City guide · Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis BBQ
Rendezvous ribs, barbecue spaghetti, Cozy Corner's Cornish hen and Payne's chopped pork, with prices from each spot's own menu.
Memphis barbecue · East Memphis, Shelby County
Central BBQ
Central BBQ's hickory and pecan smoke on Poplar in East Memphis.
- TodayHours not posted online
- WoodHickory and pecan2
Why go
Central BBQ's Poplar Avenue location serves East Memphis. The company opened in 2002 and calls its approach "Smoke is Our Sauce."12 It uses hickory and pecan wood with a dry rub.2
What we don’t know yet
We only publish what we can source. Here’s what’s missing.
- Prices
- Photos
- Cash or card
- The pitmaster
More barbecue nearby
One & Only BBQ
Kirby Pkwy · about 1 mi
1779 Kirby Pkwy
Ritzies Barbecue
Quince Rd · about 1 mi
5669 Quince Rd
Tops Bar-B-Q
Poplar Ave · about 2 mi
5144 Poplar Ave
Nearest trail: The Tennessee BBQ Trail, about 5.1 miles away.
Related guides
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0Road trip · Nashville to Memphis
The Tennessee BBQ Trail
Nashville to Memphis in two days: whole hog in Lexington, dry ribs and barbecue spaghetti in Memphis. Free printable map.
Photo: Southern Foodways Alliance, CC BY 2.0Style guide · Tennessee
Memphis vs. Nashville BBQ
Dry rub vs. sauce, ribs vs. whole hog, and where to taste each, all sourced.
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (2) · every fact on this page links to one
- Locations · Central BBQ · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- About Central BBQ · Central BBQ · Checked Oct 27, 2026