Memphis BBQ — Style Guide
Region: Memphis, Tennessee
Signature dish: Dry-Rubbed Ribs
Wood: Hickory
Memphis is a pork town. The city's pitmasters are famous for dry-rubbed ribs coated in a complex blend of paprika, garlic, and spices — no sauce needed. Order your ribs "dry" for the full spice crust experience, or "wet" if you want them mopped with a tangy tomato-based sauce. Pulled pork sandwiches piled high on a bun with coleslaw are another Memphis staple. The city's BBQ contest scene is legendary.
Key Meats
- Pork Ribs
- Pulled Pork
- Pork Shoulder
History of Memphis BBQ
Memphis BBQ is deeply woven into the city's soul, shaped by the Mississippi River trade routes and African American culinary traditions. Beale Street and the surrounding neighborhoods became hubs for smokehouses serving working-class communities. The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, founded in 1978, elevated the city's BBQ to international fame and remains the Super Bowl of competitive BBQ.
What to Order at a Memphis BBQ Joint
- Dry-Rubbed Ribs — The Memphis signature — complex spice crust, no sauce
- Wet Ribs — Same ribs, mopped with tangy tomato-based sauce
- Pulled Pork Sandwich — Piled high on a bun, topped with coleslaw
- BBQ Nachos — A Memphis invention — nachos loaded with pulled pork
Memphis BBQ Sauce
Tangy, tomato-based with vinegar bite. Memphis sauce balances sweet, sour, and heat. Many joints offer both dry and wet options.
Top Memphis BBQ Restaurants
- Sticky Fingers Rib House — North Charleston, South Carolina
- Baby Blues BBQ — Los Angeles, California
- Whole Hog Cafe — Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey
- Red Hot & Blue Annapolis — Annapolis, Maryland
- BARK BBQ — Plymouth, Massachusetts
- Red Hot & Blue Fairfax Blvd. — Fairfax, Virginia
- Central BBQ - Midtown — Memphis, Tennessee