I'm so glad we decided to have BBQ while in Memphis and I'm even happier we chose Tom's. First off everyone is so friendly and the owner was engaging and you can tell he cares about the food and his customers. I like my BBQ charred. So I decided to try the rib tips as I read they were like beef jerky but also moist and that was accurate. So much flavor in the seasoning and the sauce. This was probably the best BBQ I've ever had. My wife had the ribs and they had so much meat on the bone, again the seasoning was spot on. My son had the BBQ nachos and said they were the best he's ever had. If you are in Memphis you must stop here for BBQ! read more

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Well, it's not much to look at. As a matter of fact, don't look. Just close your eyes and go in. Walk thru the funky dining room, go down the stairs to an even funkier part. Don't worry. They got the MEATS!!! I ordered Baby Back ribs, potato salad and baked beans. Also a TURKEY LEG!! THE FOOD: Tried the baked beans..well done, tasty, sweet, hearty. Done right. Tried the potato salad. Very good. A little sweet for me, but good flavor. Potatoes just right. I didnt eat more than a fork full of these because those baby backs were staring at me!! The baby backs were meaty, a little fatty, but fall off the bone, tasty. The sauce is a sweet, thick addition of flavor. The ribs stand by themselves, but the sauce adds good flavor. The Turkey Leg... I've had many, many turkey legs from across the country, at fairs and fests and pubs and joints, and homemade, and this one was THE BEST!! Smoked to perfection which made the meat pink. PINK! You could see the flavor on the meat at first glance. I picked it up by the end and EVERYTHING fell off. Meat, tendons, the knob at the top. It just fell apart. I could just pick up pieces with my fingers and dip it in sauce. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The owner was very friendly, and greeted me like an old friend. The employees were friendly and I enjoyed my time here. CAUTION: You will be a messy mess. My hands, face and wrists were covered with sauce and meat juice. After wiping down, I still had to wash up in the washroom. read more

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Best rib tips you will ever eat in your life!!! Great Sauces and sides! Fresh lite bread on top and spaghetti as a side!!! Also Tropical Punch Kool-Aid on tap!! Say whaaaat???? read more

So the obvious, it is hot as hell in here. They need about four more window A/C units. The ribs were great. Probably some of the best I have had. The pork chop was OVER cooked. I could barley chew it and gave up after the second small bite. Reminded me of tuff beef jerky. Corn on the cob could use some butter on it. Mac and cheese was nice and cheesy. For $31 I expected a lot a better experience. read more

First time to Memphis and just had some bbq from here. We just went to yelp and looked up good bbq places and Tom's is where we ended up going. So glad we did! So damn good! We tried a bit of everything, rib tips, catfish, chicken, pulled pork as well as the green beans, Mac and cheese, turnip greens, and potato salad. It was amazing! So good I didn't want to stop eating (even though my body wanted me too haha). We are only in town a few days, but we are already trying to find a time to go back. Also, the staff was great. 10/10 for sure! read more

We ordered the beef ribs, $19.99 plate that comes with two sides and a medium drink. The edges of the ribs were hard and crunchy because it was a bit overcooked. The center of the ribs had better texture and was softer. The sauce tasted like any sweet BBQ sauce you would try. The mac & cheese side was delicious nice and creamy. We also got the corn which had no noticeable seasoning, very plain. Some areas of the ceiling and around the exhaust were noticeably dirty. This place could use a heavy cleaning. A very heavy deep cleaning. The service was great, the ladies that work here were all very friendly. There were plenty of parking spots outside available on their lot during the weekday. Overall, 3.3/5 read more

Toms Barbeque - Beef ribs with two sides and a drink $19.99 - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Being from out of town and wanting good BBQ I figured I would give the place a try. I was not blown away by the sides however the chopped brisket was good. The big thing for me was the value for what you got, $24 for a drink, sammich, fries, and mac n cheese is a little pricey for what you get. IMO there are other places in town where you can get great tasting BBQ and better portions for your money. For me I doubt I will be back. read more

This little dive has absolutely delicious barbecue. We ordered the two meat combo which came with two sides. We chose pork ribs, chopped beef brisket, Mac & cheese and Turnip greens. The pork ribs have a dry rub with thyme and oregano - different, very tender and tasty. The brisket was tender and flavorful. The turnip greens and the mac & cheese - homemade,absolutely delicious! Very friendly staff and excellent customer service! read more

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Don't get in this area of Memphis often but have fond memories of this so when I happened by, I just had to stop in. I tried the Baby Back pork ribs and may have found a new local favorite! Great taste, lots of meat on the bones and a great balance of crispy vs fall off the bone. read more

Toms Barbeque - Pork Baby Back ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

If you are lucky enough to be near the Memphis Airport, take the short 3 mile drive to Tom's Bar-B-Q. I had the ribs and pulled pork, along with the sweet potatoes and baked beans. Add a couple slices of plain old white bread, and you are in for a treat. The ribs fell off the bone. No, they MELTED off the bone. The pulled pork was nice and tender, too. And dont forget the sweet potatoes. You won't need desert with these on the side. All in all, Tom does Bar-B-Q right. read more

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Twice we've been to or through Memphis and went out of our way for this spot! Fantastic barbeque and we'll be back any time we're in the area. If you're in Memphis, don't sleep on this spot - it's worth going to. Staff was super nice, quick service. Just remembering the last time we were there is making me crave it all over again! read more

One of the top barbecue restaurants in Memphis. It's a great place to eat. Thank you. read more

Great food, friendly staff. Adam the owner is a great guy! I came with a large group and we were all impressed with what we ordered. The spare ribs are great, and I was told the catfish sandwich was the best they had ever tried! Fun dive atmosphere with authentic Memphis BBQ, you must try it! read more

Stopped by for lunch today- the Hubby and I love to try out BBQ spots, and haven eaten at most in Memphis and surrounding areas. We've eaten it all over the country and We are both BBQ judges and contest organizers. ! Now for the review we got the pulled pork plate with fries and Mac and cheese, and the brisket with beans and slaw. Both came with 2 slices of white bread and we requested sauce on the side. The pulled pork was ok- most was dry, but it lacked flavor- so I tried the sauce- sweet and smokey- odd taste I couldn't identify, pork with sauce- edible, but nothing I would order again. Mac and Cheese- noodles cooked ok but runny sauce with unusual taste- like chicken bullion, nothing like I expected ( this would receive negative stars) fries- ehhh- ok-nothing spectacular, but the best thing on my plate. Brisket- terribly dry, taste like liquid smoke and lighter fluid- negative points for this. Slaw, sweet, crunchy, course cut- could use more balance in my opinion it was ok. Beans- lots of liquid, a little pulled meat- taste like their sauce and baked beans from a can- again, not my favorite taste- something odd. We also got iced tea- which I will say is the best thing I got- good tea! They've got signs plastered everywhere about triple D and Guy Fieri- he must have had better luck than we did Side note- it is a dive and that is actually appealing at times- I liked that, but no paper towels or dryer in the bathroom- pretty much tells you all you need to know read more

Toms Barbeque - Tom's Brisket plate with slaw and beans - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Toms Barbeque is everything you want in BBQ joint. Honestly, the food is fantastic, the ambience is fitting, and the service is excellent. The business is run by the owner Adam, who in my short time there was extremely friendly and generous. He knew the names of regular customers coming in for their lunch break and chatted it up with them, all while making sure everything else ran smoothly. I got to speak with him briefly and I'm glad I did rather than just ordering food and walking out. Extremely friendly and helpful, and someone who genuinely cares about the customers who come in on a personal level. Staying true to low carb, I didn't get any of the combos or meals and went straight for the beef brisket - a whole pound of it - along with some coleslaw on the side. It was fantastic, not dried out or burnt too much on the tips. Along with the custom sauce they had I couldn't have been happier with my meal. I did get to try a small piece of the beef ribs and I have to say that those were fantastic as well so I can wholeheartedly recommend both items if you end up going. And if you do, make sure to say hi to Adam! read more

Toms Barbeque - Beef Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Fist time here...quickly became my new favorite spot when visiting Memphis. Not recommending this place (lol), telling you to make it a point to get here. Brisket sandwich was excellent! Save room for the warmed Sweet Potato Pie, it was ridiculously good. Mr. Adam, thank you! We will see you again...and yes, I highly recommend your restaurant. read more

Awesome. Best bbq on our Tennessee bbq crawl. Beef ribs pork ribs n bologna etc. Absolutely great. And owners are super nice

Tom's is a cherished institution and local favorite. It is always busy during lunch and once you try the food, you will understand why it maintains such a devout following of faithful regulars. I'm a huge fan of the baby back ribs. Whenever I try to pick up a rib, the meat slides off so effortlessly that I end up pulling the bone straight out. It's just just moist and tender. A definite "must try"! If you have room, I also recommend trying the banana pudding, which is incredibly delicious despite its simplicity. One modest issue is that Toms is not a fancy place. Even for a quick serve restaurant, the building is old and looks like it was built and maintained on the cheap. Just realize you're here for the food and not the ambiance. read more

Toms Barbeque - Baby back ribs, green beans, turnip greens. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Literallythebestbbq!! This was just amazing! First off, everything was zabiha halal (obvs besides the pork)! The staff was very educated on the halal factor. Tom's located in a run down industrial area from what is looks like. The restaurant it self looks and feels more like a lunch counter. Several seats, styrofoam boxes and glasses. You order up front and pick up your meal at the end of the counter. We ordered shredded brisket, turnip greens (fav hands down), and mac and cheese for one meal. Second meal was a chicken sandwich (literally fell off the bones), and brisket. We paired this with lemonade and for desert we had banana pudding (yummmm)! This meal filled us up for hours. It was just amazing! Delicious, juicy, and off the bone goodness! Guy Fieri has given Tom's seal of approval from "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and Tom's has won several other local and national awards! https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x42home (The episode link) Southern comfort bbq at its finest! I will deff revisit! read more

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I stopped by while in town for a wedding and had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. This place is an absolute gem for anyone looking for delicious BBQ, especially for those looking for halal options. Upon asking, I was told they have 100% halal meats and sides. I've never had beef baby back ribs before and had to try them. The ribs were so tender/juicy on the inside and well-charred on the outside. Everything fell off the bone and we had 0 leftovers. We also got the beef brisket which came in a pulled form. It was very tender but not greasy at all. It paired perfectly with the cole slaw (also very yummy) in a sandwich. We got to sample both the mild and spicy BBQ sauces and they were both amazing on their own and especially when slathered on the meats. Even the corn on the cob was tender, easy to eat, and flavorful. All the portions were very generous and we were stuffed to the brim by the end. The staff was attentive, courteous, and friendly. As newcomers, we were given helpful meat and portion recommendations. We came in on a cold/rainy January afternoon and they had warm and clean seating indoors. Also, they do open on Mondays despite what Google Maps says. We are so happy to have found this place and will be travelling back to Tennessee for their halal beef baby back ribs and brisket and to sample the other items on their extensive menu. read more

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Very dry rib tips. I should have complained. Bark. Prior visits were better. Tips should be juicy. Go to A and R for tips. read more

Toms Barbeque - I'm not sure what happened to their Rib Tips, but these are awful. Dry, hard like bark. I should have complained. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Nestled off a corner surrounded by industrial warehouses sits a real jewel. While bombarded by the face of the self appointed Mayor of Flavortown, the food is truly show worthy. The brisket is tender and beefy, the pork is sweet and smoky, the slaw is fresh and just how it should be made, and their strawberry shortcake will make you sit back down if you were trying to leave. The staff is extremely friendly and informative. All in all, it's a great place to eat any meal and well worth the detour off old Corridor X. Will definitely stop by again. read more

Toms Barbeque - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The food was good. Basic menu, but what else can you ask for? :) a little out dated. But staff was very friendly read more

Toms Barbeque - Baby back rib plate with coleslaw and Mac and cheese. :) seen it on DDD's website. Glad we stopped by. Very friendly - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I will say that we chose this place based on it being a DDD destination and was a little underwhelmed. The food wasn't bad but at the same time it didn't blow me away either. I had the rib tips and it seemed as though they went not fresh (if that's a thing)? I had a few pieces that were good but some were dried out while others over seasoned. My wife had the chopped brisket. She liked it with the exception of some of the fatty pieces. The sides were just ok and the sweet tea was above average. Not sure we will be back as there is better BBQ in the area. read more

Toms Barbeque - Our lunch - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Great barbeque place. Building design and atmosphere for exactly what you expect for an old fashioned delicious barbeque joint. Got the jumbo beef brisket combo with fries for a solid $12. Great food. read more

Why? Why? Why? Why in the world does this place have such high reviews? I can only attribute it to mass hypnosis, influence from DDD, and a deep seeded sense of owing it to this place for some reason. I guess some feel like you owe it to the place because it "must have been an off day". I pondered the same "obligatory nice" review (three stars) before settling on the one star. I thought, I will come again and give them another chance before realizing they have very little to offer upon another visit. I will give you all of the one star goods in a minute. I see friends of mine reviews and it seems that they are all under the same spell. Take Matt S. review for instance... All of his food was labeled as "dry" and it gets four stars! Jen M. is the same way. "Inconsistent" "okay" "so so" 'overcooked" "tough" are just some of the adjectives used in her four star review. Here is a quote from Jen, "It's definitely a dive - I don't particularly care for eating there, although we often do. Seems like with all of the money they probably make (featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives), they should be able to afford to fix up the place some - or at least clean up in there occasionally!" Here is the rundown of my visit: Arrived and waited in a very long, slow, line... The lady taking orders seems to love making people look stupid because the menu is written poorly. "Plate" is one side and a "combo" is two sides and drink. Three out of the four people right in front of me got the same BS treatment. She argued with them all about what they wanted to order. Example: Two men ordered a BBQ Pork Sandwich with slaw on the side and a side of fries. The sandwich comes with slaw, so it is not a side, he wants it OTS. She proceeds to argue with him that he wants a "combo" and not a plate. She was such a bitch that they both just gave in and ordered what "she told them they wanted". The nasty lady at the order station has a nasty table of hot sides like green beans and greens. The thing she is working on has got plastic wrap all around it to keep god knows what out. You order, she screams at the cooks for whatever and you move along. Chicken wings, fries, onion rings, basically anything fried is pre-cooked, put in a holding cabinet and then dunked in oil again to make it hot. I had the onion rings and while the second frying did make it hot, it also made them suck! Nasty and soaked in grease. There was a pool of about a quarter inch of grease in the box under them when served. The Rib Tip's are what I had, and for the first time in my life I think that Guy Fieri is a quack! I'm sure it was just "an off day" but they sucked really, really bad. I bet if Guy had been given what I was given that day he would snatch all 67 pictures of him hanging in every nook and cranny down and not give them back! The Rib Tips were tough to the point of not even being able to tear them apart. They had either been sitting too long hot or just were plain overcooked to start. Out of the entire plate there was one piece that was decent. I understand it is a crappy cut of meat, but it is what put you on the map; they should be at least edible. I had the sauce on the side and even after dunking them in it they were still crap. I will say that the seasoning on them was pretty tasty though... I wish I could get my hands on just that stuff. The beans were the best thing on the plate and that is just sad because they were really not that good either... standard canned beans... Here is the kicker that made me settle on one star and refuse to give them another chance. This is the nastiest restaurant I have ever been in. I have been to Payne's and Central many times each and while they both have a dirty divey feel about them, it isn't gross like this place is. There is no excuse for the filth in this place. Look under the kitchen equipment and you will want to vomit. There are pans of standing grease and funk under the grill and other equipment. This is what you can see from just standing there! Take a peek into the smokers, fryers, anywhere in the kitchen and if you feel assured that your Food Safety requirements are met you are either blind or related to someone who has an interest here. The walls, ceilings, bathrooms, drink station, are all disgusting! You can't even dry your hands in the bathroom! The towels are outside on the wall so you have to touch the same wet disgusting handle that everyone else has touched with wet bare hands. I can deal with a bad visit, crappy employees, and I am totally about giving multiple chances but I will not risk my health here ever again! I feel like I was lucky for not getting sick here, maybe because I threw most of my food in the trash can on the way out. BEWARE! YOU ARE TAKING BIG RISKS EATING HERE! read more

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Arrived about 30 minutes before closing and the owner Adam could not have been nicer. Told us about his excellent Food Network experience with Diners Drive-ins and Dives. The restaurant is in an industrial area and the outside of the building is easy to overlook but the dining room is very clean and inviting. The food is good and large portions. We had brisket, ribs, Cole slaw and baked beans. Not a lot of smoke flavor but all the food was very good. The ribs were fall off the bone tender. I like a little tug from the bone but most people seem to like it this way. Adam gave us a bonus plate of smoked bologna and pulled pork with sweet and spicy sauce. That was very good and a really nice touch. It was a very nice experience. read more

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Either Guy Fieri has bad taste, they made special batches for him, they dropped quality and just bank on the fame now, or they reheated old leftovers. I was passing through Memphis returning from a business trip, had to try this place, haven't had good dry rub ribs since I lived in Texas years ago. As my flight was around noon, I had to eat early, got to Tom's 15 minutes after opening, excited to try it. I was probably the first customer as all their sides were covered up. I stood there at the ordering counter for a good minute waiting and they didn't even greet me, I had to say something to get their attention. Ordered the rib tips, and Mac and cheese and baked beans for my sides. The rib tips were extremely dry, tough, and barely warm. It tasted like when you get some amazing BBQ but take it home and reheat it the next day, and it's just a dried out husk of it's former glory. They rub probably would have been enough flavor-wise, but I had to drench it with BBQ sauce to make up for the dryness. The Mac and Cheese was just okay, it was moist, but the cheese sauce seemed a little watered down. The baked beans barely tasted any better than what you get out of a can. Overall pretty damn disappointed after coming here because of Guy's review. If they reheat leftovers for the morning crowd, shame on them. If not and the ribs were fresh, then the quality has gone downhill as I saw mentioned on a few other reviews. read more

Toms Barbeque - Rib tips with Mac n cheese and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Really bland. Wasn't fresh. Got the beef ribs which were tender but had no flavor. Got the brisket which was good and tender but just mild in flavor. Mac and cheese is over cooked and jelly like..really had no flavor. Fountain drinks had no carbonation. Strawberry shortcake had a very processed taste to its cream and jelly sauce, cake was dry. read more

Very disappointed, asked for rib tips and got rib Letts. they were old and over cooked. Would've taken them back but drive wasn't worth it. So the search continues for some decent rib tips. read more

Craving for some of Toms Barbecue after all the snow went today had pulled pork sandwich had rib tips Both were bad. I have truly had more bad trips to toms than I have had good trips read more

I assume the mighty have fallen. We didn't try the ribs tips (which apparently they are know for), but the brisket, collared greens, and baby back ribs were ok. The Mac had a nacho cheese flavor which was unique but not bad. The sausage was not good. Service was pretty poor and slow. I was hyped for Memphis BBQ in Memphis at a place on diners drive ins and dives but the experience let me down. Hopefully the place gets its groove back before you get here as for me I'm trying something else next time. read more

Toms Barbeque - The place - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Driving through Memphis and we had to stop and try the world famous BBQ. We settled on Toms because they had smoked Gryo on the menu and I had to try that. We arrived and we saw it had been on Diners, Drive in's, and Dive's. I ordered the smoked gyro and they didn't have it (not like they ran out because it was 11:30. I then ordered the half chicken and it came with two sides. Mac and cheese was decent but the green beans were rough and chewy. The chicken had no smoky flavor and was dry. Chicago has better BBQ than this. read more

Great food I was hot and a lot of different choices to choose from. Have lots of different desserts and love their fruit punch.

The food and atmosphere here were just generally underwhelming. The chicken tenders were overcooked, green beans were undercooked, and brisket was dry. It wasn't a horrible experience but just vastly overpriced. It honestly seemed a little like a tourist trap. The restaurant was also pretty dirty and hot which is not exactly appetizing. Overall, it just wasn't my style. read more

Tops love this place great BBQ but I love those burgers and fries! price is great lunch or dinner!

The bbq chicken was delicious. Perfectly cooked and with their amazing bbq sauce--I was in heaven. There were many items to choose from on the menu. The turkey leg caught my eye, but I was in the mood for chicken. They had scrumptious looking desserts, as well. However, after the chicken plate, I was stuffed. The restaurant had plenty of seating. It's super casual. Employees were friendly. The owner, Adam, was a sweetheart. There's plenty of parking in their lot. I will definately go back. read more

Toms Barbeque - BBQ 1/4 Chicken (leg & thigh) Plate-delicious! - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

It doesn't look like much when you pull up,, but it's some of the best barbecue in town,, Adam definitely knows his stuff,, I understand that they get their meat from a private vendor instead of these big commercial companies read more

Rib tips total disappointment. Way over seasoned & had to use sauce to cut thru the seasoning. The girl we ordered thru wasn't welcoming & acted like get your sh** & get out. Can't believe this dish was on Food Network. read more

Toms Barbeque - Rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I have eaten here three times and have enjoyed the meal every time. The Rib tips are over rated but good. The brisket is outstanding. The chicken leg plate is good. All the meats are seasoned with a herbal dry mix. The BBQ sauce is sweet. All and all I will continue to eat at Tom's, however there is better BBQ to be found in Memphis. Additionally the locations is not in the best area. read more