Memphis barbecue guide: dry ribs, wet ribs and pulled pork sandwiches

Memphis is one of the great barbecue cities, and it has its own rules. The meat is pork, the smoke is hardwood, and the first question at the counter is often whether you want your ribs wet or dry. Visitors who know only sweet, thick sauces from a bottle are sometimes surprised by what they find. Here are the main dishes, how to order, what to expect at a rib joint and how to plan a barbecue day.

What is Memphis-style barbecue?

Memphis barbecue centers on pork: ribs and pulled shoulder. The meat is smoked slowly, often over hardwood, until it is tender. Sauces tend to be tomato-based, thinner than Kansas City styles, and used with a lighter hand. Many joints serve their meat with a bottle of sauce on the table, so you control how much you add. Try the meat without sauce first, then add a little to see how it changes. The best joints are proud of the meat alone, and the sauce is there to complement it, not to hide it. The point is the flavor of the pork and the smoke, with sauce as a choice.

What is the difference between dry and wet ribs?

Dry ribs are coated with a spice rub before they go into the smoker and are not sauced after cooking, which creates a bark on the outside of the meat. A typical rub includes paprika, sugar, garlic, onion, pepper and other spices. Wet ribs are brushed with barbecue sauce before, during and after cooking. Both are Memphis classics, and local opinion is divided. Dry ribs are drier on the surface but juicy inside, and eating them is less messy. Wet ribs are stickier, so ask for extra napkins. The ribs themselves may be spare ribs or baby back ribs, and many locals prefer spare ribs for their flavor. A good way to learn is to order a half rack of each and compare, or to order dry ribs with sauce on the side.

What is a pulled pork sandwich?

The traditional Memphis sandwich is smoked pork shoulder, pulled or chopped, served on a soft bun with a spoonful of coleslaw on top and sauce on the side or mixed in. The slaw adds crunch and cools the meat. At some places the slaw is mustard-based, and at others it is mayonnaise or vinegar-based. Order it with slaw on top the first time, since it is the local way.

What are the unusual Memphis dishes?

Local restaurants have added barbecue to other foods, and some of these are only really found in Memphis.

• Barbecue spaghetti: spaghetti tossed with barbecue sauce and often pulled pork.
• Barbecue nachos: tortilla chips topped with pulled pork, cheese and sauce.
• Barbecue pizza: pulled pork on a pizza crust, credited to a Memphis pizzeria.
• Dry-rub fries and wings: seasoned with the same rub used on ribs.

They sound odd, but they are popular with locals, and the spaghetti is a fixture on many menus.

How do you order at a rib joint?

Many places are counter service. You order at a window, pay and carry a tray to a table. Others have table service. Ask what size to order, since a half rack feeds a hungry person with sides. Many joints sell meat by the pound as well, which is a good way to share among a group, with sides ordered by the pint. Expect disposable plates, a roll of paper towels on the table and a relaxed pace. Sides usually include beans, slaw, greens, potato salad and fries. Ask what the specialty is and take the advice. A short menu is a good sign.

When should you go?

Barbecue is a lunch and early dinner food. Smoked meat sells out, and some joints close when the day's cooking is done, so go earlier than you think you need to. Weekday lunches have shorter lines. Check hours before you travel, since some places are closed on Sundays or Mondays. Also check the weather and the day of the week: a joint with a smoker on an outdoor patio may close early if it rains. Food trucks and pop-ups serve barbecue too, and their locations are posted on their social pages.

What about the Memphis in May barbecue contest?

The city hosts a large barbecue cooking contest each spring, drawing teams from many places. If you plan a trip around it, check the official event pages for dates, tickets and rules, which change by year. Outside of the contest, you can eat well in restaurants all year.

What do you pay and tip?

Menu prices do not include Tennessee sales tax, which is added at the register. A tip of about 18 to 20 percent of the pre-tax total is customary at table-service restaurants. At a counter, tipping is optional, and a dollar or two in a jar is common.

How do you keep track of the best ribs you ate in Memphis?

Ask locals what they eat on a Tuesday, watch for a line at lunchtime and smell the smoke. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so the dry ribs, the wet ribs and the pulled pork sandwich from each joint get their own scores and a tag such as Must-Try.

Barbecue is a food where taste is personal, and your ratings after a few visits will tell you more about what you like than any local debate. Share the list through an invite link with the friends who ate with you, and follow the ones who argue about it best.

Rate your best rack in the Mosey app.

More guides to read next:

• Tennessee meat and three explained: how to order a plate lunch
• Nashville hot chicken: where it began and how to order the heat
• Where to eat in Knoxville: Market Square, the Old City and farmers markets

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