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    A&R Bar-B-Que

    3.7 (158 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    A&R Bar-B-Que Photos

    Business Info

    A&R BAR-B-QUE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Reviews With Photos

    Rib plate with potato salad and baked beans.
    Yolanda H.

    I love their ribs! I was in Memphis for two nights and most definitely had to stop by A&R to get their infamous ribs. I didn't go inside by daughter placed the order while I stayed in the car. I ordered the rib plate with potato salad and baked beans with extra sauce for my ribs. Everything was delicious since I'm not a "big eater" my plate held me for two days. The ribs were very tender I could use my fingers to pull the meat off the bones.

    Tiffany J.

    It has been over a decade or more since I have visited and I must say that they have maintained the quality of food and service that I loved years ago! I had a taste for a bologna sandwich with baked beans and potato salad. I must say neither disappointed. I'm glad I was in the area and was able to stop in. The ambiance is really nice, spacious, and clean. They have mad a lot of updates to bring them up to modern times. I really wish I would have gotten one of their infamous desserts. I will be returning for more soon!

    Moriah D.

    Best BBQ in Memphis and not up for debate! I was born & raised in Memphis but have lived in Texas for 10 years. When I come home, this is literally my FIRST stop every time. Everything is soooo good & always fresh. The bbq spaghetti is the delicious, sweet & tangy with a bit of heat, my favorite side. I live for the fried bologna, smoked sausage, and pulled pork sandwiches. The sauce is savory, sweet & flavorful. I purchase the bbq seasoning & sauce every time I go to make sure I'm stocked when I'm back home in Texas. Service is normally pretty quick and sometimes there is a wait, but it's worth it. Perfect for a large group or just a few. I cannot attest for the other A&R locations, because I only go to this location, the original. It is & has always been the best since I was a child.

    Pork rib sandwich (before)
    Solomon C.

    I had the pork ribs sandwich and i gotta say that was annoying. It's four pork ribs with slaw between white bread. It's not like you hold it by the bread and eat it. I had to pick apart each rib and eat the bread and slaw separate. The service is meh! The price is different from the price your asked to pay. Menu needs to be updated. Prob won't go out of my way to come back

    Outside
    Adam L.

    Brisket was chopped up and ok. A little mushy. The sauce was great. The rib tips were ok. The pork shoulder was good. No sides. People were nice. Authentic. Prices were average. It's ok.

    Rib tip sandwich with coleslaw and bbq spaghetti.
    Libby G.

    We were hoping for good barbecue and this place had the kansas city style sauce we love. Portion size was generous (see picture). We both ordered the rib tip sandwich which came with two sides. Their coleslaw was solid. It was the dirst time we had bbq spaghetti and we liked it (it was our first time) but it was a lot of bbq sauce to eat in one meal! The beans were pretty ordinary which is sad because barbecue places could easiiy throw in some sauce and miscellaneous meat trimmings for something awesome. We had never had rib tips before and these were a mix of tender and chewy, some pieces with bark. I have to say I prefer burnt ends because I pick the cartilage out of my rib tips...I guess some people just crunch them up.

    Rib tips, baked beans, seasoned fries
    Ellie F.

    This is a prime example of south Memphis barbecue! I recommend the rib tips - and show up hungry, or you'll never finish the incredible portions of food they dish out. I want to go back and try more!

    Inside area for ordering and waiting.
    Tim M.

    Stopped in while in town in search of the area's best barbecue. It looks like they recently expanded as the dining area is much larger than appearing in earlier photos. Lots of tables in the expanded dining area. There are only a handful of parking spaces out front, but plenty more space in the back. The area has a wonderful smell of smoked meats. Service was friendly and helpful. Being our first time here, we had a lot of questions and the young lady at the counter gave us some great recommendations. Ordered the 1/2 slab pork ribs with sides of barbecue spaghetti, baked beans, coleslaw, and green beans. My wife ordered the rib tips. The ribs were wonderfully smokey and tasty. We arrived later in the day, so the ribs were a little dry and may have been smoked earlier in the day. The barbecue spaghetti was delicious! Worth the trip to Memphis. The other sides were also great, and my wife loved the rib tips.

    Rib tips (4/5) with coleslaw (5/5), baked beans (4/5) and green beans (5/5).
    Randi M.

    I stopped in to try the rib tips as not every place sells them. The staff were friendly and the restaurant was clean even though you could tell they maintain a steady crowd. It looks to have been recently renovated and there was a lot of seating in a second room to the right of the main entrance. With the rib tips I ordered coleslaw, baked beans and green beans with mixed sauce (mild and hot) on the side. The tips had a good amount of meat and a wonderful smoky flavor. They were drier than some but that may have been due to ordering them later in the evening. I liked their mixed sauce over the mild, as combining them seemed to spice up the mild one and dull the heat of the hot one. The sides were all good but my favorites were the coleslaw, creamy, crunchy and slightly sweet, and the green beans, flavorful and tender with some onions. If in the area, I'd return to try the ribs.

    Jason S.

    A & R Bar-B-Que family owners (A)ndrew and (R)ose Pollard (related to the owners of Pollard's BBQ, I'm told), run a handful of old school Memphis neighborhood bbq restaurants that have been smokin' great barbecue since the early 80's. I usually try to make it to the original or at least oldest running location of any restaurant, especially a bbq joint. As I drove up to the smoke house, a few blocks north of Graceland, I had some very good vibes. All the signals were right: -the parking area outside smelled of smoking pork; -a big, happy pig was painted on the exterior wall; -and customers were walking out the front door with arms full of to-go containers. At the counter where you stand to place your order, you can hear the blissful smokehouse lullaby coming from the kitchen: chop-chop-chop on the cutting board as hickory-cooked pork gets hacked into mottled shreds and pieces for plates and sandwiches. The sandwich is the classic Memphis configuration that I have grown to love and respect: pork was lightly smoky and tender, and included some of the bits of the crust from the outer "bark" throughout the meat mixed with tangy red sauce piled high on a bun and crowned with a spill of cole slaw. The cabbage provides such nice little bits of crunch among the velvety heap of pork. Beyond pig sandwiches, the A&R menu is full. You can have ribs (wet or dry), Rib Tips, Smoked Bologna, Chicken, Smoked Turkey legs Catfish dinner, Hot tamales and that only-in-Memphis treat, barbecue spaghetti. That's a mound of soft noodles dressed not with ordinary tomato sauce, but with - of course - barbecue sauce, laced with shreds of pork. It's weird, but in this city, where restaurants also offer barbecue pizza and barbecue salad, it makes sense. The ambiance of A&R is pure BBQ parlor: quiet enough so you can hear the chopping in the kitchen while you concentrate on enjoying the meal.

    BBQ Chicken sandwich
    Nisha L.

    Ok so as a Memphis native, let me just say: Tops is not fw A&R chicken sandwich! Y'all this is the best bbq out of all the states I've lived in. The service is good lmao I mean.. it's home. The woman is quick and sweet and straight to the point, definitely a vet. They've got a few little tables you can sit at but it's definitely not a date night spot. The spicy baked beans and bbq chicken sandwich are perfect. Every time I come home I gotta have it. If the bag ain't greasy, it's not for me

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    Photo of Tanya C.
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    1 month ago

    So far one of the only places I can get decent brisket from. The sides are delicious as well! Definitely give them a try!

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    5 months ago

    The food is awesome and amazing customer service is amazing . Great place to dine very clean environment.

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Some of the best bar-b-que in the city of Memphis, especially in Hickory Hill area. Worth the try.

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    2 years ago

    I will not return to this place. First of all the prices are ridiculous! It took 30 minutes to get some overcooked wings

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    3 years ago

    Stopped in for lunch and had some Great smoked wings! Restaurant was clean and service was quick. Thanks A&R!

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    3 years ago

    First time here-and it was soooo good!! Rib tips were my favorite, and the fried okra was also great. Loved everything we ordered!

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    Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint

    Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint

    4.4
    (66 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    This was my 15th visit, so I figured it was finally time to leave a review! The burgers here never…read moredisappoint. They're always cooked fresh to order, served piping hot, and incredibly juicy. The burgers are medium-sized, but they also offer a double burger option. I usually choose the regular cheeseburger, but this time I tried the "Chiflet," made with Snake River Farms Wagyu beef and topped with applewood smoked bacon, egg, and American cheese on a potato bun. Absolutely delicious! They also feature a daily burger special, which keeps the menu interesting. The crinkle fries are consistently hot and pair perfectly with the burgers. On top of that, they offer a great selection of both imported and domestic beers. The staff is always super friendly. Overall, it's a great spot to grab a burger, hang out, and enjoy the atmosphere.

    I have been wanting to try this burger place out for a long time. Finally got the chance Thursday…read morefor lunch. My friend and I ventured to Midtown Memphis to get burgers and fries. I had the Dr. Gonzo burger which had a burger patty, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and bacon. Great choice of yummy ingredients to make a solid burger. The burger is kind of small but I was full after inhaling the fried and perfectly seasoned crinkle cut fries. The fry sauce was a total Hit! Service was good. Our server Becky was very friendly and helpful. The place has tables and chairs and high top tables too. The bar is dark but they do have some picnic tables near the entrance for more light. Bathrooms were clean and had a lot of personal signatures and art. I am going to return to get a different kind of burger.

    Photos
    The dining room
    The dining room
    Dr. Gonzo
    Dr. Gonzo
    Beer!

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    Beer!
    Momma's

    Momma's

    4.2
    (87 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Friendly staff and amazing food. Delicious bloody mary. Our pup loved the patio! And we simply have…read moreto mention the arm wrestling table.

    My client took us here and he didn't really say what type of food they served, but it ended up…read morebeing pretty good. Later during the meal, he admits that Momma's is one of his spots, so that's saying a lot. It sort of looked like another bar/restaurant from the outside, but they have a nice outdoor patio overlooking an old decrepit building which is at least some scenery. Once inside, you'll quickly see it's highly decorated and has a claim to be one of the only trucker themed bars in the US. Inside is decked out to the ceilings with signs, neon, old mirrors, collectibles, and many other items. I swear it looks like it's been in business for 30+ years, but my client said only a couple of years. I looked over the basic menu and saw burgers, breakfast, salads, sandwiches, a famous pork chop, wings and a few other items. The client and my colleague quickly ordered devilled eggs, cheese curds, and chili cheese fries. The first two apps were really good, I didn't try the fries though. They had a burger of the day, and a food special of the day, but I settled on the wings. With those I chose the 10 pc, Buffalo with dry rub, smoked. Kind of a weird combination since most people usually order dry here apparently, but I like saucy wings. When they come out, they are huge and I knew I wouldn't be able to finish them. I think I could only eat 6-7. My colleague had a ribeye steak salad which was a protein bomb he loved, and my 2 clients ordered a big rig grilled cheese which he also loved and a fried chicken sandwich (firebird) which looked really good. Overall, I really liked this place and it's one of the best meals I've had in Memphis the handful of times I've visited.

    Photos
    Momma's
    Wings and fries
    Wings and fries
    Cold beer

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    Cold beer
    Elwood's Shack

    Elwood's Shack

    4.5
    (1.2k reviews)
    7.1 mi
    $$

    I was passing through and tried to find a place that would give me a taste of the local food scene…read more I was craving authentic Tennessee BBQ. I'm sure glad I made the choice to stop here! My sandwich was very good! $10 is pretty fair for what I got. I loved the sauce, the meat was also really good. The tater salad was AMAZING! I'd get a large of it everytime I eat there if this was a local place for me. The meal was a solid 9/10 If you're in Memphis and you want some good BBQ made with heart and soul, then you should try Elwood's. The only thing missing from my meal that would've completed it for me was some hot buttery cornbread. I'll certainly be back to try their ribs and other foods!

    Man, the menu at Elwood's Shack is huge--almost overwhelming on a first visit. Thankfully, right…read morewhen I walked in, someone pointed me in the right direction and said, "If you're trying to decide, go with the Redheaded Stepchild." I took the advice, and I'm really glad I did. It was fantastic--stacked with pulled pork, smoked sausage, and beef brisket, all topped with slaw and BBQ sauce on a bun. I also tried a bite of the barbecue bologna, which is a thick-cut slice served on white bread, and that didn't disappoint either. Inside gets pretty smoky, so you'll probably prefer sitting outside. Luckily, there are plenty of picnic tables and seating areas to choose from. I didn't catch the name of the guy who helped me, but he was friendly, energetic, and made the whole experience even better. Overall, a really enjoyable visit.

    Photos
    Self serve drink station (thank goodness for unsweetened tea, for a Northerner like me)
    Self serve drink station (thank goodness for unsweetened tea, for a Northerner like me)
    Texas Patty Melt
    Texas Patty Melt
    Patty melt

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    Patty melt

    A&R Bar-B-Que - bbq - Updated July 2026

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