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you say you can’t make it to taste samples at the three-day Memphis in May World
Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest? Don’t fret. Satisfy your craving for some
good Southern barbecue at Memphis Blues Bar•B•Q. It’s got all the offerings
a good barbecue joint should have — Memphis-style and beyond. “America’s
Pork Capital” is what Memphians call their city, as they think of barbecue in terms
of pork, slow cooked and smoked over hickory wood for 12 to 14 hours. Aside from the
customary “wet” pork baby back ribs, those in Memphis have a particular passion
for “dry” ribs. If you’ve never tried dry ribs, try Memphis Blues
tried-and-true dry ribs, but be prepared. Glazed and rubbed with a multitude of
seasonings, these spice-crusted ribs have zesty flavor but tend to be a little on the dry
side. If you would rather satisfy that wet rib urge, the tangy, finger-licking
sauce-topped ribs at Memphis Blues are gooey alternatives. Both wet and dry full rib
dinners with cool cole slaw and saucy cowboy beans will satisfy you for $13.99. If you
don’t want that much satisfaction, a smaller portion of ribs can be had for $9.99.
A real barbecue lover’s test at a place with a Memphis emphasis is in the pulled pork that is served and we were anxious to taste the Memphis Blues Bar•B•Q Pork Sandwich ($4.79 reg, $5.79 jumbo). With the first bite, the flavor of tasty shredded pork piled high with tangy sauce and served on a fresh toasted bun was delightful, but for an authentic Memphis “pig sandwich,” something was missing. Sure, the menu says that they serve their special slaw on the sandwich — a Memphis tradition — but when the sandwich was delivered to the booth, no slaw was to be found, not even beside the potato salad. Once the waitress saw the slaw flaw, she flew to obtain a cup of the customary mustard slaw and delivered it to the table pronto for us to place as the final cap on the sandwich. Ready for yet one more Memphis barbecue novelty? Try a pig salad, a.k.a. barbecue salad. At Memphis Blues, their Pit Salad ($6.49), served in a pie plate, features mostly crisp iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and tomato wedges, topped with barbecued pork (or beef brisket). Dress this salad with one of an assortment of customary salad dressings, or go out on a limb like Tennesseans and top it with barbecue sauce. If you’re looking for a third alternative, douse it with a side of creamy slaw ($1.19), which one member of our party did, and start your own tradition which was wholeheartedly endorsed. Slipping away from some typical Memphis-styles and borrowing from a Texas barbecue tradition, Memphis Blues offers a sliced barbecued beef brisket that comes out of the pit tender and flavorful, served on cornmeal pancakes with or without gravy. Get the gravy on the side with the Bar•B•Q Brisket dinner ($7.99) and enjoy this lean barbecue favorite initially unadorned. The Catfish Dinner ($8.49) features fried, pond-raised catfish with a crunchy coating releasing delicate, flaky white meat. Choose a side of those homemade crisp cornbread hush puppies to complement this Southern treat. On Sundays, for $7.99, it’s an all-you-can-eat catfish feasting frenzy. A real surprise is the spice-rubbed Hickory Chicken Sandwich ($5.99) served with fries. The chicken, so moist and tender and lightly glazed with barbecue sauce, is topped with cheese and hickory bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion. A Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ($5.99) and three varieties of wings ($4.00/dozen), all with a hint of hickory smoke, are some of the other chicken offerings, although a recent visit found the restaurant out of wings. Share an order of Gourmet Onion Rings ($2.99 or $4.99), densely coated and piping hot, served vertical on a six- or twelve- inch stick (that reminded one of a child’s ring toss game).
When dessert time arrives and you see a favorite cheesecake in your future at Memphis Blues, get there early to be assured they don’t run out of it. Anxiously awaiting a Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake ordered recently, our waitress pleaded for us to let the last piece of Raspberry Swirl for an employee who had a hankering for it all night. We gave it up, looking for maybe a typical homemade Southern-style pie instead. We settled for a piece of chocolate cake, because unlike most barbecue joints, homemade pies are not the norm at Memphis Blues Bar•B•Q, which, by the way, may be why the Pit Salads show up in pie plates! |
Memphis Blues Bar•B•Q Location: Parking: Handicapped Access: Exterior Appearance: Initial Interior: Reservations Necessary: Preferred Dining Attire: Wait (to be seated): Wait (for service): Lighting: Decor Dining Area Noise: Climate: Tables: Chairs: Booths: Table Setting: Your Meal: Automatically Served: Soups: Salads: Cocktails: Main Course: Desserts: Coffees: Staff Attitude: Staff Appearance: Hospitality: Cleanliness: Wash Rooms: Crowd (Qty): Crowd (Attitude): Food (portions): Food (prices): Overall Service: Payment Accepted: |
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This BYOB barbecue smokehouse is not a shoddy smoke shack. Despite
a conspicuously posted, seemingly notorious sign at the front door that reads “
Friends Don’t Let Friends Eat Ribs Without Beer,” Memphis Blues
Bar•B•Q is a family place. The strip mall restaurant is exceptionally clean and
staffed with young, cheerful servers. Old-fashioned Coca-Cola signs share walls plastered
with posters and photos of a vast array of blues and country stars. While you listen to
the Memphis-rooted blues and rockabilly music, survey the walls. You will find Jimmy Reed,
Miles Davis, Lou Reed, Dolly Parton, just to name a few, and one entire wall of Elvis.
Memphis Blues gets quite crowded at standard dining times. Reservations are not taken and
can pose a problem if there are more than four in your party. Filled entirely with booths,
the dining areas sport only four, highly coveted booths that seat six. There are plenty of
booths for two or four patrons. But not to worry, the lack of cushions on the benches at
the booths and fast paced atmosphere have a tendency to keep the tables turning over
quickly.
Would you come to a barbecue joint and order a
burger? You might when a monstrous Hickory Bar•B•Q Burger ($5.99) or Bodacious
Blues Burger ($7.49) is offered. The Hickory Bar•B•Q Burger is one-half pound
ground beef patty topped with barbecue brisket, double cheese, bacon, and barbecue sauce,
and the Bodacious Blues Burger tempts you to break the blues with this one-pound burger
with triple cheese. Other menu options that push the barbecue-splattered-envelope here are
a Love Me Tenderloin pounded pork loin sandwich ($5.99) in honor of you-know-who, and a
side of garlic mashed potatoes ($1.59) that proved a pleasant alternative for those
rejecting hush puppies ($.99).