It’s tough to find bad barbecue in Memphis. You’ve got to look really hard. With 100 or so barbecue joints – both big and small – barbecue is this river city’s signature cuisine.
The deal about traditional Memphis barbecue is that’s it’s cooked to stand on its own, falling off the bone with but the tug of your teeth. If you’ve got to have the secret sauce, it’s here in profusion – slightly sweet, abetted by vinegar and kissed with heat.
With so many from which to choose, everybody’s got their favorite Memphis barbecue joint. Here’s a pair of local favorites. Extra napkins, please?
- In the quarter-century of its existence Neely’s Bar-B-Que has become one of the best-known, down-home barbecue purveyors on the planet. Consider, Down Home with the Neelys became the highest-rated debut in the five-year history of Food Network’s “In the Kitchen” weekend block. The show’s still a fan-favorite. So’s the food. The ribs are served “wet dipped” or dry sprinkled, the pork sandwich chopped or sliced. Perhaps the perfect combo is this: Neely’s smoked sausage sandwich on a hoagie. It’s served with slaw and – if you want it – sauce. For desert order Sock-It-To-Me Cake and a sweet tea.
- You know you’re on to something when the website is www.hogsfly.com. That’s where you’ll find Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous in cyberspace. It’s has been around since 1948, making mouthwatering waves for some 64 years now. What sets Charlie’s place apart from most is that the ribs are dry rubbed, not dripping in sauce. You’ve got to be good to pull that off. Start off this decidedly un-vegan meal with a platter of smoked sausage and cheese. Then, tackle the ribs, or perhaps the beef brisket. All of this is served up on classic red-and-white tablecloths by a wait staff that’s been around for generations.
(Image: musical photo man)
