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    William's Bar-B Q

    4.6 (100 reviews)
    InexpensiveBarbeque
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

    William's Bar-B Q Photos

    Business Info

    WILLIAM'S BAR-B Q ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Bbq sandwich
    Tiffany B.

    I'm not a big bbq pork person, usually beef, however , MY GOODNESS!!!! The pork was AMAZING!!!!! The smoke flavor was perfect, sauce complimented the meat. I'm from TX, we have hill country bbq, yet to find that quality, until now. THAT WAS THE BEST BBQ SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD!!!!! Have to say too, the service was great. The man working there was so friendly and helpful. They are busy, seems like the door swung open every minute. Says a lot about a pretty small restaurant. GET A BBQ SANDWICH, IT IS WORTHY TO BE ON YOUR BUCKET LIST FOR FOOD!!!!!

    Jason B.

    Mr Williams always has some of the best bbq sandwiches in Memphis imo . When u walk in he's always there to greet u with a smile and some friendly chit chat. The food is so dam good it's a crime if u pass this place up. If you're in the area and hankering some bbq go give Mr Williams some love & u won't be disappointed

    Mr. Williams is the god of barbecued pork. Get yourself here!
    Scott S.

    Wow.... Just wow. Traveling through and wants hoping foe some barbecue. This place popped up. This is a "hole-in-the-wall" place. I don't remember if they have a table. We had the pulled pork with slaw sandwich. The man himself was siding behind the counter. The woman who helped us was very friendly and helpful. We picked up and drove off. To say it was a holy experience would NOT be an overstatement. Did I say WOW? We were going to drive back but we were kind of rushed. If I am ever back this way. I will make a pilgrimage to THE BEST barbecued pork sandwich I have ever had.

    a picture of a man holding a sandwich
    Andrea S.

    This is a very small family restaurant. Hardly any seating inside, so everyone just order takeouts. Simple menu and very affordable. We got our food pretty fast.

    Awesome bbq sandwiches and yummy fries!
    Alex S.

    Tried William's while on a bbq tour of the Memphis area. Added them to the list at the last minute and so glad I did. We tried them shortly after they had opened. The interior looked basic but had some seating so we chose to fine in. We ordered the regular bbq sandwiches, with fries and baked bean for sides. What a fantastic sandwich. Quintessential Memphis bbq with smoked chopped pork topped with slaw and a terrific sauce. Just delicious, comparable to the more famous Payne's. And the sides were great too! Loved the seasoned fries actually. This place is a hidden gem, and has been open a very long time with the owner still working behind the counter. Friendly people and I hope they're open for many year to come. If you love barbecue you owe it to yourself to give them a try.

    Jumbo with seasoned fries. It was pretty darn good! Wish I'd bought some to take home.
    Brian L.

    I don't normally work in Left Memphis, but I found this near where I was and saw that it had 5 stars for 25 reviews. I normally don't start off with BBQ at most places, because it has to be really good to impress me. I felt pretty confident it would be good based on the review average, so I got a jumbo with fries. Mr. Williams was behind the counter. This man is in his 80s. Such a cool old guy. He opened this place 54 years ago in 63. He knows his BBQ. He said he still cooks it himself 6 days a week. I talked to him for about 10 minutes. I asked him what a jumbo cost in 63 when he opened, but he couldn't remember. These guys are pretty slow. Mr. Williams has his own old school way of doing things. There's no cash register or fancy computers. He adds and subtracts on notebook paper. He won't take your order until the last person is served. He had two people working in the back, but he only gives them one order at a time. He says this way they can't make mistakes. I got lucky getting there before the crowd did, but when the crowd did get there, it was a 30 minute wait. Nobody bitched about it. They waited on their food because they knew how good it was. I asked Mr. Williams when he would retire and what would become of his place. He said he'll never retire and he won't quit working until they take him to Forest Hill. One of his employees will inherit the restaurant to keep it going. It's an old building, but not necessarily in a bad way. It'll do for BBQ, but I wouldn't make it a place for date night. But then again, being it's Arkansas, it's not that bad. As far as the BBQ goes, it was 5 star. Not necessarily the best I've ever had, but it was one of them. I dare you to write a negative review! Trust me, it's good!!

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    2 months ago

    Been there twice now. Great food, hot fresh and flavorful and friendly service. The place didn't disappoint

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    1 year ago

    Awesome food! The food speaks for itself ,,, literally!!!!!!!! It's delicious made fresh made right served right n they have deserts too

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    3 years ago

    Best pork sandwiches we have ever had! Food came out fast. DEFINITELY give it a try!!

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    Central BBQ - BBQ pork sandwich with slaw

    Central BBQ

    3.9(2.7k reviews)
    6.3 miDowntown
    $$

    We went to the main Central BBQ location which happens to be across the street from the Civil…read moreRights 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.

    First timers here and the service was friendly and attentive. The area was quiet enough that we…read morecould hold a conversation with lots of seating. A nice layout for sure. We had the ribs and pulled pork. The ribs were good and tender and the pulled pork was good but a bit on the dry side. I just used more bbq sauce. All in all it was a very nice place for lunch after visiting the National Civil Rights Museum just across the way.

    Photos
    Central BBQ - View of the quasi-outdoor covered seating area

    View of the quasi-outdoor covered seating area

    Central BBQ - I am nkw aware that lean beef means different things.

    I am nkw aware that lean beef means different things.

    Central BBQ - Absolutely delicious banana pudding.

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    Absolutely delicious banana pudding.

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

    4.5(3.7k reviews)
    6.2 miDowntown
    $$

    Loved everything about Gus's! I avoid meat mostly, but I was…read morenot about to miss trying famous fried chicken! The restaurant is tucked away on a small, empty street. There is plenty of parking in a lot across the street. We went inside and found it to be pretty busy, but we got a table for 4 quickly. The place was clean and homey-feeling and I loved the fact that they used disposable plates, utensils and napkins! It is probably way easier on the crew to clean up, and it adds to the relaxed atmosphere. I had the corn nuggets to start, yum! We finished them easily, they were so good. Then the entree of my chicken tenders, beans, and Mac and cheese came out, along with my sweet tea. The sweet tea was perfect, I drank a whole one during my meal and they gave me another to go in the souvenir Gus's cup. The food was just great, chicken was juicy and perfectly crunchy on the outside. Beans and Mac and cheese, delicious! I ate all of it even though I was stuffed. I even went so far as to order a piece of pecan pie for dessert, but unfortunately our server came back out to tell us they were out of it! Guess it wasn't meant to be (this time)! Our server was really friendly during our whole meal, chatted with us a little and made sure we had a great experience! Bottom line.... Go to Gus's!

    The place was a small building in downtown Memphis. Parking was limited in front of restaurant but…read morefree. The service was good. We were seated quickly and served quickly. The waiter was nice and attentive. He made sure we had what we needed and wanted. Seven is his name. The food was not world famous. The chicken was spicy and bland. No seasoning. The Mac and cheese tasted like boxed Mac and cheese with shredded cheese on top. The greens tasted like can greens not fresh. The best thing was the souvenir cup. I will not return. I gave it 2 stars because it was free parking in front of restaurant and the good service from seven.

    Photos
    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - View from our table

    View from our table

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - Up close leg

    Up close leg

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - Look for the chicken!

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    Look for the chicken!

    Blues City Cafe - Ribs

    Blues City Cafe

    4.0(2k reviews)
    6.4 miDowntown
    $$

    Muy buen servicio! 100% Recomendable! La comida muy rica y…read moreel ambiente es muy bueno!

    We had a nice little meal here at this casual spot right along the western edge of Beale Street…read more Since we visited on a weekend evening, they had the whole road blocked off, so you had to enter from the north or west side to avoid entering the walkable area which requires you to pay a $5 entry. This entire restaurant is built on a slight slope, and they did not level the foundation when building out the restaurant, so if you're sitting at your table and the table is aligned north to south, you will see a slight lean to the flooring. Also, if you have any juices on your plate of food, the juices will flow toward Beale Street. I wanted to try their tamales but will have to do it on a subsequent visit. This visit we ordered the bowl of gumbo and the Memphis strip steak which is pre-cut for you. The gumbo is slightly salty but good. The strip steak was really good, filling and cooked to order. I chose new potatoes as my one side. Service here can be a little difficult depending how busy they are and how wild your fellow patrons in the restaurant can be. It took a long time to pay the bill here due to a large party coming in right when we were wanting to pay and our server was attending to them for about 15 mins while we were trying to flag him down. Other than that, we had no other problems. I would happily return the next time I'm in the downtown area and looking for food near Beale Street.

    Photos
    Blues City Cafe - Downstairs

    Downstairs

    Blues City Cafe - Yummmmm

    Yummmmm

    Blues City Cafe - Memphis strip steak

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    Memphis strip steak

    William's Bar-B Q - bbq - Updated May 2026

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