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 · Midtown, Shelby County
Tops Bar-B-Q
Pork shoulder sandwiches and burgers on Union Avenue, open from 6:30am.
- Today
Why go
Tops Bar-B-Q has served Memphis since 1952.3 Across the brand, each cut of meat is seasoned and slow-cooked on site over hickory wood.3 The brand's menu highlights burgers, signature sauces and ribs, and Union Ave is one of its Memphis locations.3
This Tops sits on Union Avenue in Midtown and opens early, with breakfast until 10:30am.1 Tops won The Commercial Appeal's 2026 reader bracket for burgers.2
What to order
Good to know
Burger bracket
Won The Commercial Appeal's 2026 reader bracket.2
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.
- Creators: distinct accounts behind the creator posts on this page.
- Best-of lists: press pieces on this page that are "best of" roundups including this spot. We list them, we don't rank.
- 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.
- FriendsEATYouTubeView on YouTube ↗
- @MATAmConnectX · Mar 2024View on X ↗
Tap a post to play it here. We never edit posts or pay for them.
In the press
- Apr 10, 2026The Commercial Appeal · Tops Bar-B-Q wins Commercial Appeal's Best Burger in Memphis bracket
What we don’t know yet
We only publish what we can source. Here’s what’s missing.
- Photos
- Wood and pits
- Cash or card
- The pitmaster
More barbecue nearby
The BBQ Shop
Open Tue to SatMidtown · about 1 mi
1782 Madison Ave
Smoky City BBQ
Jackson Ave · about 1 mi
1023 Jackson Ave
Cozy Corner
Open Tue to SatNorth Parkway · about 2 mi
735 N. Parkway
Nearest trail: Memphis in a Day.
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.
Researched by Erik Peterson, sources linked below.
Sources (3) · every fact on this page links to one
- Union Ave · Tops Bar-B-Q · Checked Oct 27, 2026
- Tops Bar-B-Q wins Commercial Appeal's Best Burger in Memphis bracket · The Commercial Appeal · published Apr 10, 2026 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- About · Tops Bar-B-Q · Checked Oct 28, 2026