In the beginning there was nothing, and the universe sang the blues. But later, there was man, and it was good, and there was fire, and it was good, and there was pig, and it was good. And some good person (coulda been Adam, coulda been Eve) saw that fire and pig belonged together, and it was oh so good. (Funny story: Eve liked ribs so much she tried one of Adam’s. Meh, not much flavor.) In truth, nobody knows exactly where fire met pig, but everybody agrees on where it was perfected: Memphis, the Garden of Eatin’.
Fast-forward to today, when not only has the marriage of fire and pig been perfected in Memphis, it’s been perfected in many different
ways across the city. Barbecuing ribs is an art in Memphis, with many
masters finding delicious subtlety in some fundamental variations: dry
or dripping wet, spicy or sweet, spare or baby back ribs.
We here at the Memphis Flyer have taken upon ourselves the
enormous burden of seeking out the best of the best of the best in
Mid-South barbecue rib-ery. It’s a noble quest for fire and pig, we’ll
admit, and one not taken without some measure of sober reflection. With
a passive mien, we assumed the mantle of responsibility and trudged
toward our fates, each step heavier than the … oh, who are we
kidding, it was the most fun thing ever! The Flyer staff was
full of smiles — saucy, meaty-toothed smiles — for three
days, as we performed our self-elected duty.
Justin Fox Burks
Ten years ago, the Flyer conducted a similar contest,
sampling ribs from all over to find a winner. The story, published May
20, 1999, with a cover featuring Flyer writer Chris Davis’ belly
emblazoned with a saucy “Q,” found a tie at the top, with the best ribs
coming from Willingham’s and Corky’s, followed by Cozy Corner and
Pig-n-Whistle (honorable mentions: Gridley’s, the BBQ Shop, and
Rendezvous).
Volunteering for judging duty this time around were Greg Akers, Tess
Bailey, Mary Cashiola, Chris Davis, Chris Herrington, and Bruce
VanWyngarden. We cast our nets around the ribs from 14 must-sample
local establishments. We halved the list and held two qualifying
rounds, with a half-dozen finalists competing on a third day. Scoring
from the initial round did not carry over. The plate, as it were, was
wiped clean.
Unfortunately, one of the winners from a decade ago, Willingham’s,
is no longer with us. Thankfully, the ‘cue master from that
establishment, John Willingham himself, is, and he graciously agreed to
talk fire and pig with the judges and administer the rites of his Order
of the Apron. A multi-time winner at the Memphis in May World
Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Willingham is a nationally known
expert in the field.
Justin Fox Burks
John Willingham
Willingham preached the gospel of the rib, which has five basic
tenets: appearance, aroma, taste, chewability, and memory. On barbecue
sauce, Willingham said, “Generally speaking, people cover up that which
you love to see — it’s like a woman wears a dress.” And the
congregation (well, some of us), replied, “Amen.” Of barbecue judging,
Willingham said, “We wanted to make it formal but with an element of
freedom. I believe in the freedom of barbecue.”
With freedom in mind, the contest was fashioned after good ole
American democracy. Restaurants were not told that the orders of ribs
would be used for a contest: We judged the ‘cue that anyone can get on
any given day. Ribs were then assigned numbers, so the judges didn’t
know where they came from.
Armed with score sheets based on those used in the Memphis in May
contest (which broke down judging into four categories: Appearance of
Entry, Tenderness of Entry, Flavor of Entry, and Overall Impression),
our motley ‘cue crew got to work. Rib by rib, we employed all of our
senses to determine who has the best ribs in Memphis. Each judge had
his or her preferences, of course, but cumulatively we came up with a
final ranking. Who won? Read on, reader.
The Top Three:
Justin Fox Burks
#1 The BBQ Shop
1. The BBQ Shop: On the first day of testing, the BBQ Shop’s
rack of ribs scored well but only topped one of our six judges’
ballots. “Pulls off bone nicely, but a little dry,” one judge wrote.
“It has a different taste from any other rib. Unique, but I’m not going
to daydream about it. The meat is almost too subtle, but it’s there and
pretty good,” another decided.
In the final round, however, the BBQ Shop left our judges plenty to
daydream about, finishing in the Top 2 on five of six ballots and
excelling in every category. Appearance: “Big bones with meat on top of
the rib.” “An appealing color — warm blend of red and gold.”
Texture: “The texture couldn’t be more perfect. Stays on the bone but
comes off the second the tooth hits it — and moist!” “Terrific
chewability.” Taste: “Sweet, excellent sauce, with the flavor of the
meat emerging as you chew.” “Good blend of spices and good meat
flavor.” And overall: “Two-faced — wet on one side, dry on the
other. These are Hannah Montana ribs — the best of both worlds.”
One judged summed up the collective reaction: “I am very happy about
this rib.”
2. Leonard’s: The bold, heavy rub on Leonard’s ribs split our
judges on the first tasting. “The rub is too thick and salty. It
overwhelms the meat but has a nice hint of heat,” one judge wrote.
Another agreed: “Too much spice — it overpowers the flavor of
everything else.” Others were knocked out by the intensity: “Pops with
taste,” one judge gushed. “The dry rub is magnificently strong.
Fantastic. Wanted to eat all of it off the bone.” Another wrote,
“Wonderful, wonderful spice. Coriander? Mustard? Complex, smoky
flavors, but the flavor of the meat a little covered up.”
In the finals, Leonard’s seemed to find the right balance of spice
and meat: “Spicy, but doesn’t overwhelm the smoke, which doesn’t
overwhelm the meat,” one judge proclaimed. “Piquant, tangy with a nice
blend of sweet and smoky and an appealing aftertaste,” wrote another
judge. “Very spicy and tasty,” another agreed. “Just the right mix of
spice, heat, and saltiness, and not too sweet. Yummy.” Still, this is
one rib that is not for those who can’t take intense flavors: “I worked
this bone as long as I could, but you’ll need a beverage with it.”
3. The Pig on Beale: Neither as universally known as the
likes of Rendezvous or Corky’s, nor boasting the hipster/connoisseur
cred of Cozy Corner or Payne’s, The Pig on Beale is a relatively recent
entrant to the Memphis’ ‘cue scene, and it’s tucked away on Memphis’
most famous street, where music and nightlife tend to overshadow
food.
But our judges were impressed by the consistent, smoky, “pink to the
bone” flavor of the Pig’s ribs: “Too sweet and very little spice, but
the smoke is brilliant. The meat’s flavor swells in the mouth,” one
judge wrote. “Tender, smoky,” another said. “Tender and easy to bite
off the bone — a nice lean texture. It’s sweet on top and
smoky underneath. Good flavor,” one judge decided. The sweetness of the
Pig’s offerings was the only aspect that split our judges, though
everyone appreciated the beauty of the “dark, red, caramelized
exterior.” “It’s a dessert rib,” one judge wrote, capturing what seemed
to be a consensus of opinion.
Justin Fox Burks
Left to right: Bruce VanWyngarden, Chris Davis, Greg Akers, Chris
Runners-Up
Rendezvous: The spicy rub on this Memphis staple was a big
hit with our judges. “Looks good like a dry rib should, with whole
mustard seeds and crumbled spice that’s still green (!) amid the red
and black,” one judge marveled. “Very pretty with lots of spice on top
of what looks like a generous portion of meat,” another judge wrote.
But while our judges loved the spice, they were merely satisfied with
the rest of the package. “Brilliant spice mix on nicely grilled meat,
though it has very little smoke or other noteworthy characteristics,”
one judge decided. Another summed up the overall impression: “This
tastes like backyard-cookout ribs but in a good way.”
Pig-n-Whistle: The dark-glazed ribs from this suburban staple
drew a mixed reaction. “The sweet sauce overpowers the meat,” one judge
complained. Another cracked: “I don’t like having to forage my meat off
the plate from a puddle of sauce. But maybe that’s just me.” If one
judge thought Pig-n-Whistle’s sauce was a “cover-up,” another disagreed
by inverting Willingham’s aphorism: “The sauce, in this case, is like a
well-cut dress on a woman — it enhances.” And there was plenty of
agreement on this issue. “Good sauce flavor — rich, hearty, not
too sweet, and you can still taste the meat,” one judge wrote.
Interstate: On its first tasting, three different judges
praised Interstate’s tangy sauce as a nice complement to meat whose
“the texture is perfect — it pulls off the bone easily, but
doesn’t fall off. Moist, but not mushy.” “This rib has good flavor that
improves — swells — after you swallow,” another wrote.
A second tasting, however, drew criticism for the
“tomato-paste-looking” sauce that drew “dress-on-a-woman” complaints.
So Interstate suffered from inconsistency. Even on the second day,
however, two judges praised the “subtle heat” of Interstate’s ribs.
Honorable Mentions
(These contenders just missed making the finals in a close
vote):
Central BBQ: Several judges were taken aback by the dark
appearance of Central’s rack: “Looks burned, the appearance almost
makes you not want to eat it,” one judge wrote, echoing others’
sentiments. Some judges had a different reaction to the “as dark as my
coffee” appearance: “a dark rub with evidence of smoke on the bone. Not
pretty like a wet rib, but you can tell the meat’s going to be good
underneath.” Once judges sank their teeth into Central’s ribs, there
was a similarly split opinion. “Inconsistent, the taste is almost
oily,” one judge complained. Another thought their ribs had a “dry,
agey” taste. But others were impressed: “Good smoky flavor to the meat,
solid mix of spice up top,” one judge praised. “Meat is smoky and
juicy. The spice rub is subtle but gains over time, with a spicy kick
at the end,” another wrote. A third said the meat “pulls off the bone
just right, with a pleasant texture.”
Germantown Commissary: The chewy texture of Germantown
Commissary’s ribs was a consistent subject of either minor or major
complaints: “Tough and chewy, really chewy. This did not do it for me,”
one judge wrote. “The meat needs to be more tender,” another wrote.
“Sticks to the bone a little too much but has a nice texture to the
taste,” another judge wrote. Commissary scored well in other areas,
though: “Nice hint of smokiness and good balance of sweetness,” one
judge wrote of the flavor. “A solid rib, though not as spicy as it
could be. Lingers and improves. A subtle ‘cue that sneaks up on you,”
one judge praised. Another summed up the Commissary’s entry this way:
“Great overall performance in terms of taste and appearance but not as
tender as it could be. But I’ll remember this one.”
Cozy Corner: The first ribs tasted, our judges hadn’t quite
found their groove in terms of juggling messy finger food and
comment-writing, but two judges complained that Cozy Corner’s ribs had
too much fat, while another questioned the “petroleum aftertaste.” But
another described these thick ribs as “beautiful” and praised the
“great spice mix.”
We judged the following 14 restaurants. Click on a restaurant name to leave your own comments and reviews!
(*Denotes location where we picked up the ribs for this
contest)
A&R (1802 Elvis Presley Blvd., 7174 Stage Rd., 3721 Hickory
Hill Rd., *22 N. 3rd St.)
Blues City Café (138 Beale St.)
The BBQ Shop (1782 Madison Ave.)
Central BBQ (*2249 Central Ave., 4375 Summer Ave.)
Corky’s (*5259 Poplar Ave., 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy., 743 W.
Poplar Ave.)
Cozy Corner (745 N. Parkway)
Germantown Commissary (2290 S. Germantown Rd.)
Interstate (*2265 S. 3rd St., 150 W. Stateline Rd.)
Leonard’s (*103 N. Main St., 5465 Fox Plaza Dr.)
Neely’s (5700 Mount Moriah Rd., *670 Jefferson Ave.)
Payne’s (1762 Lamar Ave.)
The Pig on Beale (167 Beale St.)
Pig-n-Whistle (*2740 Bartlett Rd., 4265 Hacks Cross Rd., 6084
Kerr-Rosemark Rd.)
Rendezvous (52 S. 2nd St.)