Cozy Corner

Memphis is famous for its barbecue. When I was researching which place to try (I had very limited time in the city) many names came up, but this and Central, which is now a mini-chain with three branches, were the most heavily advocated by the barbecue enthusiasts that I polled. Memphis style barbecue is grilled in a pit and served either “dry” (the meat grilled on its own) or “wet” (with sauce applied prior to grilling). The city is host to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest each May.

Cozy Corner is a family run place in a fairly run-down part of town, and will not be winning any awards for architecture or interior design. You go up to the counter to order, are given a numbered tag, and you then find a table and display the number on the table. When the food is ready it is delivered to you on a metal tray, and even the utensils are plastic. The side dishes were very basic: a little plastic pot contained beans that were too sweet, and a similar little pot of spaghetti looked liked the kind of thing that anglers would take to bait their hook (10/20). Fortunately the pork ribs (two for $6.75, plus two sides) themselves were very good, falling off the bone, tender and with a tasty barbecue sauce (13/20). Fries were nothing special but decent enough, and better than I expected (12/20). The bill came to just $8 (£6) per person, though you could spend a bit more depending on your order; a Cornish hen was priced at $11.75, for example. A typical cost per head with a drink might be around £10. As long as you have suitable expectations regarding the surroundings and overlook the side dishes, then you will enjoy some very good barbecue here.