Aside from the typical southern cuisine, the South is known for its varied and distinct regional styles of barbecue, from smoked morsels in Texas and dry-rubbed ribs in Memphis to vinegar-based sauces in the Carolinas. Southern Living searched around the South to find the 50 best BBQ joints around, and several in Tennessee managed to find a spot on the list.
These five Tennessee barbecue joints are among the best in the South:
- No. 11: A&R Bar-B-Que (Memphis)
- No. 15: Scott's Barbecue (Lexington)
- No. 40: Cozy Corner (Memphis)
- No. 41: Peg Leg Porker (Nashville)
- No. 47: Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous (Memphis)
According to Southern Living, all five restaurants serve up some of the best barbecue around, and in a state known for its barbecue, that's saying something. A&R Bar-B-Que in Memphis snagged the highest spot on the list, which states:
"The first bite of chopped pork explodes with flavor, and the tender meat merges into the warm, soft bun while yellow-tinged slaw adds cool, crisp pops. ... The Pollard family cooks their pork shoulders and ribs on charcoal-fired pits, and their sauce is think and only moderately sweet — the perfect partner for some of the best smoked pork in the South."
These are the South's Top 10 barbecue restaurants:
- Scott's Bar-B-Que (Hemingway, South Carolina)
- Snow's BBQ (Lexington, Texas)
- Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor, Texas)
- Skylight Inn (Ayden, North Carolina)
- Goldee's Bar-B-Q (Fort Worth, Texas)
- Franklin Barbecue (Austin, Texas)
- Archibald's Bar-B-Q (Northport, Alabama)
- Lexington Barbecue (Lexington, North Carolina)
- Fresh Air Barbecue (Jackson, Georgia)
- Lewis Barbecue (Charleston, South Carolina)
Check out Southern Living to see its full list of the 50 best barbecue joints in the South.