Central BBQ - Memphis, TN

First off, I have a confession to make, Central BBQ has been open for 10 years & this was our first visit.  I know right?  But let me say this, there are a lot of BBQ restaurants in Memphis & when a new one opens up we have a tendency to assume that they are just like all the others.  Well, let me set the record straight...Central BBQ is NOT like the others and with each bite, we quickly realized why they have been around for more than 10 years.   This place is TOP PIG!!!  They are making everything from scratch, from their homemade potato chips to their BBQ Caesar house dressing (not pictured).  And when my eyes fell on Mac & Cheese, as a side item, my heart knew I had found a new home.  They are of course, Project Green Fork certified & composting just outside in their backyard, yeah!!!  

Homemade Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dressing

We started off with their homemade potato chips.  These crunchy, lightly salted delicious bites, perfectly complimented the savory blue cheese dipping sauce.  We consider potato chips a great exercise technique for the belly, you have to stretch out those tummy muscles to prepare them properly for what's coming next.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

And next...this more than a mouthful BBQ sandwich (buns are huge, you will love them) was so tender & smoky. And my hubby added some of their "hot" bbq sauce on top.  Get this, their "hot" is made with just a hint of bourbon, oh yeah!!!  And it's by far our NEW favorite BBQ sauce, not too spicy at all and packed with all the right spices.  And they do sell both their regular & hot BBQ sauces, so I highly recommend picking up a few bottles, to keep in your fridge, for your next BBQ.

Potato Salad

My hubby & I do not agree on Potato Salad.  I love American Potato Salad & he loves Mustard Potato Salad (which for me usually has too much of a bite).  Well, finally our 2 tastes came together in harmony.  And we both fell in love with theirs.  Just a slight hint of mustard, mostly for color.  Very creamy, bite size potatoes, a little celery for a great crunch and a some creamy mayo that brought it all together, so good. 

BBQ Portabella Sandwich with Mac & Cheese

Awww, now for the piece de resistance...the Portabella BBQ sandwich.  I have heard so much about this sandwich, that even though I do in fact eat pork, I decided there was no way I was leaving without trying this.  Funny thing is, I have actually made this at home, thanks to The Chubby Vegetarian-BBQ Portabella Sandwich, which is a tribute to this magnificent masterpiece.  And Justin did a really fantastic job of recreating this so that we can make this at home.  But anytime you need the real thing, it's only a few miles down the road & you will be in great company.  


The way this restaurant is laid out, contributes to it's overall success.  Let me explain, you stand in line to order, don't worry it goes by super fast.  They even handed us our appetizer before we ever left the counter.  They gave us a # & then we went to sit down.  You get your own drinks & beside the drink station there are dispensers of warm BBQ sauce, waiting for you to pour, oh yeah baby!!!!  As we waited for our # to be called, we munched on those yummy homemade potato chips & before we knew it, our food was ready.  They don't have servers & in my opinion they don't need them.  The manager, Scott, (who I worked with at Rafferty's many years ago) was great & we really appreciated him taking the time to make sure we had everything we needed.  We will certainly be back, very soon, can't wait!!!!