Yep, it is a chain - 14 Memphis-area restaurants, including over the river in Arkansas and across the border in Mississippi - but all 14 shops offer the same menu and pricing - and delicious pork shoulders, cooked for 10 hours over a combination of green hickory wood, hardwood and charcoal. Most of the locations are small - just a few basic booths or tables, maybe a picnic bench or two out front - and some have drive-thru service, which struck us as funny at a barbecue joint. But it's amazing how efficiently the small staff, especially at the Summer Avenue location, can pull together an order for drive-thru customers. True, this isn't fast food, but simply good barbecue, fast. Side offerings include the usual suspects of beans and slaw, but also chips, fries, potato salad or pudding. Party packs, pork and brisket by the pound are also available.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Honestly, we can't resist Top's skins - our favorite item on the menu, next to the pulled pork sandwich.
Sally's expert tip: If you're lucky, you can check with the counter help and see if any skins are available; at $2 a pop, they're a delicious departure from the usual.
One & Only feels more like a charming boutique restaurant instead of a barbecue joint. But don't be fooled by the lush appearances - wrought iron tables outside, a beautiful chalkboard menu inside full of tantalizing possibilities, and a well-heeled clientele. The 'cue is the real deal here, with the meat marinated for at least 24 hours, then slow cooked at 225-degrees. Ribs are offered dry or wet, while pork shoulder is pulled or chopped - your choice. There's also smoked turkey, chicken and sausage offered, as well as a huge variety of sides, from the usual suspects like beans and slaw to sweet potato fries, a mustard potato salad and even fresh fruit. Homemade desserts - including a baked banana pudding with a meringue top, whipped up by the owner's wife - are worth the extra calories.
Recommended for Barbecue because: We like One & Only for it's more refined atmosphere as well as it's amazing desserts.
Sally's expert tip: Meats are available in bulk, and sides range from a pint to gallon-sized - perfect for take away parties.
There's always a line at Corky's on Poplar Avenue and the parking is a challenge, and - but don't let any of that scare you away. The restaurant can hold a fair amount of people,and the service is fast, and the 'cue is worth the wait. (And if you can't wait, there's always the drive-thru, which REALLY makes the parking interesting!) Inside, the music runs to oldies, the crowd runs to a mix of mostly east-side locals with a smattering of tourists, and the decor runs to Memphis-chic, with images of Elvis, the city, and awards on the wall. Here, wet ribs are hand-basted with a sweet, almost tangy sauce, while the dry version is loaded with a slightly tongue-searing mixture of herbs and spices. Bread, beans and slaw come with rib plates, offered in full and half racks.
Recommended for Barbecue because: We hit Corky's for the ribs - and love the fact you can also order via the drive-thru lane.
Sally's expert tip: If you like what you eat, take comfort - you can ship Corky's home. Alternatively, you can now find franchise locations in Louisiana, Indiana, and Atlantic City - as well as in Memphis International Airport, near gate A23.
You'll get a huge bang for your buck at this family-run restaurant, located in a strip mall that has admittedly seen better days, just outside of downtown in a neighborhood that is working hard to make a comeback. What's missing in ambiance is more than made up for by the food, however. Served on paper plates and set on plastic tablecloths, barbecue comes in the form of baby back ribs, regular ribs and sandwiches. But the piece de resistance and the house specialty is the scrumptious Cornish game hen. Smoky and spicy, this isn't so much barbecue as it is a smoked meat - and is a truly unique taste of Memphis.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Cozy Corner's Cornish game hen is smoked to perfection - and one is never enough.
There's a huge menu at Interstate - and this long-time favorite does a brisk business for lunch and dinner, whether at the take-out counter, the dining room or the drive-thru. Interstate is a down-home spot where the wood is stacked outside and ready to fire up the pits, and you can order in one room at the counter for takeaway, or sit down to a full meal in the dining room. There's wide variety on the menu, including pork and beef ribs, hash, chicken, bologna, hot wings and even spaghetti â" yep, all barbecued. Service is super-fast and friendly, and the family recipe for barbecue sauce is outstanding.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Interstate's sauce - from a family recipe - may have you asking for a bowl and a spoon.
Sally's expert tip: In a rush? Interstate is one of the few barbecue joints in town with a drive-thru - you don't even have to get out of the car!
Nothing about Payne's - from the gritty neighborhood location to the cinder-block exterior to the dark interior - endears one â" but as my mamma used to say, appearances can be deceiving. Once inside the old gas station, you meet Mrs. Payne and her son - who both man the counter, the old stove (where a pot of the best beans around simmers) and the pit - you won't care about the no-frills atmosphere. They serve up what is our favorite pork sandwich in the entire city - the perfect combination of a bit of crisp on the outer layer, a tender inner layer, and a sweet tang that comes from either the sauce or the slaw - we're not sure. Piled high on a bun, this sandwich is big enough to split and about as close to pig perfection as it gets. Do ask for a serving of beans - so good that even those who aren't bean fans - like yours truly - will sing Mama Payne's praises.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Payne's simply has the city's best-pulled pork sandwich in town, hands-down.
Sally's expert tip: This is a cash-only spot, and your meal is best eaten in the sunshine, using the hood of your car as your dining table.
Located in a century-old former country store in downtown Germantown, the Germantown Commissary serves some of the best barbecue around in the tiny building it calls home. At certain times, you may even have to yell your order to the waiter - literally; the restaurant is adjacent to the train tracks, which are busy night and day. While the barbecue is the main attraction, veer off the usual path and try the smoked sausage or pork tamales; tamales are actually a staple in Mississippi and served quite frequently around Memphis. Be sure to save room for homemade desserts, which are reason enough to wait in line - including coconut cream pie and banana pudding.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Cramming into the Commissary for a meal is a rite of passage in the world of barbecue.
Sally's expert tip: Arrive by 5 p.m. to avoid a wait, which can be lengthy on weekend evenings.
It's all about the sauce at the Vernon family's Bar-B-Q Shop. The award-winning, vinegar-based sauces come in hot or mild â" and both fulfill that perfect balance of just-right thickness and smoky flavor. It doesn't get any better than a load of the mild sauce covering the top of a rack of dry seasoned ribs - a killer combination of smoky, tangy and hot. Dinner plates come with beans, slaw and Texas toast (but you can add barbecue spaghetti for $3.95); brisket and polish sausage are also on the menu - and there's a surprising amount of beef on the menu.
Recommended for Barbecue because: The Bar-B-Q Shop is a bit of a hidden-in-plain-sight gem; it's authentic, locals forget about it, but it is so worth seeking out.
Sally's expert tip: The way to go may just be the full Monty, so to speak - the special, a giant plate of pork ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, spaghetti, beans, coleslaw and Texas toast.
One local politico lovingly calls this Memphis favorite "ambrosia of pork" -but locals simply call it the 'Vous. Charlie Vergos started this Memphis landmark in 1948 - selling pork sandwiches and coleslaw on the street, eventually opening this one and only location tucked into a downtown alley. The best bets on the menu are the sausage and cheese plates, barbeque nachos and full slabs of ribs; the waitstaff can be brusque but don't take it personally - they are simply trying to get everyone served in the cavernous basement that is the main dining area. On any given night, the restaurant overflows with a combination of locals and tourists; upstairs, if there's not a private party, there's a simple bar and waiting area - and be prepared to wait. If there is a private party, don't be surprised if the waiting room is actually the alley; in either case, keep your ear out to hear your name called over the tinny microphone.
Recommended for Barbecue because: The 'Vous is a Memphis institution and not only serves up the overall best barbecue experience, but also a killer sausage and cheese plate.
Sally's expert tip: The entrance is actually in the alley behind the address, just across Union from the Peabody. Don't be put off by this unconventional welcome to the 'Vous.
Central is one of our favorites and has expanded to three locations throughout the city. Our fave is still the original, located on Central Avenue, thanks to the huge patio that's open during fine weather (often with a band tucked into the corner), the homemade potato chips with bleu cheese dressing, which our table of six agreed recently were the work of the devil, they're so delicious. The magic numbers for Central are 250 (as in degrees) and 14 (the number of hours meat is cooked). The pork is always tender, the ribs have just the right balance of crust on top and moisture inside. Probably our favorite dish is the pork barbecue nachos, which feature a two cheeses - the melt-y nacho cheese down under, then a layer of pulled pork, then shredded cheese on top. Y-U-M.
Recommended for Barbecue because: Central is simply our overall favorite for all things 'que - especially its pulled pork nachos.
Sally's expert tip: Barbecue joints in Memphis tend to close shop earlier than most other restaurants, so be sure to arrive at Central with plenty of time to enjoy your meal - by 8:30 most nights, as the restaurant, closes at 9 daily.