Payne's Bar-B-Q

Legendary chopped pork sandwiches since 1972

Payne's Bar-B-Q is a barbecue restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.

Payne's Bar-B-Q is a cash-only institution on Lamar Avenue that has served chopped pork sandwiches since 1972, out of a plain room that trades entirely on what comes off the pit. It sells out most days by mid-afternoon, a legend that never learned to cut corners to keep up with demand.

The Payne family slow-smokes whole pork shoulders over hickory, chops the meat by hand, and piles it on white bread under a tangy yellow slaw. The result is widely considered the Platonic ideal of the Memphis barbecue sandwich, a balance of bark, tender interior, and bright, tangy slaw that needs no sauce at all. The slaw dog is the cult side order, dressed in that same slaw. Come early, bring cash, and taste the sandwich the whole city quietly measures itself against.

• Style: Memphis Style
• Price: $
• Neighborhood: Lamar Avenue
• Serving since 1972

What to order

• Chopped Pork Sandwich
• Slaw Dog
• Pork Shoulder

How it scores — 9.1/10 overall

• Smoke: 9.2/10
• Bark: 9/10
• Tenderness: 9.5/10
• Consistency: 8.8/10
• Value: 9.9/10
• Atmosphere: 7.5/10

Visiting

• Address: 1762 Lamar Ave, Memphis, TN 38114
• Phone: (901) 272-1523

Hours: Tue–Sat 11am–4pm

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