City guideMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis BBQ
Memphis treats barbecue as its official cuisine, and the city's tourism office counts more than 101 barbecue restaurants [1]. This guide doesn't try to cover all of them. It sticks to eleven spots with long track records or strong recent buzz, built from the spots' own websites and menus, Tennessee's state tourism site [2] and the Southern Foodways Alliance [21]. The spots below are listed alphabetically, not ranked. For Tennessee spots named on published best-of lists, each credited to its source, see [Tennessee barbecue on the best-of lists](/guides/best-bbq-in-tennessee).
The short version
Four ways in, from the spots' own sites and Tennessee tourism.- Dry ribsCharlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Charcoal-grilled, dry-rub ribs in the basement since 1948213Jump to it: Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous ↓ - Only hereThe Bar-B-Q Shop
Calls itself the originator of barbecue spaghetti7Jump to it: The Bar-B-Q Shop ↓ - Not just porkCozy Corner
Smoked Cornish hen, a draw since 19772Jump to it: Cozy Corner ↓ - Award winnerPayne's Bar-B-Q
Southern Foodways Alliance 2026 Keeper of the Flame21Jump to it: Payne's Bar-B-Q ↓
What makes Memphis barbecue different
Pork is the center of it: ribs, pulled and chopped shoulder, and sandwiches topped with slaw. Tennessee's tourism site sums up the big question as "dry rub, wet sauce, or something in between"2, and the Rendezvous is known for the dry side, serving charcoal-grilled, dry-rub ribs since 1948213.
Then there are the dishes you won't see much elsewhere. The Bar-B-Q Shop calls itself the originator of barbecue spaghetti and the Texas Toast barbecue sandwich7. Barbecue bologna sandwiches show up on menus at Tops23 and Cozy Corner17, and Cozy Corner's smoked Cornish hen has been a draw since 19772.
The spots, one by one
A&R Bar-B-Que
Andrew and Rose Pollard opened A&R in 19833. Tennessee's tourism site calls it a local favorite for ribs, smoked sausage, chopped pork sandwiches and nachos, with barbecue spaghetti among the sides2.
- Price
- $$ · $11 to $17 typical meal · From A&R's online menu, sandwich combo to rib plate, checked Oct 27, 20264
- Address
- 1802 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis 38106, (901) 774-7444; also 3721 Hickory Hill Rd., Memphis 38115, (901) 365-97773
- Hours
- Elvis Presley Blvd. lists Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sunday3
Bain Barbecue
Bain bills itself as "Memphis meets Texas," and it's the newest kind of spot on this list: brisket sliced to order after fourteen hours over oak5. Tennessee's tourism site calls it a rising star with Texas-inspired meats and Memphis traditions, and points to the jalapeño slaw and the Texas Twinkie2. There's a second location in Germantown5.
- Price
- $$$ · $12 to $29 typical meal · From Bain's online menu, pulled pork sandwich to 2-meat plate, checked Oct 27, 20266
- Address
- 993 S. Cooper St., Memphis 381045
- Hours
- Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday5
Full listing: Bain BarbecueSpot’s website: Bain Barbecue →Directions to Bain Barbecue
The Bar-B-Q Shop
The shop started life as Brady & Lil's, and Brady Vincent trained Frank and Hazelteen Vernon before he retired in 1981; the Vernon family renamed it The Bar-B-Q Shop six years later8. It calls itself the originator of barbecue spaghetti and makes its own Dancing Pigs sauce and dry seasoning78.
- What to order
- Barbecue spaghetti, then ribs or a pulled pork sandwich7.
- Price
- Prices not posted online
- Address
- 1782 Madison Ave., Memphis 381047
- Hours
- Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday9
Full listing: The Bar-B-Q ShopSpot’s website: The Bar-B-Q Shop →Directions to The Bar-B-Q Shop
Central BBQ
Central opened in 2002 and was, in its own words, "born and raised in the fires of barbecue competition"10. Its motto is "Smoke is Our Sauce," with hickory and pecan wood and a dry rub10. The original is on Central Avenue in Midtown; there are also locations downtown on Butler Avenue, on Poplar and on Summer11.
- What to order
- Pulled pork or barbecue nachos, the two things Tennessee's tourism site says it's known for2.
- Price
- Prices not posted online
- Address
- 2249 Central Ave., Memphis 38104, (901) 272-937711
Full listing: Central BBQSpot’s website: Central BBQ →Directions to Central BBQ
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
"In the basement since 1948," says the menu13. Tennessee's tourism site describes it as a basement spot off an alleyway, known for charcoal-grilled, dry-rub ribs2.
- What to order
- Ribs. A small order is the classic first visit; the cheese and sausage plate is the classic starter13.
- Price
- $$ · $13 to $27 typical meal · From the Rendezvous' online menu, pork shoulder sandwich to ribs and shoulder combo, checked Oct 27, 202613
- Address
- 52 S. Second St., Memphis 38103, (901) 523-274612
- Hours
- Tuesday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.12
Full listing: Charlie Vergos' RendezvousSpot’s website: Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous →Directions to Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Cozy Corner
Desiree Robinson, the co-founder, welcomes visitors on the spot's own site16, and Tennessee's tourism site describes a family-owned room in a modest building. It notes it was named one of the South's 20 best barbecue spots by Southern Living and says its smoked Cornish hens and ribs have been legendary since 19772.
- Price
- $$ · $13 to $18 typical meal · From Cozy Corner's online menu, Cornish hen plate to 6-bone rib plate, checked Oct 27, 202617
- Address
- 735 N. Parkway, Memphis 38105, (901) 527-915816
- Hours
- Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday16
Full listing: Cozy CornerSpot’s website: Cozy Corner →Directions to Cozy Corner
Germantown Commissary
The original Commissary was a small country store for more than 90 years until Walker Taylor bought it in 1981 and turned it into a barbecue spot14. There's now a second location in Collierville14.
- What to order
- A barbecue sandwich plate, or ribs15.
- Price
- $$$ · $15 to $28 typical meal · From the Commissary's online menu, barbecue sandwich plate to half-order rib plate, checked Oct 27, 202615
- Address
- 2290 S. Germantown Rd., Germantown 38138, (901) 754-554014
- Tip
- Holiday orders close the Monday before Thanksgiving and Christmas14.
Full listing: Germantown CommissarySpot’s website: Germantown Commissary →Directions to Germantown Commissary
Leonard's Pit Barbecue
Leonard's dates to 1922, when Leonard Heuberger traded a Model T for a seven-stool sandwich stand in South Memphis. In the 1940s and '50s it ran what it calls the world's largest barbecue drive-in, with 20 car-hops18. Its current home is on North Germantown Parkway in Cordova18.
- What to order
- A pulled pork sandwich2.
- Price
- Prices not posted online
- Address
- 1100 N. Germantown Pkwy., Cordova 3801618
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Monday18
Full listing: Leonard's Pit BarbecueSpot’s website: Leonard's Pit Barbecue →Directions to Leonard's Pit Barbecue
Marlowe's Ribs & Restaurant
Marlowe's has been on Elvis Presley Boulevard since 1974 and is known for ribs and what it calls its Italian-style barbecue spaghetti19. It also runs a pink limo for guests19.
- What to order
- Ribs or the barbecue spaghetti19.
- Price
- $$$ · $18 to $37 typical meal · From Marlowe's online menu, spaghetti to a full slab, checked Oct 27, 202620
- Address
- 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis 38116, (901) 332-415919
Full listing: Marlowe's Ribs & RestaurantSpot’s website: Marlowe's Ribs & Restaurant →Directions to Marlowe's Ribs & Restaurant
Payne's Bar-B-Q
The Southern Foodways Alliance named Payne's its 2026 Keeper of the Flame. Horton Payne opened it in 1972, and after he died in 1984 his family kept it going: his wife Flora, son Ron and daughter Candice Payne-Parker21. The SFA describes "low and slow" pulled and chopped pork sandwiches topped with tangy cabbage slaw21.
- Price
- Prices not posted online
Tops Bar-B-Q
Tops has been serving barbecue and burgers in Memphis since 195222. Its pork shoulder is direct-fire smoked, chopped and served with Tops slaw and mild sauce23. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m. at every location22.
- What to order
- A pork shoulder sandwich, or the barbecue bologna sandwich23.
- Price
- $$ · $10 to $19 typical meal · From Tops' online menu, pork shoulder plate to half-rib plate, checked Oct 27, 202623
- Address
- 1383 Jackson Ave., Memphis 38107, (901) 274-860022
Full listing: Tops Bar-B-QSpot’s website: Tops Bar-B-Q →Directions to Tops Bar-B-Q
Making a day of it
Several of these spots sit close together: the Rendezvous and Central's Butler Avenue location are both downtown1112, and The Bar-B-Q Shop, Central's original and Bain are all in Midtown zip 381045711. If you're coming in May, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest runs as part of Memphis in May on the riverfront2. Coming from Nashville? Our Tennessee BBQ Trail is a two-day drive that ends in Memphis, and our Memphis vs. Nashville guide explains how the two cities differ.
FAQ
What is Memphis barbecue known for?
Pork ribs, dry rub or sauced, plus pulled and chopped pork sandwiches with slaw. Barbecue spaghetti and barbecue bologna are local signatures.
Where did barbecue spaghetti start?
The Bar-B-Q Shop in Midtown calls itself the originator.
What's the oldest barbecue spot on this list?
Leonard's, which dates itself to 1922.
Which spots are closed on Mondays?
The Bar-B-Q Shop, Bain, Cozy Corner and Leonard's all list Monday as closed, and the Rendezvous lists hours only for Tuesday to Saturday. Check before you go.
Sources
- Memphis Cheat Sheet: Must See, Do and Eat · Memphis Travel
- BBQ Places in Memphis · TNVacation · published Oct 13, 2025, last updated Oct 30, 2026
- Home · A&R Bar-B-Que
Show all 23 sourcesShow fewer sources
- Menu · A&R Bar-B-Que
- Home · Bain Barbecue
- Menu · Bain Barbecue
- Home · The Bar-B-Q Shop
- About Us · The Bar-B-Q Shop
- Hours · The Bar-B-Q Shop
- About Central BBQ · Central BBQ
- Locations · Central BBQ
- Contact Us · Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
- Restaurant Menu · Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
- Home · Commissary BBQ
- Menu · Commissary BBQ
- Home · Cozy Corner BBQ
- Menu · Cozy Corner BBQ
- Our Story · Leonard's Pit Barbecue
- Home · Marlowe's Ribs & Restaurant
- Menu · Marlowe's Ribs & Restaurant
- 2026 Keeper of the Flame: Payne's Bar-B-Q · Southern Foodways Alliance
- Jackson Ave · Tops Bar-B-Q
- Menu · Tops Bar-B-Q
How we write guides. We don’t publish our own reviews or scores. Listings reflect where independent press and readers’ polls agree, and every claim links to its source. Paid placements never change a guide. Hours and sell-outs change, so check with the spot before you drive.
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