Interstate Bar-B-Q

Jim Neely's legendary South Memphis pit since 1978

Interstate Bar-B-Q is a barbecue restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Q is one of the great South Memphis institutions, cooking on Third Street since 1978 and setting the city's benchmark for the sauced, wet-rib style. It is a pilgrimage address, the pit that put the Neely name on the national barbecue map long before the family had a television show.

The wet ribs are the standard everyone else is measured against, slow-smoked over hickory and slathered in a sweet, tangy tomato sauce until they pull clean from the bone. Interstate is also one of the few kitchens still turning out BBQ spaghetti, that uniquely Memphis dish of smoked pork and BBQ-spiced tomato sauce woven through pasta. The rib tips are the regulars' hidden prize, and the pulled pork anchors every plate. This is South Memphis barbecue at full authority, cooked the way it has been since 1978.

• Style: Memphis Style
• Price: $$
• Neighborhood: South Memphis
• Serving since 1978

What to order

• Wet Ribs
• Pulled Pork
• BBQ Spaghetti
• Rib Tips

How it scores — 8.8/10 overall

• Smoke: 8.8/10
• Bark: 8.2/10
• Tenderness: 9/10
• Consistency: 8.5/10
• Value: 8.5/10
• Atmosphere: 8/10

Visiting

• Address: 2265 S 3rd St, Memphis, TN 38109
• Phone: (901) 775-2304
• Website: https://www.interstatebarbq.com

Hours: Mon–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 11am–9pm

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