Best Places To Eat In Memphis
Memphis’s signature food is dry-rub barbecue: a spice rub on the meat, with sauce optional and usually served on the side, distinct from the sauce-forward styles of Kansas City, the vinegar of the Carolinas, or Texas brisket culture. Pulled-pork sandwiches, often topped with slaw, are the other constant. Here’s where to find both, plus what to know about the bill.
The barbecue institutions
Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous, tucked in a downtown alley at 52 S 2nd St, has been serving ribs since 1948 and remains the most famous name in Memphis barbecue; expect a line and a wait, especially at dinner. Central BBQ is the modern favorite with multiple locations and a reliably good plate any night of the week. Cozy Corner is known specifically for its tingly hot sauce and has built a loyal following over decades. Payne’s Bar-B-Q is a cash-only institution, no-frills and old-school, the kind of place locals point out-of-towners toward precisely because it isn’t polished.
Fried chicken, with an asterisk
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken now has a downtown Memphis location, but it actually originated in nearby Mason, Tennessee, not the city itself. It’s worth the detour or the downtown stop regardless: the spicy, crisp fried chicken has built a national reputation.
Beyond barbecue
Soul food and fried catfish are staples across the city’s restaurant scene, a natural pairing with the barbecue culture and worth working into any multi-day trip. Combine a barbecue lunch with a soul food dinner rather than doubling up on the same style twice in one day.
What the bill actually looks like
Tennessee’s sales tax is steep, about 9.75% combined in Memphis, and unlike many states it applies to restaurant food as well as retail purchases, so factor that into your dining budget before you order. Tipping follows standard US practice, 18-20% at sit-down restaurants, with no service charge built in automatically, so check your receipt before adding a tip on top of one already included.
Plan around it
Barbecue works well slotted into any of the city’s core days. Our 2-day itinerary pairs a Beale Street evening with a barbecue dinner, and the things to do guide covers where these stops fit around the music and history core.