Payne’s Bar-B-Que

This was place great. Some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had! I loved the sauce flavor and the beans. Only minus for me was the coleslaw. The taste was a little off, but I would still come back for a sandwich any day! Double beans never killed anybody! :D

I am from Houston. I have been around my far share BBQ. This place IS GUCCIE! Oh My Bar B Que! The flavor of the brisket! The sweet, savory, spicy, and unique flavor that was in the BBQ sauce made the already tender brisket that much more enjoyable! I would be back in a heart beat! Memphis you have a hidden gem!

Everything was pure enjoyment, nothing disappointed. Stopped in with my wife and ordered the ribs plate, chopped pork plate, and some tamales. Both plates came with slaw, beans, and bread. Ordered everything hot because that’s how I like it. The ribs are some of the best ribs I have ever eaten. Pulled off the bone easily with some crisp and chewy ends and edges and delicious meat inside. The chopped pork was incredible with soft meat, crispy pieces, and some chunks of fat swimming in delicious sauce. The sauce had a lot of vinegar and had some kick to it but not too much. The slaw is bright yellow from all the mustard and is exactly what I needed since normally I am not a big fan of slaw but this was good. The beans had pieces of pork and fat mixed in and was good but sweeter than I like. The tamale surprised me since I’m more accustomed to traditional tamales but it was incredibly good with so much flavor I couldn’t believe it.
The place is cash only so keep that in mind. Their hours say they are open until 6:00 but they will close when they run out of food. Right after we ordered another guy came in and ordered all the rest of their chopped pork. A couple more people came in and then they closed at least an hour early. Be warned, don’t come too late.
Come to Payne’s! Eat bar-​b-​que! Enjoy!

So the tour de BBQ is on since last night
I drove 10hrs straight from tx to get my first taste of Memphis style BBQ and let me say it didn’t disappoint.
Now I order the sliced pork platter.
Sauce and flavor are very overwhelming. Not in a bad way at all. It’s just coming from the smokey TX BBQ to tangy style Memphis style it takes you by surprise.
All in all the place is cute and unique with limited seating although that wasn’t a problem since we got here before the lunch rush.
The vinegar in slaw really punches you in the face but the sweetness of the pork calms it all down.
Although the winner of it all in my book were the beans.
I would travel cross country for these beans alone.
The staff were friendly and welcoming.
If you’re ever in the Memphis area and are looking for good taste of culture this is the place to come.
Really good place.
Just a couple loose ends tied up like maintenance to restrooms and this place would be top notch.

This is my husbands favorite hands down out of anywhere. He had been talking about it for the past four years since we had gone to Memphis last and it was our first stop on our recent trip back. Great price, amazing sandwich — so much so we normally buy at least two — and we will be back multiple times whenever we are in Memphis. Definitely the highlight of our trip both times.

This is definitely a hidden jem. The best chopped pork sandwich I have ever had. The sauce and mustard based coleslaw compliment each other perfectly. The bologna sandwich was awesome as well. The baked bean are full of meat, great sauce and southern love. This place is great and gritty like Memphis itself.

I really wanted to love this place after all the reviews but to be honest I wasn’t that impressed. Maybe it was the sauce, it was too sweet for my liking (and I have a sweet tooth.) The ribs I got were actually partly dried up like jerky on the outside in places. I didn’t like the chopped pork bun either and the beans were meh. Darn it. I really was stoked to try this place out. If you are a sweet BBQ lover this might be the place for you though! I’d still say try it as a lot of people rave about it, so there must be something right. Just not for my tastebuds.

Darn good BBQ!
Payne’s my hat is off to you. You showed me a side of Memphis that I ain’t never gonna forget. Your baked beans left a lasting impression on me that I will cherish the rest of my life. I don’t know what it was about those beans, but they were Heaven on Earth. I sure am glad I can’t make em like that, otherwise I’d never eat anything else!
Your prices were very affordable, and for that I am very thankful!
Your pork ribs were tinder and just the right amount of smokey, and the sauce was oh so good!!!
Your portion size was hefty, and left me with a full belly.
If I ever get the chance to get into Memphis Tennessee again, Payne’s will be at the top of my to do list!!!

I have never had bbq pork this good. The Sides Are perfect. The sauce amazing. The place is there for one reason and that is for the food. No fuss or fancy, just incredible food.

Memphis bbq is often about name and advertisement. I have been to 10 or so of the big name spots and my absence of a review tells you my thoughts. Blah. Mass produced BBQ is usually very average.
Hunt the small joints. Yeah you may need to get off the beaten path and out of your comfort zone but if you do it you will find the real Memphis pit BBQ.
Paynes is awesome. Small. Hand smoked daily. This is the real deal. The pork shoulder is moist and the hot sauce is superb.
Get out there and eat the good stuff. Skip the big box BBQ

Food is DELICIOUS! Had the ribs, chopped pork, beans, and slaw. The meat is so yummy, had the medium bbq sauce which is more peppery (not really spicy). Their sauce is gluten free too! A must stop if you’re in the area. We went at 11am and didn’t really see a problem with the neighborhood.

I was passing through Memphis, and we stopped to try this BBQ since it was highly rated. The ribs were juicy and tender, and the sauce is original and tangy. Do NOT order the cole slaw unless you love mustard. There is also a very limited number of sides, i. e, just cole slaw, potato chips and beans. There was way too much mustard for my taste. I would only go here to get takeout for just the ribs. They did not have drinks other than bottled water, and no ice.
Judy JP

I’ve been to Payne’s twice before & had sandwiches on those visits. This time, I opted for the rib plate and 4 tamales (for later). Got back to the office & started with a rib. TOUGH, when, did I say TOUGH? They must have been on the smoker for a few days. The sauce was good, the ribs were pretty much inedible. I think they were a jerky version of ribs or something, a version you could chew, and chew, and, well…
So, beans and slaw as a backup — NOT. The beans looked like pinto beans with a little BBQ thrown in. But, who cares about appearance as long as they taste good. NOT. What the heck is that I was tasting, vinegar? And if it was vinegar, it was way out of date. OK then, the slaw. Well, their slaw is a mustard slaw, but it is mustard with a little slaw thrown in, and, guess what, that same ‘twang’ that was in the beans, I swear it was in the slaw too. Oh well, at least I had the tamales as a backup. NOT. Ate 1, and, I promise you, it had the same twang!!! Holy cow, what is that taste? So, alas, a waste of about $ 15. I didn’t even bring home the rest as I knew my wife wouldn’t eat it, and, I didn’t want to upset the pups stomachs!

Talk about an absolute hole in the wall in a sketchy part of town… when there are 2 air conditioners in the wall on, one without a face, then three more that is either covered by tablecloth or houses a plant… well it just doesn’t get much better ha. Anyway, Payne’s menu was very simple… BBQ pork — chopped or sliced, on bread or not, regular or jumbo, with beans and slaw or not; ribs, and hot dogs. I chose the jumbo chopped pork plate that came with slaw and beans. First of all, it was just $ 10 with a bottle of water bc for some reason, they don’t serve sweet tea for who knows why… I believe you have to have sweet tea with BBQ. The point I’m trying to make is I got a lot of BBQ for $ 10. It’s sad to think of how many BBQ places I’ve been to that was nicer and I paid more for, and got less meat. The BBQ pork was tender with some burnt ends mixed in and drenched with sauce bc I looove sauce! They didn’t give me a side of sauce… the lady took the pot, which had the sauce in it, off the stove, and poured it on! And she did an excellent job of pouring the extra sauce on … just the way I like it ha! Sauce came in mild, medium, and hot. I tried the medium and it had a little heat to it. The sauce was vinegar based and tangy. Both sides were magnificent. The slaw was yellow, creamy, with a surprising sweetness to it. Never had any like it. Smoky, saucy, and pieces of pork mixed in with the beans made them some of the best beans I’ve ever had. Even though I was a little worried about my life due to the sketchiness of the surroundings, Payne’s was well worth the risk. By the way, Payne’s closes at 6 (good decision) and only takes cash.

The. Best. BBQ. Pork. Sandwich.
Biggest problem with this place is that I seem to be allergic to something, probably in the sauce. But I’m willing to risk my life over this sandwich!
The pork is tender, juicy, and smokey delicious. That mustard slaw is a great compliment to this sandwich. The sauce is vinegary but also sweet. I just don’t know what’s making me itch! Is it happiness? Is happiness allergic?

Just another great BBQ place that doesn’t seem to get mentioned as much as the popular places around town. I do not normally rave about pulled pork, but this pulled pork sandwich was WOW! Smokey, tender with a great sauce and a nice crunchy mustardy slaw. The sauce puts it over the top with it’s sweet yet tangy flavor that makes you want to drink a bottle. This is a true bbq joint that makes you feel at home. You will not regret the drive out to this fantastic Memphis eatery.

This is my favorite barbeque spot in Memphis. Their pork barbeque is the one to beat in Memphis as far as I’m concerned. To go along with a barbeque sandwich, I highly recommend the smoked sausage which is as ordinary as you can get but with their distinctive slaw and sauce, just as addicting as the barbeque. I’ve been tempted to try and replicate the smoked sausage at home but every time I go to buy a package of similar appearing fat, red sausage in the grocery store, I read the ingredients and then can’t force myself to buy it. Better that I remain ignorant about what I’ve been enjoying at Payne’s for many years I think.
The distinctive thing I find about Payne’s barbeque is that they always strive to include a small amount of the crisp and crunchy well done outer bark mixed in with the tender and flavorful inner meat which gives a barbeque lover an overwhelming rush of sensory sensations when it registers on the taste buds. I’ve tried their bologna which I found tasty, but not extraordinary– not worth skipping the barbeque and smoked sausage.
As another reviewer pointed out, Payne’s is definitely not a tourist trap. Try to plan ahead and avoid their bathroom, which may not have been serviced in 40 years or since the place opened. Avoid the area during non daylight hours, Lamar Ave was once a ritzy street lined with many elegant and stately homes. Historic Elmwood Cemetary is nearby.

Definitely. Payne’s chopped pork sandwich is as glorious as everyone claims. That yellow-​green slaw is a weird color for food, but it just works. And the pork itself… mmm, there are no adequate words. It’s not at all like pulled pork; the choppedness adds a miraculous new dimension to the sandwich.
I had made a note to myself to try the baked beans as well, but then on the day I forgot. Now I have an excuse to go back… as if I needed one.

GREAT! GREAT! GREAT!
That is all I can say about the chopped pork sandwich! I have never had another BBQ sandwich as good as this one. I don’t know what they have behind those big steel doors on the left side of the counter. It cannot be just a smoker… It must be a magic pork transformer or maybe some sort of portal to BBQ heaven land or something but… Damn! Seriously ridiculous good sandwich! It is simple as can be and sometimes varies between great and magical depending on the visit but with the awesome crispy bits throughout it, it is hands down the best chopped BBQ in the city of Memphis. The vinegar sauce is just right any flavor you like. Mild. Medium. Hot.
I need to try something else but its just so hard to change!
Oh yeah… I like the beans too… Not the best I have had but pretty good.

We sought out Payne’s and I ended up disappointed with the experience. We heard about this place somehow and I looked up the reviews and saw they were good so we decided to make this the one food stop for our day trip to Memphis. I wish we would have went somewhere else.
Be prepared that they are cash only. That sucks but I understand and won’t hold it against a small place. Of course the gas station next door had a broken ATM so we had to drive around to find cash. After making our way back I was super hungry. My husband had the pulled pork and I had a sausage. Both came with this yucky mustard slaw type stuff on it. My husband didn’t mind but I scraped mine off. The sausage was way too sweet tasting with no other flavor. My husband thought his sandwich was ok but then he had stomach trouble for the rest of the day.
At least it was cheap.