Need the best, or some of the best, downtown Memphis BBQ spots

[VideoWolf88]

The misses wants to take a quick family getaway to Memphis ahead of the Memphis in May chaos. During the trip, we'll get to sample at least or two bbq spots, preferably in and around downtown. We're hoping to get in visits to Graceland, the National Civil Rights museum, Memphis Rock n Soul, and the zoo, and probably stay somewhere downtown. So it would help if there were some good 'que options not too far from some of these places, maybe walking distance. Any ideas are always appreciated.

[Steve R.]

The National Civil Rights Museum is maybe 50 yards from Central BBQ, which my family and I enjoyed.

[fzxdoc]

Rendezvous for ribs.

Kathryn

[jfmorris]

I second The Rendezvous for baby backs. Their ribs are what inspired me to up my smoking game back in the late 1990's, in a quest for the perfect Memphis style dry rubbed ribs at home. I smoke them though, not direct charcoal grilled at a height like they do at the Vous. Meathead has a good article on Rendezvous style ribs on the free side of the site.

Unfortunately, I think they are closed at lunch, at least some days of the week, and I had a great rack of baby backs at B.B King's on the corner of Beale Street a few years back. I almost would venture to say that the ribs at B.B. King's were as good as or possibly better than the Vous.

[Steve R.]

Rendezvous is definitely open for lunch on Saturdays, or at least they were in December 2017. BTW, get a PBC and you can replicate the Vous' ribs pretty closely at home.

[jfmorris]

Steve R. I was in Memphis during the week a couple of years ago, when two of my kids were on either Spring or Fall break from school, and it was a weekday at lunch that the Vous was closed. And checking their website confirms this. Closed entirely on Sunday and Monday, and for lunch Tues-Thur

[jfmorris]

Rendezvous Restaurant Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday 4:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
All times Central (CST)

[sthomasaz]

Agreed on Rendezvous. The ribs were life changing for me. Been chasing that rib dream ever since. I also went to Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ and they were good too. Wanted to try Three Little Pigs for pulled pork but we never made it.

[Santamarina]

Central BBQ is my favorite Memphis stop for ribs. Their dry rub baby backs are killer! They have multiple locations...fortunately for you, one is downtown!

[Steve R.]

I remember thinking their ribs were like I just made Meathead's Last Meal Ribs and nailed it.