Central was listed as a "must try" of Memphis. My chicken wasn't bad but, it didn't wow me. And some of the sides including the green beans can use a little razzle dazzle. They tasted like someone just poured them out if a can into a pot and served. Now, the sausage sandwich..that's a different story! It was really good read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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In Memphis for the weekend Central was recommended by the hotel staff where we were staying. The dry rub wings were recommended and yes they are a game changer. My son and I had the Jerk dry rub and they were very good. And yes the wings are on point. Had the Mac and cheese and they were ok. Baked beans were ok as well. read more

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I was so ready to have some good BBQ, but after trying this place (and One and Only and Rendezvous), it's fair to say that y'alls idea of BBQ is very different from what Texans consider BBQ. The ribs were tasty, but disappointing. If you need a knife to separate the ribs, they just aren't up to par.Fall-off-the-bone these were NOT. And strangely enough, the place has no metal knives, only plastic ones that weren't up to the task of cutting open the ribs. The brisket was a tad better, but not moist enough. It was a cool place and I sat at the bar, but 10 of their 12 taps were out of commission. Overall their "bbq" falls short of what I have eaten for decades. Tasty if you don't know any better, but disappointing if you do. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Damm good brisket sandwich ...lots of tender. brisket. Lg sandwich is way tomuch for one person

Super fast and excellent food! It was ready 10 minutes early so we only waited 5 minutes. Large portions!

Work in the nearby area & at lunchtime they're packed HOWEVER you can get in and out in no time! Highly recommend! Everyone is nice and food is delish!! 10/10 read more

I got the chicken bbq nachos with fries instead of the chips and OMG they were so good! Everything was hot and the portion size was great! I have learned with this central bbq it is best to come before it gets close to closing time as it is usually better. I got here about 6:30 and it was 100% worth it! I only wish they still had the heated sauces on the side, but I digress. read more

Food - Great BBQ! Enjoyed ribs, brisket, & chicken wings. Service - Very nice! Ambiance - Clean, open areas, and nice condiments area! Get BBQ sauce at condiments bar it's warm! read more

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I recommend Central for those that like things other than pulled pork or ribs. I think Central's pork is dry and chewy. That said, they do wings extremely well and have BBQ Bologna sandwiches (my fave!), which are difficult to find at BBQ joints, so I'd recommend them for that!!! When I need either, Central is where I go! read more

Central BBQ Poplar - BBQ Bologna & Wings with Dry Spice - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Order at the counter and sit kind of place. Really large servings- we should have split it because no way to eat it all. Most of the condiments were empty so they gave us packets. Sweet tea on point. Pulled pork was delicious- I prefer to add sauce myself so I can taste the meat so would ask for sauce in the side. Nothing memorable about the fries or beans. Sauces were good. Served quickly- clean- overall good experience. read more

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This is supposed to be good Memphis BBQ, but it was terrible. If this is standard Memphis BBQ, then no thanks! We got the full slab of ribs - half wet half dry - terribly over cooked and flavorless. The brisket was covered in sauce but also lacking in flavor. The green beans were over salted. The onion rings were though and over cooked. The Mac and cheese and potato salad were ok and standard. The banana pudding was not good - mostly pudding and cream - barely any bananas. The smoked wings with dry spice rub was the best thing we had - cooked well, definitely spicy. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

We've had the ribs from mail order Goldbelly before but figured since we were in Memphis we should try the place. They were really good the dry rib ribs and very flavorful. The sides were piping hot and stayed warm. This was a pre order for pick up and it stayed warm until we got to our hotel. Great service, food came immediately, and overall everything was really good. Much better then expected read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Rib package - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I haven't been to the location in a while. I stopped in for the BBQ nachos. The service was great and I enjoyed the nachos. I ordered two sides but didn't really care for them. They lacked seasoning so I ate some of it. Central is a good dining spot so I will return for something different on the menu. read more

Nice atmosphere, service and food. Prices are high but I guess that is a lot of BBQ joints? It was a solid 3 stars for me. My husband really enjoyed it. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I would eat here again but it was just OK. Brisket and pulled pork was dry, ribs were decent but Cozy Corner's are infinitely better. The hot wings were the best item I had (wet was the best out of wet, dry, and jerk). read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Perfect experience from start to finish in ordering & picking up a complicated order for 10 people ! Thank you Central BBQ Poplar!! read more

While in Memphis, I knew that I had to try some Memphis BBQ and my friend said that Central BBQ was one of his go-to places. I came here a few days ago for dinner and the place was pretty crowded. You order your food and they give you a number. You can sit anywhere you want and the staff will bring you your food. I got the pulled pork sandwich and it comes with a little coleslaw. I also ordered green beans as an additional side. My pulled pork sandwich was a bit dry so I had to add additional mild sauce to the sandwich. Coleslaw side was alright. I didn't enjoy the green bean side at all since it was overloaded with black pepper. :( I'll try Central BBQ again one day. Maybe at this location or at their other locations. I'll would like to try their ribs tho! read more

Central BBQ Poplar - BBQ Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I'm not sure of if this is how Memphis typically does their bbq but it was not good at all. I ordered the 3 meat plate in which I received ribs (half wet, half dry), pulled pork, and turkey. The ribs were missing flavor and were not tender at all. The pulled pork didn't have any flavor. The turkey was tender and had some kind of seasoning on it but wasn't good enough for me to want to return back to this restaurant. The fries and pork rinds are decent. I'm not from the area so maybe that's why the flavoring was soooo off. However, I do travel quite often to where I've gotten much better bbq in other states/cities than what was served here at Central BBQ. There were no issues with staff/customer service. I don't plan on coming back but I'm sure the locals will continue to show their support. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Half dry half wet ribs, turkey, Pork Rinds, pulled pork - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

What an awesome BBQ joint! So glad we tried this one, there are so many to choose and we were just passing through. Very cool atmosphere, great food and great location. They have a nice covered outdoor are and the weather was great so we sat outside. I had the brisket and wife had the pulled pork. Both were awesome, large portions and lots of sauces to try. read more

Staff was nice and service was prompt. I got the smoked brisket sandwich with fries. The fries were good but the meat on the sandwich seemed to be of more fat than my appetite can stand and I couldn't finish it. Idk, it's not a particular meal I order but it certainly wasn't "smoked". I got it without slaw but the barbecue sauce seemed like it was slung on there. Felt like a last meal of the shift kind of serving read more

Came to Memphis to try ribs. I absolutely loved the dry ribs. Had them at a few places. You really have to try here. The staff was nice. The food came quick. The poplar ave location was perfect. A quick drive from Graceland You need to try the bbq bologna. Excellent. I'm hooked. The greens were also good. I love greens with bbq read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This week's Wienermobile stop is Memphis, TN! From many locals I've heard that Central BBQ is the place to check out so with local recommendations I did! Food was great! Really enjoyed the Smoked Sausage and the Mac. Staff were friendly and the place had a nice aesthetic as well. read more

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Lunch stop on the way to the airport. Seemed like airport pricing. Full slab of ribs, pulled pork salad and beer. Ribs were a bit over cooked. Flavor was good. Sides missed the flavor memo. Pulled pork salad was ok. Fresh lettuce, a few tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cheese. Pork was slightly dry and had tough outer crust. Wish it had been chopped up more. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Ribs and pulled pork salad - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I had the pleasure of eating lunch at the central on poplar recently and it was absolutely phenomena. The food there is the nectar of the gods. Their sauce is incredible, and the meat is tender but not mushy, and super juicy. The young lady up front who took my order was nothing short of delightful. I sat at the bar and had a lovely conversation with the bartender (I believe Ashley was her name), who was charming and attentive. The music is good but not too loud, the whole place is clean as a whistle, and they have my favorite style of onion rings there, which are completely delicious. The manager, Lucy, came by to check on me and she could not have been more gracious, she even offered to and then went and refilled my soda for me. She clearly has that place running like a well-oiled machine. And if you're a Pokémon fan, central has two pokestops there. I could not recommend this place highly enough, I would argue that central is the best BBQ restaurant in the incredibly example-rich city of Memphis, and poplar is by far the best location. 10/10. Run don't walk. read more

We went here for lunch while in town for a wedding, and it was a great spot for bbq. They have a lot of options and the portions are large. I don't eat meat, so I got a portobello mushroom burger and homemade potato chips. They were both great and I appreciated the vegetarian choices. My husband loves bbq and got the three meat plate with potato salad and Mac n cheese and really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend this spot if you are staying nearby and want to try Memphis BBQ. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Mushroom burger and potato chips - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Let me start by saying....I'm not a local. I'm from St.Louis. When I am in town, honestly this is the only bbq I want! The sides!! The greens!! I only get that high quality of greens on the holidays courtesy of my fiancé!!!! Keep up the good work and quality food!!! read more

Not long after the previous review, I was invited back after someone reached out from Central. And to be transparent, I was offered a not insubstantial amount of Piggy Bucks credit towards my order. Honestly, I expected what past experience had begotten. So I was delighted when it appears that, even during COVID, they've taken to fixing what wasn't on the level with the other locations. After some asking around, it was confirmed that this is part of a franchising venture. And with franchises, from talking to others with experience in dealing with such, getting things in order takes time- and sometimes inordinately so. So what's they fix? The ribs. The ribs were damned near perfect. I still couldn't render my own sauce mix because the sauce station is still a victim of COVID measures, but with texture, taste, delicate ness, and smokiness of the ribs meant no sauce was necessary. Glad to see things have been corrected and those of us out East don't have to settle for Commissary (who doesn't have good ribs) for our pork fix. read more

Came from B'ham to try the best bbq in Memphis and was told this place should be on my list. I wasn't pleased with my food at all! The green beans had no flavor and the potato salad tasted old. The ribs were ok. I never have to have them again in life however. I wasn't a fan. I will give them this the food dis coke out fast and the service was good. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - 1/2 slab of ribs with green beans and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

service was great and love the curbside pickup! As always, food was great! We are always greeted with a smile!

I come from Oklahoma and just like most people who love BBQ from their home, I am going to say that Oklahoma has the Best BBQ so I consider myself a little critical when I consider other BBQ. This place is SPOT on. Great BBQ. Great flavor. The ribs were perfect sauced or not. The meat was falling off the bone with just a little encouragement from your teeth. Just how I have always been taught it should be. Pulled pork was excellent too. A lot of natural flavor not a ton of spice to cover that up. The wings were okay but I'm not the biggest wing fan. The sides. I had the slaw and the beans. Both were good. I liked the slaw. My wife did not because it was a little bland. That is sort of how I like slaw. It was light and crisp. BBQ beans were good as well. One thing that bothered me though. They serve paper straws. Really? I have to go through 2 or 3 of those stupid things if I am having a soda. Which by the way is in a PLASTIC CUP WITH A PLASTIC LID. And my left overs were put in a styrofoam container. Oh. And the bbq sauce are repackaged in plastic bags because of COVID. so please explain how the stupid paper straw is doing anything. Why not paper cups. Paper to go containers? I'll tell you why it is because it would be a stupid idea. Just like the paper straw but somehow people think this is doing something good. LOL. But great food. And great service. The lady that took our order was so very helpful. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Massive disappointment. We went 2 hours out of our way on a road trip to stop in Memphis for some good BBQ. We read all about Central BBQ and how they were getting popular in the area and expanding. We decided to make this our one and only stop for BBQ, but it failed. Everything was super DRY, including the ribs, pulled pork, and turkey. Fall off the bone? Definitely not. On top it all, the food was not hot, but maybe a little warm. It ended up cold half way through our meal. We came very hungry because this was our first meal of the day at 4pm, but we didn't even finish our food. I simply don't know how it ended up so terrible. There was only a few customers, but about 10 staff members there with about half of them in the kitchen. I'm surprised not one person cared about the food quality. It was VISIBLY way overcooked. I could have made a better rack of ribs in an easy bake oven. They get an extra star for the modern style of the restaurant, a nice bar area with TV for sports, and the sauce did not suck. read more

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I ordered the 1/2 pork nachos for lunch. It was delivered with 10 minutes after I ordered. It had just the amount of meat, jalapeños, and cheese on it. I would recommend the eatery as well as eat there again. read more

Central BBQ in Memphis should be ashamed. I had their combo plate with Ribs, pulled pork and Brisket. Had beans and potato salad for sides. Let's start with the sides. The beans were tasty, sweet but with a hint is spicy kick. The potato salad was moist well seasoned and the potato's had a nice texture. If I had stopped there it would have been a solid 5 out of ten but I did not! The pulled pork was dry and without and quality smoked flavor the sauces were good but not good enough to overcome the lack of flavor in the meat. The brisket had a nice flavor but again laced any real flavor it again was dry and it was also cold. But the ribs, ah the ribs which I paid an up charge for were awful. I ordered them wet which was a big mistake. What I got was a slab that looked like it had been pulled from a fridge sauced and warmed up on a micro wave. They did not look appetizing and I was reluctant to take a bite. I did and was immediately disappointed ! It was dry, tough, over sauced and Just bad. I took one bite and that was it. I tried to finish the meal but just couldn't push through. The worst part was that the combined meats left a nasty taste in my mouth. Like the meats were not fresh. I would never eat here again! read more

Central BBQ Poplar - A terrible baroque meal! - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I was able to take beautiful photos of the food but unfortunately the taste and quality fell flat. BBQ ribs were dry even with their WET sauce. Also their turkey and pulled pork were also dry. We drove so long to get to Memphis and we were disappointed. I also understand that during COVID their brand may have fell short and hopefully they pull it back together soon so people can enjoy! read more

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Been there a few times now and loved it every time. Everyone in our partner did too. Got the meat sweats. read more

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Ok I already know I'm about to get a lot of grief for this post. I broke the carnal rule of barbecue in Memphis- I ordered the beef brisket. I know, bad, bad, bad! The beef brisket here was so dry and without a single redeeming quality of good Texas brisket that I'm mad at myself for even eating it. I dumped my slaw on top of it to give the brisket a semblance of juice. It didn't work. So I went in for the fries. How in the world do you screw fries up too? They were cold, dry, and mealy. C'mon Central! However, the staff were awesome and friendly. It was 6pm and the place was practically empty. Everyone knows something I don't. But now I know. read more

Central BBQ Poplar - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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Excellent BBQ sandwich and beans. Hot and fresh with a good smokey flavor. Service was polite and attentive.

Wow, it's been a few years since my last visit, but I had to stop by for some good ole Memphis bbq while I was in town! Quick ordering process - just get in line, order, and then take your assigned number to a table of your choice. Service is quite efficient - our order was out within 10 minutes! What we got (for 4 people): - half slab of pork ribs (dry & wet): A slab comes with ~12 ribs, so it's definitely good to share between 3-4 people. You have the option of all dry, all wet (sauce), or half and half. We of course went with half and half because we want variety! I prefer the bbq sauce, but honestly, even without the sauce, there's soooo much flavor already! I had 4 ribs myself - yes, it's THAT good! Also comes with 4 rolls, which goes so well between bites of ribs. - beef brisket plate + salad: Salad was typical - lettuce with some large tomato slices, sprinkled with shredded cheese, a couple jalapeno peppers. They have ranch, caesar, and italian dressing, and we went with their Italian. Refreshing crunchiness. Brisket was thinly sliced, large pieces - I didn't like it so much as it was drenched in the bbq sauce. - sides: slaw, greens, onion rings, sweet beans - you can't have bbq without these sides! I love cole slaw, and this place does it RIGHT!! I usually don't like onion rings, but even I had a couple pieces here that I enjoyed! And the collard greens, can't forget those in southern cuisine! Sweet beans were just that, very sweet, but complements the sweet bbq sauce! Great family meal - tasty ribs, sticky fingers and all! There is plenty of parking around the restaurant. read more

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This is always my go to in Memphis. Although all the locations are good they are not all equal. Favorite was the original but last time I was there it was closed for renovation. Next favorite is the one in the germantown area. read more

1/2 order smoked wings naked, buffalo sauce on the side, large side of pork rinds, all washed down with a sweet iced tea! A++ This is by far my favorite Central BBQ location! Update: 6/8/20 - The food is just as good as ever! Order the wings naked, crispy, buffalo and blue cheese on the side with a side order of pork rinds and a sweet tea to wash it all down with! You WILL NOT be disappointed!!!! read more

Central BBQ Poplar - 1/2 order smoked wings naked, buffalo sauce on the side, large side of pork rinds, all washed down with a sweet iced tea! A++ - Barbeque Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee