Many articles like this start off with “The Five Best Places” or “The 10 Best Places.” Why so many options? It is already hard enough to decide where to go to dinner, so why make it even more complicated? All you need is a Plan A and a Plan B when it comes to picking a restaurant, especially a barbecue restaurant in Memphis. I present to you the TWO best places in Memphis for that delicious pork.

2: Central BBQ

I am a competitive barbecue chef. My team has trophies celebrating our accomplishments, so I believe we know good barbecue when we taste it. Central BBQ, founded in 2002, is the closest place I found with ribs that resemble the ones we cook in competition. They have been features on many national food shows including The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Their slogan is “Smoke is our Sauce” and they are not lying. Along with their signature rub, Central BBQ uses hickory and pecan woods to smoke their meat. Their baby back ribs are meaty and cooked to where they almost fall off the bone, but still have a little pull to them. You can bite cleanly into them without getting all of the meat. This is how competition ribs are cooked. Not a rib person? Get a pulled pork sandwich or barbecue plate. If you are looking for something more adventurous, go for the BBQ Nachos. However, ask for them on either pork rinds or their house chips (my personal favorite) and you will have a life-altering experience right there in the restaurant. Central BBQ has four locations in Memphis. My favorites are the original on Central Avenue and the Summer Avenue location, but you cannot go wrong with the Downtown or East Memphis location as well. They are open 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday, so you can enjoy them for lunch, supper and every time in between.

My recommendation: Get the BBQ Nachos on the house chips, add more rub to them when they arrive at your table and chow down. Then get the baby back ribs dry and enjoy them with the sauce on the side. I am a fan of sauce on the side because I believe you cannot enjoy the true profiles of the meat if it is covered in sauce. Make sure you take a friend, or you will leave in a food coma.

1: Leonard’s Pit BBQ

Leonard’s has been a Memphis barbecue institution since 1922. Baby Boomers and Generation X remember eating at the drive-in on McLemore and Bellevue. Us Xennials and Millennials are more familiar with the Fox Plaza location, which is the current location of this remarkable establishment. Elvis Presley and his Memphis Mafia were frequent guests. Owner Dan Brown started working at Leonard’s when he was 15 and learned the ropes from founder Leonard Hueberger. Brown has been featured on numerous shows, including Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. When Heinz was looking for a signature Memphis barbecue sauce to add to their repertoire of condiments, they looked no further than Brown and Leonard’s.

If you like the true taste of barbecue with no extra rubs or sauces to change the taste, then this is the restaurant for you. Hueberger believed the meat should so the talking, not the extras you add to it. Brown still cooks this way to day by simply placing the meat in the smoker and letting it cook in its own juices. Order a sandwich (Leonard’s is one of only a few places you can get all white meat or dark meat depending on your preference) and you will get a heaping pile of pork, Leonard’s signature sauce (which is a perfect blend of sweet and spice) and mustard slaw. I am not a slaw guy, so I get mine without, but you do you. If you’re a rib person, get them dry with the sauce on the side and you will not be disappointed. If you are really hungry, get Leonard’s famous buffet. It is two rooms of vegetables, meats, fried catfish, pasta and pie.

The only drawback to Leonard’s is you cannot get this deliciousness for supper. They are open 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. My recommendation: go Sunday after church, get the buffet, sample all the greatness that is Leonard’s, then go home and take a long nap.

Of course, this is just one man’s opinion. What are your favorite Memphis barbecue establishments? What is your favorite thing to order? Leave a note in the comments.

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Photo Credits: Style Blueprint