It’s May, and that may mean a thing or two to you: Mother’s Day, graduations, and the beginning of summer. But in Memphis, May means barbecue. Every May, Memphis hosts the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, or as the locals call it, BBQ Fest. The best pit masters in the world compete for over $190,000 in prizes. It’s quite the event, but it’s also just another good excuse to eat and talk about barbecue. And so, that’s just what we’ll do.
Born and raised in Memphis, TN, Varia founder and CEO, Ron Vaughan, can tell a story or two about his family’s history with barbecue. You’ll find him quite the regular at Captain John’s Bar-B-Que where his standard order is the jumbo sandwich with slaw and sauce. The regular sandwich is not as good. It’s not logical, but it’s true. He frequents this place because it reminds him of the barbecue he grew up on—Coleman’s.
Coleman’s was within a bike ride of Ron’s childhood home. Pulled pork sandwiches, beans, and slaw. That was a traditional barbecue meal when he was a kid. Although Ron doesn’t resist a good deviled egg, potato salad, or serving of nanna puddin’ at The Germantown Commissary, those dishes weren’t a part of the regular barbecue menu in the 60s and 70s. There’s no longer a Coleman’s in Memphis, but the recipes live on in some of the local BBQ joints.
There are numerous arguments about barbecue and which region has the best. For some, it’s what animal it comes from. Ron went to Baylor in Waco, Texas, where brisket is king. Obviously, Elvis and the folks from Memphis say the best barbecue comes from the pig. It’s the way it’s seasoned, the way it’s smoked, the way it’s cut. For others, the determining factor is the sauce. So I ask you this, “Why would you want your barbecue to taste like dessert?” If you finally agree Memphis has the best barbecue, you’ve then got to eat your way around The Bluff City to determine which restaurant serves the best pork.
For Ron’s father, Leonard’s on Bellevue was the gold standard of barbecue. In the Great Depression, he rode his bike there to gladly receive the day’s leftover pork rinds. Not a bad way to win a kid’s heart. But the barbecue was also good, and in his 90 years, he continued to take his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids to enjoy the food. Leonard’s must be doing something right, because it is still going strong, over 100 years later.
As a kid, Varia President Garrett Vaughan remembers frequenting Three Little Pigs and Germantown Commissary, where, to this day, he often orders the BBQ nachos with pork rinds. He and Ron sometimes grab a bite to eat at Tom’s BBQ or Payne’s BBQ, which serves Garrett’s favorite pulled pork sandwich. Ron’s favorite pork sandwich? He casts his vote for One and Only. It’s okay to break with tradition every now and then, because you can’t buy a pork sandwich at One and Only without a side of potato salad. You won’t be disappointed.
But now the question is ribs, because Memphis barbecue is more than a pork sandwich. As a kid, Ron recalls eating food from a barbecue joint about once a week. But ribs, they were more of a treat. So, do you want wet ribs or dry ribs? You want dry ribs, and you want the Rendezvous. Tucked away in the basement of an old building in an alley across from The Peabody Hotel, the Rendezvous opened its doors over 75 years ago. The atmosphere alone is worth a trip. If you happen to go for dinner on a Friday night, you’ll be given a complimentary appetizer of red beans and rice. The sausage and cheese plate and a cold beer are a must. Just order it, and then you can get to the star of the show—the ribs. The waiter really just needs to know if you want a large or small order. You want a large. No need to discuss the sides. It’s the standard beans and slaw. Garrett’s Rendezvous tip is to order the ribs with drippings. They’ll come in a small silver pot, perfect for some rib dunking. And for the out-of-towners, order ribs here and have them shipped overnight. Memphis barbecue at your doorstep within 24 hours!
Sixty years ago, your favorite barbecue restaurant was the one around the corner. Now, Memphis barbecue can be FedEx’d all over the country. But there is something nostalgic about frequenting the barbecue joints your dad and granddad grew up on. These barbecue joints knew the people in their communities, and they fed them regularly, whether they were paying customers or hungry kids just wanting a free snack.
If this doesn’t give you a craving for some Memphis barbecue, I don’t know what will. So yes, have some Rendezvous ribs overnighted. But don’t forget to visit the barbecue capital. Hit up BBQ FEST May 13th-16th, or grab some barbecue from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has been serving the same tried-and-true recipes for 100 years. Explore a little, try something different, just go eat Memphis barbecue.
