Memphis Minnie's
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Menu: MenuPages
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Good for: Dinner, Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
269 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
"Cajun creole sassafras all rolled up onto my plate. Let's see, we had deviled eggs, we had wonderful Caesar salads with lemon caper…" read more »
478 Reviews for Memphis Minnie's
My partner and I had dinner here tonight and were sorely disappointed. Perhaps it's a cultural distinction, but we found the BBQ to be bland albeit nicely smoked. We are accustomed to choosing among mild, hot and fiery sauces and Minnie's offers none of those.
My greens tasted too much like pickle juice and my slaw lacked any creaminess. My partner's sweet potatoes were bland and not sweet enough and his potato salad needed sweetness and salt.
Signage is also lacking - we had to figure out for ourselves that orders are placed at the back of the restaurant. The order-taker was also too busy preparing desserts and answering the phone to take orders efficiently.
Food service was quick, however, and the bus boys kept tables cleared quickly.
All in all, we prefer Everett & Jones in Fruitvale by a country mile!
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After a difficult day of drinking, my friends and I decided to eschew the usual Saturday night debauchery for some fatty food and trashy television.
For the fatty food portion, we hit up Memphis Minnie's and bought the following items (for 3 people):
* 1 pound of brisket
* 1 pound of sweet pork
* 1/2 pound of andouille sausage
* 3 cornbread muffins
* 1 pint of potlikker greens
* 1 pint of mac & cheese
* 1 large order of BBQ seasoned fries
So, we may have gone out of control in the portions department since we could have fed the Duggar family with our order. But, everything - especially the greens and the mac & cheese - was delicious and just what we needed to get through the night.
Dirty, long lines, dry ribs, potato salad ruined by too many spices and peppers, and cole slaw that could use a little less vinegar. But the brisket was good.
After ordering from the distracted and, quite honestly, disinterested guy behind the register, I waited for my order after filing into the back of the restaurant amidst the other huddled to-go patrons. The people eating at the tables seemed cramped by our presence and it all felt a little uncomfortable for everyone - especially that poor couple that sat at the table near the restroom. That door opening and closing and reeking of bodily smells every time it was used.
After using it myself, when alighting the restroom, I decidedly waded towards the cashier counter hoping that my order would soon be called. Try again. 22 minutes later, my order was called.
While waiting, however, I noticed a thick, I mean seriously thick coat of dust on that little Sake display that sits by the register. (btw - Sake and ribs? Not unless they are Bul Go Ki - okaay). Anyway, it was that greasy, caked on type of dust which indicates a hygiene less than my required standard for any establishment. If they can't keep the joint clean, then is the food any safer?
We had been out drinking that night, so I ate everything only to end up with the runs. It coulda been the vodka, but I have a feeling that it was the ribs...or maybe some of the caked on greasy dust. Who knows for sure?
One thing that is for sure, however, I ain't going back to Memphis. Sorry, Elvis.
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The saddest review I've ever written!
I've been going here regularly for 4 years to get me BBQ needs met. My only other BBQ option was to fly to Lullings BBQ in Houston, which can be expensive when you add on the cost of flights these days.
My sadness is I cannot go to Memphis Minnie's anymore.
Two reasons:
1. The Brisket was pretty lean until 3 months ago. Now 75% of the time the brisket is full of fat. Not just the fat on the edges, I'm talking fat throughout. I have never seen this at any good BBQ in Texas. 75% is just to much disappointment. INCONSISTENT
2. Ever since Wade and several other employees left the customer service has spiraled out of control. Last night I watch badgering, bickering and one upsmanship play out between two employees. It was not only very uncomfortable to watch, I was wondering if this guy was going to bite my head off for asking for extra sauce.
Ever since the Check Please! TV review things have been going down hill.
-Message to owner- When my family comes in from Texas I want to bring them here. Make me proud again!
Reading some of the reviews, I really wasn't sure what to expect when I came here. Some love it and some hate it. It could be that Memphis is inconsistent???
Well, for my group, we all pretty much were highly disappointed. Of course 4 out of the 6 in the party went to Kinder's in Reno about a month before our visit here so we had pretty high standards. Kinder's was infinitely better than Memphis... The texture of the meat, the sauce... Just about anything you could think of would be better.
But even if we did not go to Kinder's, we certainly would have had the same opinion that Memphis, on our visit, was extremely substandard. It may be good on some days but I don't think I could ever go back to take a chance that they are having a good day. I will just have to visit another place to go "take a chance"... Sooner the better... Had a craving for BBQ on the day we went and had a STRONGER Craving afterwards because it was so bad...
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I hadn't been in this place since it was the Spaghetti Western back when the Lower Haight was still relatively cool. I can tell you, I won't return here unless I'm forced.
I ordered a combo sandwich (half pork/half brisket). I'd recommend that you stick to the brisket only. The pulled pork was so over done that it looked and tasted like pre-chewed food for senior citizens with no teeth. The brisket was pretty good, but everything was cold--both meats.
The greens (a side dish) was cloying--what ever it was they add to it, I hope was just a mistake--tasted like someone dropped a Mr Pibb in to the collards.
The service was brusque but ok. I asked for an extra plate, the guy grabbed one, dropped it at the other side of the counter and told me it's over there as he walked past me. For some reason he couldn't hand it directly to me.
My brother 'makes' me go here whenever I'm in town. It is the one place where I always make an exception for my vegetarianism for. I can't really single anything out, as everything I've ever had here is fanflabbytastic.
(Yeah, that's right, I'm a vegetarian who occasionally likes to eat some barbecued flesh. What are you gonna do, call Moby on me?)
I like me some BBQ! If you love BBQ, then try this place. I'll admit, it's not the BEST BBQ spot I've been to, but it's darn near close. The ribs were tender and the BBQ sauces were yummy. If you aren't aware, the parking situation is horrible at the Haight area, so you better have some Wheat Thins in the car to munch on while you drive around for about 1 hour to look for parking. Check this place out everyone, it's a treat!
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I know I shouldn't do this, but I'm gonna do it anyway. There's just no avoiding it. I hold any barbeque place to a rather high standard because - well, I'm Texan. It's like another tier on the food pyramid for us (right next to steak, bacon, potatoes, and beer).
I kid, of course - somewhat.
Another fellow Texan took me to this joint because she told me that it was pretty good. Overall, I think she was right. I got the beef brisket, which was a pretty large portion (very nice) but it was rather dry (not so nice). After drenching it in the red sauce (you can't miss it, it's the one with the least amount of all three bottles on the table because it's the most popular) it was quite enjoyable.
I recommend getting fries as a side, mostly because the macaroni and cheese is dry and flavorless, and quite below par of the good 'ol blue box from the grocery store.
The only major props I give this place is the nice people, and their sweet tea. It was quite delicious. It's not the same as the joints in Texas, but it's...aiite.
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"What did the pig say when it was hot out?"....."I'm bacon!"
Hahah...love it. This was the joke on the table where I sat while I enjoyed my two plate combo (beef brisket and tri tip with a side of sweet potato, corn muffin, and mac and cheese). The two plate combo was perfect for two, I think I would have definitely been in a food coma if I ate the entire thing myself.
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out of all the adjectives I could use to describe their bbq... I think blah would be most fitting. The sides were rather tasty. Seasoned fries is a good choice and I might even return to for the banana pudding.
I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, a staple at BBQ places. Where I'm from in Georgia, this means pork cooked for probably 12-18 hours which is then saturated in barbecue sauce - one should question where pork ends and sauce begins. Anyway, I received my sandwich, and it was pork, alright. It was served on a deli roll instead of the traditional hamburger bun which I supposed was questionable, but ultimately okay, as I wasn't really there for bread anyway. But it was completely devoid of sauce. At first I thought there must have been some sort of mix up in the kitchen, or this was someone's cruel idea of a joke. I had to sauce my own sandwich with cold, flavorless, runny BBQ sauce that was sitting in a squeeze bottle on my table. And there was a disgusting amount of fat in the sandwich. As someone else mentioned, properly cooking the pork (slowly and for great duration) will eliminate most of the fat. I shouldn't see huge globs of white gunk, nor should there be burnt bits on the meat. Let's not even talk about the off-color macaroni and cheese. I definitely did not trust this place to cook greens properly. Another 'Southern' place in the Bay fails to impress, what else is new.
i like it.
- slunky, smoke filled bbq house.
- casual eatery
- hot as hell, kick yo a$$ spicy bbq sauce - on special request
- came here to get nasty bbq filled teeth for my birthday. we were all happy with full tummies
No...
Memphis Minnie's is not wassup. Why? Why is it so hard to find a good bbq place in the bay area? I think for this type of food... I am no longer going to venture to the city to try and find some... i'll stay in my hood where the people know how to cook some bbq.
Meat is dry... like usual. Mac n cheese, bleh. Food is expensive for what youre getting.
That sums it up.
I came home one night, late from work and the gym, starving for nourishment. I walk in and smell burnt animal. Was there an accident with her dog perhaps. Nope, My girlfriend had Ribs from M.M. for dinner, (defeat) and saved a few for me (success). She's great, and I owe her or kharma a lot for those things. I had only 2 ribs, but they were by far the best I've had in the bay, and the sauces were succulent.
It immediately reminded me of a David Cross bit about a service for Jewish people. "I have a few business ideas (that I'm going to advertise in High Times, amongst other places), and one of them is for a nominal fee, I provide a service where I will eat and describe pork to Kosher people. And it goes something like this... MMMmmmmmmmM, dude ooooooohhh, MmmmMmm. dude. Falling off the bone... succulent, juicy meat. ooooh, so good. Why doesn't your God let you eat this? Oh, really, no idea. Sucks for you!" -(David Cross)
And thats how good memphis minnies bbq is. It makes me laugh, food doesn't normally do that.
If you like brisket, then come here quickly to sample theirs because its frickin great, I don't know a place in the Bay thats as good and I've eaten at nearly every 'que place around. I wanted to not like this place when they took over my old fav breakfast spot Spagetti Western, but the decor aside, its all about the meat and this place does it right. Although I can't recommend ribs since I never get that. I usually get the southern star brisket sandwich combo because I like the pork too. The sauces are great, the owner is cool, nice to talk to about bar b que in general and its located across from Toronado, the best beer bar in the U.S., and you can't always eat the great dogs next door...
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my friend told me about this place and have gone back multiple times for a quick fix on my bbq cravings. i always order their ribs w/ mac & cheese, seasoned fries and corn bread. oh and their spicy bbq sauce is awesome... taste explodes in your mouth!!! i also love their banana pudding!!! A MUST HAVE!!!
We ordered the rib plate and the pork plate. The ribs were dry and overcooked, when I got home I found that they gave us 3 ribs that looked like they had been hanging around the bottom of the oven for a few days.
The "sweet slow cooked pork" was not sweet nor did they cook it long or slow enough. Normally to properly slow cook pork it is cooked in a low oven 12-24 hours (the really good stuff is cooked 24 hours). This cooks off the fat (which pork shoulder is full of) and flavors the meat. The pork shoulder they serve here is cooked maybe 3 hours. It is full of fat, is tough, and has no flavor, (no wait, it tastes like undercooked pork shoulder which tastes like crap unless you drown it in their sauce in which case it will taste like -- surprise -- their sauce). Also these plates cost wayyy too much! $13.95 for a meager plate of dry ribs, $11.95 for a pork plate. The coleslaw was too sweet, vinegar based; the potato salad was ok and the corn bread was ok.
I avoided this place for years because it looked like what it is: an overpriced, yuppified, fast-food version of BBQ. I guess if I "didn't know what BBQ is supposed to taste like" I would think it was just fine. But come on people! Get out and be a little adventurous. BBQ may be a hard find on the west coast but it is out here... but if you are looking for a nice, sanitized restaurant with a Mickey Mouse mascot I guess this is your place!
I admit, I went here because I saw the stellar reviews on "check please bay area". I have gone here at least three times. I feel like I went to a slot machine and on the first pull won a jackpot - so even though I don't always win, I still come back and play this slot machine.
The first time I went here I fell in love. I came with a large group and we got to try almost all the entree on the menu - and it was all good. The meat fell off the bones of the ribs, the sausage was smoky and salty delicious, the brisket was soft and had a great sauce, the chicken was also fall of the bone tender and so tasty, everything - good. The sides were a mixed blessing but who cared after those great main dishes.
I went back with a different group and it was good, but not as great as the first time. Also, no ribs, they all ran out.
Next time, we did have the ribs but it was dry! The brisket was also dry and the sausage...dry (how is this possible?!?)! Now, when the entrees aren't as good, you start to notice the sides. I love mac and cheese and gain much pleasure in trying new mac and cheeses. Minnie's is wet. I'm not sure if this is a southern thing or what, but I don't like it. This was runny almost soupy mac and cheese. Yuck, I want cheesy gooey yummy cheese with cheese flavor on every piece of pasta. Not liquid cheese soup with pasta in it. Potato salad was average.
So here are am with dry food and average sides. What was the saving grace for this meal. 1. alcohol. 2. the sauces on the table. With the sauces, even though th meat was dry it was a salvageable with the sauces on the table.
Don't expect to sit down. We went on at 3PM on a Sunday and still had to wait. And by the time we left there was a line out the door. The workers are super cool though and won't let anyone sit down with out ordering first. They have crazy eagle eyes that WILL know if you're trying to grab a seat ahead of your turn. If you're against communal seating, I suggest you do take out. I like this since I like to talk to my stranger neighbors (stranger as in someone I have never met, not stranger as is more strange).
Break down (break down do-wap do-wap):
Food: 3-5 depending on what day you catch it
Atmosphere: 2 hard to get a seat but once you do, enjoy it, talk to your neighbor and see what they like. My last neighbor loved her collard greens - I might try it next time
Price: 3 It's more than I'd like to pay for BBQ but when it's good it's a bargain. When it's bad, it's not worth it. Regardless always worth the gamble.
Final: 2.75 (I weigh food higher than the others) -3.75 So a solid 3.25 stars. But could be as good as a 3.75 stars!
OK enough math.
Oh! I totally forgot! The cheese grits fries are AWESOME!
I make special trips to SF just to have their fare, especially with the vinegar-y sauce that is so hard to find this side of the Carolinas. One of SF's highlights, and an easy walk from the Duboce Park stop of the N-Judah.
My first taste of SF barbecue, and the immediate inspiration I had was to open up an Arkansas outpost in the city. The coleslaw wasn't even a good vinaigrette, not nearly enough to make up for omitting mayonnaise. Potato salad was similarly disappointing. I've had the brisket and the pork, which were both fine, but not exactly stones from the foundation of genuine bbq -- which leads me to the sauces, all of which failed the simple test of being spicy, flavorful, and tangy. Three stars because I was full afterward.
Yesterday, on a hot & beautiful day in San Francisco my gf and I were in the mood for some great BBQ. We checked out yelp and a lot of my fellow yelpers recommended Memphis Minnie's. THANK YOU!! We went down there and had some wonderful BBQ that whisked us off to the south. We ordered the beef ribs, which were ab fab. Very smokey flavor, not covered in sauce like some other places do and very authentic. I also ordered the southern star sandwich, which is half beef brisket and half smoked pork. Incredible flavors and cooked to perfection. The prices are pretty good and you get a lot of food for your buck at this spot in the lower height. I'm a huge fan and my gf and I are having dinner there this Wednesday and I am very excited!! Great BBQ in sf is hard to find, so trust me when I say this spot is a must go.
The pork ribs are excellent. The spicy chicken sandwich? Meh. The cheesy fried grits were pretty yummy - I won't eat grits any other way now.
You may be faced with a long ass line and nowhere to sit if you come during peak hours. This place is quite popular, evident by the fact that we had to be the two assholes who took a table CLEARLY marked "Reserved for Parties of 3 or more". (The cashier guy said it was okay, so bite me.)
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1. I didn't know it was possible to fuck up greens.
2. Who drinks sake with bbq?
3. Why does it look like Disneyland in here? Will the Hill Country Bears be
performing later?
4. This isn't bbq.
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When we went the line was out the door and service is counter style ordering. If you can snag a seat you are lucky as it is pretty much standing room for all who order and a thin line of tables along one side of this narrow restaurant. The food is good for the money and there were a variety of BBQ sauces and condiments. The deep friend peach and pecan pie are pretty decent. The beef brisket is good but a little dry. The ribs are not impressive to me. My fries were very well seasoned but a little limp. A place for BBQ but not for service or atmosphere. Definitely a good choice for take-out in the future.
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Now listen here. I'm a big fan of barbecue. I can smell barbecue anywhere for up to two blocks. For that reason, I'm a wreck whenever I'm in Lower Haight.
I gotta say, Memphis Minnies has some good slow-cooked, fall-apart pork. But jeez, bbq'ers, for something as down home and gritty as a good barbecue, why pack in that San Francisco pretense? I guess Memphis Minnies doesn't believe in good old American St. Louis style wet barbecue (is that why Memphis is in the name?). Who cares if I like barbecue sauce on my barbecued food? I like barbecue sauce on my cereal!
To their credit, they do offer a few delicious, and unique, condiments for your otherwise dry bbq sandwich. Otherwise, well, they don't call it dry rub barbecue for nothin'.
I wish there were more options for barbecue in San Francisco. There's nothing like a good sweet and salty tri-tip sandwich on a hot Saturday. Memphis Minnie's pulls through in a pinch. I'd go so far as to say they are the best barbecue available out of the shallow BBQ pit that is San Francisco.
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I have been wanting to go here for quite some time and finally made it in on Sunday for lunch. I have dined at many a good barbecue spots across the country, including the infamous Arthur Bryant's in KC. I was pleasantly surprised by the pork ribs. They were deliciously smoked and the choices of sauce are delicious. This also happens to be the only restaurant I have ever seen to serve pudding with vanilla wafers (ingenious and delicious).
I like that it has the hole in the wall vibe and though some find the wall decor tacky, I like knowing I am eating somewhere with a bit of history. Extra stars for the picnic style seating and the unlimited roll of paper towels at each table.
I miss their brunch.
I am a Southerner, and this has to be one of my favorite places to eat BBQ in the Bay Area, no disrespect to my fellow Southerners.
The brisket is tender, the chicken is good, the spicy fries and mac n cheese and dr. pepper in a bottle were my comfort food after I quit one humongously awful job. And also the banana pudding and pecan pie. Mm mm mm.
The music playing is always good: Aretha, Johnny, Ray, Elvis, etc. A sides, B sides, good good good.
I love the down home feel - checked table cloths, the help-yourself bottles of sauce: Texas Red, Carolina Vinegar, and the other one. And of course, the roll of paper towels that sit atop the table. As my mama would say, "Community property."
Go to Memphis Minnie's - it will do your soul some good.
(Supposedly, they are known for combining BBQ with sake, but I have yet to try it.)
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Memphis Minnie's BBQ is a hit or miss proposition. They have some fine eats and some that are definitely other than fine. My favorite by far is the Brisket Sandwich. Always melt in your mouth tender. My least favorite are their sauces.They're somewhere in between BBQ and mild curry.I don't know what the inspiration was but they never quite get to where they need to to be considered good BBQ sauces.
The pot licker greens are by far my favorite side but the others are bland at best. Never been impressed with their other meats as they seem to be missing a certain...something... the kind of special BBQ signature that puts one's products over the top.
Obviously I'm in the minority in my opinion as the cue on a Saturday afternoon often takes 20 minutes to wait through.
Memphis Minnies is the Fisherman's Wharf of BBQ.
I grew up in Arkansas with absentee parents. Most of my food growing up was smoked meats prepared by African Americans who know what a pig is supposed to taste like. If you want to be authentic, be authentic, don't spend half a gazillion trying to look authentic. All that kitsch hanging from the walls, looks like they are a T-shirt shop in Nashville.
When you approach a BBQ joint you should smell it several blocks before you get there. The smokehouse is your advertisement, the only one you should need. The pork will have crispy skin and there will be a black line on the meat where the flesh and smoke have married and absorbed all that yummy goodness. You will not find any of that at Disney on the Haight. The pork is dry and bland which likely means they have turned up the heat to increase production. More heat, less smoke, bad pig. BBQ, real good BBQ, is as much art as science. It takes time and love. And it does not cost twenty bucks for three ounces of bland pork, a spoon of beans, a spoon of collard greens and a beer.
Good Q ought to stand up by itself, the sauce is a condiment, not the main event. Mix enough of the Minnie's sauce with your meat and you will get something like a pork flavored cole slaw.
Oh, I liked the greens. On the other hand, it is damn near impossible to screw up a pot of greens.
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I can't speak for all the people who claim their meat was "dry." My experience with Memphis Minnie's was full of meat that was crispy and moist in the right spots. The brisket was devine and the pork ribs fell off the bone. The sides are basic and done right. One complaint: the cornbread was a little dry.
I've lived all over the South and this competes with any backwoods shack in which I've ever dined.
So what, they have sake. No one is forcing you to drink it.
Shut up and eat your BBQ.
This place is 100 percent legit.
I really wanted to like this place. My friend was raving about the BBQ here and I liked the atmosphere... it really made you feel like you were going to a southern homemade hole-in-the-wall restaurant that gave it a sense of authenticity. Maybe it was just a bad day, but I wasn't really feeling it that night I had it. The place is pretty poppin as soon as you step foot in the door, I was introduced to someone's back as there was a long line to the cashier. And the place wasn't very large, so the amount of people that can be seated was pretty minimal. One thing I did like about the place was how the guy behind the counter will basically yell out to get your queue to a table, and the customers there were pretty nice about following the rules.
I ordered the Texas Beef Brisket with side order of mac n cheese and potato salad. The sides were very average... I think I've made better mac n cheese and their potato salad, while better than the mac n cheese, was very typical. The brisket was pretty good, though very dry eating it straight up. They had these bottles of various BBQ sauces that you can add to the meat, and I think that's the only way to eat the meat here. I drenched that sucker with the Texas Red Sauce and it made it infinitely better. It wasn't very spicy, but it did good. I was able to finish off most of everything on the plate, but I don't know why this place didn't leave a better taste in my mouth. Perhaps I had really high expectations here due to what I had heard, but I had a hard time deciding whether it deserved at least 3 stars. After contemplation, I couldn't give it more, but I am willing to try the place again if I ever get a chance to, so I can open my eyes and tastebuds to what people are talking about.
I thought I ate at Memphis Minnie's when they had a location on Polk by Russian Hill. Now I'm thinking it was just a dream because I can't find it now and for some reason I remember really liking it!! :-O
Fast forward to the present . . .
I have eaten at the current Haight St location 3 times and have been severely disappointed each time. The meat has always been dry, tough and not particularly flavorful. The brisket. The beef ribs. The pork ribs. I don't know why I've gone back . . . OK I do know why. It's people raving about the place and begging me to give it another chance. I even went with a MM raver and he admitted that "it must be an off day." Apparently I always pick the off days . . .
Well, 3 strikes and you're out Minnie. Make that 4 strikes. They catered a function at work and the food was blah there too.
I'm giving it 2 stars. 1 for their present suckage and +1 for my fond memory of the old location . . . a dining experience which may or may not have actually happened.
------------------
Update: it wasn't a dream!! There was a Polk St location!! ;-) http://www.ibiblio.org...
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OK, so just before you go to Memphis Minnie's the next time, I want you to play this video first...
http://www.youtube.com...
...yes, this is who you're eating. Piglet. The pan-sexual, pre-pubescent, porcine pipsqueak in the pink polyester pullover. With the Carpenters singing their greatest hits in the background. Of course, this is not the only cute piece of pork to be found, as they seem to have all sorts of Piglet-like paraphernalia here.
But that's not why you'd come here. You know it's the ribs, and like everyone else, I went for the $13.95 St. Louis Style Smoked Pork Ribs plate with the two sides. They were good, not great. I don't know what those three on "Check Please, Bay Area" were smoking, but I don't think it was the ribs. You get about five, and the meat pulls off the bone like buttah, for sure. I just thought the meat itself - though tasty with the South Carolina honey-mustard sauce - was a bit dried out.
Minnie's Macaroni and Cheese was good, stick-to-the-ribs (literally) stuff. It tastes like it's been mixed with some of the honey-mustard sauce, which was a nice, tangy surprise. The only problem was that I just had one of the best mac & cheeses ever at the Brown Sugar Kitchen two days earlier. The Potlikker Greens, however, were a complete miss...way too much vinegar made them virtually inedible.
The rib joint options are pretty paltry in this excessively vegan-head city, so one can't afford to be too choosy. There's Lilly's...and Nate's...and why the hell did McDonald's stop making the McRib Sandwich? I give Memphis Minnie's a passing grade, but I definitely need to do more shopping.
FOOD - 3 stars...good ribs, but dammit, not great...with mixed sides
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...funky with cartoon piggies everywhere to make you aware how cute the animal was before being slaughtered to serve your insatiable needs
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...rather jaded, ahhh...the Haight
TOTAL - 3 stars...passing grades for a post-mortem Piglet....R.I.P.
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I have to agree that the pork ribs are excellent, however the side dishes are pretty mediocre. After grabbing drinks across the street at Noc Noc my friend and got a light dinner- shared the pork ribs that comes with 2 small side dishes and corn bread muffin. We tried the coleslaw and sweet potatoes,.. nothing special and even though i LOVE corn bread.. it was too dry for me to have more than a few nibbles. Stick with the pork ribs and don't have high expectations for the side dishes. Fun atmosphere though :)
love the atmosphere!
don't even feel like i am in san francisco, like i warped to atascadero ha ha.
the sides are incredible. love the mac & cheese, cheezy fried grit sticks, & tata salad!
my bf said the ribs are better than roadside, although the price is much pricier than gorilla (you can get double the amount for same price)
don't get it twisted; mos definitely coming back....i'm a fan!!!
When we first arrived, I thought it looked and smelled just like a good, no frills BBQ place I would find in Texas. When I asked the guy taking my order if the brisket sandwich came sliced or chopped, he asked me if I was from the Lone Star State. It turns out he was from Texas as well. To my dismay, the sandwich only came sliced, but I ordered it anyway. We had a large group and it was crowded, so we had to huddle near the bathroom until a table was available. It wasn't a problem since we had a pitcher of beer to help pass the time. I give them an A+ for southern hospitality. One guy even iced a few pint glasses for us so we wouldn't have to drink our beer from warm glasses straight from the dishwasher. Nice job.
I have to say I was a little disappointed with the sandwich. First of all, it came on a French baguette. Also, the sandwich came sans sauce, you had to add the sauce yourself at the table. I'm of the persuasion that BBQ sandwiches should come smothered in sauce - you should get dirty eating them. But the brisket itself was very good. And the fries were great. I would probably go back again, I'll be trying the homemade cornbread muffins next.
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Okay checked this place out after watching a review of the place on KQED's Check Please! Bay Area. I must say this place was good!!!
I didn't want anything to deter me away from what I went there for, THE MEAT!! Oh my GOODNESS it was amazing!!! We had the brisket, baby back ribs and beef ribs.
Brisket was moist and tender. With a great smoke ring around it.
Baby Back ribs fell of the bone, but still had a slight bite to the outer layer. YUM
Beef Ribs were ok, mainly bone and not much meat. I wouldn't order this again.
I took out .5 of a star for the amount of tables. Only about 6 tables in the joint, but I guess that's SF for ya. And i took off another .5 of a star of the BBQ sauce. I know that this place wants to keep it as "Southern" as possible, but I'm a cali rib lover, so I like me thick, rich BBQ sauces. If you're like me and enjoy a wide sauce selection you'll have to check out Famous Dave's down in Gilroy. Otherwise Memphis Minnie's is the place to be!!!!
If you're one of the, "I'm from the deep south and this isn't real BBQ" people; honestly, what did you expect? Do you know what city you're in or did a tornado carry you here while you were sleeping?
I was raised mostly on Texas style BBQ, and this is different to be sure, but still very good and not exorbitantly priced in my opinion.
This is San Francisco by the way, so just give thanks that you found some familiar cuisine, (on Haight of all places) and try to enjoy your ribs or what have you. I don't eat pork, but everything I do eat here (beef ribs, brisket, chicken etc.) is really pretty excellent.
It's also nice that you can get a pitcher of beer as well as a flight of sake with your meal. They have some very tasty varieties and the sake BBQ thing is actually quite delicious. Just another unique, very un-southern characteristic of this distinctly Californicated BBQ joint.
Yes, the sauces are a bit weird. So are some of the sides, but the cornbread and sweet potatoes are great. I don't care much for fries, but theirs are interesting. The banana pudding, which I generally don't care for at all, is incredible there.
Oh, and they'll sell you one rib too. They won't pour some soda into your hands or break a hundred, but they will sell you just one rib.
I have enjoyed several regional variations of "authentic" BBQ, and while this place is definitely non-traditional, I think it still qualifies since the meat is smoked and slow cooked. It isn't like they bake their ribs or anything.
Think about it this way; what would I do if I found a falafel cart in the middle of Dixieland? Complain because the hummus is too dry and my pita has sesame seeds on it?
It's a fucking falafel in Dixieland.
Tell you what, if you're nice, I'll fry you up a catfish sandwich at my apartment just up the block. I'll use an "authentic" southern catfish.
It's a Jewish catfish sandwich though, so it comes with swiss on marbled rye with a kosher dill and a pickled tomato.
Plus you get your choice of egg, potato or macaroni salad as a side.
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Don't know if it's "real" BBQ. Or, what that even means. Don't know if the right kind of people are making it. Or if this place is too damned cheerful for it's own good. Seems to be kind of a badge of honor to swear that you know real BBQ and this ain't it (about almost every BBQ in town not just this one). I've eaten BBQ all over the planet. And all I want to know is 1). Does it taste good hence 2). do I want to eat it again? Memphis Minnie's = yes and yes.