Central BBQ

This place is so good, I always look forward to eating here when I am in Memphis. Probably the best BBQ in town.

This is a destination eatery. Fabulous atmosphere, friendly staff, deliciousness on a plate. I had the pulled pork plate with homemade chips and BBQ beans. Nice smoke, medium heat, great flavor. This place is worth a drive from the interstate if you’re passing by Memphis!

I have had better bar b que at Smoky Bones. We ordered the rib plate with sides, fries, mac n cheese, greens and baked beans.
The greens were plain, soupy and bland (I am used to greens with flavor — smoked pork or turkey)
The mac n cheese — was ok at best.
The baked beans and fries were good.
The ribs were very sweet with a ton of sauce, I used the hot bar b que sauce to balance it out — but they were cooked well and very tender.
Needless to we had leftovers that are probably still in my cousins fridge — nothing to get overly excited about.
The customer service was outstanding!

This place was heavily hyped by all of my friends who live in Memphis. Happily the results lived up to the hype.
First off the location of the restaurant is in a really cool part of town. Secondly the wait staff was extremely friendly and fast. You order your food at the counter, get your number, and you get your food in five minutes.
I ordered the ribs and I was very satisfied. The meat had great flavor, and it was moist, pretty much all you could ask for. Despite the bliss that were the ribs I was still jealous of my girlfriend who ordered the pulled pork sandwich. Both of us agreed that it was simply the best pulled pork sandwich we had ever ingested.
As we left, all we could think about was how could we get a hold of another sandwich.

I like the décor of this bbq joint but the bbq was sub-​par. I’m a guy from Texas so I definitely know my bbq! I usually judge a place by the brisket so you know I got some to try out aaand Its was dry. Didn’t have that smokey flavor that I like and no fat was on it at all. Although they did have good sweet tea and the greens were decent. I probably won’t be back.

My first bite to eat in Memphis and my first taste of the local cuisine. Food was cheap, the menu was easy to read and order, and everything appeared in short order. Simple but delicious. Seriously good BBQ. A must stop if you’re in the area. And this is coming from a Yankee.

The chicken wings weren’t what I expected but they were awesome. They’re not fried hard so you’re not biting into crunchy harshness and the meat is still chewable. I love it

Great place… food was awesome ribs don’t need sauce and the chicken wings were great.
Just get there early lol

One of the best BBQ joints in town! We come here often and always leave fat and happy. The pork is always great and the chicken wings will not disappoint. I always say I’m going to try the portabella sandwich but the smell of roasting meat always wins out. Happy eating

We went here because it is mentioned in «1,000 Places to See Before You Die» and I was still alive and kicking. The barbecue was good, but I’m not sure why I had to get there before I died. The ribs were good, but not spectacular. The place was packed. Seating was a challenge, but a very nice couple from Denver shared their table with us. Thanks! The pulled pork was better than the ribs, very tender and tasty.

Poor quality control! Picked up 2 slabs of ribs tonight which turned out to be burned. Totally inedible. I called and they did offer to replace them if I returned to the restaurant. But I live in GERMANTOWN! My starving crew precluded driving back to midtown. So I drove over to Corkys instead.
To be fair, I have dined here before and had really good ribs. It is somewhat disturbing though that an employee would pick up obviously burned ribs and think it acceptable to wrap them up for an unsuspecting customer.
So if doing takeout, you might want to open your package before you leave the restaurant to be sure the product is acceptable. I won’t be doing this though. This is Memphis and there are too many good barbecue joints around.

We came on a weekday afternoon after a long drive from Texas. Parking located within restaurant. Menu was a bit pricey. Not enough seating for 6 inside so we sat outside. Customer service was very good. But…
Pulled pork– no flavor, dry
Ribs– ok, not much meat
Beef– a little dry, no flavor as well
Sauce– good thing the sauce was good, it made the meats a little bit palatable.
Sorry, but Texas bbq is so much better than this.

Epic ribs! Holy moly they are fantastic! Fall-​off-​the-​bone tender meat with a nice crusty dry rub on the outside sealing in the juices. WOW! One bite and I was hooked. It is at the top of my list for BBQ ribs! Ordered the half rack to share with a friend along with the pulled pork sando and half order of pulled pork nachos.
Pulled pork sandwich piled with coleslaw and mild BBQ sauce was delicious. I can see why it wins so many awards. The pork itself has great flavor — smoky and very tender. Adding coleslaw on top, surrounded by a soft roll — genius.
Side of potato salad — fantastic! Creamy, but not too heavy. Perfect for any of the mains.
Side of Mac n cheese — wow! Cheesy and scrumptious. Absolute comfort food.
Pulled pork nachos — even a half order was pretty giant. The chips and pork were topped with nacho cheese then sprinkled with shredded cheese and optional jalapeños. A great dish, but at the end of the day — the ribs and pulled-​pork sandwich won out.

Memphis is known for BBQ so of course I had to try their most popular joint in town. There is limited parking but thankfully, there was an abandoned building/​parking across the street so you can always park there for now. We waited in line for 15 minutes before we reached the counter which was not bad at all (compared to some places in TX)!
We ordered the dried ribs with some fries and sat outside in their wonderful patio. The dried ribs were definitely different than the BBQ I’m used to back home. I enjoyed the ribs and thought the meat was moist and flavourful. The sauce that came with it complemented the meat well too. Apparently, I’ve been told their pulled pork is ‘da bomb so I look forward to trying that when I come back!

If this is what Memphis has to offer then it’s very disappointing. Not sure what’s the hype is about. For the price, I’m going back to Sonny’s BBQ.
Ordered the sampler plate (brisket, chix, pork + dry and wet half rack.
Meh RIBS. How do you do a wet & dry rub rack? You don’t. So you know something isn’t right.
OTHER MEATS. Liked the brisket bc it’s very moist. The rest was meh. Both chix and pork were closer to purée than shredded. Chix came that way which we didn’t know.
GREENS. Ordred green beans got collard greens or something similar. Wasn’t able to tell bc it was cooked to mush.
SAUCES. 2 choices. Mild or hot.
Wet side of rib was almost tasteless on its own. Dipped in sauce helped but not enough to recommend to people.
SERVICES. None. Self-​service after you ordered at counter.

You enter into this restaurant an immediately (unless there is a line) order your food. I don’t always love doing this because I feel so rushed when ordering. However, after a quick glance we decided on a half order of pork nachos and a half rack of ribs with fries and beans.
Before sitting down I realized we were charged for a full order of nachos. It was a bit hectic but they cancelled our full order and changes it back.
We sat out on the patios. (I’m an instant fan of any restaurant that has a patio). It was hot and there were tons flies but that’s not fault of the restaurant. Our food came out very quickly and we were surprised to see a full order of nachos. The manager came around and explained they had already made the full but we only got charged for the half, which was super cool of them.
The nachos were incredible with just the right amount of toppings. The chips were thin and crispy but we’re still able to withstand the weight of all the glory piled on top.
The ribs were just as delicious. We ordered the dry rub and it was sensational. The meat was falling off of the bone. The sides were just ok but I didn’t mind since everything else tasted so great.
The only downside, I contracted the stomach bug that night. Again, no fault of the restaurant (my husband shared the meal with me & was fine) but unfortunately, I’ll not be eating BBQ for quite some time. It’s unfortunate because this joint was delicious!

Super Fantastic Service!!! Was warmly greeted by the cooks and staff as I entered the doors. Everyone was happy and charming. I placed my order at the counter as the young lady made friendly suggestions. There was also a counter outside the lot for to go orders. And the outdoor seating is huge.
This was my first visit to this location and will be my only barbecue spot from now on. The atmosphere has that welcoming Memphis vibe with the southern home style touch to match.
And WANGS, ohhhh the WANGS were lip smacking, finger licking, paper towel wiping, meat falling off the bone, DE-​LISH!!! Just as the server suggested. I noticed a tray of wings behind the counter and she said they were marinated then slow smoked, then she showed me the various sauces to add.
The staff here is Amazing I felt like royalty as the catered to me with a smile. I will make sure to invite friends, family and out of town-​ers to the location for the BEST BARBECUE IN MEMPHIS!!!

Oh sweet sweet Central BBQ. Gloriousness abounds. I’ve lived in Memphis for about three months now and in that short time have visited this establishment about ten times. It’s good, fast, and affordable (my wife gets a discount as a teacher).
Things I’ve had:
Pulled pork sandwich
Pork nachos
Peanut butter pie
Hot wings
Brisket sandwich
It’s all been great. The pulled pork sandwich, nachos and peanut butter pie are my staples however.
If you’re visiting Memphis this is an excellent spot to try out since it has everything a BBQ joint should have.

Alright! I’ve had the pulled pork sandwich twice now! It is one of the best pork shoulder sandwiches I’ve had. There is the only one that comes to mind immediately that is better, and thats a big feat to accomplish in Memphis. This sandwich is how all BBQ places are judged in my book. The simplicity and the old school are what sets you apart. If you can’t get this one right, then what are you doing???
The meat is thick with crispy bits scattered throughout the sandwich. The mild sauce is a bit sweet for me so I will ask them to leave it off next time so I can mix the fabulous vinegar sauce and hot sauce together by the drink station and make my own. I don’t do slaw so I can’t comment. I’m sure it’s edible if you dig that sort of thing.
The beans are satisfactory. Nothing special. With some additions that are on the table and some fallen pork off the sandwich they can be livened up a bit and become quite tasty.
If they could only smile behind the counter… Now that would be amazing!

HOW HAVE I NOT WRITTEN A REVIEW OF CENTRAL BBQ!!! I live in Memphis, where people literally throw blows over who has the best BBQ. And yet, here I am, just sitting to the side twiddling my thumbs. Get it together, Pittman!
I like this place. A lot. I especially like their patio and that I can drown my BBQ nachos in sauce. And the fact that they are in midtown. And they serve meat. And cheese. And ribs. And just about all of my favorite foods because I am a meat and cheese type of chick.
The lines can get super duper long but I just come during non-​peak hours. Call me granny all you want but I don’t have to wait when I eat dinner at 5.

I can’t decide whether to give 4 or 5 stars, but went with 4. It is in a great part of town and has decent barbecue! Top’s BBQ & Germantown Commissary are better though.