1
8.7
A&R Bar-B-Que
South Memphis · $
The South Memphis pit where rib tips are the whole religion
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BBQ Guide
Best BBQ in
Memphis
Dry-rubbed ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and tangy red sauce — Memphis barbecue from the metro's most enduring pits.
53Featured Restaurants
14Memphis Metro Areas
8Pitmasters Featured
Explore by DishFind the Best of
Find the Best of
Every Cut
Memphis BBQ is defined by its iconic dishes. Follow each guide to find the best examples in the metro.
Dry Rub Ribs
The soul of Memphis BBQ. Dry rub ribs are seasoned with a blend of spices — papr...
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Wet Ribs
The other side of the great Memphis rib debate. Wet ribs are basted with a tomat...
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Pulled Pork
Memphis pulled pork — slow-smoked pork shoulder pulled by hand — is the foundati...
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BBQ Nachos
A Memphis original — tortilla chips loaded with slow-smoked pulled pork, BBQ sau...
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BBQ Spaghetti
BBQ spaghetti is Memphis's most uniquely local dish — slow-smoked pulled pork fo...
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Rib Tips
Rib tips — the cartilaginous ends trimmed from spare ribs — are a Memphis delica...
See the GuideBrowse by AreaBBQ Across the
BBQ Across the
Memphis Metro
Memphis BBQ spans neighborhoods and districts. Every area has its own character.
Summer Avenue
1 restaurantsMidtown
5 restaurantsWest Memphis & Arkansas
3 restaurantsBartlett
1 restaurantsOrange Mound
1 restaurantsCollierville
3 restaurantsDowntown / Beale Street
2 restaurantsGermantown
1 restaurantsEast Memphis
7 restaurantsDeSoto County & North Mississippi
3 restaurantsCordova
1 restaurantsCooper-Young
1 restaurantsOverton Square
1 restaurantsSouth Memphis / Whitehaven
5 restaurants
Memphis
Tennessee
The TraditionWhat Makes Memphis
What Makes Memphis
BBQ Different
Memphis is one of America's great BBQ capitals. Here's what sets it apart.
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Dry Ribs
Memphis is the dry-rub capital of American BBQ. At the Rendezvous — which popularized the style in 1948 — the ribs are finished over charcoal with a peppery, paprika-heavy seasoning and no sauce at all. The bark does the work.
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Pulled Pork with Slaw
The Memphis pulled pork sandwich is a complete statement: hickory-smoked pork shoulder on a plain bun, with a scoop of cold, crunchy mustard-and-mayo slaw piled on top. Acid, crunch, fat, smoke. Eat it over the paper.
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Sweet, Thin, Tangy
When Memphis does use sauce, it is thinner and more acidic than Kansas City — tomato-based but brightened with vinegar and a little less sweet. A finishing sauce, not a smothering one. Some pits serve two: one sweet, one hot.
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Hickory Smoke
Memphis runs almost entirely on hickory. It is a harder, more assertive smoke than post oak, and it shows up in every bite of ribs, shoulder, and sausage across the city. The great old pits — Cozy Corner, Payne's, the Rendezvous — have been burning it for decades.
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Worth Knowing
Good to Know
Memphis BBQ — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Memphis barbecue known for?
Dry-rubbed ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and tangy red sauce — Memphis barbecue from the metro's most enduring pits.
How many BBQ restaurants does Memphis BBQ Guide cover?
Memphis BBQ Guide ranks 53 Memphis-area BBQ restaurants, each with its own review and rating.
What BBQ dishes is Memphis known for?
Signature Memphis BBQ includes dry rub ribs, wet ribs, pulled pork, and bbq nachos.
Which Memphis neighborhoods have the best BBQ?
Top Memphis BBQ areas include Downtown / Beale Street, Midtown, South Memphis / Whitehaven, East Memphis, and Germantown.
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