Best BBQ in Memphis, TN: 6 Smokehouses, Ranked
The Bar-B-Q Shop sits at 1782 Madison Ave in Memphis. Central BBQ smokes with hickory and pecan. Interstate Barbecue uses specially built pits, Cozy Corner serves ribs and chicken, Bain Barbecue cooks over oak, and Corky's serves World Famous Ribs. Rankings follow how many independent local roundups list each joint - tie-broken by verified fact count - and every listing is checked against the joint's own published information.
The ranking
The Bbq Shop
The Bar-B-Q Shop is at 1782 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104. It opened in November 1987 and serves ribs, pulled pork, and sides. Its menu includes world famous barbeque spaghetti, and the restaurant does real-pit barbecue with old-fashioned sauces and cole slaw made from scratch. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
Central Bbq
Central BBQ was founded in 2002 by Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp. The smoke comes from hickory and pecan, and the signature order is Memphis-style ribs and pulled pork. The wider menu runs brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, turkey, and sides, which makes it the fuller-menu counterpart to the older pit rooms on this list.
Interstate Barbecue
Interstate Barbecue cooks over hickory in specially built BBQ pits. The menu includes pork ribs, beef ribs, links, beef brisket, pork shoulder, and Bar-B-Q Spaghetti. Pork spare ribs are hickory smoked in pits designed by Jim. Pork ribs are $29.00 and beef ribs are $45.00.
Cozy Corner Bar B Q
Cozy Corner BBQ is at 735 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38105. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00am to 8:00pm and closed Sunday and Monday. Its menu lists ribs, chicken, and sides, including 2 Bone Ribs at $7.99 and 4 Bone Ribs at $13.99. BBQ Sliced Beef is $5.50 and a Whole BBQ Chicken is $13.50.
Bain Barbecue
Bain Barbecue smokes over a real wood-burning pit using oak. The Midtown location is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 AM-8:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM; the Germantown location is open Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 AM-8:00 PM. Brisket by the pound is $38.00, pulled pork sandwich $12.00, and a 1-Meat Plate with two sides and bread $24.00. It lists USDA Prime brisket as a signature item.
Corky S Bbq
Corky's BBQ is at 5259 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119. It is open Sunday through Thursday 10:45 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10:45 a.m.-10:00 p.m.. The menu includes pulled pork, pulled chicken, sausage, pork burnt ends, beef brisket, and ribs. A slab of ribs is $31.99. The signature item is World Famous Ribs, and the menu includes hickory-smoked BBQ sausage.
By neighborhood
Midtown
Bain Barbecue's Midtown location is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 AM-8:00 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM, with Monday closed.
FAQ
What style of BBQ is Memphis known for?
Central BBQ lists Memphis-style ribs and pulled pork as signature items. The Bar-B-Q Shop's menu describes its ribs as Memphis ribs and its pulled pork as piled-high sandwiches.
What are the cheapest BBQ joints in Memphis?
Cozy Corner BBQ sells BBQ Sliced Beef for $5.50 and 2 Bone Ribs for $7.99. Bain Barbecue's pulled pork sandwich is $12.00.
Which Memphis BBQ joints smoke with hickory?
Central BBQ uses hickory and pecan. Interstate Barbecue smokes over hickory in specially built pits. Corky's BBQ serves hickory-smoked BBQ sausage.
Which Memphis BBQ joints are open on Sunday?
Bain Barbecue's Midtown location is open Sunday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM and its Germantown location Sunday 11:00 AM-8:00 PM. Corky's BBQ is open Sunday through Thursday 10:45 a.m.-9:30 p.m.. Leonard's Pit Barbecue is open Tues-Sun 11:00 AM-7:00 PM.