Best/Worst Cities for Barbecue HAHAHAHAHA

We were in a hurry, wiki wiki.

 

Nobody gets up near RBS. There are natives of Macon County who don’t get up near RBS. Those people drive towards town to hunt.

The Saturday night house polka band at Gerst Haus used to make fun of the Shoney’s patrons across the street in their asides between numbers.

 

To Westmoreland? I didn't think there was anything there except three businesses with near obscene misspellings of "Country" in their signage and married Mandrell cousins.

 

I would guess more towards Tompkinsville, but that’s strictly a guess. Macon County usually got lumped in with the rest of the Upper Cumberlands, but it was truly a “can’t get there from here” location.

There’s a place back in the hometown on Broad Street that fancies itself a bougie barbecue place. Last indoor meal I had in 2020 I tried the Tompkinsville-style barbecue and then spent the rest of the year craving another plate.

 

My favorite onion rings are from Dyers BBQ in Amarillo. The perfect batter-to-onion ratio.

My fav BBQ meal was Pecan Lodge in Dallas. It's worth the wait of the line around the block.

Now, I need recommendations. My girls and I are going to Memphis in late June. First time for all of us. Where should we eat?

 

Central Barbecue for sure.

 

I actually prefer Old Hickory, although you can't get a beer there. Moonlite is known for its buffet, and Jesus avoids those like the plague unless it's a Jimmy Buff-ay.

 

Never ate at Old Hickory.

My favorite place was Famous Deli for a turkey grinder and bread so good it didn't need butter or oil.

 

Do not go to The Rendezvous. It’s seriously overrated and just not worth the hours you’ll spend waiting on a table.

Central, Payne’s, Interstate, Germantown Commissary and Cozy Corner are all better.

If you have time, drive into Mississippi on a quest for Delta tamales.

 

Rendezvous is great. I've never waited more than a few minutes. The only question is do you want a whole or half rack and what you want to drink.
I have stood in line at Jack's in Nashville longer than I've waited for my order at Rendezvous.
I'm certain you could go at a high traffic time and wait for a table, but the wait time for food has always been surprisingly fast for me.

 

Last time we went to Memphis there wasn't a wait. It was a weeknight in October, though, which might have made a difference.
The fun part was that wife is in a wheelchair, so they had to take us down to the dining room in a service elevator. The path took us through a storage area where they kept a ton of old memorabilia. The guy leading us down there pointed out some of the more interesting things, told some stories, and basically gave us a quick backstage tour of the place.

 

Rendezvous is touristy, but that’s ok because whenever I go to Memphis I’m a tourist anyway. And the dry rub ribs are quite good. The appetizer plate of sausage, cheese, pickles and peppers is even better, but you can get that lots of places.

Civil Rights Museum, Sun Studio, Rock N Soul Museum are all great attractions. Pink Palace is underrated but I probably wouldn’t bother unless you are already in Midtown. I’m not an Elvis person, but Graceland was better than expected, although I’ve no desire to go back.