Central BBQ

About

Barbeque, Southern

Price Range : $11-30 ($$)

  • star
    Yelp rating
    4 stars

Location

Adress: 147 E Butler Ave Downtown, Memphis, TN 38103

Phone: (901) 672-7760

Work Hours

Mon 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Tue 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Wed 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Thu 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Sat 11:00 am-9:00 pm
Sun 11:00 am-9:00 pm

Business info

  • turned_in_not
    Health Score
    98 out of 100
  • list_alt
    Takes Reservations
    No
  • directions_car
    Delivery
    No
  • move_to_inbox
    Take-out
    Yes
  • credit_card
    Accepts Credit Cards
    Yes
  • thumb_up
    Good For
    Lunch, Dinner
  • local_parking
    Parking
    Street
  • directions_bike
    Bike Parking
    Yes
  • accessibility
    Good for Kids
    Yes
  • group
    Good for Groups
    Yes
  • insert_emoticon
    Ambience
    Casual
  • volume_up
    Noise Level
    Average
  • transit_enterexit
    Outdoor Seating
    Yes
  • wifi
    Wi-Fi
    No
  • tv
    Has TV
    Yes
  • turned_in_not
    Dogs Allowed
    No
  • fastfood
    Caters
    Yes

Reviews

  • Adren A.

    star star star star star 7 June 2026

    What else can I say, if you like BBQ, then you will love this place,  either I was super hungry or the food is just they good. The menu options are bit limited , but if you are there for ribs then helllo this is the place to come

    I ordered the half slab dry ... my friend ordered the full slab dry and omg they thing is huge! And the meat comes right off the bones , tastes so good and I'm from Texas and we got great BBQ In Texas, but this place was awesome.

    The staff hmm could be more friendly, the chick at the counter that you order had some what a sense of humor, but over all she was nice, we were there Sunday sept 8 at the evening time. For example my friend asked where are the side orders and she goes "where says side orders in the menu" and so people my get mad at that but that kind of humor cracks me up!

    I would definitely recommend this place and would come back here... if any complains ...the next morning I was still feeling so full from eating so much hahahahaha I had to skip breakfast ..

  • David G.

    star star star star star_border 2 June 2026

    3.5 Stars

    Disclosure: I am a KC bbq fan ( followed by Texas, Tenn, and Carolinas).

    A group of us went out to Central BBQ for dinner and the consensus was that it is okay bbq but not wow. Their ribs were better than at the Rendezvous for sure but they were pretty good...a bit of smoke and pretty good texture. It came with pork cracklins that were really good.

    What I really liked were the BBQ pulled pork nachos...what's not to like...mounds of cheese, jalapenos, bbq sauce????

    Sides were just okay: beans, greens, fries, and onion rings.

    If you have tasted Q around the states definitely check them out and compare

  • Asia H.

    star star_border star_border star_border star_border 2 June 2026

    The ribs didn't have any flavoring except for the sauce, the macaroni was runny and without flavor, it pretty much taste like how it looks. The bathrooms were unkept. Service was mediocre. You order your own food at the register then they will bring you your food, but you have to get your own drinks. Sit anywhere. Employees are not that friendly considering that they get a lot of tourist from other places that may not understand how the restaurant is set up. They only get 2 stars because we did eat, but we probably would've done better just getting burgers and fries elsewhere.

    There's a Customer at the table next to us as I'm typing that complained about the food, but the employee that was cleaning the table off kept putting her off rudely saying that he didn't know more than once and that she needs to go speak with a manager, instead of being apologetic and ushering for a manager over to assist. That took the rating from 2 stars to 1. We will not be back, all the way from Michigan.

  • John F.

    star star star star_border star_border 26 May 2026

    Order 1/2 slab dry with two sides.  Ribs were flavorless.  Looked good but very bland. BBQ sauces only masked the dullness of the ribs.

    Side 1 greens were fine. A little salty.

    Side 2 baked beans were very good.  They had a nice sweet taste but not over powering.

  • Shanay C.

    star star star star star_border 14 May 2026

    After trying the pizza at Aldo's that had this places bbq on it we decided to try it out. We came here after visiting the museum which is across the street. There is a friendly security/doorman's that welcomes you into the restaurant. You order at the counter and then you pick a seat. I got a sandwich and my hubby got the ribs. We both enjoyed our meals. I know there are multiple locations but I think  that this might be one of the better ones.

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