8.0
Arnold's BBQ & Grill-Memphis TN
$$Downtown,
The Edge District's smoke-filled secret-alley handshake
Tops BBQ
Cordova, ·$
AIAI-generated illustration — not a photograph of this restaurant. About our images
8.3/ 10
0 reviews“The city's favorite smokehouse, now east in Cordova”
Tops brought its half-century pork-shoulder cook to Cordova in 2023, opening a freestanding shop with a double-lane drive-thru in the city's eastern culinary district. It is the newest link in a chain that has defined everyday Memphis barbecue since 1952, planted where the suburbs actually eat. The recipe made the trip intact: green-hickory smoke, chopped pork sandwiches, and a sauce that dates to 1952, now served with the longest hours in the Tops family. Rib plates and pork shoulder by the pound cover the bigger appetites, and the Southern smokehouse burger keeps a griddle option on the board. The building is new and the drive-thru is built for speed, but what comes out of the smoker is the same formula that made the name. Cordova gets the classic without the drive west.
Know Before You Go
- Hours
- Sun–Wed 6:30am–10pm, Thu–Sat 6:30am–11pm
- Price
- Budget-friendly ($)
- Don't miss
- BBQ Pork Sandwich, Chopped BBQ Plate, and Rib Plate
What to Order
1
BBQ Pork Sandwich2
Chopped BBQ Plate3
Rib Plate4
Pork Shoulder by the Pound5
Southern Smokehouse BurgerWhy It Stands Out
Tops planted its 1952 pork-shoulder cook in Cordova in 2023, with a double-lane drive-thru and the longest hours in the family. The green-hickory smoke and classic sauce made the trip east intact.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 7960 Cordova Rd, Cordova, TN 38016
- Phone
- (901) 779-8781
- Hours
- Sun–Wed 6:30am–10pm, Thu–Sat 6:30am–11pm
- Website
- topsbarbq.com
- Price Range
- $
Back to Best BBQ in Memphis
Good to Know
Tops BBQ — Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at Tops BBQ?
Regulars point to BBQ Pork Sandwich, Chopped BBQ Plate, Rib Plate, and Pork Shoulder by the Pound.
What are Tops BBQ's hours?
Sun–Wed 6:30am–10pm, Thu–Sat 6:30am–11pm
Is Tops BBQ expensive?
Tops BBQ is budget-friendly ($).
What kind of barbecue does Tops BBQ serve?
Tops BBQ serves Memphis Style barbecue — Memphis BBQ is rib country. The great debate is wet vs. dry: dry ribs are coated in a paprika-heavy spice rub and served without sauce, while wet ribs are glazed with a tomato-vinegar based sauce. Memphis also claims BBQ spaghetti and the BBQ nachos.
