cozy corner restaurant

still my favorite barbecue. my love of cozy corner began years ago on my finding of their barbecuedcornishhens. 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.

best ribs, ever!

this is a no frills bbq place that we found online. my husband and i ordered the ribs plate and thecornishhen plate, each of which came with a couple of sides. thecornishhen 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 barbecuedcornishhens.

bbqcornishhens!?

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 barbecuedcornishhen. normally this bird is small and not worth picking over a bunch of tiny bones. this was the biggestcornishhen 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 cornercornishhen 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.

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 acornishhen 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 thecornishgame 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. thecornishhen 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!

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 thecornishhen. they were both okay but not mind blowing (tasted likecornishhens 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.

cooked to death but great service - better options for ribs in memphis. rub is great - staff is great -cornishhen is excellent - but ribs are consistently overcooked! great place to try but there is better for ribs in memphis - central bbq/blues city are always spot for ribs downtown. for others willing/able to travel - payne's bbq and bbq shop has the most amazing bbq sandwiches! then there is germantown commissary - great service and all bbq products are best quality. btw - my aim is in no way to bash cozy - it's a awesome family owned business that kicks ass and i am proud to have it my community - and although they a lot of great bbq - their ribs are disappointing, tough, dry and not the fall of the bone goodness they should be.

great!!!. great gem for the city of memphis! the rib tips are the real reason to go! you must try the rib tips. the bbqcornishhen is great as well. love!

cozy bbq. the ribs are the meatiest ive had in memphis, huge smoke ring, tender but have a good chew to them at the same time.cornishhen was disappointing, a little dry. pork sandwhich is excellent

most friendly bbq!. very decent ribs andcornishhens, fantastic beans. but, wow! the friendly family give is the best. come in to meet great folks and stay for a good meal!

my favorite bbq in memphis.. when it comes to ribs no one can top cozy corner. i have been enjoying their ribs for over 20 years now and covered in the medium sauce (it is pretty spicy) there is not a better combo to be found. the ribs are cooked in a charcoal pit in full view behind the counter and when the pit master slide opens the smokey glass door i start to salivate at all the sucullent items slowly smoking to perfection.
slabs of ribs,cornishhens (find that at another q joint) wings (the best in town) and of course pork shoulder, brisket, sausage etc.
the ribs are king,cornishhen can be hit or miss but usually a tasty morsel indeed. the wings are perfectly smoked and delicious.
i usually stick to the ribs (no pun intended) and with hot sauce they achieve perfection.
a friendly family run joint and the delightful proprietor mrs. robinson, will never fail to say thank you on your way out the door.

i can happily say that cozy corner is worth the effort. while i may have been disappointed in thecornishhen, the charcoal cooked ribs and the still tingling on my lips sauce more than make up for the laggards. i may still have a long way to go on my rounds through the memphis bbq hot spots, but cozy corner is near the top of my list.

my dad loved cozy corner. ask him what the best bbq in town was and he didn't think twice before answering, "cozy corner'scornishhens." my dad was really excited the day that i graduated from college. not because i had a bachelor's degree in psychology,