central bbq

speaking first to savories, suffice it to say that much like other spots in memphis the reason to visit central is undoubtedly the pork, and although thepulledshoulder was slightly leaner than one sees in kansas city or north carolina the flavor was both moist and quite rich, a similar description applicable to the smoky mopped ribs, though far less so for both beef and chicken that was almost inedibly dry without the addition of plenty of sauce.

not the best.. traveling from very northern wisconsin, i wanted to eat the best barbeque when i visited memphis in may. i heard so much about central bbq. i really disliked having to order everything at a service counter. even sitting at the bar, i had to go to the service counter to get a beer. their bbq hot wings were great. i thought theirpulledpork was dry and not special. not my favorite bbq in memphis.

thepulledpork is amazing. the ribs, however, were dry and not close to the best i've ever had. there's a reason they've one best bbq sandwich...get thepulledpork.

worst bbq ever. we read the review on urbanspoon it said it was one of the best bbq establishments in memphis. we are here on vacation from nebraska and we have a great bbq joint in omaha called swine dining. we were hoping to get a great barbeque experience here in memphis. thepulledpork and brisket were dry and had absolutely no flavor. the coleslaw was no different ( no flaavor). very disapointed.

the ribs, though, my god. i’ve never had ribs so good. the ribs were big and meaty, heavily rubbed, and cooked to perfection. i got an absolutely perfect bite every time, and loved the rub. you hear people talk about sweet heat with barbecue rubs all the time, but this is the first one i’ve had that reallypulledit off. the sauce was also really good and balanced with the rib perfectly. if i had to choose, i’d say i preferred the dry ribs, but it’s really personal preference. i can say without hesitation that these were the best ribs i ever had, and the only thing i finished on my massive plate of food. these are ribs that i’m going to dream about.

so good!! i got some bbqpulledpork nachos (half order) and they were so great. if you want some outstanding bbq in memphis this would be the place to go.

visiting memphis for labor day weekend. first time to eat at central bbq and loved it. we didn't want a lot for lunch so just ordered apulledpork sandwich and fries. really good! ate on the misted patio, nice touch!

this was my second time eating here and not nearly as good as it was 2 years ago. we ordered the combo plate withpulledpork, 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 withpulledpork, 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.

i can't say enough good things about this place. i've never had a bad experience here. i've had the ribs,pulledpork, sausage, and a few sides. the ribs andpulledpork 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.pulledpork 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.

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 apulledpork 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.

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.pulledpork kinda bland. the chips and blue cheese was just bottled dressing and yucky chips!

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 wherepulledpork reigns, so i ordered apulledpork 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.

great ribs, okpulledpork. being a memphian born and bred i love some good home-style memphis bbq, and just tried this original central location for the first time today (i usually go to the one on summer with friends). the food at this location is much better (fresher, better quality/taste) than the food at summer location for sure. this location is a little dirtier though (foor was sticky, they barely had time to clear tables before another group sat down), and smaller (less seating, there was a line when we got there at 11:30 on a sunday), but the staff are friendly and it has a family-style atmosphere.

i ordered thepulledpork plate (which comes with 2 sides and a roll or texas toast) for $9.99; my husband ordered a half-slab of wet ribs which also came with a roll, $13.99. the ribs were great; really well-done smokey flavor and a good sauce. the only complaint was that the meat in both orders was a little dry. thepulledpork was ok (despite being a tad dry), though not the best i've had in memphis; the potato salad was some of the best i've had at a bbq place; the beans were ok.

i tried all three sauces (vinegar, hot, and mild). the mild sauce was nothing special, bottled sauce taste similar. the vinegar sauce was good, liked the unique flavor. the hot sauce was great, i will probably order the hot sauce if i return; it had a nice kick to it (could definitely taste the beer in it, if you're into that kind of thing).

i would recommend it to any memphian or bbq lover, thgouh now that i've gone i probably won't make the drive across town again to try it and will continue going to the one on summer if friends want to try central's.