We went out of our way to come back here... Quality/Quantity - Simple menu, usually done well. Starters - 3 whole wings with honey gold sauce (we had to ask what "Honey Gold" sauce was). The wings were dry and over cooked. I think they tried to disguise it with extra sauce, see picture. Combo Plate - Pulled chicken and pork, and brisket. The pulled chicken and pork were cooked perfectly, melted in our mouths. The brisket was over cooked also. Self service drinks and sauces - The mild sauce was my favorite. The "hot" sauce was not that hot in my opinion. Did not care for the vinegar, and mustard and ketchup was normal. Atmosphere - Decent size location. Indoor, semi indoor/outdoor and outdoor dining; see pictures. Open 7 days a week from 11am to 9pm. Street parking, never an issue. Service - 1 star... The security guard spent her whole time talking to the cashier. Well, other than to tell my wife to make sure she was standing behind the line... I guess only one customer is allowed to be at the counter at a time??? We were almost the only customers here. Then when we got to the counter, there was NO menu. We were supposed to memorize our order, including all the sides and sauce flavors.,. Lastly the bus girl/runner just shouts your # and you are supposed to catch her before she leaves. There were 4 of us and she only gave us two plates. We got here on a night where the majority of the employees were in a bad mood. Were we just unlucky...? Or is this normal service? Price - $42 + way more generous tip then deserved. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2002 with your 7+ locations. Can I suggest you spend a little more time at this location with some basic customer service training? Or do tourists not matter? read more

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Definitely a solid place for Memphis dry rub ribs. The ribs were delicious and smoky, and the meat was tender enough for it to fall off the bones. The seasoning is also decent, not the best I've had in Memphis but still good. We also got a side of banana pudding, which was a refreshing snack on a hot day! Service was fast and the restaurant was huge. There was barely anyone there at 11:30 AM on a Sunday so we got seated and got our food really quickly. It's downtown so very convenient too! read more

Coming from Texas this wasnt bad bbq! The bbq was pretty good, their bbq sauce was awesome- we put that thang on everything. Definitely worth a try. We had the sampler appetizer each as our meal and that was a great choice, had a little bit of everthing and very filling. Really enjoyed the chicken slider and pulled pork nachos. Staff was very kind with that sweet southern charm. Took the food to go so I can't really say too much about the ambiance but looked really laid back and casual. Cute rustic decor. Parking was easy with the parking lot in the back. read more

Central BBQ - sampler appetizer - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I stopped by for a quick bite and left satisfied. The service was fast and polite. The food matched expectations

God awful food if this is what Memphis BBQ is I will stick with Kansas City and Texas as EVER to eat this crap again. The only flavor and taste I left with was an empty wallet and a rock in my stomach. I had heard so many great things about this place before arriving and waiting in line to order. The staff was kind and helpful. I ordered the three-meat plate: turkey, pulled pork, and brisket with onion rings and greens. The greens were the best thing I ordered, but they were not great. Nothing had seasoning or flavor. I'm not sure how they managed to jack up the onion rings, but dang, did they ever? I generally don't use sauce, but do like Carolina Gold. They had vinegar, which did not taste like they used vinegar, and a yellow, which I assumed was mustard but did not contain mustard. The mild BBQ sauce was surprisingly okay, but I did not try the hot BBQ sauce. My friend ordered three wings, which were huge but came with a sauce when she ordered a rub. She also ordered mac and cheese, which was yellow but tasted like watered-down, three-week-old, back-of-the-cooler forgotten cheese sauce. Her second side was forgettable. Seen so many people leaving food, what a shame that this place missed the mark for so many. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and observed that the hand sink was so low that I almost had to squat to wash them, and my friend needed a step stool to reach the paper towels. Avoid, save yourself the trouble, and try another BBQ joint. read more

On our last day in Memphis we decided to have lunch at one of the better rated bbq spots in town...Central BBQ downtown...which is literally right next to the National Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Motel...the site where Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated. The place is not fancy...but that usually means the best food! You order at the counter and they bring food to you...wife ordered the beef brisket and I went with a half rack of ribs....half wet and half dry rub. The wet was good...but the dry rub was excellent...I would definitely order that again. Wife thought brisket could have used more seasoning...but also loved my dry rub ribs! We both went with a side of beans...and I also had the potato salad and she did the mac and cheese. Both mac and potato salads were great....beans a bit too sweet for our liking. And the dinner roll was also part of the meal. A LOT of food in the order..and very good price...this place lives up to the hype as one of the best bbq's in Memphis. read more

Central BBQ - Ribs (half dry and half wet) front and brisket in back...with sides of beans, potato salad and mac and cheese with roll. Very filling lunch! - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I'd recommend everyone give them a try but I've had better barbecue elsewhere and the food here was just ok for me. Really nothing to rave about. The staff was very nice and the food was brought to our table in a timely manner and I did love that there was a band playing while we ate. read more

Easy to order, easy to decide, and the ambiance is nice! A quick service place where you just put the number down and they come by. Because it's quick service, the service isn't really extra or good necessarily, but there's nothing wrong with it. It's just a place to come and eat. The food is good! I'm not the biggest fan of barbecue but this place was delicious, I loved their sauces, and their sides are great! read more

Central BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This is a nice close spot to down town and the line is always out the door. The food is good service is quick and the restaurant is clean. That's really all you can ask for. read more

The food was excellent, but the staff are racist. I am moving my family across the country for work, and we were passing through the area. We read that the food at this establishment was to die for, so my wife and I came in on Monday 3/2/26 at ~8:00 PM. Unfortunately, the first thing the lady at the register did was look our little 2-year-old son up and down and say quote, "Wow. Blonde hair and blues eyes. That's scary. Let's hope you grow out of that soon." We were both stunned into silence at what we had just heard but still ate there because it was late and were tired from having been on the road for over 12 hours that day. Making a fuss over such incredibly inappropriate words didn't seem worth it at the time, but that was unbelievable, unacceptable, and beyond racist as hell. To make matters worse, my family immigrated here in the 60s and have absolutely nothing to do with America's past legacy or even Germany's infamous one. In fact, my grandfather had to survive Nazi occupation as a boy in Poland and nearly starved to death because he and my family weren't allowed regular food as second class citizens of the occupied territory, and to say that my son, who hasn't done a thing to anybody in addition to our family's history, is "scary" simply because of his looks that are entirely outside of his control is beyond unacceptable, spits directly on our family's history, and is the definition of racism. Shame on that woman (who had black rimmed glasses and two twin hair poofs), and I hope justice is done in that she's fired. Even worse, considering this establishment is located directly across the street from the National Civil Rights Museum (the Lorraine Motel) where the honorable Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated is the definition of irony. Again, shame on that woman. I don't know if my family will ever be passing through Memphis again, but I can assure that we will never be coming back to this establishment. read more

Yes! Mouthwatering. The wait for our food was not long. The ambiance was simple yet clean. And the food: well the food was superb. I loved both the ribs and the brisket. The slaw was pretty good. The sausage and cheese plate was duly amazing. I like the vinegar-based BBQ best (but I am partially a North Carolina girl, so this is my bread & butter). Everything here was delicious and my mouth is watering as I type this review. read more

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Being in Memphis - it's only right that you look for the best bbq and for me - the best brisket. Central BBQ is a busy joint with multiple locations and a super cool and relaxed atmosphere. The service was warm and fast. The macaroni and greens were good.. not great - but not bad. I was disappointed in the brisket. I definitely prefer thick Pieces with the right amount of fat, moist , and flavorful. It was none of that. Mine was, dry, a little to lean, and thinly shaven ... no rub either. But you could dip it in their amazing sauces and make it work. read more

everyone told me to try this bbq joint. surely not to be disappointed. many types of smoked meats, sides to choose from. get to pick sauces for your plate. interesting decor too. friendly service suitable for the whole family read more

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Was excited to try this place what a let down. The only thing that was good at this place was the sides. The brisket was so tough and dry. Was gonna send it back but the lady taking the order was so brash I didn't want to get another attitude. I would try another meat choice if I was anyone else. I won't be back. read more

Central BBQ - Beef Brisket Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We got the brisket and sausage, baked beans and green beans. Everything is great except the brisket not very tender not very lean surprisingly hard to chew. We need to come back and try the pork and the chicken Great service and decor. Quick comfortable nice atmosphere Thank you! Danny and Kathryn Glenn Northlake, TX read more

As you enter you are bless with a heavenly smoke arroma; this is what heaven smells like. Ribs are my fav here all the way. Smokey n delicious. Brisket came in second. Everything else was good. Quick service. Plenty of tables inside. Good size parking in the back. Live Band seals the deal. Great place. read more

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Had the ribs. I love ribs. They were absolutely fall off the bone delicious. Probably the best I have ever had, and I have had my share, I'm 72. The rub was amazing. read more

Central BBQ - RIBS like you can't imagine!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Amazing bbq. We stopped in after visiting the civil rights museum. Line out the door but it moved fast. I had the ribs(amazing,tender,juicy and great flavor). Also had the wings in the gold sauce(tad dry but not so dry that I would complain) great flavor and the gold sauce went well with them. Wife had the pulled pork and said it was good. Kid loved the Mac and cheese. Great atmosphere,staff was amazing. read more

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The service was great greeted with a big smile, ordering was easy. The inside is eclectic and fun. The food was a mix of good and bad, ribs and sausage were great....brisket was a huge disappointment never had meat slicer sliced brisket, no less it was dry, not really edible. Coleslaw was average under seasoned. The beans were ok, tasted like canned beans. read more

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I was excited to try this restaurant based on the reviews, but was super disappointed first when you walk in the cleanliness of the place was horrible dirty tables they didn't wipe down anything. The service was lukewarm, but the biggest disappointment was the quality of the food. the only reason that this is getting two stars is because the banana pudding was good The pork had no flavor and tasted like mush. The brisket was dry and flavorless. The sausage link was fair. The mac & cheese was fair and the barbecue beans tasted like mush. read more

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My husband and I took a tour while visiting Memphis, and lunch at Central BBQ was included as part of our tour package. The luncheon included pulled pork (4 oz) on a bun, creamy Coleslaw, chips, and a fountain drink. The pulled pork, which was a dry rub, was very good (4.5/5), and further enhanced by your choice of their BBQ sauces. The coleslaw was good (3/5) but nothing exceptional. They had a good variety of fountain drinks. I'm always happy to find Diet Dr. Pepper among restaurant choices! Service was excellent. They fed our tour group of 18 persons quickly, and staff cleared the tables equally efficiently. We were seated in a back room; and the front room with "regular" patrons was equally busy. Our guide mentioned that they often have a long line even to enter the restaurant. This is a large and bustling restaurant with a lot of cool artwork and artifacts. I can't speak to price as our meals were included as part of our tour package. read more

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Great food, great location, great service & reasonable prices. We had the pulled pork & pulled chicken sandwich combos and no complaints. read more

Central BBQ - Pulled pork with baked beans & pulled chicken with slaw - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Went on a Thursday afternoon, but that being said the pulled pork and brisket was dry, tough, and flavorless

Wow, we loved it! Nashville hot chicken sandwich and the rib platter for 2. It was a relaxed atmosphere. Walk up to the counter to order and bring it out. People were friendly. Mac and cheese was creamy, with a velveta cheese. Beans, coleslaw, and potato salad were good. The banana pudding was really good to end with. read more

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The ribs and pulled pork were terrific! Line was out the door but moved quickly...glad that so many locals recommended this sweet spot for BBQ read more

Best BBQ spot I went to in Memphis! Services was good. Very accommodating for our large group. But the BBQ was on point! The dry rub wings were my favorite, followed by the ribs. Both had a great smoky flavor and incredibly juicy and tender texture! The collard greens were also on point. My group also raved about the turkey so try that next time for sure! Recommend if you're looking for good Q in Memphis! read more

I wanted to love it but I didn't. The service is great, they're friendly, helpful, fast to serve and it runs pretty fluidly even when you see a line going out there door. They have some solid sauces but the brisket had no flavor to is and the same for the pulled pork. The sides were solid but at the price you're paying these days, I just expect more I guess. Prices we pay for ordering at the counter spots exceed sit down restaurants but as a casual BBQ spot, it's worthy of a stop in while in Memphis. read more

The customer service was spot on. The food was delicious. I especially like the greens and the cake. The ambiance is cool and mellow. The barbecue was tender and tasty. I'll definitely return the next time I'm in Memphis. read more

very very very subpar bbq food. pretty disappointing and way over priced. please do not waste your time or money.

Overall good! The plates are well sized, including the kids meals. If you get a sandwich, you cannot change the sides. Good flavor, brisket is good. Super clean, you have a lot people coming around making sure everything is clean and taken care of. Three different seating options, inside, inside with live music and outdoors. Great ambiance and not super loud, even for lunch. read more

Central BBQ - Part of the kids meal. - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Those chicken wings!! We sampled lots of things and didn't find anything we didn't like. It's a large interior and the staff is very nice. Plenty of seating, self-serve sauces and drinks, generous portions. The mild sauce was our favorite. "Gold sauce" is strongly mustard, if you like that. The only sauce we didn't like was the hot - just not our pick. Coconut cake was stupid good!! read more

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Great BBQ spot in downtown. One of the many locations in the area. The service was quick and easy. You order and pay upon arrival. You'll be given a number and get to sit at any open spots. Plenty of seating inside and out. The BBQ nachos were delicious - we added brisket onto ours and got a full size (there's also a half size). They have my partner's favorite wings in town! A chill lunch spot. Plus, their sweet iced tea is delicious read more

Central BBQ - BBQ Nachos + Smoked Hot Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Ordered the combo, and the brisket was disappointing. It was not the usual brisket I am used to. This was lean, dry, thinly sliced. The ribs have good flavor. On the meats you have to add bbq sauce on your own. read more

The barbecue really was just OK. The ribs were decent. The brisket was not good. Rubbery almost. Not a lot of flavor. Apparently Memphis is not a good place for brisket because this was the second restaurant. We had a bad experience. The ambience is awesome. It's counter service and then they carry your food out to you. They have decent selection of local tap beers. Three stars for the food, four stars for the ambience so I rounded up to four stars. Overall, I would say this is a 3 1/2 star experience. read more

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10/10 recommend. We got the ribs and pulled pork; both were delicious. The banana pudding was very good too!

Fried bologna sandwich, pulled pork, brisket, and chicken fingers lunches. All served will BBQ sauce. Yummy Mac and cheese and green beans. Cooler on the patio than inside. Family atmosphere. Order at counter and food delivered to table. Nice staff. read more

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Where is the hype?!? $30.00 Combo plate of meats (brisket, turkey, chicken) served lukewarm - taken back came back only thing warm was the dry chicken. Oh, I have pictures. Sides - potatoe salad definitely store made and the mac and cheese most definitely is powered cheese craft like. Service was cool. You are greeted, you walk up place your order, find a seat and they'll bring it out. Disappointing as everyone seems to suggest "Central BBQ" - nothing to write home about. It's a BBQ spot overall clean and not too loud. read more

Central BBQ - Como Plate 3 meats - brisket, turkey, chicken w/Mac n cheese & potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We stopped in at Central after visiting the Lorraine Motel right across the street. There was a line to order out the door, so be sure to bring comfy shoes to stand in. My husband had the pulled pork bbq plate and I had the mushroom burger. Our food arrived very quickly after ordering and was very good. For the cost, I would suggest skipping the sides-they weren't spectacular and seemed a bit expensive for the amount you received. The bbq on the other hand was great! They had plenty of sauces and heat levels to pick from so there is certainly something for any bbq lover. Unfortunately we didn't find out until after we ordered it that they were out of the banana pudding, we opted for the chocolate cake instead and it was good. The sauce station was also a nice bonus, so if you are torn between two sauces have no fear, you can try them all! read more

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I dont even know where to start! I spent months researching bbq for Tennessee in general. This was highly recommended. Location, it's right across from the Lorraine Motel. Little morbid but still a nice view. There is a big parking lot behind and adjacent. Big location. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for outside. There is a patio with shade and fans. We ordered a $20 pitcher of beer along with a combo tray we split between the 3 of us and some nachos. Honestly we were left in a small food coma following. The beer was great. It was a local brew. The combo tray had fresh bbq and so did the nachos. It was more than enough for 3 people to share. Probably even 4 could have. Great service. We asked for recommendations and they were provided. Very attentive and welcoming. Would gladly come back. read more

Really enjoyed our dry rub ribs and the chicken wings with jerk seasoning were DELICIOUS. Nice vibe inside, tons of seating, great place for any kind of meal. The staff are friendly! read more