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Ate some Memphis barbeque

CrimsonTideGirl
CrimsonTideGirl Posts: 130
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
We went to Tunica on Sunday so my husband could do a little gambling and I could do a little outlet mall shopping and we drove over to Memphis to get some "famous" Memphis barbeque. We looked on the internet and carefully chose one of the top places, the Rendezvous. Well, they are closed on Monday so we decided to go back on Tuesday on the way back to B'ham. We ended up eating at a place called The Butcher Shop that my husband used to eat at 10 of 12 years ago while tehre on business. It was TERRIBLE!!! I got the $24 prime rib and it tasted like a very cheap piece of meat and he got the filet and it was OK, but not worth the price. And it was so dark in there, I couldn't hardly see what I was eating. Anyway, we drove back to Memphis yesterday to eat at the famous Rendezvous. The ribs were SMOTHERED in a dry rub and we had to pour a ton of sauce on them to make them edible. We were so disappointed so we decided to get some ribs to go from another place people were raving about, Blue's City Barbeque. We ate those tonight, and while they were better, they were not as good as the ones we do on the BGE. Has anyone else eaten at these "famous" places? Has the egg gotten me spoiled? Maybe someone needs to open a BGE restaurant in Memphis and show them some really good barbeque.

Comments

  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Interesting CTG, thanks for sharing.
    IMO, yes we get spoiled by our BGE's. I rarely if ever eat Que, pizza, or steak at restaurants anymore.
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Sorry for your bad experiences. I think we all hear this alot on here. Next time ask before you leave. The locals will reply with the good spots. Sometimes the little guys do so much better than the chains.
    Go cook you a good egged meal!! :):)
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • LImp Brisket
    LImp Brisket Posts: 115
    The best compliments I ever got was when my sons and grandkids told me my BBQ was better than a "famous" joint in Austin. Don't want to mention the *coughSaltlickcough* place. ;)
  • FearlessGrill
    FearlessGrill Posts: 695
    Certainly agrees with my experiences around here. Granted it's Massachusetts, not exactly the hub of BBQ. We've tried a couple of places here that got good reviews and they were pretty awful. I went back to a place we used to love in college recently, ordered their ribs, and I think they were just boiled and covered in sauce. No smoke flavor at all.

    -John
  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    I ate at Blues City Cafe on Bealle St. a few years ago. Is that the one your talking about? They are famous for their ribs. I remember them being pretty good but that was before my egg ;)
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    haha! Got them here, never been. Steak n seafood joint, rihgt?...not Q
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • Yes, that is the same one. They were ok, definitely better than Rendezvous's, but not as good as the BGE's. Do you have Jim N Nick's in Athens? We love their ribs too.
  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
    I like the ribs at Tommy Leonard's in Southaven and Interstate can have good ribs at times. It's a little hit and miss, but I go there enough for business that I'll eat at both maybe three to 5 times a week. Leonards has a sweeter sauce while Interstate is a little spicier.

    The people I work with tell me to go to some place in Germantown, but I haven't ventured that far out yet. I usually stay in Southaven and rarely venture much further than Interstate on 3rd while there.
  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    Theres one in Madison but I haven't ate there. Now that I do my own ribs and Q, it's awfull hard for me to spend my money at a BBQ restaurant that I know is going to mediocre. I've bought BBQ probably only three times in the last two years.
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    The best compliments I ever got was when my sons and grandkids told me my BBQ was better than a "famous" joint in Austin. Don't want to mention the *coughSaltlickcough* place.

    OK, you just got my attention! :) The only time I've been to Texas, back in the '70s, I ate at that very place and thought I'd died and gone to heaven! It was amazing, a "peak experience," just wonderful. Now, I have to admit, I'd never had real BBQ before, so I really didn't have any standard of comparison, and maybe I'd be less impressed today, but back then, at least, I really, really, REALLY liked it! I was IN LOVE! :laugh:

    So I am DYING to know how you do your BBQ! I'm a newbie to the Egg, and am eager to hear anything you're willing to tell me!

    Theo
  • boston_stoker
    boston_stoker Posts: 794
    Where do you go in MA? I have been to Blue Ribbon, Redbones, and Firefly. Of the lot, I think FF is best, but it still ain't great.
  • FearlessGrill
    FearlessGrill Posts: 695
    Firefly, at least the one in Quincy, was pretty miserable the one time we went. I got a sampler type thing with dried out brisket with no smoke ring or smoke flavor, and some mediocre ribs. The sides were pretty good though. For what they charged, it wasn't worth it, and we won't be going back.

    Redbones is the one we loved in college, but when we went there last year, it really underwhelmed me. I really thought they had just boiled or oven cooked their ribs. Blah.

    Haven't been to Blue Ribbon in years, and I wasn't making my own at the time, so I can't really comment. I liked it at the time.

    I'll stick with what comes out of my Egg for now...

    -John
  • NotabuttDave
    NotabuttDave Posts: 181
    I feel your pain.

    We recently went to Interstate, much overrated. We also had Jim and Nicks, not bad.

    Mine are better than either.

    You and I, and many of the rest around here are ruined by our own good cooking.
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    I think when we grow up in an area we get fond of particular restaurants. We like the food and the memories. It becomes the best food in the world, and it is to us. Someone who passes through town eats there and thinks it's just ok. Take Jack In The Box Tacos. I love them as do the people in Detroit I grew up with. I live in FL. and load up with them when I go to AZ. The food is junk, but I love them. For someone who never ate them while growing up would think I'm nuts.
  • Angela
    Angela Posts: 543
    I can't stand Memphis style ribs.
    Egging on two larges + 36" Blackstone griddle
  • deepsouth
    deepsouth Posts: 1,796
    i lived in memphis a few years and i think we are spoiled by our eggs.
  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
    I personally like the Rendevous ribs very much. They are what got me started using rubs and not relying on sauce, plus the place is full of history.
    Another good one is Neely's, the folks that are on Food Network all the time. Pat Neely's dad [or maybe granddad] started the place years ago. I think they have two or three locations, but definetly are not a chain. They are also very nice folks and know how to take care of their customers. They serve their ribs wet or dry, however you want them.

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
  • hornhonk
    hornhonk Posts: 3,841
    I can eat Jack In The Box tacos 'till they're coming out my ears. I love those things!
    I wonder if I could ship you some? Hmmm..
  • try germantown commissary. great bbq in the memphis area.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    The Rendezvous is a huge culture shock if you've never had dry ribs before. When we lived there, I would generally eat Friday lunch at Rendezvous and get the BBQ chicken nachos. Occasionally the ribs, but we usually ate elsewhere for ribs.

    My favorites were Interstate and Germantown Commisary
  • gregegg
    gregegg Posts: 68
    There are 'corner' places in Memphis that really serve the best... then they either close or get really big so that quality control slips away.

    Ribs are really nothing special in Memphis, to my mind. Pulled and chopped pork shoulder is the Memphis thing to me, and hard to beat.

    My own butts have turned out great, but not with the combination of cleanness, richness, chew and smoke that many neighborhood BQ places in Memphis turn out (or at least used to turn out) on a wonderful consistent basis.

    Greg
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    I brought them back from AZ. I put it in a cooler with dry ice. I just ordered them without lettuce. I could send you a pre paid ups or usps label. I could give you a few shirts for you trouble. It might be workable.
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    About 40.00 in shipping for next day :evil:
  • hornhonk
    hornhonk Posts: 3,841
    Al, you have mail.