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.
Rib tips and slaw at Cozy Corner, photographed in 2008. Photo: Randal Cooper, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Memphis barbecue · North Parkway
Cozy Corner
Raymond and Desiree Robinson's North Parkway barbecue spot, open since 1977.
- Today
Why go
Raymond and Desiree Robinson opened Cozy Corner in August 1977.5 Before that, Ray Robinson ran a restaurant called Ray's Barbecue in Denver.6 The pit runs on charcoal. Desiree Robinson put it simply: "that's all we use, is the charcoal."5
Cornish game hen has been on the menu since day one. It gets the Cozy Corner rub of salt, pepper and paprika and spends 2 hours or more on the pit.6 Ribs sell the most, followed by wings.6 Cozy Corner is on North Parkway in Memphis.1
Desiree took over after Raymond died in 2001.23 A fire closed it in January 2015, and it reopened in its North Parkway home in 2016.4 In 2020, Desiree Robinson became the first Black woman inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame.23
Good to know
Family size
Family-size orders on the menu.1
What people are saying
Posts and videos from people who’ve eaten here, pulled from 2 platforms and linked to the original.
By the numbersHow we counted
We use AI-assisted search to find public posts and press about each spot, then check them by hand. We can’t see every post, so these numbers count what we found, not everything out there. Last updated Oct 27, 2026.
- Press mentions: articles and lists in the press list on this page, all free to read.
- Creator posts: TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook posts on this page dated in the last 12 months. YouTube videos without a stored date are not counted. Reddit threads are not counted as creator posts.
- Creators: distinct accounts behind the creator posts on this page.
- Price: our own cost guide, not a ranking. We take the typical meal range from the spot's current menu and use its midpoint: $ under $12, $$ $12 to $20, $$$ $20 to $35, $$$$ over $35.
- EaterYouTubeView on YouTube ↗
- SAVEUR MagazineYouTubeView on YouTube ↗
- @TSDMemphisX · Nov 2025View on X ↗
- @TrooperBob_SCX · Nov 2025View on X ↗
- @CoachBurkett22X · May 2024View on X ↗
Tap a post to play it here. We never edit posts or pay for them.
In the press
- Oct 20, 2020Commercial Appeal · Cozy Corner matriarch inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame
- 2020Food & Wine · Legendary Pitmaster Desiree Robinson Inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame
- 2016Memphis Flyer · Cozy Corner set to reopen Saturday
What we don’t know yet
We only publish what we can source. Here’s what’s missing.
- Prices
- Wood and pits
- Cash or card
Near North Parkway
Smoky City BBQ
Jackson Ave · about 0.6 mi
1023 Jackson Ave
Arnold's BBQ & Grill
Monroe Avenue · about 1 mi
320 Monroe Avenue Suite 2
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Open Tue to SatDowntown · about 1 mi
52 S. Second Street
Distances are straight-line miles from Cozy Corner, not driving distance.
Nearest trail: Memphis in a Day.
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.
Road trip · Tennessee
Tennessee BBQ Road Trip Planner, by Region
West Tennessee ribs and whole hog, Middle Tennessee around Nashville, and Knoxville spots in the east, with trails, hours and drive times.
Own Cozy Corner? Get a Featured partner listing (paid)
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (6) · every fact on this page links to one
- Home · Cozy Corner BBQ · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- Cozy Corner matriarch inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame · Commercial Appeal · published Oct 20, 2020 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Legendary Pitmaster Desiree Robinson Inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame · Food & Wine · published 2020 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Cozy Corner set to reopen Saturday · Memphis Flyer · published 2016 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Cozy corner restaurant 2002 · Southern Foodways Alliance · Checked Oct 28, 2026
- Classic dining cornish hen at cozy corner · Memphis magazine · published 2019-02-15 · checked Oct 27, 2026
We don’t publish our own scores. Partner listings are always labeled and never change what we recommend. Hours change, so check before you drive.