists alike flock to the Bluff City's barbecue joints for these specialties.
But I want to share a secret: Some of the best dishes at our barbecue restaurants have nothing to do with ribs or pulled pork sandwiches.
From barbecue spaghetti to barbecue shrimp, here are five dishes you need to try.
Each is a true Memphis barbecue original.
Payne’s BAR-B-Q: The Smoked Sausage Sandwich 1762 Lamar Ave.; (901) 272-1523
Payne's BAR-B-Q is 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 — shoulder, ribs and this smoked sausage.
The house-smoked sausage is thrown in the fryer until crispy and hot. Just like Payne's famous chopped pork barbecue sandwiches, the sausage is slathered with the sweet and vinegary house barbecue sauce and topped with its signature neon green relish-like mustard slaw.
Full warning: Be sure to have a handful of napkins on hand when eating this sandwich.
The BAR-B-Q Shop: Barbecue Spaghetti
1782 Madison Ave.; (901) 272-1277; thebar-b-qshop.com
The BAR-B-Q Shop has been a Mid
town neighborhood favorite for more than 30 years. Back in 1987, Frank Vernon bought a restaurant called Brady and Lil's and turned it into The BAR-B-Q Shop.
Today, his son Eric Vernon runs the day-to-day operations of this bustling restaurant.
Vernon said they still use the recipe for barbecue spaghetti that was invented by "Mr. Brady" (Vincent).
To add a depth of flavor, spaghetti noodles are cooked in the juices left over over from slow-cooking the pork. The noodles are then tossed with a sauce made with the restaurant's house-made Dancing Pigs barbecue sauce and tender pieces pork.
Regulars know to spoon the spaghetti on top of The BAR-B-Q Shop's Texas toast for the perfect bite.
Charlie Vergos Rendezvous: Barbecue Shrimp
52 S. Second St.; (901) 523-2746; hogsfly.com
A tour of Memphis barbecue is not complete without a stop at the home of the world famous dry ribs — Charlie Vergos Rendezvous.
The late Charlie Vergos started serving Barbecue Shrimp in the 1960s, but at the time it was just a word-of-mouth thing. You could call down and order — you just needed to give him some time. It wasn't officially on the menu until a decade or so ago.
Five pounds of jumbo shrimp are cooked in a tangy secret sauce made with the Rendezvous' barbecue sauce and dry rub, fresh lemons and pepperoncini. The order — which still needs to be placed in advance — comes to the table in the big pot it is cooked in. It's served tableside over ciabatta bread. It's meant to feed a crowd — for dinner, it serves 8-10 people and, as an appetizer, 15-20 people. Call at least 24 hours in advance to order.
Cozy Corner Restaurant: Cornish Hen
735 N. Parkway; (901) 527-9158; cozycornerbbq.com
Cozy Corner has been a Memphis favorite since Raymond and Desiree Robinson opened the doors in 1977. There's a reason for that. The Robinson family has mastered the technique of barbecue. (The restaurant's matriarch Desiree Robinson was even voted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2020.) Today the restaurant is run by three generations of the family.
Despite a couple fires over the decades, most of the ribs and pork smoked at this family-run barbecue shop are cooked in one of the original smokers. (Talk about well-seasoned!)
The Cornish Hen at Cozy Corner is a true original. It's a dish that's been on the menu since day one. These tasty game birds are seasoned to perfection before being cooked in the restaurant's smokers. Cozy Corner's signature bar
becue sauce adds the finishing touch. Order the dinner plate, which comes with two sides.
Central BBQ: The Portabella Mushroom Sandwich 2249 Central Ave.; multiple locations throughout Memphis; eatcbq.com
Central BBQ, started in 2002 and now with locations all across Memphis, has become a hometown favorite. The popular barbecue restaurant has a meatless menu item that is ordered just as frequently by meat-eaters as vegetarians — the Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
A large and meaty portabella mushroom is marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil and spices before being tossed on the grill. The charbroil of the grill gives it a flame-kissed smokiness. It’s then topped with gouda cheese and served on a bun. Regulars know to order it with barbecue sauce and slaw.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.