No joke, these were the driest ribs I've ever had in my life. It tasted like I was eating rubber. No salt. Omg. The meat was so tough, it was crazy. Horrible horrible ribs. This might be good to somebody who's never had ribs before, but my dog literally wouldn't eat this, and you don't want to know the stuff he puts in his mouth. read more

Central BBQ - Slab of Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This is a must to try if you're visiting or wanting a taste of BBQ down south, but I'm not the biggest fan. The portobellos seem to be soaked in vinegar and then roasted? I'm not sure, but it's hard to get through a salad or burger with that taste. The bbq pork is good, but too dry for my taste. Their employees and beans are great, and that's why we keep coming back. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

If you are coming for Memphis BBQ this is NOT the place. I don't think the meat is even smoked on site. It was very bland and served on dirty plates. This is an old Red Lobster building and I couldn't hardly stomach eating there as my feet stuck to the carpet. read more

Simply the best ribs I have tasted. I had the 1/2 dry rub 1/2 wet full rack. The meat fell from the bones. The dry rub was not salty but tasty. The wet ribs matched and exceeded those served in Ky and St. Louis. The cole slaw was unique and tasty. Not the usual prepackaged wholesale found at many restaurants. We also had the pull pork Nachos. Those were a meal in themselves. Loved the sweet spicy sauce. Even the waitress was exceptional. She was helpful and courteous, but over worked. Running a bar and being a waitress is difficult. On our next trip to Memphis, we will definitely be returning. read more

See all

Finally I tried their famous chicken wings and BBQ nachos and happy hour beer;) Sampler plate $9.99 Two big chicken wings, BBQ pulled pork nacho with jalapeño, pickles, sliced BBQ sausages. Their chicken wings are so tender and spicy and tasty. Nacho is delicious. Sausages are pretty good too. A good deal. Happy hour beer Pilsner $3 A little bit bitter but refleshing;) The staffs are friendly and sharp! They serve drink and food fast. You don't need to wait for a long time. I still love their BBQ rib the best in Memphis;)) read more

See all

Came here for a beer chugging contest between my girlfriend and me. Good light beer selection and the meat was fresh. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Bbq ribs were excellent w perfect smoke flavor. We did 1/2 wet & 1/2 dry. The rub had a nice balance as was the bbq sauce-sweet/tart didn't over power the other. It was tender yet not falling apart. The bbq here is hands down better than the other 'top rated'/over rated bbq joints I've tried here in memphis. read more

See all

I've been visiting Central BBQ for years when my travels take me east. A friend traveled to Memphis recently and I suggested Central and he came back with less than stellar experience. Last time I went I thought it was just an off day, but my most recent visit shows a trend. Ribs (wet/dry combo) had no taste. Brisket was inedible. One bite and the off taste made me spit it out. Full salad was mostly lettuce with not much added. Sides were bland as well. Central seems to be relying on name now and letting the quality of the product suffer. Perhaps it's just this location. Regardless, I will look elsewhere. read more

Called in for takeout and ate our feast at home! I could only eat the brisket and dry rub ribs, so this post will be focused on those items! Dry rub ribs- you can get them wet or dry and there is a dry/wet fusion called "muddy." The dry rub ribs are flavorful and fall off the bone! Must get! Our friends in Memphis say it's the best they've had to date. Would love to come back and try them wet or muddy! Brisket- I think this is only good with sauce. A bit dry and disappointing and made me hungry for more ribs! If for some reason you order the green beans, it's not the fresh kind. It's the canned kind. Probably the least popular of the side dishes. My husband raved about the BBQ nachos with pork over Central's homemade chips (you gotta ask for the homemade kind!)! He also loved the creamy Mac and cheese! I haven't seen food make him that happy in awhile! read more

See all

Okay, after 20 years in NC, I am a bit biased in BBQ. Visiting Memphis, we were reccomended this place for ribs. Yuck...they were not good. Dry, dry rub so thick thats all you taste then a flavorless wet sauce on top. The sides were completely forgetable. It was so bad, we swore off BBQ for the rest of the trip. The staff is less than friendly and the bathrooms werent clean! Thank gawd, Memphis gave us fried peanut butter and bananna sandwiches as a redeeming grace. Never again! read more

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

Until I pulled up, I didn't realize I had dined at Central previously. I ordered a regular pork sammy ($4.95) and something called a "sampler platter" ($11) to go. The sampler came with the highly sought after (but rarely found in the wild) BBQ Nachos (pork), two of the smoked hot wings, and a mini sausage & cheese plate. The wings were offered with a number a different flavors. I chose dry rub, and I also noticed the very tempting "Jerk" flavor. Ranch or bleu cheese was offered as a dipping sauce. I have read all these reviews about the nachos, so considering I had about a fifteen minute drive, I wanted to taste the nachos before their molecular integrity imploded. They do not skimp on portions, even on a sampler. The nachos came layered with shredded cheese, pulled pork, sauce, cheese sauce, and a generous portion of jalapenos. Yum!! By the way, they were still amazing fifteen minutes later. The chips did not turn to mush. Good sign... The sausage plate is very tasty. It comes with a mustardy sauce and very flavorful sausage. Finally, I must mention the wings. They are whole wings with a light, smoky flavor. A generous dusting of dry rub just added to the flavor profile. The restaurant decor is something of an homage to the University of Memphis. Their board says they have game-day specials. I think it's awesome they support the local teams. The rough wooden walls looks almost like they are trying too hard to look rustic. To be honest, they could serve their food out of an oil drum smoker on a counter made from cinder blocks and 2x4s, and no one would blink. The food's that good. You can also tell the food rocks when the parking lot is full at 6:30pm on a Wednesday. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

As a professional barbecuer myself, I'm always a little nervous when I order pork ribs. Most barbecue joints over cook their ribs because the average customer wants ribs that are falling off the bone. Unfortunately, if the meat is falling off the bone it has been cooked until all the moisture is gone and thus the meat has no structure to it and falls apart. At that point it is typically dry and tasteless. Central BBQ's ribs were very tender and still had plenty of moisture and great flavor. This place is legit. My family's experience was very pleasing. I would definitely come back again if I'm in the Memphis area. read more

We did an order for pick up. Two full orders of pork BBQ nachos. It was ready in time when my husband arrive. Food was hot. BBQ nachos come with a meat, shredded cheese, cheese sauce, BBQ sauce and a BBQ spice rub shaken over it. You can also get it with jalapeños. They were delicious. Ate the whole thing! read more

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

Had the pulled pork plate with their homemade chips and greens. The greens were kind of bland, usually I see them cooked with pork and bbq sauce. It was good greens but could be better. My husband had the half rack of ribs, he said they were very meaty and tender. He had the cheesecake and I had the brownie with ice cream. All was very good. Could have used more bbq sauce on the pulled pork, I like mine very covered. Myrtle was covering the room and the bar and really could have used some help, the lack of courtesy from those that worked there and didn't bother to jump in and help. Very good food but needs empathy for their workers. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Food was amazing!!! The hostess was very sweet and greeted us as soon as we walked in. The manager was AWESOME and very helpful. The ambience was peaceful and relaxing. Definitely recommend! read more

This is my first visit to Central BBQ. Liked their home made potato chips. Tried dry wings, which are good. Next time I'll try wet and naked wings. My gf ribs, she liked it very much. Mac& cheese and onion rings on side was great too. Will visit again, for their potato chips. We went six people there and for only me, I got blue cup read more

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

If I lived in Memphis, they would mistake me for a pig I would be so fat from this place. From what appears to be an old rambling Red Lobster emerges a busy delicious Memphis-style BBQ joint. We were greeted by cheerful attendants at the counter. We were told to place our order there, get our drink, and find our own table. These ladies were a hoot. Conversive and full of smiles, they really had fun with me when I noticed the gorgeous Caramel layered cake under the glass dish. One of them would open the dish, making it talk, saying "smell the fresh caramel." So I got to our table and made myself at home. I geolocated the home made BBQ sauces and watched in awe when the plates of food arrived. I ordered a full rack of ribs, half dry and half wet. I also ordered three chicken wings with dry rub. Then the center piece of the meal arrived, shining like the radiant sun, the golden home made five layered caramel cake in all its glory. Being properly trained at the dinner table, I made my momma proud. I jumped on that cake like wet on water! Ok, seriously I did. I nearly got emotional. It was a religious experience. My Aunt Violet, a saint in my opinion, made caramel cakes exactly like this when I was young. I remember dad just singing her praises. Let me tell you what, this is as good as hers. I promise that is the highest compliment possible. The chicken wings, only three in count, were Texas sized. My friend thought they were turkey legs. Just incredible. The rub was spicy and the meat was delicious. Recommended. My full rack of wet and dry ribs were the best I have ever had. My friend also agreed he had never had better ribs. Highly recommended! Good wet sauce, great spicy rub, nice crispy bark, and tender juicy meat. Cheesy rich decadent macaroni and cheese was served in a small plastic cup. Very delicious. A true surprise find were the chicharrones, the pork rinds. Deep fried pork skins with a light dusting of spices. These were light, not greasy, and perhaps some of the best I've ever had. I only give a five star when I can't find anything I can suggest to improve. Easy parking, great people, amazing food, fun atmosphere, what more could I ask for? Cheaper prices maybe? I tell you what, I didn't come here to save money. I came to have good food and they delivered! read more

See all

Central BBQ is a perennial favorite. If you're wondering how Memphis is able to pull off the World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest, stop by a Central BBQ between March through May, and you'll probably find a committee meeting right there making Bbqfest come together. And what better place to go than to one of the original Bbqfest winners. You can dine on a hearty selection of ribs, pulled pork, bbq nachos, smoked wings, and more. I was told after ordering the traditional pulled pork nachos that ordering them on Central's chips is life changing. So go ahead and take the challenge. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Dare I say this is the best Central BBQ location? Well, IMO it is. I like the spacious layout, ample parking, and of course, the delicious BBQ. This location isn't quite as overwhelming as the others, plenty of seating for large or small parties, and the workers have always been terrific and attentive. I usually opt for the brisket plate or sandwich, and my wifey exclusively orders the half order BBQ chicken nachos on house chips with jalapeños. I have not once been disappointed in the decisions. Every now and again I'll go for the pulled pork and I've had the ribs just once- both terrific, but can't beat that brisket. Do yourself a favor and check 'em out. read more

Central BBQ wins the best barbecue in Memphis award in my eyes, although I do think there is a bit of inconsistency between the different locations. My favorite location is the one actually on Central Ave. That place gets 5 starts from me. The summer location is where I can today and while it was still good, I don't think is was as good. It is nice that there is tons of seating, one thing that lacks at the central location. We were greeted kindly and seated pretty much immediately. I had a pulled pork sandwich with cole slaw and shared a half order of BBQ nachos with friends. My sandwich was really good, but the buns were a little dry in my opinion. The sauce and slaw were both pretty good, but I still don't think it tastes and good as other locations. Nachos were great!! No coke product, only Pepsi :(. But some people like that! Overall I would come again, but I would always go to central avenue central BBQ if I had the choice! read more

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

See all

I love the food at Central BBQ. The one star rating is because I'm tired of getting short changed on my orders. Once again, as seen in the photos, the "pound" of BBQ weighed 15 ounces...including the container. Unfortunately, I'll have to make it a practice to bring my food scale in the future. read more

See all

Delicious sauces and BBQ . My third time at this place and the food is delicious , We will definitely come back a 4th , 5th , 6th , and every single time we come visit Memphis read more

Just got home with my dry ribs ordered.Half order they are burnt up.Now days spending a lot for ribs We won't be back.

We love it hear. My only complaint is they changed the cookie since COVID and my kids hate it!! Bring the old cookie back. read more

Tried this location since the one by Overland Park is closed for renovation. I did a quick takeout order of brisket bbq sandwich & a side of fries. I honestly can't say enough about how good the sandwich is: tender, juicy meat, awesome sauce (with generous portion), moist (but not wet) coleslaw, good sized bun to hold everything in place, and generous portions of all ingredients. The fries were hot and crispy. This is my favorite sandwich in Memphis. read more

Limited hours and the bar not being open is a little strange but guess it's just the times. Food is always good and staff are great!

I really wanted to Like this place but the sides were small and the brisket wasn't good at all. It tasted like something I could buy pre made from Walmart which might have actually been better. The pictures show it all. After spending almost $20 I thought I would get real cuts of bbq but I didn't. Greens weren't good to me either I also had some beans that weren't anything special. Maybe I had a bad batch but no smoke ring was Present and no bark on meat but that could be because my slices of brisket were paper thin. I have had other bbq places in TN that aren't well known that were way better than this place. Sorry central but this needs work. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

See all

This was listed as the best BBQ in Memphis, and my wife and I definitely had fun here. I'm not so easily impressed and as a native Texan, I have high standards for barbecue that few can meet. The first night my wife and I stopped in we were pleasantly greeted by the staff and given the best customer service the entire night from start to finish. We ordered the sweet heat smoked hot wings and goddamn, best wings I've ever had in my life. I was told it was the owner's own recipe and frankly I can't eat any other hot wings ever again. We're super picky when it comes to ribs so we ordered a sample size of ribs dry. Real bbq doesn't need bbq sauce, and these ribs were the TRUTH! Loooovvvveee!!!!! I did try the barbecue sauces on the side, and they were pretty good, but I didn't dare taint the ribs with the sauce. The ribs alone were beautifully done. I ordered a brisket plate with greens and potato salad, and none of it was as good as either the wings or the ribs. My wife ordered a brisket plate with mac n cheese and fries and felt the same. I was so disappointed with the brisket; I had to dip it in barbecue sauce to eat it. The next night we came back and ordered a sausage sandwich which was nice, and a rib plate with baked beans, coleslaw, fries, and macaroni and cheese. The coleslaw and beans stood out as sides. I loved it so much I got a t-shirt to let everyone knew where it's at when it comes to Memphis BBQ. Great service, nice clean restaurant, and damn good ribs. read more

See all

Open for dine-in! We've been to several other Central locations, but not this one. We were in the neighborhood for an estate sale, so we tried it out. The store is much bigger than it looks from the outside. My wife got the pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and potato salad. Very good. I had the 1/2 slab of ribs with onion rings and turnip greens. Excellent. If had known how the greens are, i would have gotten two portions of them. The staff is a bit sloppy on housekeeping though. read more

Great customer service! Warm and friendly staff makes you feel right at home! Food is okay. Ordered the regular beef brisket sandwich with onion rings. It was just okay. The cooooookies are great! They taste home made and absolutely melt in your mouth. read more

See all

Food was cold, flavorless and some seemed old. Didn't even finish appetizer combo. Mac and cheese and potato salad were ok.

If your looking for good brisket, this ain't the place. Good brisket is tender melt in your mouth good. Brisket here is like tough roast beef. Very poor and very expensive. Stay away. read more

Every time I go home to visit, I stop at Central. It's usually my first stop, actually - the first dinner I have when I get back there is always BBQ. I left Memphis well over a decade ago and spent 14 years in the Bay Area, and now reside in Chicago. Since leaving Memphis, I haven't found any pulled or chopped pork that lives up. Service here is always warm and friendly, and the food is so, so good. Whenever friends are in town and ask me where to go, knowing I'm a native, I send them to Central. While I do love the Central Ave. location, parking is sparse and there's always a wait, but I can usually drive over to this one and get seated almost immediately. read more

See all

Great Barbecue meats had by our group of seven adults. The sides were excellent and dessert was chocolate 5-layer cake and homemade banana pudding! read more

Oh. My. Goodness. I'm in love! And heartbroken at the same time! Why, you ask? Well I fell in love after the first bite of BBQ at Central BBQ but so, so devastated because I live in Texas and can't get here every day for some awesome Memphis style BBQ! So, I'm sure you are skeptical of a Texan writing about BBQ because of the BBQ rivalries in the South. My family is actually from Memphis. My uncle worked at Topp's for many years, my grandmother was in love with Brad's, my grandfather is a Corky's addict, my dad was a Gridley's fan, and my mom is a diehard Rendezvous fan. So, you can see, I know a thing or two about Memphis BBQ. Every time I visit Memphis, I eat a lot of BBQ because it doesn't taste this good anywhere else! I love me some amazing tender, smokey, flavorful pulled pork drenched in tangy BBQ sauce. This last trip to Memphis found me eating at Central several times. Each food experience was fantastic too, even the leftovers the next day were tasty. My first meal was a pulled pork sandwich Memphis style (with the cole slaw on top). This had been a to go order. It was probably 30 minutes before I even got to take a bite, but when i did, it was a flavor explosion in my mouth. The sandwich was just what a pulled pork sandwich is supposed to be, great bread that held up to the sauce and meat, delectable meat piled high and smothered in BBQ sauce, and tangy slaw on top. It was simply FANTASTIC! My next trip was to the actual restaurant. This time my friend, the same one who brought me the sandwich the day before, insisted on me trying the Pulled Pork Nachos. OMG, it was the best thing I ate this trip! The nachos were piled sky high, had a pound (yes a POUND) of pulled pork, covered in shredded cheese and nacho sauce, smothered in BBQ sauce, and jalapeños because why not! I had ordered the regular size and it is big enough for 2-3 people easily. If I lived in Memphis, i would have to eat this at least once a week, if not more. I even had a dream about the nachos that night, no joke! So, if the BBQ gods are listening or at least the owners of Central BBQ, please open a store by me in Austin so I can embrace my gluttonous side and eat your wonderfully, fantastic food all of the time! I need a legit Memphis BBQ place here in Austin!!! read more

See all

Yes, the irony of going to a BBQ place and getting a Portobello Salad is not lost on me, but I had tried their pork at the Dixon gardens on food truck Friday and it wasn't too my taste, so it was an alternative route to take with the menu! But I did get x3 sides! The green beans (peppery and delish), the potatoes (yummy and awesome) plus the beans (pretty decent). My salad came with 3 kinds of dressing but I ended up not having to use any of them because the spice and the juices of the roasted portobello flavor permitted thru to the salad leaves and it was yummy. Another plus was the nicely spicy pickles and a perfect amount of cheese - grated small and not overdone. The salad was contained in a taco shell bowl, which for me was the weak link as it had a funky oil taste that I didn't enjoy. The jury is still out on their BBQ for me, but their potato salad is a definite winner. Note: #206 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016 read more

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

This was our first stop on our 2010 Memphis barbecue eating trip (well, second actually if you count Murphysboro, IL). Ms T, Aunt Annie and I visited here on a Wednesday evening. We first went to the Central Avenue location and they were under renovation. They directed us to the Summer Avenue location. We liked the place and the way they take your orders as you come in. It was delivered promptly to our table. We liked the sides but to be honest we were pretty disappointed by the barbecue. We found it significantly over rated. Maybe it was a bad day. Aunt Annie ordered a sausage sandwich. This was the best thing, reminiscent of some of the sausage that we had in the Austin area. It did not come across as warmed up commercial stuff. If I were hungry for just sausage, I would go back for this. The meat on Ms T's pulled pork sandwich had decent smoke, but was dry and required the addition of sauce. The ribs were over loaded with a cumin dominated rub. For those of you who know what I am talking about, when you put the ribs to your mouth, you get a whiff of stale sweat from the cumin. Sorry, but there was nothing subtle about this sledgehammer seasoning of the ribs. It was pretty distracting. The brisket was simply tough. Properly cooked brisket is not this way. We had a sample of turkey that had a delicate flavor, but was pretty dry. It was saved by their hot sauce. The sides were much better than the meats. Mac n' cheese was a good, standard recipe. We liked the slaw a lot with its mild, creamy (not sweet) dressing. The potato salad was another good one, with no yellow mustard and no Miracle Whip. You can tell we are mayo (and not sweet dressing) fans on slaw and potato salad. The potato salad also had something like chive/dill weed or Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, which was good. The baked beans were excellent with nice jalapeno flavor and heat. The sauces were unique and pretty good. The hot one has a Louisiana Hot Sauce base and the mild one was sweet and tangy, but not heavy. I would be hard pressed to go back to Central, what with a place like the Bar-B-Q Shop in town. I might be tempted to go for sausage and sides though. read more

My travel companion and I came here after we found that the place we really wanted to go to didn't have dinner hours on the night we visited. I had kind of wanted to sink my teeth into some ribs but for some reason (maybe the price of a half rack), I ended up going with the beef brisket plate instead. I should've gone with the ribs. The sauce they used on the brisket was far too tangy and spicy for my taste (I'm honestly not much of a sauce person anyway and would've prefered sauce on the side, if I had known they actually drenched the brisket in it). The sides I got were mac & cheese and BBQ beans. The mac was fine but the beans also had quite a bit of a kick to them and my wimpy mouth was on fire real fast. I enjoyed the fact that they had free refills of soft drinks on tap so I could go back for as much Pepsi as I needed. Aside from the sauce, the brisket was tender, but I felt like I didn't get a big enough portion for the price they charged. I think in the future I would go back, if I had a lot of extra money to spend, as I'd be willing to see how they do their ribs, which is what I should've done in the first place. Who knows, you might see an updated review from me about this place in the future...I tend to be a repeat customer at spots I enjoy the most. read more

Had heard for years about how great the Q was. Took some guests from out of town to try some real Memphis pork Q. Staff is friendly and efficient but you serve yourself drinks, get your own silver ware and condiments so you get partial service. Sausage and cheese plate very average, cheese little flavor, sauce was nondescript, sausage very greasy. Onion rings were the frozen variety, beans been around a while near mush, slaw tasty needed a few more turns in the processor found about half the cabbage the size so silver dollars. The dry ribs fatty, been cooked a while and not much flavor, would not order them again. Both my daughter and my wife said the pulled pork was dry. With so many Q choices in this town I would be hard pressed for reason to return here. However, it was a big building and they were busy both dine in and carry out. read more

Voted best barbecue by readers in the Memphis Flyer and a gold medal winner in Memphis Magazine. Central BBQ has a great reputation and a lot of loyal fans. I count myself among them. Their logo says "Slow Smoked, Memphis Style". And that about sums it up. The meat is tender and perfectly seasoned, never dry, and I really like their sauce. Other than their famed pork sandwiches and ribs, you might also want to try their smoked sausage or their barbecue nachos. Both are quite good. read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee