Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

The cathedral of Memphis dry-rub ribs since 1948

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is a barbecue restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee.

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is the closest thing Memphis barbecue has to a cathedral, hidden down an alley beneath a downtown parking garage and cooking since 1948. The basement dining room is papered floor to ceiling in memorabilia, and the ribs that come out of it define the dry-rub style for the entire city.

What sets the Rendezvous apart is method: the ribs are charcoal-grilled rather than slow-smoked, which gives them a crust and char no other Memphis joint reproduces. The proprietary Greek-spiced rub, heavy on oregano and paprika, is unlike anything else in town, and it goes on the coarse charcoal sausage and the BBQ nachos too, sauce strictly optional. A meal here is a rite of passage, the standard against which the rest of the city measures its ribs, and the reason first-time visitors leave arguing about everyone else's.

• Style: Memphis Style
• Price: $$
• Neighborhood: Downtown
• Serving since 1948

What to order

• Dry Rub Ribs
• Charcoal Sausage
• BBQ Nachos

How it scores — 9.6/10 overall

• Smoke: 8.5/10
• Bark: 9.8/10
• Tenderness: 9.2/10
• Consistency: 9.5/10
• Value: 8/10
• Atmosphere: 10/10

Visiting

• Address: 52 S 2nd St, Memphis, TN 38103
• Phone: (901) 523-2746
• Website: https://www.hogsfly.com

Hours: Tue–Thu 4:30–10pm, Fri 11am–11pm, Sat 11:30am–11pm

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