cozy corner restaurant

still my favorite barbecue. my love of cozy corner began years ago on my finding of their barbecued cornish hens. since then i have moved to my current favorite, pork rib tips, and always washed down with the best sweet tea in memphis. their sauce has surpassed my other favorite, interstate barbecue. the rib tips are smothered in it and i don't mind getting it all over my face and hands, just be sure to have multiple napkins handy.

the pork had a heavy smoke flavor from the pit, and that thick sauce added another punch

simply the best ribs and banana pudding i've ever had.

transitioning next to the much acclaimed bird, a surprisingly ample specimen with crisp skin almost too much for the white knife to handle, it was after a few minutes of fumbling that i gave into temptation and literally taking matters into my hand the phrase ‘finger licking good’ could not have been more appropriate...

best ribs, ever!

this is a no frills bbq place that we found online. my husband and i ordered the ribs plate and the cornish hen plate, each of which came with a couple of sides. the cornish hen was good, the sides were unremarkable but the ribs were outstanding - probably the best ribs we've had on our us trip, and maybe the best ribs in the world!

september 25, 2018 · by willoughbyandy · in barbecue, southeast, tenneessee · leave a comment. one of the spots on my memphis barbecue ‘to-do” list (along with being on the 29 bbq bucket list and garden ‘n gun’s “bbq bucket list”) is cozy corner restaurant, near downtown.  we arrived around 6:00 for “second dinner”.  owned and operated by raymond robinson and his family since the late 70s, cozy corner is a neighborhood cornerstone.  raymond’s daughter was seated at a table just inside the door and she spoke to everyone that came in – and many spoke to her first, by name.  they smoke and server standard meats, but are best known for their barbecued cornish hens.

cozy corner had the cheapest prices, the best service, and greatest tasting bbq from every shop i tried in town. this is one of those hole-in-the-wall shops that is definitely a must try if you visit memphis!

if you want delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs, this is the place to go. the mild sauce is a great combination of sweet and spicy. the location is off the beaten path, and the decor is sparse. but it's all about the food. staff is very friendly.

bbq cornish hens!?

the cozy corner is a modest establishment in a small strip center. ordering is done at a counter and the food brought fairly quickly to the table.

on of their signature items is their barbecued cornish hen. normally this bird is small and not worth picking over a bunch of tiny bones. this was the biggest cornish hen that i’ve ever seen. it was the size of chickens in foreign countries that aren’t mass produced and pumped full of whatever. that would make the cozy corner cornish hen about half the size of an american rotisseried chicken that you can get in most grocery stores. and it was might tasty! that would be something to go out of my way for if anywhere near memphis.

the ribs, beans and slaw were also all very good. the only disappointment was the barbecued spaghetti. never had it before and i could do without ever having it again.

bbq sandwich and the ribs were amazing! super busy around lunch unless you get there a little before 12pm. definitely worth the wait though!

lunch with the wife and kid here today. went to the new place across the street as they still haven't finished the repairs to the original location across the street.

from start to finish the experience was good. the place is very basic inside but expect they aren't doing a lot as they are moving back to the other location at some point.
i had the ribs and those were very good. the sauce was different that what i'm accustomed to as it was a bit looser and also had a bit of spice. not too much but some. i liked it and ate every piece as close to the bone as possible. sides of slaw with baked beans. the slaw was a mixture of cream and vinegar. looked like a mayo based but had some vinegar in it that was very noticeable. beans didn't send me into orbit but did have good flavor. the sauce for the ribs was probably also the base for the beans.

i did not see a pulled pork option or brisket. the sandwich that the wife got was good. as it was sliced that changes the texture of course and just not what were accustomed to. overall this was a good sandwich though.

friendly for sure and the tea was great. located right down the street from st. judes.  lots of walk in traffic and some call ins while we were there. had a cornish hen plate that i saw as well and would like to give that a try some day as well.

the restaurant has changed locations due to a fire at the original location.  since that time, their menu has been reduced and they longer carry rib tips which is what i like most there.  also, i have tried the 4 and 6 bone rib plates on three occasions and have found their ribs to be a mix of mediocre tastes and textures that make me think they microwave their leftover ribs.  some of the meat has a jerky texture and some of the bones break when i chew meat off them.  that has never happened at the many other bbq joints where i've had ribs.  the fried bologna sandwich is excellent.  i tried the cornish game hen because of so many positive reviews and they have a bland taste to me.

in a town where bbq is king it is easy to get lost in the sea of smoked meats, but cozy corner stands alone. the beef sandwich is one of the best if not the best i've had. the cornish hen is out of this world and all of their sides seem to be homemade. the service is also second to none with a happy "hello" and "have a blessed day" on exit. if you are ever in memphis just ask a local...they'll point you to cozy corner!

at the corner of north parkway and manassas in downtown memphis, meat drips overs coals daily, drawing in crowds of barbecue lovers from all over this ‘que-lovin’ country. cozy corner’s barbecue pit it’s a cozy corner; a small and humble place with no bells and whistles, no tourist traps and no large wooden statues for kids to get a picture with-just one of the best places in memphis to get real deal memphis-style charcoal pit bar-b-q.

okay, but not my favorite. not going to lie...this would not be the first place i would tell someone to go to get memphis bbq. we got the rib tips and the cornish hen. they were both okay but not mind blowing (tasted like cornish hens we smoke at home). again, food was good but we weren't just blown away. plus, they are not super helpful when ordering...if you look out of place, they just look annoyed with you. the gentleman bringing out the food was much friendlier but this was already after we had ordered.