Memphis-style ribs are pork ribs coated in a dry spice rub of paprika, garlic, salt and pepper, slow-smoked over hickory and served without sauce. The city's defining BBQ plate.
The Rendezvous's Charlie Vergos started charcoal-broiling dry-rubbed ribs in his basement off Second Street in 1948. The technique caught on through Memphis BBQ joints in the 1950s and 1960s. By the time the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest started in 1978, dry-rub Memphis ribs were the contest's defining style. Local pitmasters now split into dry-rub and wet-sauce camps, with Cozy Corner, Payne's and Central BBQ all defending the dry-rub side.
4 editor picks for Memphis dry-rub ribs in Memphis, ranked by editorial score. All Memphis signature dishes · Memphis dry-rub ribs across every city.
Cozy Corner BBQ ★ 4.7
pinch-district · 735 N Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38105
Raymond Robinson's North Parkway Memphis BBQ joint has smoked Cornish hens, bologna and ribs over hickory in a one-room shack since 1977. Idiosyncratic, brilliant.
The Rendezvous ★ 4.6
downtown · 52 S 2nd St, Memphis, TN 38103
Charlie Vergos's basement Memphis BBQ room off Second Street has served charcoal-broiled dry-rub ribs since 1948. The signature rub is sold by the bag.
The Bar-B-Q Shop ★ 4.6
midtown · 1782 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
Frank and Hazel Vernon's Madison Avenue Memphis BBQ room invented BBQ spaghetti and has run dry-rub and wet ribs from a wood-pit smoker since 1987.
Central BBQ Downtown ★ 4.5
downtown · 147 E Butler Ave, Memphis, TN 38103
Central BBQ Downtown in Memphis runs the city's most reliable dry-rub ribs and pulled pork from a casual counter across from the National Civil Rights Museum.