I have to admit when Char-Broil first contacted me to come out to Memphis In May and do some cooking demonstrations one of the first thoughts I had was that someone was going to pay me to fly out and eat at Interstate Bar-B-Q.
For a BBQ enthusiast there are a select group of “famous” restaurants that are must eat ats. And for me Interstate Bar-B-Q was high on my list. And as hard as it is for me to say I’ve got to admit that it may have been one of the biggest BBQ disappointments I’ve ever had.
There are a variety of negative reasons why I don’t eat in BBQ restaurants very often. And I don’t think Interstate BBQ missed a single reason. Everything I dislike about most BBQ restaurants was encapulated in one meal.
Go figure…who would have thought that one of America’s most celebrated BBQ establishments was my first Memphis In May disappointment. Dang, I’m sad writing this. I so wanted a good BBQ experience and I didn’t get it.
As I am like to do when eating at a BBQ restaurant for the first time I ordered the sample platter. This was one of the biggest sample platters I’ve ever seen. It came with chopped 
pork shoulder, chopped brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, sausage. And every bit of it was drenched in bbq sauce. There was so much bbq sauce on the plate that the plate resembled a little swimming pool of red sauce. It must have just been ladled over the meat after it had been piled up.
I cannot even begin to describe the disappointment I felt when the plate of luke warm soaking wet meat was sat down in front of me. Nineteen hundred miles I came to eat at the world famous Interstate Bar-B-Q and I got food that could be purchased at any local, “cook once or twice a week and reheat” BBQ restaurant.
The chopped pork and chopped brisket lacked any flavor outside of the sauce. I couldn’t taste the smoke at all. If I had not smelled the smoke when I first walked into the place I would have sworn the meat wasn’t smoked. The sausage was flavorful and had a nice “bite” to it with the natural casing.
I got two pork ribs and two beef ribs with the sample platter. The pork ribs were soft, mushy and fall of the bone. Not the way I like them at all, but probably the way most people want their ribs. Without a doubt the biggest disappointment of a disappointing meal were the beef ribs. The beef ribs were not edible at all. The membrane was not removed and there was not way you could bite into them and the meat was so over cooked you couldn’t even get the meat off the membrane with a knife and fork.
The sides weren’t all the much better. The beans looked as though they had been kept under a heat lamp for hours in the little white bowls they are served in. The cole slaw was average at best.
The famous Interstate BBQ spaghetti was tasty, but lacked any real reason to get excited about it. Over cooked pasta covered in sauce with a little meat isn’t anything to I’d recommend.
You know you’ve got problems when not one person out of 8 finished their meal. What do you do when the only thing that tasted like you would expect it to taste like is the plain white bread served with each meal.
Some of the people in our group thought that the reason the food was as bad as it was may have been due to it being the end of the day and everything had been kept in hotel pans all day on a steam table. Now I don’t know about the steam table, but the food sure had the texture that meat has when it’s been kept “warm” all day. But even if that was the case doesn’t a restaurant have an obligation to make sure the food served in the evening is the same quality as when they first open? We paid the same price, we should have gotten the same quality.
And for the first time ever, we were denied a chance to look at the pits. I’ve never, ever been told I couldn’t see the pits in a restaurant. Makes me wonder about things.
So that’s my first Memphis BBQ experience. I figure it’s going to get better because it certainly can’t get any worse than it was tonight.
Native Memphian concurs on two counts – One, I have never understood the high praise heaped upon Interstate BBQ. The place is a dump and the food is a disgrace. The Brother’s Neely do much better BBQ at their joints. Interstate is to be avoided at all costs. Two, BBQ Shop is one of Memphis’ finest joints and I am also fond of Central BBQ. As for other “famous” joints, Rendezvous has always been more about the experience than the food and Corky’s at least gets points for consistency.
That looks nasty!
When my wife and I were down in Memphis last summer, we went out of town a little south to Natural Born Grillers (I believe they are Brethren ??) and it was pretty good. The dirty rice was phenomenal.
Dude, I am so mad for you! You are right about everything but two things in particular. 1) “Legendary” establishments have an obligation to live up to the hype that they spew! Interstate has been on just about every food network I have ever watched and I think they owe it to the public and the networks that have made them famous to ensure an “A-List” experience all the time! 2) No matter what time of the day it is, if you are open for business the food *MUST* be fresh and on-point! That alone angers me to no end brother! When I open my place, you can be sure that the quality food you get at opening time, you will get the same at closing time!
And I, my friend, will make trip back to eat your BBQ.
I agree with the fact that “legendary” places often get complacent and serve less than standard BBQ. I must say though, I’ve never been to Rendzvous with the BBQ tasting anything less than almost perfect. (it WAS perfect for me once or twice) I’ll be trying the Bar B Que Shop next time I get to Memphis for sure. Thanks Bruce b Que
Sorry to here about your bad experience. That stinks!
Sometimes it’s best to ask a local before hitting a local joint. Often “legendary” places like Interstate, Rendezvous, etc, are over-rated or past their prime. As a Memphian, I suggest you try the Bar-B-Que Shop on Madison. Get the ribs dry with sauce on the side. The best in town, IMO. It’s far better in every regard than Interstate.
Blech. That looks terrible. I’ve picked up Interstate BBQ at the Memphis airport to take home before, and it looked (and likely tasted) nothing like that lukewarm mess. Guess we can only hope that was an abberation and not representative of their usual offerings.
I am so sorry for you man. That plate looks terrible! Is that a turd on top? Ewww.
It can only get better from now on.
Sorry you had such a disappointing meal. When we went to the one at the airport the pulled pork and the nachos were quite good however we were there first thing in the AM. The pasta was just as you described it over cooked and nothing to get excited about.
Hopefully you get some good BBQ- head to Cozy corner, Pig on Beale or Gus’s for some wicked good fried chicken
That sounds like an awful experience and that food does not look good at all. I mentioned in a recent blog of mine that good BBQ joints let you add your own sauce so I would have been disappointed as well. I have been hoping to go to Memphis for the Q one day, but this is the second non great review I have seen of the memphis experience.
Interesting review, I think the service/food looked just horrible. These pictures of the food is enough to insure I never eat there.
I’m truely sorry to hear that, but I know a place where you can have a much better experience: Go visit The Danish National BBQ Team (R-052). They are competing at MiM.
They had a great invitational dinner last night, but I am sure if you go by there stall today or tomorrow you will get to taste excellent BBQ!!
Say HI to them if you do go by
Greetings from Søren aka SFJ, in cold rainy Denmark.
Wow, that is sad, it sounds terribly disappointing, I was very happy for you that you were going to get to eat at someplace I have on my road trip list. I hope the other places are much better. And yes, I was a cook in the restaurant business and if that sign says open, then you have to provide the same meal at midnight as you did at 7 p.m.