Central Bbq

Iconic Memphis BBQ. After driving to 3 locations, we could only find one location that looked like a functioning restaurant. It was near downtown in the shadow of the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was killed and the Civil Rights Museum stands. Don’t let it’s appearance fool you. Inside is rustic and has some down home REALLY GOOD EATIN!

Had the Regular Brisket Sandwich with Slaw. And it was very good, tender brisket and good cole slaw. Also had the Pulled Pork Plate with Mac N Cheese and Green Beans, side portions were a bit smaller than a dinner plate should come with but nice use of seasoning on top of the Mac. The Pulled Pork was very tender and delicious and the mild sauce had a very nice taste to it as well. It was busy and seating is VERY LIMITED but the food and quality are very positive.

Central BBQ. Midtown. 4/2/22 Got the half rack with beans: green and baked. The ribs were half and half with the wet side being hot bbq sauce. The interior is a little run down. It is the original, after all. It’s a little inconvenient that the restrooms are out of order, but there are portapotties outside! The ribs have great flavor. There’s a fantastic smoke ring and the rub is very flavorful. The sauces are good. There ls a little kick to the hot. But I’m a pepperhead and love the heat. The mild is just as good. The sides are nothing special. The green beans were kind of bland. They have a vinegar bbq sauce that really kicked up the taste of the green beans. Their hot bbq sauce also helped their baked beans along

Out of everything we tried, the wings (jerk) and banana pudding were the best things. We wanted to try ribs but they were sold out at the time. We also got a pulled pork plate and a pulled chicken plate. The onion rings, potato salad and macaroni and cheese were all great for sides. If we had only tried the plates I’m not sure it would be a 5 star review but the wings and pudding really send it there.

Order takeout is super easy from the outdoor window. The wings are incredible. Smoky while still having crisp skin. The jerk option was a unique take on it. Lots of thyme not too much heat or allspice. Banana pudding was also fantastic. The pork was good and had a nice texture but not much smoke flavor. Pulled chicken was what you'd expect for pulled white meat. Not dry but nothing special. For sides the mac and potatoe salad were both good. Probably wouldn't get the beans again.

Great atmosphere and really feels like a fun BBQ joint. The food was outstanding and I haven’t had meat that was cooked more perfectly. The sides we had were great, but there was minimal selection and there weren’t healthier options (like greens/green beans/vegetables). We did call ahead of time and ask about allergy friendly options, but they weren’t able to really accommodate requests for gluten free. The response was “we’ve had people with allergies eat here and not get sick”. My wife and I wouldn’t usually risk it, but we tried a few other places unsuccessfully and really wanted to get some BBQ while we were in Memphis. Glad we did because we loved the food, but we would have liked some healthier side options and more comfort with ordering with celiac disease.