Memphis BBQ 101: A Rockin’ Road Through Smoky Flavor

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September 1, 2024

Lizzie’s BBQ is here to take you on a dining adventure that creates new BBQ lovers and reminds regular eaters why they keep coming back! Tasting the deliciousness of Memphis BBQ style is the first step to learning how “the best” style of BBQ came to be.

The Early Years

It’s 1819, and all the right elements come together for the founding of the city of Memphis, TN and the BBQ style of the future as domesticated pigs are brought in by Spanish explorers. Add the growing trading of molasses and hardwoods on the Mississippi, and “the match is lit” to start the fire on a special kind of cooking.

The 1920s brings the rise of entrepreneur John Mills, who went from opening a BBQ stand to a brick restaurant on Fourth Street to show how cooking pork shoulder and ribs over a brick pit can leave taste buds watering. Leonard Heuberger, another icon in the Memphis BBQ style, opened his restaurant Leonard’s Barbecue and gained notoriety by cooking slow-roasted pork shoulders and ribs in a charcoal-fueled brick pit.

Skip the vinyl needle forward to the 1940s for the beginning of the recognition for the mouthwatering combination of pork and hickory smoke. Memphis officially took the title of the hot-spot for deliciousness with the opening of The Rendezvous, becoming the most popular BBQ restaurant in Memphis thanks to the Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs cooked by Charlie Vergos. Mix in the rise of music legends like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, and Memphis would blend grooves with delicacies and create BBQ paradises such as Lizzie’s BBQ.

Distinct Features

Say goodbye to those wet and saucy meats and hello to mouthwatering pork with the addition of dry rubs. Memphis becomes the best with a blend of brown sugar, garlic powder, black pepper, and other amazing spices. Don’t forget to “smoke the good stuff,” and you’ve got yourself a must-try flavorful meal.

Speaking of smoking, we can’t call our dishes Memphis Style without the help of hickory wood. When you smell that delicious meat, your taste buds are ready before it’s brought to your table. That’s the work of hickory wood smoking the meat in the cooking process. Hickory is the best type of wood for the Memphis Style, and we only go with the best!

The right sauce will make your taste buds go “Mmm-mmm-mm”, and the Memphis Style tomato-based sauce is the best of the best. The boost of sweetness and vinegar tang keeps the meat super-savory. Oh man, that’s good!

Person holding a pulled pork sandwich at Lizzie's Memphis Style BBQ restaurant

Popular Dishes

We like our racks large, our butts rubbed, and our pork pulled, and we feature the best cuts of pork for a BBQ night out! Smoked pulled pork is the perfect introduction for pork rookies, and our fan-favorite baby back ribs come in all sizes for mouth-watering banquets needing piles of napkins. Chow down on our rockin’ brisket sandwich or smoked half chicken lathered in BBQ sauce.

Try the dry rub if you are in the mood for a mess-free meal without sacrificing the deliciousness of the Memphis Style. The mix of salt, white sugar, garlic powder, brown sugar, and other delightful spices keeps the taste buds upbeat and still leaves your face stain-free.

Lizzie’s BBQ leaves no sandwich lover out with our fan-favorite options. The Memphis Style Pulled Pork Sandwich is piled so high you might have trouble getting that first bite. We bring the cooking style to burger lovers with the Lizzie’s Smokehouse Burger lathered in BBQ sauce and our special “Lizzie’s Sauce”. The turn-table of meats is complete with our smoked sausage sandwich, which takes a dive into our Memphis style and sauces for a BBQ paradise.


It’s been more than 100 years since Memphis Style BBQ sprang to life, and since then, Lizzie’s BBQ has perfected it. After all, as Lizzie always says, “Memphis-style is the best.”

Come on down to Lizzie’s Memphis Style BBQ to get the best BBQ in town! Place an online order (opens in a new tab) today!

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