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Myself and a friend were comming back from a trip to New Orleans back to St.louis and we were close to memphis when she turned to look at me and screamed, 'We need to stop and eat some BBQ!". Yeah, like i would have not thought about that one. While i love me some st.louis BBQ, man this is one of the best i have ever ate. From the moment we stepped into the place you just start to drool over just the smell. Because, let's face it... the smell is one of the stars there along with the food itself! After sitting for several moments and debating over what i wanted to eat i chose to get my grub on with a chopped beef sandwhich and some fries. WOW, alot of meat even for a sammy, but it was good! Oh so good! I don't think i left there looking like i came in.. i was all messy and full and ready for the rest of the drive back home.
I know i'll be back when i head back down that way one day!
During a recent trip to Memphis with my friend the Coma Queen, I had hoped to write a review comparing BBQ joints and, with that in mind, tried several.
I really need to compile all my notes but what I will readily say is...best hot sauce in our taste comparison: INTERSTATE.
It is a must the next time I return. It had a warm front, followed by that afterburn that seems to come almost from under the tongue. Just right.
We didn't have full meals, but focused on sandwiches, ribs, and the like (read, "MEAT") from various establishments.
Even if you have other favorites, and I'm sure many of you do, add INTERSTATE to your "To-Do" List.
Really.
Wet vs. dry. That's the argument that continues ad nauseum. As a Georgia resident, I have little to contribute here. Georgians love their sauce--tomato-based, more vinegary than sweet (as compared to KC-style), though not nearly as vinegar-laden as those in the Carolinas. Basically, our 'cue is nothing more than the natural gradient you'd fine as you moved from the vinegary pork of Eastern NC to the sweet thickness found in Kansas. I kind of think of the wet vs. dry argument as an outgrowth of that gradient as well, only moving from the sauce-loving North and Midwest to dry rub loving Texans.
Funny thing is, I don't like sauce. It tends to hide the flavor of the meat. A little is good if it complements, but it's too easy to hide flaws under a wet rib. I say this as a preface to my back-to-back comparison between Interstate and Rendezvous' ribs. First of all, props to the wife for not only tolerating this, but suggesting that we eat BBQ two days in a row. If there's one thing I love more than 'cue, it's my wife. Second comes BBQ brisket (seemingly the only thing those Texans can do right) and coming in after all that are all the rest of the different types of 'cues.
Interstate is aptly found just off the interstate. (Sorry, West Coasters, it ain't called a freeway 'round here.) We arrived right at lunch time, but being the Monday after July 4th weekend, the crowd was mercifully sparse. I ordered a small order of ribs, baked beans, cole slaw and sweet tea. Head to head, how did I rate Interstate vs. Rendezvous?
Sweet Tea: score 1 for Interstate. It tasted made inhouse and not too cloyingly sweet. I noticed Nestea on the fountain station at Rendezvous, driving me to order a Diet Coke. Now I didn't actually see pour a drink from that Nestea nozzle, but its presence saddens me.
Baked Beans: Again, score to Interstate. Smokey, pork-laden. Not too sweet. It was some of the better beans I've eaten. Rendezvous' tasted almost canned.
Cole slaw: Point to Interstate. Rendezvous' had a strange orange color that I found off-putting. But really, despite the heavy mustard-influence of Rendezvous' version, I don't rate the two cole slaws all that far apart because, hey, it's cole slaw.
Ribs: Alas, the big point go to Rendezvous and this is where the wet vs. dry argument rears its ugly head. Rendezvous' ribs had good bite and structure, the dry rub adding significant spice and hiding nothing. Interstates', while good, just weren't as smokey and didn't have the same structure. However (and I may be wrong in this), Interstate's ribs didn't look like baby backs to me while Rendezvous' did. Interstate, it seems, uses a spare rib cut and it's a cut I prefer. Not to mention, my small order of spare ribs at Interstate cost me $7.50 while the large baby backs at Rendezvous (same amount of food mind you) cost $16.95. Heck, Rendezvous might have spare ribs, but it sure as heck what I wasn't served.
In my ideal Memphis BBQ world, Interstate and Rendezvous would combine Voltron-style and serve dry-rubbed, charcoal smoked Interstate-source spare ribs. Sigh. One can only dream, right?
Four stars for Interstate, edged out only slightly by that delicious dry rub.
Best BBQ in Memphis! A little off the beaten path, but well worth the finding.
Jumbo Pulled Pork Sandwich with cole slaw on it...heaven!!
Also have a store front in the Memphis Airport (terminal B)...equallly as delicious.
Husband and wife have run the operation for 20+ years.
First off: I'd like to say that I ate at the MS outpost of Interstate BBQ, not the Memphis one. However, I would imagine they would serve the food nearly indentically.
That being said, I really enjoyed my pulled pork sandwich. The meat was very tender and the bbq sauce was just right. They slap some 'slaw as a bottom layer of the bun. Although I'm not a huge 'slaw fan, I found the combination very tasty.
I ordered a large sandwich which cost $0.25 more than the regular. The amount of meat on this sucker was unreal. This sandwich was certainly the best bang-for-your-buck meal I've ever had.
I had a local tell me Top's BBQ is equally solid. So if you're on the Stateline Rd area of MS and already hit up Interstate BBQ in Memphis, you might wanna check out Top's
Side note: The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is due to my amateur knowledge and taste experiences of BBQ.
It was great! The Sauce is perfect.
It is my number one choice for sauced ribs!
:)
Must be a good place, because I've just seen 6 or so of the fattest people I have ever been in the presence of stroll in.
Really good pulled pork sandwich. I got the "big" size, and I couldn't pick it up. So I ate it with a fork, which seemed like the way they do it in this joint.
The sleeper of the meal was the beans. Best BQ beans I ever had, hands down. GREAT compliment to the sandwich. They put cole slaw on the bottom of the sandwich - which I think may have taken away from it.. Next time I'll get my slaw on the side.
Extremely well priced, as well....
If I'm ever in Memphis again, this will be my first stop. Gotta try the rest of the stuff - and get more beans!
We absolutely LOVED Interstate, everything we ate was delicious!!! The two of us shared a Slab of Pork Ribs, Baked Beans, Coleslaw and Onion Rings - which is a ton of food, so bring your appetite.
Let's start with the main event: pork ribs. The meat was smoky, tender, and moist. Definitely not over cooked and really nice and lean. And it was smothered in tastiest sauce which was sweet, spicy and had a really deep, rich flavor. I wanted to lick the plate it was so good.
The sides were really great too. The AMAZING beans also had a strong bbq flavor and were in a thick sauce that had a great molasses/ginger flavor with small pieces of beef in it. The coleslaw was sweet, mild and creamy with a light vinegar flavor. And finally the onion rings were fresh, crispy and lightly fried.
Service is what I call "sassy southern" but very knowledgable and helpful to first-timers.
This place is a 10-15 minute drive from downtown Memphis, but well worth the time. An amazing find off the beaten touristy path in Memphis!
The best BBQ I have eatin' in my life. That is hard for me to say considering that I'm from Texas and was born and raised on great BBQ. If you are going to Memphis or Tennessee you must stop and eat at Interstate Bar-B-Q. The ribs are out of this world delicious! I also had a pulled pork sandwich with the slaw on it...you might be saying...I don't like slaw...well to hell with that the slaw tastes really great with the pulled pork and completes it perfectly just trust me. Look forward to visiting this place with my GF who is a Barbecueholic.
My wife and I visitwed interstate BBQ during a recent road trip to the south. We heard about the place on the Food Channel, and happened to book a hotel 10 minutes away from the place.
Atmosphere: Laid-back and clean, with pictures of the Neely Family and celebrities who have visited the place in the past. Seems like a local hang-out.
Food: I recommend that you split the combo sampler platter with a friend to get a true taste of what they have to offer. Combining BBQ sauce with a salad and spaghetti is a unique twist on normal BBQ that most people think of. You can even take home samples of their delicious sauce and seasoning, which we bought and packed into our checked luggage at the end of the trip.
Price: Very reasonable. For $25, we got a combo platter for two, beverage, and 15% tip. As a bonus, we had enough left-overs for a second meal later during the day.
I would definitely recommend this place to anybody visiting the Memphis area.
I would rate this in the top three tier of bbq in Memphis. Not sure if I could rate it number one because it is a close match to a couple of others (BBQ shop in midtown and Corky's is always good) The sauce is DEFINITELY the best in Memphis. Some of the others that complained seemed to order odd items. Stick with the basics-bbq sandwich with beans and slaw. This is a good place to stop on the way to the casinos.
We ended up here because we weren't sure that Rendezvous was opened (no one picked up the phone) and it was recommended by Yelpers.
I got the beef riblet sandwich. It came with sandwich bread and some riblets that I had to pull the meat off the make the sandwich myself. It was really good. The beef rib was nicely marinated and tender. We got a side of the bbq spaghetti to share. I've had bbq spaghetti before but this was by far better. It had a nice [spicy] kick to it and felt pretty light.
The food is good. The service is friendly. It wasn't very packed when we went. The decor is interesting - they have pictures of famous people who've eaten there with autographs. The ambiance is very group oriented. Probably not a good date spot because it is big and probably loud when its packed and very lighted.
I'd definitely stop here for bbq again the next time I stop through Memphis.
07/28/08
The best BBQ pulled pork sandwich and beans I've ever had in my life. The pork shoulder was like butter and the BBQ sauce was not too sweet, but perfectly smokey with a great kick. You can buy a big bottle of it relatively inexpensively and it is a great tool to pull out at home for your own BBQ.
As for the beans, it was loaded with pork and (I think) bacon which made me lick them down before the waitress even brought me my giant Sweet Tea and Pork Shoulder sandwich.
This place is worth the trip, even if you gain 15 lbs just by looking at it.
Let's just say, you don't fly a slab of ribs home for nothing.
A local told my friend (his girlfriend) that it was the best of the best in Memphis, so we checked it out when I was on a recent girls vaca to the area. It was great. The sauce for the ribs I ordered was fantastic, and the baked beans were hittin. I don't even really like beans, but I liked these.
The menu inspired me to order my boyfriend some (beef) ribs and fly them home with me the next day. The restaurant also had pulled pork, beef and pork ribs, chicken. It was wonderful. BBQ fabulousity.
Interstate BBQ -- So worth it. So worth it.
I'd heard about this place for years as supposedly the best BBQ in town. Well, as you probably know, "The Best" is a very heated debate amongst us here and in this case, I most definitely disagree.
Don't get me wrong, it's really good, but it's certainly out of the way from where I normally find myself, and there are better places much closer.
So right before hitting Beale Street, I decided to get a bit more bbq in my system. Interstate Bbq was right downtown, so this was clearly the most logical spot.
Recommended by a few folks, Interstate is pretty much in the hood, although they have a dining room, it closes after a certain hour and all you can get is take out.
The restaurant was actually pretty full. I imagine its a pretty popular spot to stop by on a Friday evening. You had all types of folks in there, and the best customer was the old guy that asked for 9 barbecue balogna (sp) sandwiches....sounds gross, but ppl swear by it here.
I wasnt really hungry at all so I settled on simply getting 1/2 a slab with 2 sides.
Usually a great litmus test for a great barbecue spot is this (insider tip coming)-- if they give you a few slices of white bread with your ribs, you got some good bbq on your hands.
However a challenging sign as to whether you have rec'd good barbecue or not may be when the teenage girls taking money behind the counter are arguing about who farted....no I am serious, I watched this argument take place...as you can imagine it just made me MORE anxious to get my ribs.
When I opened up my to go box, there sat two pieces of soft white bread....good sign. So i quickly dived into the ribs, which were a bit bigger than I anticipated. The sauce was a a dark red sauce...(almost maroon/purple looking) that had a deep flavor. Bold, strong, and rich, the sauce was pretty good, and had a smattering of a "burnt/wood" flavoring...who knows what that was.
With five bones, baked beans that were decent and another side that I cant for the life of me remember (I dont think i ate it), I was quickly satisfied w/ just tasting a few ribs, and sat aside the leftover for the late night craving that I get after a long night of drinking...mmmmm.
The ribs were just as good later on that night.
At this point I prayed this wasnt the best bbq in Memphis, but it was progressively better than Marlowe's Barbecue.
Stopped in for some road trip fuel with Andy P. on the way from Dallas to Connecticut.
If you need a pound of BBQ beef to get you through a six hour drive from Memphis to St. Louis, this is the place. A slice of Memphis not to be missed.
Ambiance: 22/25 stars
Food: 20/25 stars
Service: 19/25 stars
Bathroom: didn't use it
Probability of going back: 10% (I don't live in Memphis!)
I was hesitant to go to this restaurant because it is not in the best area. Having said that, the wait staff was friendly, the prices are good, and the food was very good! The BBQ sauce might have been the best I have tasted. If you don't want to go in there is a drive-thru. This place is also very close to Graceland.
My favorite BBQ in Memphis (so far). Much better than Corky's in my opinion. Location is kind of out of the way. They even FedEx BBQ frozen. It's so good that I had ribs and BBQ FedEx'd to Minneapolis for a surprise office cookout, it was a big hit! Takes a day or so to thaw out, but it's still good. You could put that sauce on a shoe and it would be good.
We must have hit these guys on an off night compared to the other reviews.
I got the sampler plate. The best thing on the plate was the sausage. How hard is it to smoke a sausage and sauce it (hold the jokes please). The beef was dry and not that flavorful. The pork was a little more moist. The beef ribs were just OK and the pork ribs pretty decent.
My wife ordered the atomic wings and the server forgot them. She said it would take 15 min but a half hour later my wife asked and she went and got them. It wasn't like they were rockin that night either.
I did try the BBQ spaghetti. That was pretty decent. Never had that and it's a combo of my two favorite food groups. BBQ and pasta.
I also notice no reviews from locals. Hummm .....
Sorry folks but overall I've had much better.
Do you have a food that you are totally nuts over? For me, and a few of my friends it's barbecue. There is not one thing about BBQ that we don't love. Even the act of walking into a new barbecue joint is a joyous event. So when I say we drove a 545 mile return trip for a single BBQ meal you should not be surprised; especially when I tell you that this was a road trip to the famous Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q in Memphis, Tennessee!
Our motley crew was comprised of Eric from http://BBQHub.com, a friend of his named Cecil, and of course myself. We all packed into Eric's car for the 4 and a half hour drive from Madisonville, Kentucky to Memphis, Tennessee. Armed with only our coffee, our appetites and about two and a half hours worth of small talk we started our journey to one of the World's most famous BBQ bastions.
In 1978, Jim Neely purchased Interstate Grocery at 2265 South 3rd Street. Not only would the grocery store provide his son with a job, Neely thought the store might provide himself with a way to supplement his income once he retired from the insurance business. The store was run down and had become a place for a rough element to hang out, drink, take drugs and get in the occasional fight. Most people probably would never have imagined the store could become a prosperous business. People asked why he came to this location, "It's not the land, it's the man," says Neely. "I had a vision for what this place could become.
In 1979 He purchased the property and then converted the store to Interstate BBQ Restaurant. This established the Neely name on the Memphis BBQ scene. Today Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q has fame status and is well known in barbecue and foodie circles all over the world.
When we finally arrived at our destination we were immediately revitalized by the prospects of an incredible barbecue meal. As strange as it sounds, just stepping out of the car in the Interstate Bar-B-Q parking lot felt like it was already worthwhile. It was as if we knew it was going to be great without really knowing, if that makes sense.
When you enter the doors to the restaurant the aroma hits you like a velvet wall of smoky goodness. Your mouth starts to salivate in anticipation of the delights that are about to come. The place itself shows its age, but not in a bad way. It is like you are entering a historical landmark; the history of great BBQ was made here.
I ordered the Bar-B-Q Sampler and an unsweet iced tea. In the south tea is either sweet or unsweet and sweet means SWEET, so you better be ready if you order it that way. I figured the sampler would give me the widest assortment of Interstate Bar-B-Q experiences without causing me permanent and irreparable damage.
The sampler is made up of Pork Ribs, Beef Ribs, Links, Beef Brisket, Pork Shoulder, B-B-Q Spaghetti, Beans, Slaw and Bread. The Sampler Platter is described as "A Trip to Hog Heaven"! This was really a stand out barbecue meal everything on the plate was clearly top notch; the pork ribs were fall off the bone tender, the beef ribs had just the right amount of texture and were not tough at all, links were made in house and were incredibly seasoned. The chopped brisket was tender and smoky with a hint of tangy sauce, and the pork shoulder was pulled and sauced and was incredible on the plain white bread with some slaw. To me the star of the sampler was the B-B-Q Spaghetti, it had the perfect amount of sauce and meat and the flavors were far more complex than I expected. The side dishes were all great as well, there was tons of meat in the beans and they were hearty and rich. The slaw was both tangy and creamy and cut through and enhanced the sweet rich pork.
We finished the meal with a piece of the Sock-it-to-me cake which we all shared. It was described to us as a pound cake pumped up with sour cream and love. That it was for sure, there was a cinnamon crumble center and a sweet glaze over the cake. It seemed like it would be the lighter of the desserts on the menu. I'm looking forward to some sweet potato pie on my next visit.
If you find yourself in Memphis or you are willing to make the long drive out from wherever you are, the ride to Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q will be worth time and travel. Taste some barbecue history for yourself. On the way out we thanked Jim for an excellent meal.
Let him know that we sent ya!
This was one of three BBQ restaurants I was able to get to while visiting Memphis. I am from KC and live in Austin and I'm a BBQ nerd.
Bottom line: totally sub-par.
I sampled the wet pork ribs, beef ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. Everything came out covered in a watery, flavorless sauce.
I am not going to judge the place based on the brisket because that just isn't Memphis' thing... but don't expect anything special whatsoever. My advice in general is don't order the brisket anywhere in Memphis - go for pork.
The pork ribs were tender enough and meaty, but the flavor just was not there. The watery sauce adds next to nothing to the meat, which is unfortunate because the meat itself is underseasoned and undersmoked. The same goes for the pulled pork - horribly underseasoned.
The lone stand out was the beef ribs but I'm a huge fan of the beef rib's flavor and find it's pretty hard to mess them up.
The sides were nothing special.
The service was OK but not exceptional in any way. The waitress dropped off our check, asked if we needed a to-go container, and then never came back with it. When I went to get one from the counter the woman there was very polite.
I will say that everyone else who dined with me liked this place a lot. I'll be the first to admit I am a BBQ snob and I'm looking for the absolute best out there. This isn't it.
Wow! I trusted the yelp reviews on this place and I'm glad I did.
Really cheap, really good food in huge portions brought to you by really nice people.
If I lived in Memphis I'd be really fat because I would eat here all the time.
PS the place is actually called Jim Neely's not Neely Jim
I could have gone without stopping here. It's not that the ribs were bad, but there was nothing great about it and compared to some of the other great foods, this was simply not worth a stop. I stated that rendezvous was mediocre too, but at least they had better quality ribs. The ribs here were all fatty and the sauce was bit strange. Not bad, but just nothing of great quality. This was a pass and I wouldn't come back here when I return to Memphis.
When passing through Memphis I always stop here for a Sliced Beef Bar-B-Que Sandwich and a Root Bear.
I grew up going to Bar-B-Que competitions so I know my BBQ trust me they are good.
And they got ranked #2 in the USA for their barbeque..
On my BBQ quest to Memphis I stopped at Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue on 3rd street. WOW-WOW-WOW. Need I say more? I had the Sampler Platter, billed as "A Trip to Hog Heaven!" Pork Ribs, tender, cooked and seasoned just right. Beef Ribs, beefy and again cooked correctly. Links, just a little to mealy for my taste. Beef Brisket & Pork Shoulder, both beef and pork were right out of Memphis great "Q". B-B-Q Spaghetti, not my thing but good. Beans, Slaw, these items were very good, but who has the room for them? O ya had a side of Rib Tips, the real thing, perfect. The only down side was they sauce everything, I like my sauce on the side. Make sure to get the sweet potato pie, take it out for later if need be. Remember, eat now groan later, oink-oink
This place must be some sort of Memphis practical joke.
Hype it up enough on the 'net to get furriners to drive long distances into a very sketchy neighborhood. THEN serve 'em the worst barbecue in the Southeast!
I had the "combination plate" with chopped pork and pork ribs. Dry, overcooked and slathered with a "sauce" that was actually chemical tasting. The antithesis of "meaty" Very ordinary baked beans and slaw.
The only thing authentic about this food was the two slices of generic white bread that came with the meal. Even the sweet tea was watered down. The "Sweet Potato Pie" looked like it came from an old shipment from "L'il Debbies" Soggy crust and nondescript filling.
OK, Memphis Yelp, you got me THIS time.
Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue is really about as good as it gets, the only thing I didn't like about it was the whole "WE'RE FAMOUS" thing. There is stuff everywhere telling you that you are in a FAMOUS PLACE that is FAMOUS FOR BARBECUE!!! I almost deleted one star off this review because the message is so freeking ubiquitous.
OK I get it. But is it good Barbecue? You bet. And it has a few local spins on the flavor that make it exceptional, but if you've read my other reviews, not at the very tip top. Damn close though.
Menu selection is great, but we're all here for the Pork! Interstate is famous for the Chopped Pork Shoulder sandwich, and well, your first trip to a restaurant should basically be directed towards the "go to" item on their menu.
Wife and I had the chopped shoulder sandwich. It came out fast and was served by one of the most quietly cheerful waitresses I have ever met. Nice lady that is part of the Neely family. They make up quite a bit of the actual staff. Some of the other Neely clan have gone on to open up shops all over the country, including two in Los Angeles. I can't wait to try them here...
The sandwich was fabulous. I haven't had chopped shoulder before -- most places I've been go for the "pulled" version, but Memphis seems to go for "chopped". I want to try it a few more times before convertingo over for good. It was like going to someone else's church for services, and thinking that maybe THEY are the ones with the hotline upstairs. Need to try that chopped shoulder some more!
Daughter isn't really a big BBQ fan, but she'll eat spaghetti with nearly anything on it. Memphis seems to have a tradition of serving spaghetti with barbecued pork and sauce. I tried it and would think about ordering it at some point in the future Nice twang, just enough meat and the pasta wasn't all mushy and nasty. For a restaurant that is about as far form Italy as Edmund Hillary could hike, they actually get the pasta right and put their own spin on it!
Neely's Interstate gets a wobbly "5" only because they know they are that good and tell just about anyone within earshot. Thank God they can't afford a Blimp or we'd see a FLYING PIG OVER MEMPHIS telling us how great Interstate is.
It really IS that good, just not modest. Not far off I-20 and close to Graceland (about 10 mintues, and even LESS modest). Totally worth the detour! Nice T-shirts too; they store them under the counter and days later they still smell like smoky pork goodness!
Did I have a pork sandwich there? Yes. Did I love it? Yes. Have I had other things there? Yes. Would I get anything but pork sandwiches? No.
A wise member of the Three 6 Mafia once said, "there's only two reasons to come to Memphis: pork and women." This place is one of the reasons for the former.
Truly a great BBQ place.
Checking out Jim Neely's was my first yelp experience, and possibly still the best. The only problem that my body had with this place was the size of stomach that day. Chopped Meat on a plate smothered in bbq sauce. Do it.
Also, don't miss the signed autographed picture of Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart on the wall. I love that man.
Word.
Huge drinks, dank BBQ, ribs and baked beans...plus it's cheap.
All well worth the stares from the locals who knew we weren't from round here.
Maybe I am used to Texas style BBQ not sure, but I wasn't a huge fan of this style of BBQ. The baby back ribs were just OK and I did not like how instead of the meat falling off the bone, it was the bone falling into my mouth. The flavor of the baked beans was much better then the ribs.
The service was good, the atmosphere was a little sketchy, they did have a nice flat screen TV and I was able to watch some of the NCAA tourney.
I can say I tried this place and but I won't be back.
It was a friday afternoon and I was starving!!!!!!! A lil out of the way of where we were going but completely worth every second of extra driving. The bbq spagetti was AMAZING, beans were heaven, sandwhiches were amazing and ribs are killer..basicly id like to move in and marry jim himself just for his food :) dont miss this spot if you get the chance to try it out!!!
All other BBQ that I've had in my past has meant nothing now that I've had Interstate BBQ. I had been craving this place since I first saw it on the travel channel a while back. When I tasted it, all of my expectations were completely surpassed. I've never been a fan of beef ribs, for instance. I tried some on the sampler plate and was blown away. The meat was tender, moist, smoked to perfection, and covered in his memorable and not-duplicable barbeque sauce. The pork ribs were fall of the bone, soft, and fantastic. I also had my first experiences in trying both the barbeque spaghetti and the pork shoulder. I was in pure heaven. The sides? Cole slaw and baked beans that were out of this world. I had my reservations and skepticism about this place, but now that I've tried 3 BBQ joints in Memphis, I can honestly say that this one is King. Corky's was also good, but this place is on a whole new echelon of barbeque goodness. I literally can envision myself driving from Florida back to Memphis SOLELY for this food (if I had the time). The guy who made this place has become my personal hero.
This place has amazing ribs and sausage. The ribs truly fall right off the bone. The baked beans are great and they have some of the best coleslaw i've ever had at a bbq spot.
This place is a REAL BBQ joint. The ribs are done perfectly. They have that perfect crust on the outside and are soft and chewy on the inside. My wife and I love this place for their wet ribs (no dry ribs here) and their sides. The cole slaw had a unique but addicting flavor and we inhaled it in a matter of minutes. The rib tips took a little longer due to the portions. If you love your wet ribs, these guys do it right.
This is the place to get BBQ pulled pork sandwich!!!
Food Road Trip: Memphis, TN Day 9
After a disappointing Rendezvous experience the previous night, I was hoping this place would pick up the slack, would make me say, "Damn, we can't get BBQ like this in the Bay Area". Well, like Rendezvous, this place had it half right for me. I like the fact that they slather BBQ sauce on the ribs. I ordered the combo meal which had a bit of everything: pork ribs, beef ribs, pulled pork and interestingly enough California sausage all smothered with the BBQ sauce. Sides were baked beans (way too sweet reminded me of a dessert) & potato salad (decent not too creamy). The sausage, pulled pork and beef ribs were okay but the test for me were the pork ribs. This place cooked it the way I like it, which meant it pulled off the bone easily. I also like that fact they had more meat on the bones; however, I was not particularly impressed with the sauce. It was a bit too thin and sweet for my taste. I like a spicier BBQ sauce with kick. Well it turns out they had one like that but you had to ask for it since the waitress didn't let us know it was an option. The spicier BBQ sauce was better but still not as good as the sauce at Rendezvous. I was thinking that if I took the BBQ sauce from Rendezvous and used the pork ribs from Interstate....now that would be some damn good BBQ pork ribs!
I doubt that my two cents on BBQ are even worth that much, but I really enjoyed the chopped pork and chopped beef platter I had here. The meat and sauce were delicious, as was the side of baked beans. The Budweiser was only $1.75 a bottle! My only disappointment was the BBQ spaghetti--the flavor was good, but the texture was like Chef Boyardee.
I guess I'll be the dissenting voice here. Now they do serve mighty big portions of pork on their sandwiches for cheap, so if that's what you want, that's what you'll get. And I suppose I should give them a full star for having pulled-pork BBQ spaghetti as a side, but unfortunately the BBQ spaghetti turned out to be better than the sandwich which though piled high with pork, was piled high with overcooked pork that wasn't smoked enough and didn't have nearly enough sauce on it. And they want to charge for extra sauce, always a lose in my book. But the real horror was that after a few bites into the cue, I discovered they'd slathered the bottom of the bun with a sweet cole slaw. Blech! Beat's me how anyone could call this five-star BBQ in Memphis.
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Memphis, TN
Category: Barbeque
Andy P. and I took a road trip from Dallas to…
I needed to makes some improvements on my condo in…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
