I love the new Tops Jr. Burger. (Credit: Devin Clegg)
You might have been wondering what the sign that read “Tops is Expecting a New Family Member 03/21” meant at Tops Bar-B-Q locations.
Customers came in and asked, “Which one of y’all are having a baby?” says Tops Operations LLC vice president Hunter Brown.
Of course, the obvious comeback was, “We don’t know what it’s going to be. It’s going to be a surprise,” Brown says.
But signs were different March 21st, Brown says, “Today the board changes and it says, ‘The Jr. Burger Has Arrived.”
Tops already sells a succulent hamburger. So, what is the Jr. Burger? “The Jr. Burger was something that was created as a result of a couple of needs for our guests,” says Tops CEO Randy Hough. “We felt that, number one, we wanted to provide an option for guests that were looking for a little less food, but still wanted to be able to satisfy their appetite.
“And, in addition, this really provided an avenue for those who were looking for great value without sacrificing what they love and expect from a great Tops cheeseburger. The Jr. Burger is still locally sourced, grilled fresh, same great flavor and taste, and ordered with all your favorite toppings. And we paired that with the Jr. Combo, which is a side of fries and a 16-ounce drink.”
The Jr. Burger is $3.99 with cheese. The combo is $6.49 with cheese. The Jr. Burger is a two and a half ounce patty vs. the original four ounce patty. But the Jr. Burger patty is “a little bit larger than your typical junior-size burger,” Hough says.
“But it’s the exact same blend the guests have loved for 70 years plus,” Brown adds.
This is a first for the Tops hamburger as far as he knows, Hough says. “First time we’ve made a little smaller version of what everyone has come to know and love but still has a great flavor and still the same profile, which we’re really happy about. And you don’t have to change your favorite toppings.”
“Our barbecue line has two options: the pork shoulder regular or jumbo. Brisket the same way.”
Ditto for their Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich. “It was never an option for a burger.”
Like their larger cheeseburgers, the Jr. Burger is dressed with mayonnaise, pickles, diced onion, lettuce, and tomato. “But if you just put a little ketchup and mustard on it, it’s perfect for the kids,” Hough says. “You can introduce the newest generation — the younger folks — of Mid-Southerners to the best burger in Memphis.”
Banana pudding is the newest addition to the menu at Tops Bar-B-Que. (Photo: Michael Donahue)
What means “South” as much as barbecue?
Banana pudding.
That’s why Tops Bar-B-Que is debuting its banana pudding Tuesday, August 29th, at all 17 of its locations. That includes the newest store, which will open September 8th at 7960 Cordova Road at Germantown Parkway.
“We’re a place in the South and it’s a requirement to have a banana pudding,” says Hunter Brown with Tops Operations LLC. “We wanted another dessert option outside of our apple turnover. It just makes a lot of sense to add this to our repertoire.”
While he was talking, Brown was driving to Tops locations to watch employees make the pudding. He wants to “make sure everybody is calibrated and doing it the right way.”
They’ve never sold a banana pudding before, even though it’s a natural at barbecue cookouts across the South.
As for creating the banana pudding, Brown says the Tops banana pudding “definitely was designed for the South. It had to have real bananas in the ingredients.”
And, he adds, “We could have gone with a banana puree instead of using real bananas. I’m sure people do. It’s a less expensive way to get a banana pudding out there. We didn’t take any short cuts out there. And we’re real proud.”
In addition to real bananas, the pudding has the traditional vanilla wafers. “It had to have wafers. And then it has to be easy for QSR. It needs to come in containers so you can eat it through a drive-through-window.”
You might think you’re tasting whipped cream in it, but their banana pudding doesn’t have any in it, Brown says. “It’s very fluffy on its own.”
Like any new product, they “do a lot of testing” before it shows up at the Tops locations. “We try all different kinds and types of ways to do it. The main objective is that it’s good for the guests. Right? So, that’s got to be one of the boxes checked.
“But another box that has to be checked is, it’s not going to get in the way of important things we do like pork and burgers. It’s got to be operationally fitting for us as well. Not only do guests get what they deserve with a new product, but they get what they expect from all of our great products.”
For more than two years, Brown and Tops CEO Randy Hough talked about adding banana pudding to the menu. “And then we prioritized things that we need. A smoked barbecue bologna sandwich was number one on our list.”
This was followed by a chicken option for their customers. Tops Fire Braised Chicken was born.
They then looked at their sides and came up with their macaroni and cheese.
And, like their mac and cheese, the banana pudding can be added to the Tops combo for $1 more.
Tops banana pudding is here to stay. “It’s a Southern thing. Absolutely.”
I had to try TWO of the new Tops Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich with Memphis white sauce (Credit: Marlissa Newsom)
I ate chicken for the first time at Tops Bar-B-Q. That’s because I now can eat chicken at Tops Bar-B-Q. It’s long been a missing ingredient at the Memphis-based chain of restaurants.
The experience was delightful. I tried the new Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich with Memphis white sauce, which recently was introduced at a few Tops locations. I ate mine at the Poplar spot.
It’s delicious. I knew it would be, so I ordered two sandwiches right off the bat. It’s a pulled — like Tops barbecue — sandwich, so it has that same consistency. And the sauce is creamy and good, with a little bite to it. Though there was enough sauce on the sandwich, I ordered extra sauce because I’m a slatherer. I even ate it right out of the container.
So, I guess you’d call me a fan of the new Tops food addition.
Tops’ Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich with Memphis white sauce (Credit: Michael Donahue)(Credit: Michael Donahue)
The chicken sandwich, which is slated to come to all Tops locations in December, is currently available at the Southaven and Frayser Boulevard locations (as well as the Poplar location I visited).
Fire-Braised Chicken is chicken seared over fire, says Tops CEO Randy Hough. It’s topped with a Memphis white sauce, which was based on Alabama white sauce. Tops created its own version of Alabama’s creamy, tangy white sauce in house, but Tops “put a little twist” on it, Hough says.
“This sauce is very similar in terms of remaining really creamy and tangy, but there’s just a little bit of something different on the back end,” he says. “I don’t want to call it ‘hot’ or ‘heat,’ but there’s a little snap to it on the back end.”
And, he says, “It fits well in the city of Memphis. We do things a little unique.”
As far as Hough knows, this is the first time Tops has ever offered a chicken option. “Now it’s time. We said, ‘Let’s do a limited time special.’ We fell in love with this chicken product. A pulled chicken and sauce. It’s a great way to marry this together and give our guests an option for chicken.”
So, of course, I had to ask Hough, “What about selling Tops barbecued chicken some day?”
“Certainly we’ve considered that,” Hough says. “We’re not there today because we want to think this can stand alone on its own right now.”
Chicken will go great with Tops barbecue sauce, Hough adds. But they don’t want to “steal anything away” from their new chicken sandwich.
The Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich with Memphis white sauce is currently available at the following Tops Bar-B-Q locations: 2288 Frayser Boulevard, 5144 Poplar Avenue, and 313 Stateline Road West in Southaven.
Michael Donahue tries a Smoked BBQ Bologna sandwich at Tops Bar-B-Q. (Credit: Morgan Leslie)
I was having lunch with Elvis at a Tops Bar-B-Q on Summer Avenue when I noticed a sign announcing the restaurant’s new “Smoked BBQ Bologna.”
First of all, I wasn’t actually eating with Elvis, of course. I was dining at a booth beneath a photo of the King, who was wearing a shiny (silk?) jacket, black pants, loafers, and light-colored socks while kneeling in front of a pink Cadillac. The car actually had the letters “TCB,” which look like chrome, on the front. The license plate sign says “1957.”
When I eat at Tops, I think of growing up in the 1950s and smelling barbecue cooking in the pit when my family drove by a Tops location.
Over the years, Tops, which opened in 1952, has served its fantastic barbecue with sauce and slaw and its incredibly-good hamburgers. I remember when they began selling brisket sandwiches and ribs 17 years ago. They began selling turkey burgers, one of my all-time favorite fast food items, 10 years ago. I have it dressed like the hamburger with mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.
But a new food item at Tops is rare. Smoked BBQ Bologna is the first new Tops item in 10 years.
I talked to Tops Operations LLC vice-president Hunter Brown and CEO Randy Hough about the new Smoked BBQ Bologna sandwich, which launched in April — just in time for Tops’ 70th birthday..
Smoked BBQ Bologna Sandwich at Tops Bar-B-Que (Credit: Michael Donahue)
A barbecue bologna sandwich is “a Memphis staple,” Brown says. So, they decided Tops should have one. “We saw the need from our guests. And we heard their voice. When you hear so many guests give their thoughts and ask, ‘Why don’t you have something,’ you’ve got to pay attention. That’s why Tops has been successful for 70 years.”
“New items have been few and far between here at Tops,” Hough says. And, he adds, “We’ve been hesitant to add new things to our menu line.”
Their “focus is on barbecue and hamburgers” and they want to “stay true” to those items.
Hunter Brown and Randy Hough. (Credit: Lynn Hantz)
They cook their barbecue over a direct fire pit. “A lot of barbecue companies don’t do that. They use smokers instead.”
Tops also uses charcoal and hickory wood. “Everything you think about in your backyard with your charcoal grill.”
And, he says, “It takes a lot more dedication than to put it in the smoker, set the timer, and walk away.
“We still use a smaller smoker for other items, but not for our core barbecue. It’s cooked in our open fire pit. It takes time and skill to do that.”
They always wanted to do barbecue bologna, Brown says. “We decided to go ahead and test it with some people in the area. Some of our guests.”
They invited a focus group of their customers to try the barbecue bologna last February. People said, “Wow. This is one of the best we’ve had in the city.”
“We score it and season it with our rib rub and then we smoke it. After smoking it, we grill each one to order.”
They then put it on a bun and add their “famous slaw and our signature Tops barbecue sauce.”
They introduced the Smoked BBQ Bologna at their Southaven location. “It was a resounding success across the board.”
Tops’ Olive Branch, Mississippi location announced the new sandwich. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I visited Tops the next day and tried a Smoked BBQ Bologna sandwich. It’s delicious.
I told Brown and Hough about smelling the barbecue when I drive past Tops. “It’s kind of like a billboard for us,” Brown says. “Cooking daily to have that smoke coming out. To have that rolling smoke. Even if you’re not on your way to Tops, it just lures you in.”
The aroma, which emanates from the chimney tops, “just gets you hungry,” Hough says. And, he adds, “You’re cooking them over an open fire with hickory wood and charcoal. And you’re going to get that kind of smell. Just like you would in the backyard.”
As for upcoming new items, Brown says, “We do have some thoughts.” But they don’t want to “take away from the burger and pork sandwiches.”
They’ve tried some items, which they tested internally or at other locations, that never made it out, Hough says. For example, they had a fried pie, made by a small business in Arkansas. But the pies caused operational issues.
Tops still carries its popular apple turnovers. “That’s a staple. Been with us for a long time. That is a guest favorite.”
Getting back to that guy named Elvis, Brown says the King was a customer at the Tops on Union. “We still today have the Elvis room in there.”
This photo of Elvis hangs in several Tops locations. (Courtesy Tops Bar-B-Q)
Elvis also ate at “Summer and National and Thomas as well, but Union was where he spent most of his time.”
George Montague, who was Tops general manager for 45 years, is a “big fan of Elvis.”
While they’ve got some photos of Elvis at Tops, none picture him holding a barbecue or hamburger, Brown says. “Every time I see him, he’s got a soda in his hand.” But he knows Elvis ate the food at Tops, too.
The late J. W. Lawson was founder and the late George Messick was the second generation owner of Tops, which now has 16 locations, and continues to grow.
All locations sell the new Smoked BBQ Bologna sandwich.
Says Brown: “It was originally intended to be a limited time offer, but the city of Memphis has voted with their feedback — and their stomachs. Smoked BBQ Bologna is here to stay.”
