Top Five Barbecue Restaurants | Rhodes News

Besides juggling homework, classes, sports, extracurriculars, and jobs, Rhodes students pride themselves on being barbecue experts. After all, what other city can you try barbecue nachos, barbecue pizza, and barbecue spaghetti, all in one night? Home of the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Memphis probably has more locally owned barbecue restaurants than any other city in the country. That makes it hard to choose a top five, but here are our picks when it comes to the mouth-watering fare that Memphis is known for the world over.

1. Central Barbecue: College students flock to Central for their delicious barbecue nachos. In fact, Rhodents love Central so much that their catering truck can often be spotted on campus, complete with a crowd of people around it. The line at the restaurant is almost always out the door, but it moves quickly and it’s worth the wait.

EAT: BBQ Nachos with a side of Mac and Cheese.
PRICE: $

2. Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous: Located in the heart of downtown, the Rendezvous is one of Memphis’ most well-known barbecue joints and a famous tourist destination. Nestled in the basement of an alleyway and easily recognizable by its strong scent of charcoal, the Rendezvous is vintage Memphis. They are most famous for their dry-rub charcoal ribs, which are shipped all over the nation.

EAT: World Famous Rendezvous Charcoal-Broiled Pork Ribs with a side of Baked Beans.
PRICE: $$

3. Cozy Corner: Don’t be fooled by their run-down exterior–the Cozy Corner is often recommended by locals as their favorite barbecue place in Memphis. Some claim they boast the best ribs in the city, but they are probably most well known for their unique barbecue Cornish Hen, which is a must-try for all customers.

EAT: Cornish Hen with a side of Cole Slaw.
PRICE: $

4. The Bar-B-Q Shop: Look no further than the Bar-B-Q Shop for a taste of that unique Memphis classic, barbecue spaghetti. Students also rave about the delicious cole slaw and the pulled pork, piled high between two buttery pieces of Texas toast. The Bar-B-Q shop also features a sweet and tangy sauce that adds flavor to everything on the menu.

EAT: Pulled Pork Sandwich with a side of Barbecue Spaghetti.
PRICE: $$

5. Payne’s Bar-B-Que: You can’t go to Payne’s without ordering their specialty: the famous chopped pork sandwich. This pork sandwich is overloaded with meat, sauce, and a neon-yellow cole slaw. As unappetizing as this sounds, the cole slaw’s delicious mustard-based adds the perfect touch to this already incredible sandwich.

EAT: Chopped Pork Sandwich with a Fried Peach Pie for dessert.
PRICE: $