Went to meet friends for dinner. Had a great time! The service was awesome. The young man that took my order was very nice and cordial. My bbq nachos were good. My chips were okay. Could have been a tad mire fresh. Love all the goodness in the nachos: cheese, pulled pork, bbq sauce, jalapeños, and chips. The place was tidy. There are plenty of tables and chairs. We had a good time. read more

Central BBQ - BBQ Nachos with pork - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This has been on my Memphis list of places to try and finally got the chance. The employees were nice and greeted us upon entry. You order at the front and they will bring your food to you. I ordered the brisket plate with fries and mac and got a fountain drink. For the record they have really good sweet tea. Our food was brought to us and I was pleasantly surprised with brisket portion. It comes sauced but if you need more or different ones they have a sauce station. Their fries were delicious too. The Mac and cheese I could have done without. The noodles were too mushy for my liking. Average taste with it too. I'd go back to try other sides and I was way too full for dessert. read more

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This is a rough one. Brisket where I come from is about a 1/4 in thick and not sliced this thin. But overall it was pretty good. I asked for sauce on the side so stead of on it and that was a miss. Seems you have to get it yourself, then why ask seasoning level?!?!? The slaw was a creamy but headed toward vinegar mix which if you nab their bbq seems to be either a seeet but more vinegar mix or a mustard based version. No signs.. how are visitors supposed to know, osmosis? The real Winner to me Sadly was the Texas toast. Over buttered and highly salty, but it all worked on the plate. The guy that cleaned the tables was real nice which was unexpected. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Central at this location served up some good BBQ and sides, especially the full rack. One issue was cleanliness. The area around the drink machine had a strong odor of disinfectant that was off-putting to the degree that diners in our party decided to skip getting refills. They need to fix that. Service was prompt and friendly, even near closing time. As for sides, the collard greens were good, the slaw, mac, and beans all what you would expect. Portions were on the small side (see photo). read more

Central BBQ - Dining Room - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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We love Memphis, we love Memphis BBQ, and we can celebrate and enjoy those two things at Central BBQ! This particular location is our favorite! Parking isn't an issue and neither is seating-- they've got plenty of both!!! My husband loves their BBQ nachos and I love their (new) BBQ baked potato. Our kids are always happy with the kids meal options and all of us agree that the sauce on the side (and several types to choose from: hot, mild, vinegar, mustard sauces) is genius. We tried the honey gold wings and they were great. My kids raved about the Mac & cheese and grilled cheese. My daughter loved her BBQ sandwich and said the kids portion was plenty! Service is always top notch as well. Our food runner was so kind, especially. We love the Memphis decor around the restaurant so so much!!! If you're looking for great Memphis BBQ I know there are some really great options but add this one to your rotation. read more

Central BBQ - The Memphis positivity around this restaurant brings me a lot of joy! - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

75.00 loss everything was absolutely terrible. The chicken was nasty and undercooked. The brisket was old and cold. The fries weren't completely cooked. The Mac n Cheese was swollen and gooey. The lady that took was order was very nice and patient she was the only positive in this situation. I couldn't make it more than 2 bites through the meal. Worst barbecue that I've ever had. read more

Central BBQ has became a new favorite for the kids. We have started coming weekly. They love the kids meals and I get the brisket sandwich. They get fries as a side and I get the mac n cheese. I am not a fan of the cole slaw but thats me, the girls seems to like it most days. The cheesecake and strawberry cake never miss!!!! read more

Great bbq place. We've ordered and tasted almost every meats they have. Sauces were tasty. Service was great and friendly. Plenty of parking spaces as well as seating area inside. Ambiance great! read more

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This food blew my mind and belly lol awesome food The service was very nice I didn't eat in I'm a trucker so I had to roll But you definitely need to stop by Fill you belly and enjoy the road. Lol Stay safe read more

Juicy ribs with great flavor, casual southern ambience. good quick service with very nice people. read more

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Great pulled pork. The wet wings are amazing. The vinegar based sauce and mustard are great. read more

Central BBQ - Take out - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I hate places that make you hack up yo ribs with a butter knife RIBS 6 OUTTA TEN SIDES,,,,,TRASH...not even kraft Mac quality Mac and cheese Greens- taste like metal that metallic taste. Zero flavor Brisket was TOUGHER THAN a boot. Bbq sauce was good Smoked chicken was good .. SALAD-BOMB I thank them for staying around till we got here. Because we were meeting someone but went to the wrong location read more

c Central BBQ has always been our go-to in Memphis! This was our first visit to this location and it was SO disappointing! Ribs were dry and tough, brisket was ok but seemed like it had been sitting for awhile, mac'&cheese was soggy, my waffle fries looked so good but were not crisp but soggy! And, even though it seemed clean it was overall "shabby" and dated and not pleasant at all! Doesn't make us eager to ever go back to ANY Central BBQ! read more

Food is exquisite! The workers are very polite .When I placed my order it was exactly like I ordered The climate was just right it wasn't too hot or too cold My second time being there I would refer anyone to go there for great food and just to enjoy and relax read more

Not sure what happened to an old favorite... dirty, messy bathroom, damp dining room, staff hollering at each other, got my order wrong, no CO2 for soft drinks. ribs were still tasty though... read more

This is maybe the BEST BBQ I've ever had. WOW!! The ribs fell off the bone they were so tender and juicy. So so good. Service and atmosphere were top notch also. I highly recommend this place. read more

Central BBQ - 1/2 Slab Rib Combo Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The Central BB! was one of the top two of my culinary experiences in Memphis. I had researched the best places for dry-rub BBQ ribs (just a few to choose from), and Central BBQ always seemed to be ranked among the best. I arrived and ordered a half rack of dry rub ribs with mac and cheese and greens as sides. I got a glass of soda and sat down. The place had a good ambiance and was very clean. The half rack of ribs was of a good size with lots of meat. The dry rub was excellent. For 90% of the ribs, they were some of the best I have ever tasted. However, the thin outer edge of the rack of ribs was dry- almost to the point of being burnt ends. The sauces were great, and I used them to dry the pieces of ribs. The taste and preparation of the ribs with excellent smoke rings quickly fell off the bone and were very moist. The greens were some of the best I had in Memphis. The mac and cheese was made of at least two cheeses that created a good depth of flavor and baked perfectly. I don't know if the dry end of the rack may have been my timing. I arrived around 5 pm, and these rib ends may have been dry from storage of the ribs. The prices were excellent and the staff very attentive. I highly recommend this as a place for good Memphis dry-rub ribs. read more

I had heard how great the BBQ was here. I would not recommend. I should have known when we walked up to the front door and it was propped open with a brick/rock. After you order, it's pretty much self serve. They will bring your food to the table if you dine in, but that's it. So, why does one have to tip? I gave 20% tip for abysmal customer service. I got the ribs. Half wet and half dry... They were not got. There was no season of any kind in the flavor of the meat... Even with the wet half... It was just blah. They baked beans were blah too. However,the potato salad was not too bad. If you're into self served mediocre food. This is your spot to dine in or take out. I want cheat on A&R again... As for ambiance, it was very dingy and unkept. And the restrooms... Let's be nice and say... They were unkept too. This was a pretty grungy looking restaurant. No need to take pictures. I definitely want be back to this location. read more

Passing thru town and was excited to try ribs from Central BBQ. Spent $38 for half a rack and only ate 2 ribs and some of the mac and cheese. Left the rest. So disappointed. They were over cooked and under seasoned. They tasted "old" to me. Like maybe cooked a couple of days ago. Idk. Even saucing them didnt help. Would not go back. read more

I'd like to start off by mentioning The service was really great and the staff was super polite and professional the one star is for the great people working there The food on the other hand doesn't deserve a star at all Bbq nachos were not the best The cheese wasn't melted all the way and the chips were too brittle to hold the weight of the meat and cheese they crumbled into a bunch of tiny pieces and were too messy. A good plate of nachos should have sturdy chips not paper thin overly greasy brittle "chips" Pulled pork sandwich was flavorless and really dry Their coleslaw was pretty good but not the best The bbq platter was also really dry and lacked any sort of moisture or flavor in the meat the sides it came with were super small portions We had to drench our food in bbq sauce to make it somewhat edible If you're trying to have a real Memphis bbq experience this place is NOT it. Try at your own risk read more

Good customer service and good sweet tea. The ribs weren't that tender, very thin, OK overall but not worth $27.50. The nachos we got due to the pictures having homemade potato chips.. but we were surprised when we received soggy tortilla chips. Also the cheese was very unflavorful. read more

Central BBQ - Left - Half (wet) rack of ribs, Mac & Cheese, and fries Right- Half pork nachos w/ Jalepenos - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We had a sausage cheese plate and ribs for two. The sausage cheese plate was not cooked as well as usual. The ribs were fatty and and didn't taste as good as the other locations. The sides were good. We had potatoe salad and chips. The restaurant as a whole was dirty and we were there at 6:00 pm. The men's restroom looked as if it hadn't been cleaned all afternoon. read more

Soooo this place was not what i expected. This location needs updates. It's carpet throughout the restaurant which to me, is pretty gross. We went on a Saturday evening around 5. When we walked in, the hostess just stared at us. On thing i hate Is for me to have to do the work of the hostess. No hello, no how many, no would you like to place an order or dine in. Nothing. So i just stared back until she asked if i needed to place an order. I responded letting her know that we'd like to dine in. The place was dead. Probably had 1 maybe 2 other families in there. Instead of sitting us in the front room, they sat us in the back. The vibe of this location is just pretty gross to me. The back room had a full bar and a tv but it was not live at all. It was just a dead cold vibe. I ordered the brisket plate with slaw, baked beans and potato salad. My son ordered naked wings and fries and my husband got the chicken nachos. My sons chicken was dry as hell. It was almost like they had refried the chicken and it was dry. The fries were nothing special but were fresh. I didn't try my husbands nachos but he seemed to enjoy them. My brisket had tons and tons of fat on it. The baked beans and potato salad was just blah. White people are always hyping this place up but really this place is just not good at all. There are hole-in the-walls that have way better bbq than this place. Hell i can cook better bbq than this! I don't see me coming back to this establishment again. read more

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Authentic Memphis Style BBQ and more. Great prices and great selection of smoked meats

Please check your drink order on your take out order ticket. They did not include the drink and were not able to issue a credit when we realized it after we got home - very inconvenient! read more

Great food as Always. Many claims in Memphis for best BBQ but we think central on summer has them all beat. Tasty Q piping hot pork rinds and friendly staff. Winner winner BBQ dinner read more

I really enjoyed my experience at Central BBQ! I cannot believe that this is the first time I have been to this location. I had the Barbecue Nachos, Banana Pudding, and the fresh skins. Every thing was delicious. The nachos had just just the right balance of ingredients. The banana pudding was the best I had outside of my family that was homemade. The skins are always a plus. The are freshly made and served warm. The prices are the best I have paid for a complete meal. Check out my picture of the menu. Central Barbecue lives up to the saying about Memphis being the "Home of Barbecue." read more

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No self respecting Memphian would ever serve baby back ribs like this to friends, family, or guests. I ordered a rack of dry rub ribs, brought them home, and experienced this restaurant commit pure BBQ sepukku. I can't be silent about this, the world must know. Not tender, not fall off the bone, fatty tissue under the ribs (I've cooked plenty of ribs and have never seen this on a cut), and where's the smoke flavor? Central what on earth has happened to you? Yall gotta do something about this, fix something! I don't know, maybe get outside and fire up a smoker once in a while! Get out of the commercial kitchen, feel the wind on your face and the smoke in your nostrils. Have the fire singe your fingertips! Reenter the world of the living for God's sake! This is why cities like Nashville are appropriating the BBQ crown, one of the flagship restaurants in town doesn't even have a pulse. To all tourists and out of towners, take your money elsewhere, these ribs are not a representation of real Memphis BBQ. read more

Went last night for dinner. HUGE disappointment. How is this place world famous? Brisket zero flavor and flooded with sauce. Also was cut thin on a deli slicer. Could still hardly chew it. My boss was right avoid this place. Mac n cheese decent and cole slaw decent too. Should have backed away when it was 95% empty at 6PM. read more

Central BBQ - Decent sides. Awful brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

When you arrive at noon on a Saturday and there are less than a dozen vehicle in the car park you should know something is not right. The cashier was not friendly at first but by the end of the transaction she was nice enough. The meat was good but not chopped up very well--huge chunks of chicken! The inside was quiet, not real clean but not nasty, and one section was "table service only" as we were impolitely scolded. Everything was stocked, nothing memorable. read more

I literally pulled over while driving through Memphis and shouted to a guy, "what's a good BBQ place to stop at?" He said, "Central BBQ!" I couldn't be happier with the choice. The woman at the counter was extremely inviting, and walked me through every recommendation given I've never been here. I settled on the Sampler with a 3piece rib on the side. In all honesty, it may very well be the best jerk chicken I've ever had, and the Spock BBQ sauce will rival any you ever try. Amazing spot! A must if you're in the area. read more

Central BBQ - a plate of food on a table - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

It smells great in the parking lot. That's usually a good sign, and once inside the food didn't disappoint. Stopped by for a business lunch, and for once, instead of using Yelp (gasp!), The locals where we were working recommended this place. Chopped pork sandwich was great. Flavorful smokey meat and a soft bun. It comes topped with Cole slaw and extra sauce, which rounded out the flavors. It's big, messy and worth it. You order at the front counter and they bring it to you. I told the young lady at the register to just order me up their two best sides and surprise me. I ended up with fries and Mac and cheese. She was certainly a nice person, but I think our tastes run a little differently. Nothing special about either of them. In the end, because I ate my whole sandwich, I didn't have much room for them anyway. I was also able to keep my shirt clean. I'm very proud of myself. read more

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I got a go order of brisket last Sunday afternoon. It was shaved super thin, with the grain instead of traditional thick slices cross grain. I expect a meat focused business to know that brisket should be sliced cross grain. I also expect a half pound order to be mostly meat. Brisket is fatty, but the box was almost half fat. It looked like they went out of their way to cut extra fat to make up the pile. When I ordered, I had asked the cashier if it was traditional thick slices and she said that it was. Why would she tell me that if Central BBQ shaves their meat instead of thick slices? I normally get pulled pork from the Central Ave location and this was my first time to get the brisket order and my first time ordering from the Summer location. So I don't know if this was a failure with the Summer kitchen specifically or an overall business failure. Once I got the excess fat cut away, the meat was delicious. But I'm struggling to let go of my grudge, because I definitely did not get my money's worth. read more

I'll split the difference. Pulled pork cold, dry and not what I expected. Nachos were above expectation. Never thought brisket, bbq sauce and cheese works well together. I would give this place another try read more

Central BBQ - 1/2 lb pulled pork and brisket nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Not impressed by this place at all. The chicken, pulled pork, and macaroni and cheese were cold. The bread roll was not warm, it was actually stale. This state is supposed to be known for its BBQ and I have had way better at my own house and in California. Still waiting on good BBQ in Tennessee... read more

This was really awful BBQ. The brisket was an off color and so fatty I couldn't eat it. The pulled pork was extremely dry. The sausage was tough and chewy. We got a side of fries that were undercooked and soggy, and the Mac and cheese was KFC quality. The potato salad was fine and the baked beans were very good. They forgot to give us our BBQ sauce, so I'm not sure how that was. Would not ever come back. read more

This bbq was amazing and the atmosphere was great. Very busy but worth the wait. The pulled pork and brisket was my favorite! read more

Central BBQ - 3 meat plate and Beef Brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Best BBQ in Memphis great local Beer and great staff Family owned and operated with Pride always goof food lots of it clean restrooms a definite food experience if you never had southern BBQ a part of any Memphis visit . read more

I am sometimes write a lengthy review, but this is one that will be simple and to the point. Not from Memphis? Visiting and you want to check off your list of trying some of the Delta's A-list bbq? Then you absolutely have to visit one of the Central bbq locations! Read the reviews, yes...but good or bad, you'd be doing yourself an injustice to NOT stop in and try them for yourself! read more

The best BBQ in Memphis (now that Showboat isn't around). Their sausage and cheese plate is my favorite!!! They are always super friendly and helpful. My son loves the dry ribs. All the food is excellent. You really can't go wrong. Oh and best of all their cups are reusable. I love cups you can use at home. read more

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