I've dined in/taken out too many times to count and have never been disappointed. The inside of the restaurant gives real family picnic vibes, I love it! The mild BBQ sauce is my favorite. My go to order is always either the pulled chicken or pork sandwich with BBQ beans. The staff at each location (yes, I've been to every location in Memphis) is extremely pleasant and courteous. For the desert, I never can decide between the chocolate and caramel cake! Yum!! read more

The wet rub ribs were delicious. The service was good and fast and the ambiance was nice and cozy. It was self service and order at the register. read more

These are great ribs! You can tell they put a lot of pride and attention into every rack. The dry rub and bark is excellent. Temp was perfect - stayed together and pulled right off the bone. Flavor, dry or dipped was great as well. First class ribs and as good as any you'll get in a restaurant. For the rib pros out there, they smoke with silver skin on, so don't be offended. The ribs are worth it every time. Did not love the sides and had better at other BBQ restaurants in the Memphis area. Potato salad, Beans, Mac N Cheese, and banana pudding were all average. And this is the only reason I can't give 5 stars. I'd give the ribs an 8 if possible. read more

Central BBQ - Potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Although the staff was very friendly and the food came out in minutes the ribs were just not that good. We got the rack for two (half dry/half wet) with four sides which was a good deal. The ribs were very overcooked to the point they were chewy and the membrane was not removed. You can tell they just use the smoker and probably don't wrap them to get them tender. Sauce was decent. The collards were not good, they had a cinnamon flavor - no spiciness or vinegar. If I ever come back here I'll go with the wings. read more

Pretty good bbq spot. The cashier was really pleasant and funny. They won best bbq sandwich but my favorite was the ribs. Not a fair comparison but I like Texan bbq more. Tip: sit inside unless you wanna swat flies read more

Central BBQ - Full slab pork ribs. Half dry/half wet - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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We did a tour at the Civil Rights Museum and were told this was good BBQ. Expansive menu with all of your favorites: wing ,ribs, chicken, pulled pork, salads and sides. A few BBQ sauces to choose from. Order when you walk in, find a seat and they bring it out to you. Everything we had was delicious read more

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Very disappointing. I have always enjoyed my food at Central so was surprised. I had the pulled pork sandwich.....wtf happened. The pork was so white, and so dry, it was indistinguishable from that shredded chicken breast you get at Mexican restaurants. SO dry. SO white. Pulled pork is supposed to be fatty and brownish to reddish (smoke color). This really might have been a dried out shredded chicken breast. So of course I had to douse it in sauce. Which caused the soft hamburger bun to fall apart. A pulled pork bun has to be STOUT. Gotta stand up to the ingredients. This one disintegrated so I had to pull out the fork to eat it. Man Central what has happened. read more

Outstanding barbecue in Memphis. I ordered the full rack of ribs with potato salad and macaroni and cheese. The entrée was delicious. A great barbecue experience in Memphis. read more

Central BBQ - Full rack of ribs, half wet (brushed with sauce)/half dry. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

First time at Central BBQ. It was very good. Loved that they had a sauce bar so we could taste all the sauces. Cute atmosphere. read more

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I read some mixed reviews either people loved it or thought it sucked.. So i figure I give it a try. The wait in line wasn't too bad. Once sat down good came pretty quick. Staff were very friendly minus cashier when I realized I had to order side dishes and I didn't know what I want . Ordered half rack of ribs. Very nice.. Tender fall off the bone af juicy.. Coleslaw wasn't too bad. Baked beans was really good. The smoked wings though... Pretty dang good.. Ordered seconds... Pull pork sandwich was pretty good. The bbq sauces were spot on and very good. I would recommend this place... And would come back if I'm here again. I wanted to try the brisket but they only sell 1lb minimum if you wanted to order on the side. read more

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This BBQ spot was awesome. My and wife was driving back from Dallas Texas with the only stop we planed at Sam's Club. After shopping at Sam's we were planning to go to a drive thru to grab a quick bite before driving back to Chicago, instead I convinced the Mrs to try a local Memphis style BBQ joint. Great food especially the ribs. Will be going back on the next road trip. read more

The bbq is pretty good- it's not Marlowes but it's still pretty good. It's always crowded and it's fresh every time I visit. I cook a lot at home with love- so the sides leave me with a lot to be desired. The crowd is usually loud and fun. Eat in definitely- this place is fun. read more

This was a downer. We were in the one in downtown read reviews and decided to leave to this location. Let me say location is bad, place is nasty and outdated and dirty and eww. If you take a peek in the kitchen your appetite leaves. The line was up to the door but we waited 30 minutes to get to order. Lady who took order was super nice and friendly. We order a bit of everything to taste. We are from Texas and we will never eat here again ever. The brisket is NASTY and dry and with no flavor at all. Ribs were dry, green beans no flavor or salt at all. Etc Everything bland but the barbecue sauce was pretty good, go figure. The table was super sticky. Under the table was full of spoons and food left. The lady cleaning tables truly look creepy and dirty. We left quickly we did not enjoy our food here. read more

Central BBQ - Nachos we asked no jalapeños - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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We're from out of state and wanted Memphis BBQ this restaurant had great reviews. The brisket was good, not great. The coleslaw was tasteless, I didn't eat it. The brisket sandwich tasted like a subway sandwich, nothing special. The woman who took my order got it wrong and when I pointed it out she told me that was how I ordered it and blamed me!!! Look, maybe you heard me wrong or just messed up my order but you correct it and make the customer happy. You don't blame them for your mistake. Wow, unbelievable. We have better bbq in Wisconsin. Not sure why this place gets such good reviews. On the upside the decor was cute but the place was a little dirty. read more

This is going to be controversial, but Memphis BBQ doesn't come close to how BBQ is done in Texas. I still enjoyed it, but it isn't my BBQ style. I ordered a half rack of ribs with half dry rub and half sauce. The dry rub side was to die for, but then half of my ribs were ruined by the sauce. It's really my fault; I should have gotten the sauce on the side. The sauce was so vinegary that it completely ruined perfectly good ribs. The sides were pretty good. I had mac and cheese and greens. The best part of the whole meal was the half gallon of sweet tea I ordered. It was perfect--the epitome of sweet tea. I don't like my tea too sweet. They nailed it here. read more

Honestly. Was hoping for more. Staff was nice though. Food came out quick - but my brisket was dry. My pulled chicken was dry and not much flavor. The fries were decent. They don't have many options for sauces. They don't even have hot sauce here. The bbq mustard is really good though. That gets 5 stars. The nachos portion was very large and good. Even the half is large. For my 2 kids and wife to all eat it was 47$ - I thought that was a little high. The Mac n Cheese is good. I would try it again 1 more time. Maybe it was a location thing. Sometimes that happens. It was all just "okay". Oh well. read more

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Food is consistently good. Haven't had a bad experience. A Memphis staple BBQ spot. Not happy with the shrinking portion sizes for sides! Service is okay, every so often there's an exceptional host. The environment is casual and usually fairly clean. read more

Central BBQ - Pulled pork plate - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Best bbq ever! (And that's coming from someone who now lives in Texas!) Fall off the bone ribs.

I got the pork sandwich and the meat was excellent and very moist but there was barely any sauce on the sandwich! very disappointing read more

Central BBQ - Pork Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This place had great bbq, the ribs were the best I have ever had. They tasted amazing, with or without the sauce. The rib meat was perfection. The decor is very cool, I did take out. The prices are moderate. I ordered a combo plate to go and picked the pulled pork and chicken as well. The pork and chicken were just okay. My sides were the greens and beans and both were pretty good. I paid $30 for the plate, this meal feeds 2-3 people. So it can be good for sharing! Will definitely be back next time I am in Memphis :) read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Love their ribs!!! Second best is the pulled pork. Stay away from the brisket. Onion rings are also excellent. Long lines at peak times.

We drove a LONG way to come here. YELP shows it OPEN. It is CLOSED for renovation!!! Minor inconvenience but irritating. I'd give Central BBQ and YELP 0 Stars if I could. Get you $hit together! read more

Central BBQ - F' ya'll. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The barbecue is top notch and the proportions were just right for a casual lunch. Service was pretty quick since you order at the counter. It was the exactly the Memphis bbq experience we were looking for. It also wasn't expensive, especially considering the quality of the food. The menu is small and they you get a free reusable cup to take home with your drink (not pictured)! read more

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Have been twice since moving to Memphis and everything has been great! Ribs and bbq nachos are amazing!! Will definitely be back to try more! You better GOoooooo! read more

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Absolute beautiful day in Memphis yesterday, and if you have an absolute beautiful day in Memphis, you eat BBQ. And if you don't want to fix your own BBQ, they're are plenty of places to go. And Central BBQ is one of the best. We went to the location on Central Ave. it was packed, with a line out the door. And as usual, we were not disappointed with the food. Also, it seems they have added a huge local draft beer selection I don't recall being there the last time we visited this location. Nice touch Central...we see you. If you're from out of town, you'll probably hear that you need to go to The Rendezvous for BBQ. It's fine, but it ain't the one. Head to one of the Central locations and you will NOT be disappointed. And if you have room for dessert, don't sleep on the cakes they have. read more

Very chewy brisket. Mc and cheese is mediocre place is very busy, maybe because other places in Memphis are closed on Sunday. Won't come back here. read more

Central BBQ - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis has a lot of BBQ. It also has a ton of great places to eat. Central BBQ needs to be added to everyone's "Memphis Bucket List!!" Due to COVID, there isn't a lot of seating, but this didn't stop them from being busy. The pick up line (To-go food) was longer than the regular line, most of the time we were there. It was clean and tidy, just not a lot of seating. There is additional seating in the back areas too. We ordered the ribs for 2 with 4 sides. Not a bad price, $27. The ribs were perfect. Not falling of the bone, but almost. This is the way they are supposed to be!!! Super tender and juicy. Nice amount of burnt ends. The sauce was great, with a small spice kick at the end. Not spicy, SUPER flavorful. Probably the best ribs I've ever had. Being from Texas (we are famous for beef ribs) we know BBQ, Central BBQ is sublime. Their pork ribs are better than anything I've had in Texas, or Memphis. The sides were good, but small portions. I'm not complaining, because the price was so good. We ordered Mac & Cheese, Beans, Collard Greens and Cole Slaw. The problem with the sides is...we wanted MORE!!! They were so good. Mac & Cheese was hot and creamy, Beans were tangy with a little bit of a sweet end, Collard Greens were good, but a little bland, needed a little bit of hot sauce, in my opinion. The Cole slaw was good with a good amount of dressing. Not soggy. Another amazing addition to this great place, the staff. Everyone was so nice and accommodating. They seem to pool their tips and share with everyone at the end of the day. Please tip generously. Everyone was working hard and earning their keep. Please go to Central BBQ. It is across from the Civil Rights Museum (a MUST see). Go over before or after your meal to tour the museum and pay homage MLK. It will not disappoint. read more

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Sort of good. Sometimes one feels as though they've served you yesterday's leftover ribs rather than dig out the moist ones prepared today. At $37/slab, I expect perfection every time. Is the occasion important to you? Go to Corky's instead. read more

As good as advertised! Outstanding BBQ and fast professional service BBQ RibsBBQ SandwichBeef Brisket Sandwich read more

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

I was really excited to see what all of the rave was about... meh.. it was ok. We walked in and about 5-6 employees were just standing around behind the counter. "Hello, can someone take our order? (Silence) the food was mediocre with poor customer service. Maybe the other locations are better. read more

Delicious, Savory BBQ pulled pork, ribs &great sides- beans + cole slaw. Central BBQ offers the best- tasting mild bbq sauce that I eat with their ribs, baked beans, and add to their pulled pork. Their meat and beans already come with a unique barbeque smokey flavor and seasoning even without the sauce! I'm sensitive to spicy food but but I've long heard my friends and family rove about their wildly popular medium and hot BBQ sauces which I'll try in small amountscoupled with their cool, crunchy cole slaw! The top quality meat's cooked so well you can go without adding lsauce read more

we had a party of five there for lunch. when we got there about two pm we were the only customers in the place. we placed our order and paid as one ticket about $185.00. we were trying to talk at our table and the music was turned up so loud we had to ask twice for them to turn it down and it was still unacceptably loud after that. I ordered a full slab of dry ribs. when they arrived they were not cut. when I did cut them they were extremely dry and overcooked. probably will not be going back there. should have just stuck to Corkys BBQ, they are always good. they brought the food to our table and did not bring any silverware. we had to go and get it in another area. read more

One of Memphis best BBQ joints, meats are always a blend of taste, hickory wood flavoring and BBQ sauce zesty goodness, their new location is perfect, right in the heart of downtown Memphis and behind the Lorraine hotel, do yourself a favor visit downtown Memphis on a sunny fall day, take in the sights enjoy the beautiful weather and enjoy some amazing BBQ!! read more

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Great food every time I visit! The smokey wings are my favorite. I also love their nachos!

I enjoyed the ribs, sausage, Mac n cheese but I need to warn you to skip the brisket and onion rings. The ribs lived up to all the hype but the brisket was absolutely awful. Good brisket has smoke lines and is moist and delicious. I'm not sure how they cooked the brisket but it was tough and overdone. I wish I had sampled more food but the Ribs platter with two other meats and two sides and rolls was overwhelming! I was disappointed that I was unable to taste the hot sauce because the dispenser wasn't working. The staff was aware of the problem but made no effort to fix it. read more

Central BBQ - Beef Brisket, I would skip it altogether. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Not worth the money. Paid over $60 to feed 3 of us. Food was good but nothing exceptional. Can get as good and better elsewhere for less. Also the prices advertised on the menu are not what are in their system. Paid $26 for half slab of ribs but the menu shows $18. I confronted the manager about it and she said she could take the ribs back but not refund the difference. That is what you get when you put unqualified people in charge. She could have refunded me $8 and I would've been a happy customer with a 4 star review. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We committed the mortal sin of trying to share a half slab of these ribs, and atoned for it the entire rest of our road trip by regretting it deeply. While they come out looking pretty black and burnt, they fall apart at the slightest touch (well, 5 out of 6 did; the end rib was a bit jerky-like). And the flavor is absolute perfection. This place even managed to make me like vinegary BBQ sauce, which I generally don't. ALL of their sauces were complementary, and they let you squeeze your own out into little paper cups to try as much as you need. The mac and cheese was kind of nacho-like and could have used a good crust on top, but I personally liked that the greens were mild and didn't have a meat-overtone to compete with the ribs. read more

Best in Memphis so far. Would have given 5 stars but at 2 PM on a Friday, they were out of brisket. Returned when they opened at 11 AM on Sunday, and they still had no brisket. Had pulled pork and chicken nachos. Amazing! Beans and sauce were off the chart. Atmosphere and service were first rate. Even gave me a complementary sticker for the ole garage fridge! Don't visit Memphis without eating at Central. I'm blaming the brisket situation on the economy. I would have paid the inflated price had they had it. Table next to us had ribs and they looked amazing! read more

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Driving across Tennessee and stopped in Memphis for some BBQ. Not what I expected. Had better in Knoxville the day prior. Location felt sketchy even in afternoon. Wouldn't go back. read more

Absolutely the best BBQ in Memphis. Awesome sides, great sauce choices, and pork that will make you weep with joy. Any even remotely serious BBQ aficionado needs to experience the genius that is Central BBQ. read more