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.
Tops Bar-B-Q at Watkins Street and Jackson Avenue, photographed in 2010. Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki, CC BY 3.0.
Memphis barbecue · Jackson Avenue
Tops Bar-B-Q
A Memphis chain from 1952, with hickory-smoked pork sandwiches and breakfast on Jackson Avenue.
- TodayHours not posted online
Why go
Tops on Jackson Avenue serves its hickory-smoked pork sandwich, plus breakfast until 10:30am.12 Tops started in Memphis in 1952, founded by J.W. Lawson, per the Southern Foodways Alliance.3 A group led by Darrell Horn, Matt Salisbury and Tiger Bryant bought Tops in 2019 and said the menu would stay the same.4
Good to know
Breakfast
Until 10:30am.1
What people are saying
Heath Riles BBQView on YouTube ↗
In the press
- Apr 2, 2019Commercial Appeal · Memphis barbecue institution Tops Bar-B-Q gets new owners, but not much else is changing
- 2002Southern Foodways Alliance · Tops Bar-B-Q oral history
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
- The pitmaster
Near Jackson Avenue
Smoky City BBQ
Jackson Ave · about 0.7 mi
1023 Jackson Ave
Alton's Bar-B-Q
Jackson Ave · about 1 mi
2471 Jackson Ave
Cozy Corner
Open Tue to SatNorth Parkway · about 1 mi
735 N. Parkway
Distances are straight-line miles from Tops Jackson Ave, not driving distance.
Nearest trail: Memphis in a Day, about 1.3 miles away.
Related guides
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.
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 Tops Bar-B-Q? Get a Featured partner listing (paid)
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (4) · every fact on this page links to one
- Jackson Ave · Tops Bar-B-Q · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- Menu · Tops Bar-B-Q · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- Tops Bar-B-Q oral history · Southern Foodways Alliance · published 2002 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Memphis barbecue institution Tops Bar-B-Q gets new owners, but not much else is changing · Commercial Appeal · published Apr 2, 2019 · 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.