central bbq

this was my second time eating here and not nearly as good as it was 2 years ago. we ordered the combo plate with pulled pork, turkey and chicken. french fries and green beans were the sides along with two dinner rolls. we own a bar- restaurant in north charleston, south carolina and i am a bbq pit master, after a 10 hour drive we were really hungry and were expecting a good meal. i was disappointed that all the meats were very dry and had very little smokey flavor. the french fries and green beans were cold. hopefully this bad meal was because we ordered it at 8:30 and they close at 9 but this is no excuse, your last order should be as good as the first order of the day. south carolina bbq is still better than what memphis has in my opinion.

we ordered the sampler platter with pulled pork, chicken , sausage, and  a slab of dry ribs. the pork, sausage,  and ribs were all excellent. the only negative was the chicken. it was super dry and did not have much smoke flavor. neither their tasty hot nor the vinegar sauce could save that poor yard bird. it came with 2 sides which were excellent. we chose the baked beans & greens plus got an order of delicious crispy onion rings. they also have a nice selection of  regional craft beer.

hands down some of the best bbq i've ever had. i ordered the combo of pork, brisket and sausage. others in my party had ribs and turkey and wings. everyone was in heaven with their meals. sides were great as well. the mac n cheese is delish. fell in love with the vinegar sauce. wish they were close to where i lived i'd be there all the time!!

i can't say enough good things about this place. i've never had a bad experience here. i've had the ribs, pulled pork, sausage, and a few sides. the ribs and pulled pork have the best smoke and bark of any place in memphis. it's very well seasoned and highly flavorful. ribs had great pull, tenderness, and color. their rub? best in memphis. it's worth buying and ive never said that. the sausage was just sausage. wasn't that great to me. bbq sauces? a nice variety that all pack great flavor. i use the vinegar sauce, which is absolutely great on its own, as a means to get the rub to stick to the meat then use another type of sauce. it's a heavenly combination. the mac n cheese, greens, and fries are also great. didn't care for the baked beans. they were ok but not something i've ordered since my first visit. i highly recommend this place. all the desserts are pretty good as well that peanut butter cheesecake and banana pudding. be prepared for long lines and limited seating. food comes out fast though. beyond corky's off poplar and rendezvous, these are the only places in memphis i can recommend. this being number 1 and corky's number 2.

food: central's been spotlighted on shows like "pitmasters," "the best thing i ever ate," and "bbq with bobby flay." that attention is well deserved. fave: i hardly had the first rib to my lips when my mouth went into full-on, premature foodgasm - and i hadn't even laid on the sauce yet! so smoky those ribs were ... tender, meaty, juicy, with a slightly chewy exterior. i’ve sampled many of the items from their menu, but the half-slab ribs plate, $15.99, is my favorite. flat-out the best ribs i've ever had. juicy but not fatty. beautifully tender, but not completely falling apart. delectable. if you don't find yourself wanting to suck on the bones, i'll be surprised. a few other items worth mentioning: bbq beans (included with the meal). they look like very saucy pork-n-beans, but when you gobble up a spoonful - surprise! it's got a pronounced jalapeño kick, while at the same time, the sauce it pointedly sweet. a very interesting combination, and quite new to me. ghost river "riverbank red" irish-style red ale, $4.50. a local brew. mild, well-balanced, lightly sweet, lightly hoppy. excellent with the ribs. smoked hot wings, $9.99. marinated overnight, slow smoked, then finished in the deep fryer. served dry (with hot rub). in a word: hot. bbq nachos, $10.25. pulled pork served atop a bed of tortilla chips, topped with bbq sauce, cheese sauce, shredded cheese, and jalapenos. finished off with a light dusting of bbq shake. service: order at the counter, take a seat, they’ll bring it to you. this place gets jam-packed crowded, and they do a great job keeping up. ambiance: everybody comes here, so it’s like a memphis microcosm: lots of diversity, southern overtones, and a thick veneer of low-brow funkiness. you should try: the mild bbq sauce. it’s perfect ... everything you'd ever dream of in a bbq sauce: balanced, sweet, tangy, slightly smoky. if they'd've let me, i'd've bathed in it.

loved the ribs and sides!. down from minnesota we received mutiple recomendatations to hit up central bbq. the ribs and sides were great! even our kids finished their plates clean. staff were friendly and the food was memorable.

literally the best! try the barbecue nachos for appetizer (huge plate) and the ribs...that way you get the best of both worlds because both are out of this world!

disappointed.. a disappointing visit. we ordered a sausage and cheese plate accompanied with ghost river "river bank red." the sausage plate was good. the ghost river beer was very good but at $6.00 a glass is a bit steep in my opinion.
i changed from my normal and ordered the barbecued bologna sandwich with house made chips. the chips were good and fresh.the sandwich had potential but it was served cold. the bun was as if it were straight from the refrigerator and the meat, luke warm at best.
my companion ordered a pulled pork plate with onion ring and barbecued beans. the meat was cooked well but served cold with 4 small onion rings and beans from a can.i've been to central a couple o times before and enjoyed my visit but certainly not this time.
i've had much better in memphis.

my favorite. never disappoints, bbq nachos are great!

good experience and tasty food. my family and i went to central bbq this past weekend. our wait was 5-10 minutes. it was limited space due to how crowded it was. the came within 20 minutes of ordering. the food was fresh and very tasty. my family enjoyed it. even my grandmother ate everything on her plate and she only eat food that she prepares.

i read a lot of hype and reviews and really expected great bbq, i was pretty disappointed. the ribs where the only "good" bbq we ate. the brisket was cold and rubbery. pulled pork kinda bland. the chips and blue cheese was just bottled dressing and yucky chips!

a top contender for sure!. i live about 5 minutes away in midtown, so i frequent central bbq often. my go to items are the pork sandwich, slab of ribs, bbq pork nachos, and the chicken wings. i must say that everything has always been great. the slaw and the potato salad are among my favorite in the city compared to other bbq restaurants around town. if you are new, here's some advice. the place gets crowded quickly during peak hours and the parking lot is not very big, so i would get there early if possible. on friday and saturday and peak hours it is not uncommon for the line to be outside the door. when it is nice outside the patio is awesome!

really disappointed. this was my first visit to memphis and, as a bbq lover, i was really excited. central was recommended as the best in town. i lived in eastern tn & western nc where pulled pork reigns, so i ordered a pulled pork sandwich. the meat tasted ok, but it was grayish in color, and i could not see any smoke ring. it needed a lot of sauce to add moisture & taste. so disappointing. i've definitely had better in other towns. i know that many in memphis judge their bbq by the ribs, so i wish i had ordered them here to be the judge for myself. bummer.

to die for ribs!!!. since the restaurant in memphis we were planning on going to was closed unexpectedly we went to central bbq and boy and i glad we did! we ordered the half slab of rib plate with french fries and pork rinds but for the two of us, this wasn't enough of the finger-licking ribs so we had to go back and purchase another half slab of ribs a la cart to fulfill our rib craving. if you are a rib lover you are going to absolutely love central bbq!!!

bbq plate