My home town is 10 miles from Clarksdale, so needless to say, I'm an Abe's fan...BUT the reason for same are the tamales. Done with corn shucks (not paper, thank goodness), perfect ratio of masa to filling....just delicious....I have a dozen in my freezer calling my name soon. I'm sure I'll try the BBQ at some time, but I travel to Abe's for one reason: TAMALES! read more

Famous barbecue place in the shadow of the Crossroads. The pork was good, but nothing to e-mail home about. I was just coming off a trip to Memphis and most barbecue was beginning to taste the same. The sauce and bbq at Abes was better than most towns in America, so I guess it is worth a stop. For that and the history behind the place. read more

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I visit this place every weekend while at Duck Camp during duck season. I love the Big Abe sandwich with tamales on the side. The slow is different but I love it. It has a small tang to it with lots of pepper. I also buy my sauce at Abe's to carry home. It's sometimes difficult to find good food with good service in Clarksdale, but this place has both of those things. read more

Decent ribs. Beans are good. The rib tips are tough jerky morsels but if that is what you are looking for then you found your place.

I have to say. In my 58 years on earth I have never had better ribs. Awesome, and a tip of the hat and a thank you to the owner and cooks. read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

Yes they serve on styrofoam plates. Yeah, sometimes the floor may be a little sticky. Don't worry about it. Eat at Abe's. My dad went there as a kid. All the relatives who're still in MS swear by it. Must try: BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Cole Slaw, HotTamales (pronounced as one word) Excellent sauce. Vinegar-based coleslaw is savory & delicious. Very reasonable prices -- a BBQ sandwich will set you back less than $4. The "Big Abe" (BBQ sandwich with extra layer of meat and a middle bun, like a Big Mac) is less than $6. And for those who don't normally eat pork, I recommend: BBQ Pork Sandwich. Hey, when in Clarksdale... read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Abe's Hot Tamales; BBQ sand in background - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

Lots of raves brought me to their door. $32 of Fatty tough ribs and tough fatty bbq beef smothered in their "signature sauce" confirmed my long held view that folks who specialize in sauce do so to draw attention away from the fact they are clueless about REAL BbQ. If you want real BBQ, don't waste your money here. read more

I ate at this bbq restaurant based on asking a sheriff where is some good bbq. The restaurant is a nice neighborhood style bbq. You can dine-in, pick up or to go. The person who worked the registered who seemed as if he was the boss was very kind and knows everyone. A lot of cops come here and now I see why the sheriff director to this location. The waiter was busy but attentive. The drinks are fee refill. I order rib tips which tasted ok. read more

This place has been around since 1924, need I say more? They must be doing something right to survive for so many years and I decided to find out why. My friends and I were taking a road trip through the South to see some blues venues and eat bbq so of course we had to make a stop here. In addition to this this fine establishment, it's also located near the "Crossroads" where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange to play great blues music. My friends and I ate lunch there one afternoon and it did not disappoint to say the least. The pulled pork sandwiches are amazing and their sauce equally impressive. I will definitely be going back when I find myself in the little town of Clarksdale. read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

In the Delta, you're not allowed to open a bad barbeque joint. You're just not. You'll be run out on a rail. I like to try and eat what the locals eat when I travel, and folks in Clarksdale are quick to tell you that you better not miss Abe's. We got big portions of good pork barbeque for a more than fair price. Service was fast (so fast!) and very relaxed and friendly, like your cousin or your aunt feeding you at their table. Very rad. Abe's makes me homesick for the Delta. Abe's reminds me that I need to move back. read more

Great Stuff!! Good food, nice staff, and great BBQ! (BBQ is a step above and beyond just food) only complaint: it's gonna get messy with all that BBQ!!! read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

When I am back in the Delta, Abe's is always on my list to visit. You have to start off with a bag of chips drizzled in Abe's bbq sauce. Then, the Big Abe comes to the table with fries. The Big Abe is 3 layers of bread with chopped pork perfection! Atmosphere is exactly what you expect in a local barbecue icon. The walls are covered with a historical timeline from culinary magazines, family photos, and the local community. The food wins all the awards, but the staff is the gold standard at the family owned and operated restaurant. read more

This is a fantastic joint. The barbecue is seasoned and falls apart on your fork. We had pulled pork sandwich, chili cheeseburger and chili cheese fries and I'll be the first to say, best chili I've had. Burger was cooked to perfection. Not a fancy place but I definitely will be back. read more

Top shelf BBQ! Love the atmosphere and strategic Blues Trail location. Almost cried when I reached the last rib!!

Great food. You feel at home inside! And it's very personal. You're greeted at the door. And the buns are toasted for the bbq sandwiches which is fantastic. Some places don't toast the bread and it ends up being soggy. But not this place! Definitely recommend eating here! read more

On a road trip to hell eating our way across the USA..we were told if we were ever in North West Mississippi we had to hit up Abe's...So...we did.! Note the THREE Stars....yep..way to much hype., overrated,. Mediocre.,generic.,..That was the BBQ. Tamales....Bland,yep,Bland.. And damn it I wanted them to be earth shaking...but nope...Bland. So..we push East onto the next town to find that ever allusive holy grail of a 5 star. BBQ.. So far.. Amarillo Texas is holding the lead. read more

The bbq sucked. The service was terrible and the prices are too high for the quality. There are better bbq joints around the town.

Sorry but I did NOT enjoy the food here at all! The ribs were overcooked (too hard) and barely had any sauce on them (which was nasty anyway), the baked beans weren't good, & the cole slaw wasn't good either (in which it was warm, rather than cool). And I didn't need the hamburger bun! However, the sweet tea was good. . . Maybe I went on a bad day, but I will not return any time soon. read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Need a better cook! - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

sorry Abes I wasn't that happy with your stuff. the decor is great it was busy with local people. I ordered BBQ pork got BBQ beef very small portions for the price. also ordered the beans came in a very small Styrofoam cup this is a totally paper and plastic restaurant. the beans tasted like doctored up van camp pork and beans. we were hoping for a special local type of restaurant that didn't happen. sorry folks the BBQ sauce was very vinegar I wish I had not put it on my little sandwich had to eat it as that was all I ordered. I left wondering why there were so many locals there as I didn't feel it was a very good value. read more

Abe's Bar-B-Q - Larger than it looks from the outside - Barbeque Near Me - Clarksdale, Mississippi

What a great experience!! The BBQ was great and the owner and staff were super super friendly! The coleslaw was fantastic!! The ribs were great! Thumbs up! They also have hot tamales which were tasty was well! read more

Can't fault it. Quick and friendly service, super clean and tasty! My wife had the bbq beef sandwich which was perfectly sized for small eaters, and I the tamales. read more

Four of us went on a Saturday afternoon. It was lunch for us. Abe's had been recommended by the folks at the Shack Up Inn. Poopsie Dumpling started off with a pecan pie. She thought it was great, shared it with one of our friends and he thought it was great too. Then she had a pulled pork sammich with onion rings. She said the onion rings were awesome. I was kind of underwhelmed. I had the chili, which was pretty good and a big Abe pulled pork sammich. The sammich is where they fell down. there wasn't that much meat, it was dry and tough, and the sauce was too vinegary and watery. We also had the beans and they were good. The service was excellent, and the prices were very reasonable. read more

Barbecue pork sandwich and tamales were very good. Service was fast and polite. Good ambiance. Very reasonable prices. Highly recommended. read more

Worst service I've ever had. Took forever to get our order taken. Food was nothing special. Line-up of 5 parties trying to pay but no one actually working there could check us out...except one guy who was apparently on break! Only redeeming thing was the history marker outside. read more

Had me some bbq ribs with slaw and beans it was great can't wait to try the Tomales and chili fries

Very disappointing, considering all the positive reviews, it was football concession grade food at best.

Just passing thru Clarksdale and decided to eat at Abe's because of the great reviews. I must say that we were very disappointed in taste of the sauce. It was bland and flat. No kick at all, no spice. We got the rib plate and sliced pork sandwich. The beans were one step up from right out the can. The meat was tender however. I did try the plain tamales and they were delicious......Won't be coming back for the "Come Back Sauce" read more

I ate at Abe's in 2006 and at that time my review was 4 stars. I had to ask Tripadvisor to remove that review so I could do this one. Abe's was AWFUL! The tamales were just so mushy. If you know tamales, they are supposed to be firm. These were disgusting. The place was dirty filthy and smelled dirty filthy. It really is a tragedy that Abe's, which is a Clarksdale institution, let this happen. To Abe's - either clean it up and get a new cook, or shut it down. read more

An absolute dive. With all the positive reviews, we expected more. Did not feel clean and the food was mediocre at best and costly for what you get. The girl at the front was very friendly and greeted us nicely (a plus), but no, I do not recommend this place....nothing special at all. read more

Tasty BBQ!! Super down home place, great vibe on the inside, very old school. The owner and staff are very friendly and went above and beyond, fantastic customer service! The ribs and pulled pork were very tender, the cole slaw is homemade and the best I have ever had! It is a vinegar cold slaw and it is a must!!! read more

An absolute must have!! You will not be disappointed! Family owned and operated, one of Clarksdale's essential businesses!! Love, love, love this place! read more

Just fabulous. Got to try You will not be disappointed Growing up in Clarksdale this was THE go to place. Still go there every time I am in the area. Great food! Great family! And the same staff for years. That's got to say something. They are the best!!! read more

Very good que in an area that makes very good BBQ! They have been there for years and I've never had a bad meal yet. Take time to look at the walls, lots of history to be found. read more

Really, really excellent barbecue - as good as any in Memphis. The middle bun on the Big Abe really helps hold the whole thing together, since they're not stingy at all with the meat or the sauce. My girlfriend gets the beef BBQ (why?), which she likes, but the pork is what everyone comes here for. We've been here when the place is packed to overflow and when it's nearly empty, and the service is consistently friendly and efficient. FYI, they also have beer. A plus in my book. Both of our Big Abes, a large side of fries that we shared, her soda, and my beers came in at just about 20 dollars even. There's plenty of reasons to visit Clarksdale, but it's worth the trip just for Abe's. read more

A quaint little shack of a place touted to be right at THE Crossroads for Delta Blues. We were warmly greeted and our waitress was very pleasant. Hubs tried the tamales with chili (we don't know why this area is so big into tamales?). He enjoyed them. Very similar to my home made ones and ones he grew up on in St. Louis. My ribs were awesome.. And the sauce is tangy! The coleslaw is very plain ( the recipe is vinegar/oil/salt & pepper) but a nice change. Wish we had tried "The Big Abe" pulled pork... read more

We ate here 3 meals during the jjfest. Abe's is half the reason we come back every year. I haven't been able to find a better pork sandwich anywhere! read more

yup. ok I had a pulled pork sandwich and remembered what I'd been missing despite the recent proliferation of bbq joints in Nola. they aren't this. the meat is tender is juicy; they chop it roughly once the butt is smoked then reheat to order on the flattop so it gets nice charred bits, too. the sauce is a deep rich color, Memphis style, and slathered generously on the sandwich. it's also topped with a vinegar-based slaw, which wakes up the rest of the flavors and adds a nice tang. the baked beans are great too, with pulled pork mixed in. French fries are nothing to write home about but I guess that's because I didn't realize I was supposed to get chili cheese on them lmao. y'all won't be disappointed! also my server was v nice and their sweet tea hit the spot read more

I went down to the crossroad, tried to flag a ride. While I was waiting I stumbled on to Abe's Barbeque. They have been serving it up since 1924. Abe's is a no nonsense place. You go in and place your order at the counter. The menu is on a sign overhead. Then they bring the food to you at your seat. We tried the pork Barbeque. It was pretty solid, but I have definitely had better. The slaw was unique, not sweet at all. And yes, this is the famous crossroad of song and stories. read more

BBQ pork, ribs, tamales, chili fries, slaw. Get it all. Ridiculously good.

I love this BBQ joint- it's in my top 5 BBQ places I've ever eaten at. The pulled pork is good, the ribs were pretty good, and the sauce is awesome, but what really stood out here was the BBQ beef sandwich and the Tamaco (a tamale with lettuce, tomato, and chili on it). I had the Tamaco before my meal, and as soon as I tried it, I knew I'd definitely be coming back. Their sauce is also one of my favorites I've ever eaten. I highly recommend Abe's. read more