Patio Porkers is back, but on Beale Street.
It has been division for amateur barbecue teams for years, offering smaller sites and lower costs for teams during the Memphis In May (MIM) World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Patio Porkers was cut in 2021 when the contest temporarily moved to Liberty Park. The division came back, though, during last year’s contest.
MIM made no announcement that the Patio Porkers division had been cut. But a Friday statement from the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) characterized the division as “formerly part” of the MIM barbecue contest.
This year’s inaugural Patio Porkers on Beale event will be organized by the DMC and Beale Street Management. The event will bring 30 teams to Handy Park on Saturday, May 20th for a single-day, ribs-only competition.
“We can’t wait to welcome 30 of the best backyard barbecue teams to world-famous Beale for the ultimate amateur title,” said DMC president Paul Young. “Bringing the Patio Porkers competition to Beale just feels right.”
The competition is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society competition. The winning team will take home $1,000 in prize money, a trophy, and bragging rights.
The contest will be free and open to the public. But — as any MIM barbecue vet will tell you — that doesn’t mean it’s free to eat. Teams usually cook for themselves, their friends, and judges and are not obligated to share any food with the public.
However, the DMC noted that Beale Street has 10 restaurants that all serve barbecue. They include:
Alfred’s on Beale
BB King’s Blues Club
Blues City Cafe
Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe & Honky Tonk
Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar & Grill
King’s Palace Cafe
The Pig on Beale
Rum Boogie Cafe
Silky O’Sullivan’s
Tin Roof
Applications for teams are now available with a deadline of April 3rd. Click here for more details.