Every May as our barbecue issue rolls around, we the writers at the Flyer think to ourselves, what is left to cover about barbecue that we haven’t already covered? The answer is a lot — when you live in Memphis. There are so many places doing barbecue — those little outdoor barbecue spots around the corner with the single smoker and hand-painted sign or the well-established restaurant with ribs on the menu that you never thought to order because you never thought to look for ribs there. So we went out in the world, looking for those spots that get left off our radar. Maybe you already know and love them, but we figured it’s time for even more love.
Alex’s Tavern Ribs
Rocky Kasaftes says he put his ribs on the menu at Alex’s about 15 years ago. He cooks them in a smoker just outside the tavern door.
“When I first started cooking, guys would stop by the grill on their way inside and give me advice because everybody thinks he’s a barbecue expert,” Kasaftes says. “I listened, but I just told them I’d figure it out. And I did.”
Kasaftes got confirmation that his ribs are top-notch in an unusual way. “The late Jennifer Biggs [food writer for the Commercial Appeal] was taking some out-of-town barbecue judges around town to the big-name places,” Kasaftes recalls. “Then she told them she was going to take them to one more place, but it wasn’t really a barbecue joint.
“She’d told me she was coming and to hold a couple of slabs for her, but these guys came in with note cards and started judging. I was like, ‘What the heck?’ But they really liked the ribs. They told me that judges look for a good ‘bark’ and a little tug when you take a bite. If the meat falls off the bone, they say it’s overcooked, even though lots of people like them that way. Anyway, they liked my ribs.”
Rocky sets a plate of those ribs in front of me, and, let me tell you, there’s a lot to like. I’ve never seen ribs with this much meat on them. They are thick, perfectly done. Yes, there’s that subtle tug when you take a bite, but the pork is tender and moist and full of smoky flavor — some of the best ribs I’ve had in Memphis.
“I cook them for six to eight hours, keeping the heat around 200 degrees,” Kasaftes says. “I use a mixture of Lea & Perrin’s, Wicker’s, and Greek seasoning, and I put some sauce on the side so you can eat them dry or wet.”
They are, in a word, delicious. As I leave, I feel another subtle tug, and it’s calling me back to eat these ribs again next week. — Bruce VanWyngarden
1445 Jackson Avenue
Smoky City BBQ
Smoky City is the perfect name for a barbecue joint, and you’d think there would be many Smoky City BBQ’s across the South. What purveyor of pork wouldn’t want to entice customers with a promise of the ultimate smokey flavor, the holy grail of barbecue aficionados? Yet search engines reveal there’s only one Smoky City BBQ, and it’s right here in Memphis. And it wasn’t named only for the flavor of its fine pork shoulder and ribs, but for the neighborhood in which it’s situated.
The area was a haven for Black property owners after the Civil War. “Klondike and Smokey City are two of the oldest and most historic neighborhoods in North Memphis. Numerous civil rights leaders have called the area home,” notes High Ground News. “It’s been said that Smokey City got its name from the active smokestacks of blacksmiths in the area.” These days, since smokestacks and blacksmiths have become things of the past, another kind of smoke rises over the roofs of the neighborhood, and it smells like lunch.
That’s why I make a detour for Smoky City BBQ [no “e”], and it does not disappoint. Started in 2016 by Nathan Strong Sr., it’s his son, Nathan Strong Jr., who is running things when I show up. He’s a no-BS kind of guy and apologizes for the lack of ribs that day, but my chopped shoulder sandwich with fries does not disappoint.
The tenderness of the meat is complemented by its savory smokiness. It’s easily one of the best barbecue sandwiches I’ve had in the city, and that’s saying something. Topped with coleslaw and a generous helping of not-too-sweet, tangy sauce (not at all hot), it’s perfection. And gloriously messy. But that’s okay — all the best barbecue is. The fries are expertly seasoned as well, with perhaps a touch of garlic salt to make them stand out in a city full of fries.
As one woman picks up her to-go order, another customer asks her, “First time here?”
“It’s my third time!” she exclaims, rushing out the door with her order to get home and dig in. The smoke foretells what all of us already know: We’ll be returning again and again. — Alex Greene
1023 Jackson Avenue
Malia’s Wings
As my dad and I pulled up to Malia’s Wings, the first thing we saw was a man cooking outside on a barbecue smoker. This was all we needed to see to know we were in for a treat. Being from Clarksdale, Mississippi, originally, my earliest introductions to barbecue were centered around smokers like this, either at family gatherings or at local barbecue spots around town. As time passed, I’ve fancied a barbecue sandwich or two from a chain or fast food restaurant, but there’s nothing like eating something straight from the pit.
When we approached the truck, we saw Gregory Graham, the owner of Malia’s, firing up a number of meats from smoked sausages to bologna, further feeding my nostalgia. The menu displayed what was hidden under the hood with items such as turkey legs, wings, and slabs of ribs, making my decision harder. I opted for a pulled shoulder sandwich with coleslaw, and within minutes I was handed a bag with a foil-wrapped item. This simple transaction let me know I had made the right choice.
I like my barbecue on the sweeter side but not too sweet. It seems like Malia’s has mastered the perfect combination of sweet and smoky, with the cole slaw adding the creaminess and crunch that makes an optimal barbecue sandwich. The sandwich also didn’t get soggy on the way home, nor did it fall apart in my hands, which is always a bonus. — Kailynn Johnson
3262 Park Avenue
Belmont Grill Ribs
Ask a friend next time if they’ve ever tried Belmont Grill’s barbecued ribs.
They will probably say, “I didn’t know Belmont sold ribs.”
Well, they do. And they have been since the ’80s, says manager/owner Jeff Anderson.
Back in the ’80s, I used to indulge by ordering the ribs at Belmont. They were more expensive than other items on the menu, so it was a luxury to get them.
In my opinion, they don’t taste like ribs you get anywhere else in town. They have their own distinctive flavor.
Belmont ribs are cooked in an Alto-Shaam, a commercial oven that makes the meat tender, Anderson told me. They’re slathered with a sweetish-tasting barbecue sauce.
These may have been the first wet ribs I ever had. I remember how juicy and messy they were the first time I tried them. I like dry ribs, too, but Belmont’s are my go-to wet ribs.
“They’re not really the traditional ‘how people do ribs in the smokers,’” Anderson says. The ribs are “in a moisturizing kind of oven [that] kind of breaks them down. They’re just not as tough.”
You can order half or a full order of the ribs. Half is five bones and full is eight bones. They come with slaw and a side item.
I told Anderson about telling a couple of people the other day about Belmont ribs and they, again, said they didn’t know Belmont sold ribs.
“A lot of people don’t look at the menu. They always get the same thing every time. They don’t know that they’re on there. But the regular customers who know they’re on there get them quite often.”
— Michael Donahue
4970 Poplar Avenue
Big Bill’s Bar-Be-Que
If you’ve ever been to the Nike Outlet Store on Elvis Presley, you’ve been right behind Big Bill’s Bar-Be-Que. There’s another location, way out east. But that’s a 385-to-Kirby situation. So, just go to Whitehaven.
The original is a no-frills, fast-casual affair. You order at a counter (from a well-loved paper printout), sit, and wait for your order number to be called.
As I waited on a recent visit, a huge-screen television blasted Katt Williams’ raunchiest genital jokes from his World War III tour. So, if you decide to dine in, maybe bring headphones for the kids.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and there’s a beer-related reason. I know what an IPA tastes like. So do breweries. So, I’ll judge a brewery on that. Same goes for pulled pork and barbecue restaurants. My amateur taste buds know what to expect.
The pork may have indeed been good at Big Bill’s, but I messed up. I should have ordered the sauce on the side. Drenched as it was in a sweet sauce, I couldn’t taste smoke nor feel the texture of the meat. Still a good and satisfying sandwich, but hard to judge the cook quality.
So, I took a second run at it and ordered barbecue turkey nachos to-go, sauce on the side. What arrived were basic, round tortilla chips, smattered in stadium nacho sauce, and some chopped turkey. The turkey was not smoked (nor did it claim to be on the menu) but I could deduce it was fresh. I heard someone chopping it in the back.
I was not wowed at Big Bill’s. But maybe it’s not supposed to wow anyone. It seemed like, maybe, just solid barbecue for workaday Memphians who don’t need some Midtown reporter from an alternative newsweekly to tell them what’s good. — Toby Sells
4101 Elvis Presley Boulevard
Answering Your ’Ques About the Fests
Oh, yeah, you’re probably wondering why in the world we do a barbecue issue every May. Ummm … because it’s like barbecue bonanza this weekend. Just like last year, Memphis will have two barbecue fests because that’s the way the smoke rolled. Of course, you’ve got Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WBCC) on May 14th to 17th at Liberty Park, and then SmokeSlam is taking over Tom Lee Park on May 15th to May 17th.
Now, if you like to know what’s what and who’s who, we’re here to tell you, so you can make an informed decision on which to attend — or maybe you’ll want to attend both (or neither); we don’t care.
Now at WBCC, unless you have secured a team invite or spend a bit extra, you really aren’t going to be sampling barbecue from the teams. (They aren’t allowed to sell it because it’s a competition.) But you can stop by the Barbecue Marketplace to purchase rubs and sauces produced by teams and pitmasters, or purchase an add-on experience like the BBQ Alley to sample from pitmasters and restaurants, or take the Kingsford Tour of Champions to judge and sample barbecue from the teams.
Highlights at the WBCC include the Lighting of the Grill Ceremony, hourly food demonstrations by celebrity grill masters, sauce wrestling, Miss Piggy Idol, free personalized bobbleheads, guided tours of the WBCC, and more. Single-day general admission tickets are $22, four-day general admission will cost you $65. Add-ons can run you anywhere between $30 and $95; VIP is $595. Find out more at memphisinmay.org.
At SmokeSlam, festival-goers will be able to sample straight from the pits at the live-fire extravaganza, where barbecue professionals will demo their skills every day. Major League Eating will host a world-record attempt for pulled pork slider consumption at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. The days will have carnival games and Ferris wheel rides, fireworks, SmokeSlam BBQ Bazaar, and live music with headliners Shane Smith and the Saints, The Revivalists, Big & Rich, and more.
SmokeSlam (Photo: Sage Creative)
General admission tickets are $31.89 for single-day passes and $68.34 for three-day passes. VIP is $81.09 for a single-day pass and $226.88 for a three-day pass. Find out more at smokeslam.com. — Abigail Morici
