Corky’s Ribs & BBQ

I eat here every time I work at our branch in this area. I have had rids, pork, and pulled chicken all very good. I feel like they give you way more food than most restaurants do at that price. You will literally have food hanging off the plate. They have excellent free rolls. I like their fries, potato salad, slaw, and hush puppies. It’s always hard to choose. I usually eat here by myself so I sit at the bar to save time. I always get good service. My only complaint is its a long wait sometimes if you want a table and parking is a nightmare.

When I visited Memphis, my goal was to find the best barbecue place. And I found it. I looked up countless restaurants, read all the reviews, and asked for suggestions from people who have visited before. My selection narrowed down to two restaurants, Corky’s and Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous.
I tried Rendezvous first, and I can say easily that I’ll probably never go back. For ribs they only served dry, so if you wanted wet you are out of luck. And the dry seasoning was so strange to me, it kind of tasted like they used way too much cumin. So then I tried to use the bbq sauce they had on the table to counteract the high potency of the cumin flavor, but the bbq sauce was very vinegary and lacked flavor. It was a little disappointing. Our server was decent, he didn’t care about giving us an experience there though. He kind of just approached the table with «well what to you want to eat now». The high points of Rendezvous was that they had amazing baked beans. That’s about all I have to say that’s positive.
As for Corky’s, it was an other worldly experience. We started off by getting greeted by the sweetest older gentleman at the front. When we got sat we looked over the menu and decided to get the large order of ribs set up for two. It was a prefect portion for two people. Our server gave us the option of having our ribs half wet half dry. We were about to just have the dry ribs, but the server said he really recommended the wet so we decided to try it. And let me tell you, we would have never have known the amazingness we would have missed out on if we hadn’t taken the leap and tried something new. The wet ribs were so flavorful and fall off the bone amazing that it’s making my mouth water now just thinking about it. If I could go back (while the dry ribs were still very good and seasoned great) I would have just gotten the wet ribs! And instead of serving Texas toast like a lot of places and even Rendezvous did, they actually serve delicious homemade buns with the meal. We got the coleslaw and baked beans as well for our sides, and they were the perfect combination. I have to saw I’ve hated coleslaw my whole life, and I finished my entire portion of coleslaw at Corky’s… Sooo good. We finished off our meal with the peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream. It was the prefect dessert for a prefect meal. I’m thinking about the next time I get to visit! I will forever be a dedicated Corky’s fan. Such an amazing experience!!!

Cool spot. Great music. Super waitstaff. The food is unbeatable. Deserves the 5 stars!

Good bbq, bog portions. Staff is friendly, lots of seating. Long wait on weekends so expect a little wait. The pulled pork was delicious!

Mother of God. I could not recommend this place highly enough. Rolled into town looking for classic Memphis ribs, which this place specializes in. Ordered the Big Daddy, which is a lot of food. All of it’s a lot of food.
Sat at the bar, guys next to me got two entrees and 18 ribs with sides, respectively. This is clearly a place for overeating.
But the best part? Waitress brought my bread late, after I had finished the meats and was stuffed. She was so disappointed I didn’t enjoy the bread that she comped me a apple cobbler. My gut nearly exploded before I left. So good.

The pulled pork was succulent and very flavorful! Service was great and the beer was cold. What else do you need?
I joined a friend there based on his recommendation and was not disappointed. I’d love to tell you about other meals, but we all had the same pulled pork sandwiches.
When in Memphis again, I’ll be certain to go back. Next time I’m trying the ribs!

I grew up in Memphis, so you know I’m picky about my BBQ. Well, I don’t live there anymore, so I don’t always get my filling of ribs and pulled pork elsewhere, it just doesn’t compare. I was lucky enough that my sister surprised me and shipped out a package of Corky’s ribs, pulled pork, sauce and dry rub seasoning! It was just as I remembered, at least now I know what to do when I get a hankering, just have them ship to me! There is one extra thing I need to order when I go visit though… the BBQ Nachos, man they’re goooood!
Thanks Corky’s for your deliciousness!

Everybody recommends Rendezvous because of the history — but this is the place to go for food! The local relatives in town have even shipped us ribs and BBQ sauce for a present — it is that good! I always order dry rub ribs — they just are better!

The pork BBQ sandwiches and brisket plate were pretty solid.
The twice baked potato salad was the best out of the selection of sides that were tried: potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and mac and cheese.
Service, order accuracy, and plate presentation were the only negatives during our meal.
The Corky’s mural made out of bottle caps was really cool though. :)

I am by no means a professional BBQ reviewer or taster, but DANG this barbecue was good! I stopped here on the way to our corporate offices in Memphis, TN. It’s always been recommended by corporate office employees, and I finally had the time to try it. Corky’s is one of those places that could easily be turned into a blues bar. The lights are dim, there is rustic décor, and you can tuck yourself away in one of their spacious booths.
Upon reviewing the menu and taking suggestions from my boss, I opted for the regular ribs-​dry (I mistakenly didn’t order fries with my meal… more to come on that later). Our drinks arrived very quickly – what’s surprising was that our meals came pretty quickly as well! It smelled delicious.
The ribs were «fall-​off-​the-​bone» ribs. You don’t need a knife. Hell, if you eat ribs right… you don’t even need a fork! However, I had a cute and white dress on that day so I opted for a fork and multiple napkins. I tried all of the available sauces on the table – my favorite was the one that had a little spicy kick to it. The slaw was good, as well as the beans.
Now I was really depressed when I saw how mouthwatering my boss’ fries were. Naturally, I ordered some to go at the last minute. Perfect afternoon cheat snack!!!

I’m in love with Memphis BBQ. I’m not the type to have to take a bath after eating ribs layered with BBQ sauce. I’m a dry rib person. I’ll settle with it stinging a bit when I take my contacts out at the end of the day. That being said, we wandered into Corky’s on a recommendation from another BBQ place when their electricity was down and they couldn’t serve food.
Parking: up front and around the side. Be careful, there is a large driver order/​pickup on the left side and cars are parked around the spaces, waiting for their order. Not a real problem, but you just need to be careful backing out of your space if you are in front. The pakring seemed ample for the amount of restaurant space inside.
Service: Did not have a problem Our waitress was always there when we needed a refill on the drinks, the order was taken promptly and the food brought very quickly.
Food: no appetizer this time, we wanted to dive into the main entrée. My wife had the normal size ribs with cole slaw and BBQ baked beans. She said the entrée were the best ribs she’s ever had. The beans were not overly spicy and complemented the dry rub on the ribs. The ribs were moist and the rub added a great flavor. The cole slaw was balanced between sweet and sour. (She says this has set her level of standard to judge all other BBQ meals).
I had the Ribs and Beef Killer Combo, with cole slaw and beans as well. And agreeing with my wife’s opinion (something I hardly do), I thought of the other recent BBQ I’ve had and dropped them down a notch. The brisket was fork tender. The ribs fell off of the bone with a great dry rub… the beans were just right, simple with a little spice to add a kick but not too much and not too much sauce so that you wonder afterwards if there were any beans in there after all. We did some other BBQ places after this and remarked «that was okay, but not as good as Corky’s».
Their dinner rolls were warm, somewhat sweet and just right.
Price: nothing to raise my eyebrows about. not overly expensive.
Coming Back: absolutely when in town. Now, I can’t wait to get back to Tampa and try some of the BBQ I thought was decent.

I feel this represented Memphis well and my first time in the city I expected really good bbq and i was not disappointed. The surprising thing about this place was the bread rolls, biscuits they give you. Texturally amazing as it was crunchy, little sweet, and ver very chewy soft inside. The ribs an and pulled pork was absolute perfect. Had the right smoke profile as well as the tenderness and not fall off the bone. I heard this was the 1^st of a few chains and it was awesome.

The BBQ here is as good as it gets! Especially if you’ve never been a fan of dry rub ribs. They are smoked-​dry-​rub-​rib perfectionist that are consistent over the many years they’ve been cooking BBQ in Memphis.
BBQ: one of the best pulled pork samitch’s you’ll ever eat. They do put coleslaw on their samitch’s (the southern way to eat pulled pork samitch’s) but you can order it without. The pulled pork is fantastic! I also recommend the dry rubbed ribs = a one way ticket to yum-​ville. Smoked to perfection with the best dry rub. You can purchase their dry rub and BBQ sauce, so DO NOT be tempted by the dark force and take the one from the table. Today and I thank you :-)
As a lot of folks have stated in other reviews, the smoked sausage and cheese plate is a terrific starter! Their banana pudding is also highly recommended, my friends love it but I would rolf it so I’m not the expert here. (Hate soggy cookies)
Service/​Restaurant: everyone here is always very friendly and eager to make your visit an enjoyable one. It’s been too long since I was last here (pre-​bar) so I’m glad they added a bar.
I’m looking forward to my next trip to Memphis so I can eat at Corky’s. I hope to see you there!

Awesome service and awesome food! My coworkers and I came to Corky’s and were not disappointed. We arrived a little late (around 8:30) so there was no wait.
We did kind of eat a bit earlier in the evening so I personally was not very hungry, but everybody else got full entrees (and for the most part, demolished their plates!?!) while I got a salad and shared the appetizer & desserts. I don’t know how they do it.
BBQ SMOKED SAUSAGE & CHEESE PLATE: get it. You won’t regret it. Sausage packed smoky flavor and were sooo juicy. Best sausages I’ve had in awhile. The pickles were tasty and matched perfectly with the rest of the dish. I kind of ate them all though– everybody ceded the pickles to me!
RIBS: my coworker got them and they were HUGE! She got them half wet and half dry and I got to taste a bit of the dry rub section. Delicious! She said she liked them better than Central’s.
BANANA PUDDING: somehow after everybody ate their second dinners they were all in for more dessert, and the banana pudding disappeared really quickly. I tasted some– pretty good and was the expected taste. Another coworker raved about it but I was ok with it (not a huge fan of pudding to start with.)
Overall, fantastic service and delicious food. ⁴⁄₅.

Tried two ribs places in Memphis: Corky’s and Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous. I really liked Corky’s a lot more than Charlie’s. I ordered the large slab of ribs and asked for half wet and half dry rub ribs. I naturally like food that has more flavor and sauce in it, so I would recommend the wet ribs rather than the dry ribs. It was really really good, one of the best ribs I’ve ever had — again, I’ve had ribs only in Boston and New York. The service was amazing, the waiter was really nice and friendly. Definitely try this place if you have the chance to!

It was late when we arrived in Memphis and we wanted to get BBQ in before the night was over… By this time we had a lot to eat during our journey but we had to get some BBQ in…
We got there around 8:30pm; got seated and reviewed the menu… since we weren’t too hungry, we went with Fried Chicken Drummies and combo with ½ ribs, pulled pork and sausage, which came with beans and cole slaw.
— Chicken Drummies were good, but were on salty side; will need extra beer to wash them down.
— Dinner combo — the ribs and pulled pork were great, but the sausage was too salty. We got the ribs wet and the ribs were juicy and tender; same with the pulled pork. Being this late, I thought it was going to be dry, but they did fine job of keeping the meat juicy.
Overall, the place is great and I has happy to stopped by… I wasn’t able to visit when I was in Memphis the last time, but it was worth the wait. Service was great as well… park in the front.

Slammin’!
The food was amazing, that service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was solid Memphis. This was my first Memphis style BBQ and it was amazing. Corkys has made me a dry rub fan for life. An excellent choice for the newbie or experienced BBQ connoisseur. Very very well done.
P. S. The sweet tea is to die for, and with our waitress it kept on comin’. I love it.

Man, hate to do it because meals can be really good but the last few trips have been very sub par. Ribs were overcooked, spaghetti was nasty. Had family in town that have always been big fans of Corkys and want to go every time they are in town. It really sucked because they were completely disappointed and I hate that because they only make into town every few years. Can’t give better than two stars until they figure out quality control.
Wet ribs. Rendezvous for dry Corkys for wet. If you have never been make sure you go to the Poplar (original) location. Onion loaf is a good side. Ribs Ribs Ribs.

Hmmmm. I’m torn. I really wanted to like this place. It’s got everything going for it, and the food looks great.
Got the onion rings (loaf?). They were pretty flavorless, but yummy was the sauce. It saved them.
$ 19.99 for ribs? Better be awesome. They weren’t. The dry rub flavor was OK, but it tasted like it was thrown on after it was cooked, and the meat was dryer than like. Sauce on the dry helped it a little. I like the sauce. The wet was OK. About avg.
Now I can say I’ve been here. Probably a one time experience… unless coworkers make me return. 25 minutes each way from the hotel. … not worth the drive. –and I’ll drive 15 hours each way for ice cream. 8 hours each way for pizza. … you get the point.
I’ve had better here in Memphis, and much better elsewhere.
Not quite 3 stars, but the atmosphere locks it in at 3.

I have visited this location numerous times, and they are fantastically consistent. Whether you sit in the bar or in the dining room, whether you indulge in a massive platter of meat and goodies or play nice with one of the salads, I highly doubt you will walk away disappointed.
Corky’s Brew is a nice, refreshing amber with a bold profile. It is very close to Abita Amber, as a comparison. If you like an adult beverage, it is HIGHLY recommended.
The pulled pork nachos are a good starter for a group or a meal for one. They have a cheese sauce, an ample portion of their (awesome) pulled pork, and their dry rub sprinkled on top. I frequently grab these through their convenient drive-​thru.
Parking at Corky’s can be a challenge, and watch the signs. There is some private parking nearby, so be cautious. Regardless, it is worth it.
The side of spaghetti ($ 2.99) is delicious. I prefer an angel hair or vermicelli, but their spaghetti is nicely cooked with a slightly tangy sauce. The Bar-​B-​Q Pulled Pork Salad & the Hickory Smoked Turkey Salad (both $ 8.99) are fresh, unique, and huge! Of the two, I prefer the turkey. They come with your choice of dressing, and in addition to the expected cast of characters on the salad, you will be pleasantly surprised to find toasted pecans and pecan smoked bacon. The turkey salad is as close to heaven as a salad will take you.
Another good choice is the Bar-​B-​Q Pork & Spaghetti Dinner ($ 9.99). A nice portion of both will tantalize and confuse your tongue (in a good way, I think… but that could be the Corky’s Brew). The Loaded Potato with Pork or Chicken ($ 8.99) is creative and a different way to get your BBQ fix on. If you go for the ribs (they are great), do your self a flavor & get the dry. Memphis dry ribs tend to be more moist, and definitely more flavorful, than their saucy cousins.
Expect the prompt & friendly servers to offer you their wonderful banana pudding for desert. I prefer pecan pie, but do your best to save room.
Now, the entry way & waiting area is narrow & cramped. The joint is very popular, so dinner time will usually have a wait. No worries… head over to the bar for a Corky’s Brew. Seriously, did I just have another one?
They have a quick drive-​thru with a full menu, and they ship, but if you are really lucky, your local grocery may just have some Corky’s in their freezer section. There is a reason this place is a legend.
A note on their sauce — it is very good, but not the best in town.