Central BBQ
The Midtown original that reset modern Memphis 'cue
Central BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.
Central BBQ opened on Central Avenue in 2002 and grew from that single Midtown room into a city-wide standard-bearer for modern Memphis barbecue. This is the flagship, the location that proved a new-generation pit could match the old guard and then multiply without losing its edge.
The ribs are the centerpiece, offered dry or wet so a single tray can settle both sides of the Memphis debate, the dry-rubbed racks the cornerstone of that dual order. The pulled pork sandwich has a real claim to the best in the city, and the BBQ nachos, buried under pork and jalapeños, built a cult following of their own. The hickory-smoked wings, dusted in the same dry rub, disappear fast. Consistent, smoke-forward, and confident, the Midtown original still sets the pace it created more than twenty years on.
- Style: Memphis Style
- Price: $$
- Neighborhood: Midtown
- Serving since 2002
What to order
- Dry Rub Ribs
- Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Loaded BBQ Nachos
- Smoked Wings
How it scores — 9.2/10 overall
Visiting
- Address: 2249 Central Ave, Memphis, TN 38104
- Phone: (901) 272-9377
- Website: https://www.cbqmemphis.com
Hours: Daily 11am–9pm
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