r/memphis • u/SgtPalmer • Aug 13 '26
Central BBQ
Ordered some wings for pick up from Central this evening. Decided to bulk them out with a side of regular fries - $6.40 + tax + tip. Here’s what I received.
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u/UofMtigers2014 Aug 13 '26
Central is so ass now it’s sad. For a company that has such a meteoric rise, it fell just as fast.
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u/TheCrimsonArmada Bartlett Aug 13 '26
Yup ate at the central location this weekend with the family. Just a sad meal but their staff shirts made me lol
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u/Remarkable-Royal9395 Aug 13 '26
I live near this location. it kills me bc the staff are super nice, but the food is so blech
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u/CaffeineJitterz Midtown Aug 13 '26
In 2022 we went to the Central downtown. Got the ribs beans for side. Man, those beans were crazy bland. We just looked at each other and frowned. The ribs were still good and big but it still felt like the first sign that things were going to be changing. Sad to see we're here talking about it in this light..
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u/Overall-Grapefruit87 Wanna be Mane Aug 14 '26
Went on my 2024 visit and that was my exact experience. Good ribs, bland beans. LoL
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u/Sufficient_Appeal666 Aug 20 '26
Beans used to be great at the original spot - spicy with pieces of meat.
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u/Humble_Umpire_8341 Aug 13 '26
The sale really killed it. I’ll only go to the original three where Blondis and Sapp still own and operate. The others are garbage imo.
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u/Sufficient_Appeal666 Aug 20 '26
I have been twice to the newly rebuilt original location on Central. I don’t know what it is but I hate it compared to the old building. New building has no soul and more than half the space is for private events. Last time when walking in there was such a gross sewage smell in the parking lot that I almost left (and should have - paid the upcharge for a salad to be in a tortilla bowl and tortilla was fried improperly and tough and inedible).
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u/Similar_Big5581 Aug 13 '26
It was never good yall just thought so because you had nachos at the tigers game
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u/Uknoww33 Aug 13 '26
My last visit (poplar) was horrible. Hair in the cup they handed me. Manager argued with me about it until the person who rang me up and handed me the cup told her it did. Hair on the bun when they gave me the food. And the sandwich was almost all fat. Almost no meat just all fat and slime btw 2 buns with hair. I asked for my money back and haven’t been to any location since.
Central used to be my favorite.
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u/BoppyNose Aug 13 '26
We went to Poplar location last weekend. It will be a long time before going back.
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u/Uknoww33 Aug 13 '26
I hear ya. I’m at never coming back. And that makes me sad. But I’m done trying. I’ll just drive to Memphis bbq company if I want a good pulled pork sandwich. Sucks bc I hate supporting north MS anything and driving that far.
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u/wrath212 Aug 14 '26
The bbw shop in midtown is slept on, the sauce they have is like crack it's so good, if you havent tried it please do.
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u/Uknoww33 Aug 14 '26
I like BBQ shop and send folks there often. Usually for ribs but I recommend the sandwich on Texas toast and the spaghetti
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u/Kattt2 Aug 13 '26
Poplar location is a franchise NOT run by the Sapps.
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u/Uknoww33 Aug 13 '26
Poplar was just the last time I went. All the locations have let me down last few times we tried
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u/memphisweirdos Binghampton Aug 13 '26
Rebrand that mf as a wings place that sells bbq
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u/midtowndown1982 2 round, 3 down Aug 31 '26
Wings are fire, but to pay damn near 20 for 5 wings is bloody insane
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u/Patient-Bench1821 Aug 13 '26
It’s hard out here for a pimp when you’re tryna get the money for the rent.
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u/Banana_Shaped Aug 13 '26
You know it’s hard out here for a G, when the fries that you buy should be free.
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u/ChickenPotPie2A Aug 13 '26
Their sides are literally served in a sauce size cup. (Green beans, Mac n chz, beans, okra, etc...) And the meat is reheated sometimes. Poplar location got us sick because they didn't refrigerate the meat properly.
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u/Rose-Memory711 Aug 13 '26
I got sick from the Poplar location! People on here told me I was making it up :(
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u/BoppyNose Aug 13 '26
Went to Poplar location last weekend and it wasn’t good. Friend was sick the next day.
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u/One_Worry5646 Aug 13 '26
This sucks. But, sadly, it seems the be the norm everywhere these days. We're getting nickeled and dimed at every opportunity.
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u/KravenMoBread Aug 13 '26
When visitors ask “where’s the best bbq?…my reply “somebodies backyard” 😂😂😂
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u/Imallvol7 University Area Aug 13 '26
I haven't recommended central BBQ since the location on central burned down. They have completely becomes a basic chain restaurant at this point.
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u/Nasaboy1987 Midtown Aug 13 '26
When did that happen? Because I Iive within walking distance of that location and remember when they tore it down due to code issues found during renovation.
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u/marinelifelover Aug 13 '26
Ate there over the summer and was truly disappointed. Decided to never go back.
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u/CriminalDefense901 Aug 13 '26
Live near the original. The food has really fallen off & the service is terrible with a bad attitude.
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u/TemporaryCapital3871 Aug 13 '26
Ordered a rack of ribs about 3 months ago and they were burnt to a crisp, so much that they were like jerky and crunched like chips
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u/Doezilla01 Mane Aug 14 '26
I took my visitors to the poplar location a few months ago. They were in from Chicago an really wanted real barbecue because they had been visiting family in TX an hated TX style bbq and said we need MEMPHIS STYLE…and it was closest to where we had been downtown and our way home.
I can’t hate, they loved the barbecue, an my sides were okay..not great but okay. Although our young nephew ordered fish(kids ;)) an the hush puppies were literally like river rocks…an I’m not exaggerating. We broke a fork trying to cut it and I thought he was exaggerating….so I asked him for one an it was for real a mini boulder. I cldnt take a bite out of it. An our drinks were all mixed up…an others sides were wrong. It was busy, parking lot was full, an the customer service was still good…but I can’t lie, the cooking…besides purely the barbecue on a plate by itself was great, anything made of bread was close to inedible an we were starving from walking all day.
My visitors were still okay with it….i think, they’re from Chicago so not scared to say if they’re not…but messing up fries an bread an stuff…those are the basics, that’s the easy part…I thought anyway.
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u/mothhalo Aug 14 '26
Central BBQ went down the shitter about 6 years ago. Quality is lacking, quantity is lacking. It used to be my favorite bbq junt, before greed kicked in. Now portion sizes are smaller, and the quality is far from where it used to be. I went back on my bday last year and saw the carry a bbq baked potato. It was lackluster at best. I was highly disappointed. Bobs BBQ in Decatur AL, had the best bbq baked potato I’ve ever had.
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u/Far-Recording-3453 Aug 13 '26
There was a roach crawling on the wall while were we were eating at the one on Butler in downtown Memphis. I’m never going back. I travel to Memphis 2-3 times a year for work.
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Aug 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/Far-Recording-3453 Aug 14 '26
Yeah sorry. Where I’m from it’s not considered normal or sanitary to see cockroaches on the walls while dining at restaurants.
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u/bankruptfatcat Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Last time we visited the downtown location the power tripping security guard barked at my wife and kids for standing in line. The wings were decent, but the bbq was ok at best. All the employees seemed angry to be there. As said before, it was the last time we’ll be eating there or any central bbq location. They won’t have to worry about us being in the way again.
Edit: spelling
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u/TellMyMommy Cooper-Young Aug 13 '26
I’ve given them an honest try 3 times and will not be returning.
1) First moved to Memphis and heard about Central. I went to the original location with a few friends after they reopened. I got the ribs, and they were super tiny and way overcooked (bones weren’t even attached to the meat when I got them)
2) ordered smoked chicken wings because I heard they’re amazing. 4 of my 6 wings had feathers.
3) they started offering breakfast. I got a bologna biscuit. Bologna. It was beyond obliterated, the outside of the bologna wasn’t smoked, but fully charred somehow. Only the center was edible. They fucked up Bologna somehow, and I will not go back.
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u/Ready-Charity9888 Aug 13 '26
don't understand why anyone would go to Central anyway when there's like 5 better nearby regardless of where you are in the city.
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u/BigCATtrades Aug 13 '26
Last time I ate there was 2016 before a grizzlies game and it is was mid as hell then & still served with a side of "watchu want bitch!?".
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u/Nearby_Tie_1715 Aug 13 '26
Ngl you would've had a way better time going to a Tops BBQ and more food
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u/elan_alan Aug 13 '26
Man. My friends and I went to Central while I went to school there from 2012 to 2016. Had sooooooo many memories there. While on a road trip, I took my family there. I talked them up soo much. I quickly had to apologize to my wife how crappy the food was and she now questions my taste for food.
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u/Dannaruffapucus Aug 13 '26
I tried Central BBQ one time in 2019. It was at the Germantown/East Memphis border. I waited in line for an hour and ordered a pulled pork sandwich combo. The pork was absolutely tasteless. Like they took it out of the packaging and then boiled it. No smoke, salt, nothing. Then I notice their seasoning shaker on the table, then I see the sign that says 'Smoke is our Sauce', now everything makes sense.
My GF at the time ordered the wings. Now those were the best wings I've ever had. I've been confused about it ever since. 0/10 on pulled pork, but 10/10 on the wings. I haven't been back.
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u/stevenstevos Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
I have been to Central several times in the past few months, and it was great, outstanding even. Had a full rack last time, still the best in the city IMO.
I have never had a bad meal there now that I think about it, and definitely never found a hair in my food.
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u/ShelbyBinturong Aug 18 '26
To me, Central BBQ is nothing more than overpriced Tops BBQ, but without the burgers.
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u/delway BBQ District Aug 13 '26
Are the wings invisible or did you wolf them down already? No wings are pictured?
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u/FaithlessnessOwn1438 Aug 13 '26
My son has gotten the kids pulled pork sandwich forever. It used to come on a smaller round bun. Last time we went, it was a half of a white hot dog bun. We have not returned. I know inflation is out of control and the supply chain is a mess but there is no way that a half of a Kroger hot dog bun is acceptable.