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I went to Central and Corky's for my 2 rib jaunts in Memphis, and I've got to say I prefer Central's all-around. Central ribs were tender, without being fall-off-the-bone (i.e. mushy). My bf ate his entire rack, and then started on mine, so the consensus is that we both loved it.
Friendly staff, quick service, and an outdoor patio where you can enjoy your ribs in the sunlight....definitely deserves a rib-smile. :)
On a recent & far too short trip to Memphis, we hit Central BBQ on a Sunday ... around the time when church gets out.
I'd like to start with the staff ... FANTASTIC! Everyone was upbeat & helpful and efficient. We got there just before the church rush, so as we were waiting for our food to be delivered the line grew very quickly. Orders were flying out the door & that long line shrunk at a fast pace. But then more folks came & the line grew ... so it was an ebb & flow, but Central was rockin'!
Ok, the pulled pork ... got mine dry ... very nice flavor, not overly smokey. Some was a lil' dry but overall the pork was tender.
The beef brisket ... could have been a bit smokier for my taste, but it was moist and had very few fatty parts.
The ribs ... quite nice. Gentle tug on the meat. Again could have been a touch smokier for my taste bit they were very very good.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the mild sauce - it had just the right amount of sweetness to it. I thought the hot was ok - could have had more kick. The mustard & vinegar were very interesting. That Central BBQ spice rub was awesome! Actually the combination of the vinegar & the "rub shake" was my fave on the pulled pork.
Will definitely return when back in Memphis.
I have been to Central BBQ many times over the last couple of years and they have become my go to place for barbecue. As many places as I've tried in Memphis, Central BBQ has the best ribs and nachos I've ever had. The ribs are so tender that they literally fall off the bone and the nachos were so very tasty. Their barbecue sauce helps make their barbecue the best in Memphis. It's sweet and slightly tangy with a kick.
The staff is very quick and efficient. The line at the Central Ave location can easily go out the door since the restaurant is not too big. Their Summer location is much larger and probably better for groups.
I typically call in orders to go and they always have had them ready on time and piping hot. I would recommend this restaurant without reservation to anyone, especially those visiting Memphis.
To put it lightly, Central BBQ is the best damn BBQ joint I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.
Not only does this place serve the best Memphis pulled pork sandwich anywhere. It raises the bar, no it launches the bar into the stratosphere, with these ridiculously addictive dry rub chicken wings. These should be illegal, a real schedule 1 drug. And a guaranteed increaser of waistbands for anybody lucky enough to have these morsels of goodness. Far and away the definitive BBQ place-- I recommend it to any friends visiting Memphis. Forget Corky's, Interstate, and Rendezvous. Central is where its at.
The only bbq that was worth leaving Memphis BBQ fest for was at Central and Payne's. Central was wonderful-- I got a rack of ribs (half wet/half dry) and they were tender and juicy with good crispiness on the end parts. Just fantastic-- you can't get ribs like this in Chicago.
And the sides were great too-- the real stand out of the bunch was the homemade bbq chips with blue cheese. The only let down was the side of mac and cheese, which was only ok.
I also had the peanut butter pie for dessert, which was good, but would have been better if I had waited to order it until after I finished my meal, considering it was kind of melty by the time I got to it.
I've only ever had the BBQ chicken and the sides here, and it is probably my favorite BBQ in Memphis. I also LOVE the warm BBQ sauces (prefer spicy BBQ). Mac and cheese, and those homemade chips are awesome.
Central has, IMO, the best pulled pork sandwiches in Memphis. They're simply fantastic, beating anything from Corky's or Neely's or Interstate. There's something about the way they make it that makes it perfection.
That said, their ribs, while very, very good, are not the best. For wet ribs, they're among the top three, but I'd have to say that Interstate slightly edges them out there.
As for the sides, do yourself a favor, get the collard greens. Mmm, just like momma used to make.
If you want excellent BBQ in a low key setting, this is the place. If you want niceties like tablecloths or somebody bringing food out to your table, go elsewhere. Real BBQ transcends that sort of thing.
good meat with boring sides. Nice atmosphere but needs a different beer selection.
Was on a cross country trip and was told to go here if I passed Memphis. My friends and I ended up going and I got the pull porked sandwich. To be honest, the fact that I needed the sauce made me quite sad. I like tasting BBQ that has its own flavour without much sauce. But then again, I am a kid from LA so I probably don't know much about BBQ. I gave the place a 4/5 cause it wasn't as good as I was expecting. If I ever come again, I would get the ribs next time.
I am from Kansas City so I am entirely biased... but this was okay. We ate here after trying Neely's interstate and we much preferred that one.
My husband went with the pork and I went with the half chicken. The meat was great, cooked well and tasty. The chicken breast was dry... I am not sure if this is because we went late in the day, and I know how BBQ works, you cant fault someone for dry meat if you come late in the day. The sauces were mediocre at best. I know you're not supposed to judge Memphis by sauce, but they smothered my food in it, so I feel entitled to address it.
The cole slaw was some of the best I have ever had. I don't know what it was about it, but I loved it. I also liked their vinegar sauce, it was malty.
I'm from out of town (San Francisco originally), so I'm sure my opinions on BBQ aren't entirely to be trusted... That being said, I had the pulled pork sandwich and really enjoyed it. The sauce was lovely, the coleslaw on the sandwich good. I got a side of mac n cheese that was pretty tasteless, though. I also ate at Rendezvous, and preferred Central by far.
While we ate, we saw several plates of BBQ nachos go by. They looked really good... If I ever return to Memphis, I'm going for the nachos.
Weird!
A BBQ joint that plays The Doors and Emerson, Lake and Palmer? Interesting.
Anyway - Got a half rack of pork ribs (wet) with turnip greens and mac and cheese. And a PBR to wash it down with. They actually had a tap with 6 beers, mosly hoppy-craft beer and even a belgian beer! Not with BBQ, please. Gimme the crappy stuff. I wanna concentrate on the grub.
The ribs were awesome. Could be the best I ever had. GREAT texture, and the sauce didn't take away from the smoky, meaty taste of the ribs.
Now let's just say the sides are not the main attraction. Pasty, flavorless mac and cheese, boring greens. The ribs are definately the main attraction. Worth it for that.
We were in Memphis for a family wedding and the reception was catered by Central BBQ. We were only treated to pulled pork, slaw, beans, and bread but MAN, what tasty food it was.
The pork was very moist and full of good meat. I enjoyed a lot of the end pieces, some middle cuts, and lots of other parts. The meat had very little fat throughout and the sauce (hot and regular) were great! I took the slaw and landed it right on top of the meat for extra deliciousness. Overall I had three helpings of bbq and even had some chocolate cake and key lime pie.
Everything was great and I hope to get back to Memphis to go to the actual building for some ribs that I heard were just as good.
Ribs were fine. I would rate them as average and the sides were pretty good. Cleanliness is not adequate and should be addressed. Overall ambiance is poor with a dirty cafeteria feel. For this price...go elsewhere.
Not as good as Bar-B-Q Shop or Corky's, but still very tasty. We loved their Hot Rub seasoning on the dry slab that we ordered. Customer service was great - when they found out it was our first time there, they fell all over themselves trying to make us feel welcome.
Will be back for some nachos, which we hear are amazing.
The gritty aura of the dining area makes it feel like its never seen the brush end of a broom in five years, but that's how you know it's good bbq. The good folks are too busy prepping and peddling their pig to bother with the little details like attempting to polish cement flooring (or was it linoleum?) floor and picnic tables. My first impression of whether this will be good bbq or not is the cleanliness of the dining area - and this place has all the markings of a great place for food.
And the food is great. I love their bbq pulled pork sandwich - though I usually make my own cocktail sauce by mixing the ones they offer. The wet ribs are the best I've ever had, and the dry are tasty as well. (Never having tried dry ribs before visiting Central BBQ in Memphis, I'm not well qualified to judge their quality.) Their bbq beans are standard, and their onion rings are nice. Order a soda, and you'll get a nice, souvenier plastic cup.
I can't figure out why this place is so highly rated? My friend and I were passing through town and knew we probably wouldn't be back anytime soon (if ever), so we tried a bunch of different things. We had a pork sandwich, beef sandwich, pork ribs, collard greens, baked beans, french fries, and even their peanut butter pie.
Out of everything, the only thing that stood out were the pork ribs. They were very tender, practically slid off the bone, and had very little fat. No complaints about that. However, everything else was just OK, nothing exceptional. Both sandwiches were cooked well and had good meat, and were drenched their BBQ sauce (which also wasn't amazing), but did not really stand out in any way. The buns were regular buns that you could get at a supermarket and the coleslaw that they put on the sandwich was too thick.
I learned I do not like collard greens or baked beans, but maybe that's just me, so I can't hold it against this place. However, I like fries, and once again their fries just weren't anything special.
Finally, the peanut butter pie (which was more of a cake then a pie) had a weird flavor. I had a couple bites and really didn't want anymore. And I usually really like peanut butter.
Overall, I wasn't very impressed, but my friend loved it, so if he were writing this review it would probably be a much different story.
I wrote a year or so back and gave two stars. I gave this place a few more tries since then and have reduced my rating to one star. MAIN REASON=poor hygiene of workers/the place is really dirty. There was a woman preparing food with poodle puff hair hanging out of the hairnet . Also, the guy that was ringing up our order was rubbing all over his eyes that looked like pink-eye and then put his hand on my drink glass. NASTY!!! Plus it looked like he didn' t have a bath in a few weeks. LASTLY, two people were off to the side of the prep line discussing whether or not the salad dressing they pulled out from underneath a counter on the floor was capable of being served. THEY SHOOK IT UP AND PUT IT ON THE TRAY!!!
For bbq that is supposed to be this "damn good" i'm just not seeing it...once we finally got our food i had to force myself to eat it-try the bbq shop or neelys they are MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!
The hard chunks of fatty meat coupled with the rude sweating owner combine for a mediocre dining… Read more »
Food Network has spotlighted Central BBQ a few times, and for good reason. This is a local favorite!
This location (their original) is not in the tourist district... Unless you stumble upon it while parking your car for a Tiger's Football game, word of mouth is probably how you learn of this treasure. There's usually a line (especially at lunch and dinner time), but it's worth the wait.
It may lack a bit for atmosphere, but their BBQ is very tasty. Their specialty is dry ribs, and pulled pork. Don't fear, wet rib lovers... they have a spicy and a mild sauce if that's how you like it. I prefer dry ribs, as I like the rib to be the focus. Their side dishes are also very good. I'm fond of their homemade potato chips and mac 'n cheese with my ribs.
After you order your food, find a table and a server will bring your order out to you. You get your drinks (soda, tea, water) on your own, and beer from the beer counter.
During the warmer months they'll often have a band on the patio outside. I've tried several Memphis rib joints, but always come back to Central BBQ!
I LOVE Central BBQ. It is great food, good people, and the best patio eatin' and drinkin' in Memphis.
I am partial to the regular sandwich, no slaw, myself. Partner that with a cold beer and fun friends and you have the best day of your life ahead of you.
The best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had (the only item that I've ordered). I am a designated Memphis BBQ hunter, so I'm quite proud to come to this conclusion. I arrived to a line outside of the door and halfway down their pleasant outdoor deck. Lunch has a very professional crowd, but at all other times it's families and locals.
The teller gave me a discount for "looking like a student", for which I was slightly insulted, but also slightly grateful. Very friendly in a organic and genuine way.
As for the food: the pulled pork was priced right for quality and quantity ($3.99 and $5.50 for regular and large, resp.). You can get it either on a bun or texas toast with slaw or without (don't dare try it without the slaw on your first try). The regular is plenty if you're a normal person, but the large can be a midnight snack.
They have several sauces graded by heat (I believe at least 4), which adds to the sandwich and experience. I have a half spicy half sweet/savory sauce to my sandwiches (divided in half).
Whenever in Memphis I do my best to make a visit to them and "others" to validate my opinion and all is still well for Central.
This review is in no way intended to slight Corky's to which I owe a separate review of my Memphis BBQ experiences....
Oh how I miss you!!!!!!!!!!! The best grub! I live in Napa, Ca. however, I was originally from Memphis and I miss you terribly. The best Q in Memphis! Keep rockin and I will promise to come see you every time I am in town!
This was my first experience with Memphis BBQ and I'll never forget it. The sauces are amazing and the homemade chips are tasty. It's the way BBQ should be done and you just can't find food like this where I'm from.
I can't wait to return for some ribs!
Love me some Central BBQ! I'm pretty picky about my BBQ, especially brisket, and Central never fails to please. Sometimes it can take a little while to get your food, but head over with a friend and you won't even notice the wait. There's patio seating with plenty of anchored paper towels, and indoor seating as well. The prices are great, for $7 or $8 you can get a great brisket sandwich and some killer sweet tea-- not to mention your take-home plastic Central BBQ cup! Free refills on drinks and endless BBQ sauce, plus some great potato salad and baked beans means this is the place to go-- definitely my favorite.
Someone said that Memphis is arguably the best place for barbeque in the world. Someone is wrong. Memphis is the best place for barbeque. Period. And Central BBQ is a great place to get it.
I LOVE the bbq nachos. There are enough to feed a family of four, but I order them as a meal and take the rest home.
I brought Boyfriend here when we were on a trip to my fair hometown of Memphis and he was floored. I have a lot to teach him about barbeque, seeing as he thinks North Carolina is some kind of competition (wtf?), and Central was a part of our tutorial. I've also taken him to the Rendezvous, even if it is more touristy than tasty (still good, dont hate), so that he can expand his barbeque palate.
Next time we're in TigerTown, Central BBQ will again be on our list, along with Interstate and the BBQ Shop.
Total BBQ snob here ever since I had the pleasure of being spoiled by the BBQ of Texas.
I tried the brisket plate (with BBQ chips made in-house and baked beans) and found it to be adequate. Nothing more. The beans were phenomenal though.
What gives this 4 stars is that the owner bought everybody a round of beers thanks to some Final Four action. I'd come back.
I'm used to Texas BBQ, so Memphis-styled Central BBQ was a great experience. I still prefer Texas-styled, but Central's BBQ Nachos was a deliciously different experience.
Fantastic ribs and pulled pork and all other kinds of meat. Cold bottled beer. Delicious sweet tea. Homemade pork rinds. Great low-key, go-ahead-and-get-messy atmosphere but also good service. The only thing that could be improved might be the sides, which are solid and good, but not as phenomenal as the meats.
I'm a Memphis native, and a self-professed BBQ snob. I've tried 'em all, and I love wet ribs. I used to swear by Corky's, but then Corky's started going downhill, and opening new restaurants in every damn strip mall in the burbs.
My sister and brother-in-law turned me onto Central a few years back. It was good, and it's gotten better with time. You don't go for the service (service? You get your food on a plastic tray for cry-yie!). You don't go for the ambience (the ambience is "formica booth and air-conditioning," or else "picnic table and the pleasantly persistent low roar of traffic on Central Ave").
You go for the barbecue.
And man. They have some amazing ribs. Mmmm...
Don't waste time with anything but the ribs. They have mediocre and incredibly unhealthy sides. The summer sausage-and-cheese plate with mustard is fairly good to tide you over and coat your arteries with some soothing cholesterol while you await the arrival of your Mega Calories.
But the ribs. Lord. The ribs gave me religion.
Edit: I find it humorous that so many people go to a BBQ joint and review the bathroom, the peanut-butter pie, the utensils...everything but the actual BBQ.
Listen, this is not haute cuisine. What you see as minuses, I see as positives! A BBQ joint isn't supposed to be a pleasant place to pee. It's not supposed to have nice white tablecloths, and it's not supposed to have good collard greens or good customer service. Those things are all ancillary. They are incidental to the experience.
And the experience is BBQ pork ribs. Preferrably wet.
You might find pleasure in their collard greens or mac-and-cheese, or sausage or even Diet Coke--and good for you. Might as well go use the restroom afterwards to reap the full benefits of it all.
But what does that have to do with BBQ? Nothing at all.
I ate here two times in three days, in a city brimming with great BBQ, that really should say something!! These are true Memphis style BBQ baby back loin ribs. They dry rub their ribs then they let the ribs sit/marinade for 24hrs before it is smoke with hickory wood for about 4.5 hours. Once it is done, the center pink meat falls of the bone and it is heaven on earth! I would highly recommend the ribs... and if it your first time, get them half-n-half (half dry-rub, half wet). Sides are a must. The greens and BBQ chips are good. Beans, pork rinds, mac-n-cheese are not bad. I also love the dry-rub wings. Tell me what you think about the BBQ nachos... I didn't care for it since I wasn't served hot, so the cheese doesn't melt and it had too much BBQ sauce for my taste. And I like chix nacho topping better than the pork. And I would pass on the peanut butter desert next time. Sounds great but it is mousse/cream pie vs. cheesecake texture, which is my preference instead. My pursuit for true Memphis style ribs was fulfilled at Central. Nuff said.
Ahh, as you've been reading my posts, you may or may not know that I'm search for the best pork ribs in America...On my recent cross country excursion, my brother and I actually charted our course for this very reason. One of the stops was in Memphis. And Central BBQ was on the list of one of the places WE HAD to try. Now my brother who also lives in Arizona shares in my passion for ribs and he told me that he heard that Central was better than inerstate or is it interstate...not sure...So we went there. The place is a bit small and you order at the counter and then sit down and they bring you your meal. The staff was plenty friendly and they were self professed hippies, which I thought was funny considering the menu. They recommended the chips which were seasoned with spices. You get a bag of these. GO BACK AND GET MORE! I was addicted to these chips....The ribs were outstanding. However......I can only give them a four star rating because they were slightly burned on one end. And the cole slaw was pretty bad. No flavor and very runny. But the flavor of the ribs was fantastic.
The dining area wasn't anything to get excited over. The outside patio gave a boost to the seating area which nothing to get too excited over. In other words there wasn't much ambiance. However the staff was great, the food was great and yes when I go back to Memphis, I'll be goin back to Central!
Again I'm not a huge fan of BBQ because it is quite contrary to what would be considered healthy dining. But still I'm a fan of the pulled chicken sandwich and beef brisket sandwich. Add a side of Mac n Cheese, and you're in sheer tasty gluttony.
[Note: I have made several return trips to Central BBQ since I wrote the following review in 2005...every time, the ribs seem to taste better than the time before. I still feel the same about the pulled pork and cole slaw, but the tasty ribs have bumped my rating from 3 to 4 stars. Yum! -DT 6/07/06]
[And that steady improvement still holds...5 stars as of 4/30/07!]
*****
I heard a couple of negative comments about this place when it opened a few years ago, but they seem to have gotten their act together. For the most part, Central BBQ serves tasty, no-frills food.
We shared a pulled pork plate (BBQ pork w/o the bun) and a half-and-half wet/dry slab of ribs. In both entrees, the meat was very tender, with just a hint of smokiness. The seasoning on the dry ribs was light, which meant we tasted the meat itself more than the seasoning; this can be a plus or a minus, depending on how big of a dry-seasoning fan you are. The pulled pork came with one of three BBQ sauce options: mild, vinegary, or mustardy. We chose mild, which was tangy and not sweet, but sampled the other two as well; the mustard didn't wow us.
(A medium-sized gripe: Speaking of not wowing us, the cole slaw that each of us ordered was completely lacking in flavor. We added sugar from the little packets just to taste something...and that something ended up being sugar.)
Central BBQ serves big portions. I'm no slouch when it comes to eating, but even with help, I didn't quite finish the pulled pork.
According to a local they "pre-make" their BBQ which may drop em down a notch for authenticity, but I liked the taste better than Corky's, Neely's or the Rendezvouz. Its just THAT TASTY. Also dig the outdoor picnic benches...but eating outdoors is "stuff white people like" - i'm guilty too.
My favorite barbeque in Memphis....their fries are spectacular! Their ribs are tasty wet or dry; the dry is spicy, savory, delicious. The hot wings are fantastic: fried crisp on the outside with your choice of wet or dry barbeque sauce. I especially love the hot mustard sauce. Decent beer selection. They also offer a barbequed portobello sandwich...a vegetarian option is often rare in a BBQ joint.
Awesome wet memphis ribs. The sides were so-so, but the ribs were great. Get a few racks of ribs to go and enjoy.
Even though this is a Memphis standard, and I am far and away not a BBQ expert I thought I would throw in my two cents. This place is very good, and it has a really cool atmosphere. Its a wait in line type of place, and the line can get very long, but for someone reason waiting in line to order and watching the workers in the kitchen makes the place feel very authentic. They have a large patio/deck seating area, and it is definitly the place to be. The prices are reasonable, and truthfully I haven't tried to many of their menu items as I tend to gravitate toward the pork plate, which is tender and yummy. For the sauce I would make a recommendation, the mustard sauce and the vinegar sauce are each very good separately, but if you mix them half and half its phenomenal. Their greens are also really good, and have an excellent flavor, I am not certain thought, whether they are collard or mustard. The slaw is a little odd and is a little two creamy for my tastes, but it goes well mixed with the pulled pork. Good times, and truly a fine BBQ establishment.
being a college student, i reckon myself quite a connoisseur of barbecue. this place is delish! one star off for the line-up system... i prefer sitting down and ordering, a la the barbecue shop. the space is also quite constrained!
The BBQ sandwich here was classic Memphis - or so it seemed to me as an outsider! I'd be a lot heavier if I lived close to this place. The sandwich is huge and the chips are homemade. Go hungry, and certainly don't dress up.
I was in Memphis only for a weekend, and wanted to try some good food from a local place. Food here is definitely great, the ribs are by far some of the best ribs I've had yet... Not the place if you want a fancy dinner experience, but definitely the place if you want some great BBQ.
I was in Memphis only for a weekend, and wanted to try some good food from a local place. Food here… Read more »
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Steakhouses
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Indian
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