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Stayed a night in Memphis, and this place was recommended for good bbq. Unfortunately, we did not find it exceptional. The ribs were dry rubbed (I personally prefer mine sauced), and the meat was somewhat tough, as were the brisket and pulled pork. The side of green beans was very plain and somewhat overcooked, and the mac and cheese had a different aftertaste I couldn't quite place. On the good side, the chicken wings were large, tender and very flavorful. The cole slaw was one of the best I've ever had, and the french fries were crisp and full of flavor. I also enjoyed the sauce bar, which offered four different flavors to try. This is a nice space, and service was fairly quick. Portions are generous, and there is a nice selection of meats to choose from. I am a huge lover of ribs, but Central just didn't do it for me.
Great value for the large serving of food. The meat fall off the bones easily and the sauce was tasty. Think the meat could've been more succulent. I really enjoy the wings. It was $1per each. The nacho was incredibly large for just a "snack" option. The decor is rustic with plenty of room to spread out and chill. The service was good. Staff very friendly and helpful.
Central bbq across from the historic Loraine motel is my favorite place to eat bbq in Memphis. You only have to be a few feet away from the restaurant to smell the delicious meats that are smoking inside. Central bbq offers a great selection of bbq favorites, the loaded baked potato was a meal by itself! Beware... you will get the meat sweats here! There is plenty of seating inside and they offer a patio too. Central bbq offers a large draft beer list with a bunch of local favorites. The service is quick, and prices are fare
This is where you go for Memphis BBQ! The pulled pork is divine. Make sure you save room for the banana pudding! It's incredible. Worth every calorie.
I'm going to be honest I didn't go to the restaurant but I did send a friend at my food. I called in my order here and I got the Pull Pork Sandwich deal. The service over the phone was great as expected but I'm mad bc as a first timer at this establishment I specifically asked the guy over the phone (Best side) he told me "Mac n cheese" . This was the one of the nastiest Mac I've ever tastes. One word! Commercialized foods aren't a good look. There's nothing quality about that. Find a new recipe. Ambience i guessing it is nice.
Stopped in for a quick lunch on our road trip, since we wanted to try some Memphis BBQ. The line to order wasn't long but took awhile to get through. Luckily our food came out pretty quick after ordering. We split the Pork BBQ Nachos, which they claim to be "The Best in Memphis!" Not sure if they tasted any better than other BBQ nachos I've had anywhere else, but the pulled pork itself was very good. The chips were a bit stale. Still filled the two of us up. Would probably try out a different item next time I'm in town.
Enjoying lunch after the Civil Rights Museum - not disappointed at all, pork is tender and tasty.
We went to the main Central BBQ location which happens to be across the street from the Civil Rights Museum which we visited before stopping in. This location is a large building with lots of seating options. I had to try Central as it keeps winning awards and is consistently mentioned as the top BBQ place in the Memphis area. Some of their awards were displayed at the entrance and on the walls. Lots of history. My wife ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich and had the slaw on the side so I could have it (she's not a slaw fan). I had the small order of ribs with 1/2 dry and 1/2 wet with sides of BBQ Beans and Mac n Cheese. I tried the pulled pork and it was tender and delicious. My ribs were pretty good with my favorite part being the wet ribs. The dry part was overcooked and really dry and chewy. This was a bit of a disappointment. The BBQ beans were flavorful but a bit mushy. The Mac n cheese also mushy a bit but tasted better than it looked. I love great BBQ so I like Central BBQ but may have caught them on a bad day. Oh, they were out of a lot of T Shirt options/size I wanted too. Darn. I wanted to buy one. I would return and try the brisket, pulled pork or poultry items next time.
Visiting from out of town on a work trip and this establishment was a recommendation. This is okay bbq... I have had worse and definitely had better. With that being said service was fast and friendly and the ambiance was exactly what you would expect for a bbq joint. The brisket was juicy but the Mac and cheese was a miss and this is a personal preference the Cole slaw had too much celery seed.
As a recommendation we went here for our 1 and only night in Memphis to experience real bbq. We were so disappointed. On our plate the bbq beans were the best! The meat was all dry. The pulled chicken was the best but only with enough sauce on it. The brisket was so tough- we expected fall off the bone tender brisket from TN but this sliced tough meat was not it. With so many bbq places to choose from we would recommend trying somewhere else. I have 2 stars bc the staff was very friendly, the food came out fast, and the place has a cute ambiance!
I'm pissed. I came here expecting some good Memphis BBQ and this was honestly terrible. The brisket was unseasoned, barely any bark, no real smoke flavor, tasted damn near boiled. My homie said home of the boiled brisket should be their slogan. The sausage was barely touched by a grill, and the ribs were dry as hell. This wasn't just one bad piece of meat either pretty much everything on the plate was disappointing. And honestly, you could tell nobody cared back there in the kitchen. There was no attention to the food at all. For a BBQ spot with the reputation Central has, I expected way better. Maybe I caught them on an unbelievably bad night, but I took a 25min uber ride out here expecting good BBQ and got one of the worst BBQ plates I've ever in a long time. Very disappointed. 1/10 Would not recommend mind you I paid 50$ for this.
Visiting Memphis, I was told this was the BBQ place to check out. It was conveniently located. Located behind the National Civil Rights Museum, I could smell the smoke walking up to the front door. After queueing up in front of the counter, I put in for an order of Ribs (felt like the Memphis thing to do.) It was quiet inside for a 5 PM on a Friday, perhaps I was in early before the dinner rush. I got my ribs half wet, half dry. To me, the ribs were done in the St. Louis style, where it was all about the seasoning, vs. a "fall off the bone" tenderness that is taking over social media nowadays. Talking about seasoning, I was a fan of the Mac and Cheese- often where the sides take a backseat, I was impressed to enjoy such a well seasoned side. While I didn't get a chance to try their Brisket (my gold standard for judging BBQ) the ribs show enough promise that Memphis can hold its own when it comes to 'cue.
I wasn't too much of a fan of Central Barbecue. Coming from St. Louis and being used to great barbecue both locally and in Kansas City, I'll admit I had high expectations. It also wasn't our first choice of places to try in Memphis. Overall, it was just okay, but I did enjoy the baked beans, greens and the potato salad was probably the best. That said, if you're visiting the Civil Rights Museum nearby, it's within walking distance and a perfectly fine place to grab a meal while you're in the area.
We got the rib plate and pulled pork sandwich. The sides we got were Mac and cheese, bbq beans and turnip greens. The ribs were delicious! My absolute favorite thing was actually the turnip greens. Don't know how they make them, but I am determined to learn! The staff were all so friendly and amazing. I wish we had more days here because we would absolutely go again! read more
15 days ago
1 year ago
We came here to stall time before our 1pm reservation at the Civil Rights Museum. When you enter, you place your order at the counter and have a seat. You put your number on the little holder that's on the table. There's a menu on a table to the right when you walk in. It was pretty packed when we arrived, but it didn't take long to order nor was it hard to find a seat. I ordered the beef brisket with BBQ Beans and Mac N Cheese with a fountain soda. It comes with a piece of roll (it's like a King's Hawaiian Roll for those from Cali). The wait time was around 10 mins. to bring out food. The brisket was really good and tender. When traveling, I normally get my BBQ sauce on the side but I forgot to ask. The sauce was tasty though. Nice place. read more
1 year ago
Good food. Good atmosphere with good. Service was good. Parking was especially easy because the museum parking lot nearby. read more
Yep!!! Tasty bbq. The smoke turkey nachos are where it's at!!! House fried corn tortilla chips, tender smoke turkey, cheese and jalapeños. Perfection! Everything was good. Brisket was a little on the dry side. It was tender but for sure it was cut and sitting around for a minute! Tasted good tho! Place is cute. Lots of seating and live music. Great sopt to eat, drink and enjoy your company. read more
2 months ago
Ordered a rack for two, with two servings of the Mac and cheese and coleslaw, and then a pound of brisket. This came up to $70 for 2 people. Ambience was okay, nothing special. Did have parking which was nice. Now the food. The Mac and cheese was essentially cheese soup and lacked flavor, and the coleslaw was so inedible, and we ended up just throwing it away. The ribs were good, and the only thing that made the experience okay, but it was $40, which is absurdly expensive for the quality. Lastly the brisket, which cost $25. It was so dry, I thought they brought out a plate of beef jerkey on accident. It tasted as if it were microwaved and had no flavor at all. I went to the counter and asked if they could take it back and bring a better plate, which they did, but it was the same tough, dry meat. Very disappointing for the price, I do not understand the hype or awards they received. read more
3 months ago
10 months ago
Stopped here after visiting the Lorraine Hotel and taking in a history lesson. Definitely a great spot. Enjoyed ribs, brisket, beans, Mac & cheese and beer. Huge portions. Wait staff was impeccable and entertaining. SAVE ROOM FOR THE BANANA PUDDING! read more
22 days ago
Rolled through town 3 years ago and the one day we were in town we came in and they were closed for a private event. Came back today and maybe it was the 1k+ days of anticipation that got me but this place was good just not great. Brisket was good but pork and turkey were a little dry sauces were also mid. It's not that I wouldn't come back it's that not experiencing a lot of Memphis BBQ I'd definitely explore around before I came back. I will say the turnip greens were one of if not the best I have ever had! I would hands down eat an entire bowl of that as a meal they were delicious! read more
7 months ago
Absolutely no flavor, food was cold, lady was rude, took 3 bites got up walked, should have read the reviews, wouldn't feed my dog this and remember he licks his own #%##! read more
1 month ago
3 months ago
I had a trip coming up to Memphis at the end of October and there were three things on my to do list while I was there: Visit Stax Museum, go to the Civil Rights Museum and eat at Central BBQ. If you haven't had it, add it to your list cause that bbq is amazing! Nothing has changed from when I had it the first time back in 2015. From the bbq sauce to the banana pudding. Everything is good. I came around 4pm which was at the right time cause there was no line although it gets pretty long since it's a popular bbq spot in Memphis. And it's across from the Civil Rights museum so ppl work up an appetite and walk across the street. I couldn't remember what I ordered the first time but on this visit, I ordered the pulled chicken and pork with a side of baked beans and Cole slaw with banana pudding. Service was great! The manager went above and beyond to make sure my experience was memorable. 5 stars! And the sweet n spicy sauce really elevates the meat. And the banana pudding was off the chain. There's nuts in it; maybe pecans so if you're allergic, I'd recommend passing on it. Not sure if they have peach cobbler but if they do, I'm trying it the next time I'm in town. I know that'll be good too. read more
Yum! Stopped by for lunch and it was busy. Enough street parking out for all. There is a security guard inside (which was odd) and she had some attitude ... don't be stepping up to order with a friend, one person only at the register! I got the app sampler which was HUGE! The slider was amazing, came with home fried chips. The nachos were good too. I couldn't eat anymore so I gave the wings and sausage + cheese to a hungry gentleman near my hotel. The banana pudding had a few black bananas. read more
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
3 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
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
3 months ago
4 months ago
Got three different trace to share. We got the barbecue pulled chicken salad, the ribs platter with pulled pork and brisket, and three pieces of the full hot wings in honey gold. The hot wings were probably the best on the table - flavor wise, I would say it's a honey barbecue. The fry on the chicken chickens were amazing and crunchy, even when coded in the sauce. The ribs were fall off the bone tender. The pulled pork was probably my favorite - smoky, flavorful, even without sauce, and melt in your mouth. The brisket was probably our least favorite - slightly dry, especially when not coated and sauce. The pulled chicken was surprisingly a close second for me - smoky and the seasoning (maybe paprika?) gave it a nice flavor. As for sides, we got the coleslaw, potato salad, and got a regular side of the mac & cheese. The sides were OK - nothing to write home about. As for the sauce, there were many options: mild, hot, vinegar, and mustard. The mild had the best flavor and overall balance with all the meats. It was a very casual and no-frills eatery where you order at the front, get a number and sit at a table, and they bring out the food to you relatively quickly. read more
3 months ago
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
1 month ago
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
2 months ago
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
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
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
5 months ago
6 months ago
1 year ago
10 months ago
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
More info about Central BBQ
147 E Butler Ave
Downtown
Memphis, TN 38103
Downtown
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(901) 672-7760
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Ask the Community - Central BBQ
Is there seating at the bar yet? I usually don't have anyone with me for lunch so I just thought I'd ask.
No, as of two weeks ago, there was not. They were requiring those dining inside to sit at a table.
How is the parking? Is there a lot that is designated for the restaurant? I'm coming from out of town so didn't know if we would need to pay to park somewhere.
Street parking along St. Martin and there's also ~20 spots on the South Side of the restaurant. You probably won't have much luck if you try to park in the Civil Rights Museum parking lot, especially around lunch time.
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