Don’t Tell a Memphis Girl about Barbecue

When I ordered fries with my pulled pork sandwich, the waitress said, “It comes with slaw.”
“On the sandwich,” I corrected her.
“Yes,” she said.
“That’s what I want,” I clarified. “Slaw on the sandwich, fries on the side.”

Who does she think she is, lecturing me about the way Corky’s serves its barbecue sandwiches, treating me like I’m someone from . . . New Orleans.
Corky's New Orleans
CORKY’S NEW ORLEANS (actually Kenner)

barbecue, Memphis

Comments (4)

  • I know what you mean. We were in Kentucky recently and our hosts took us to a BBQ place. It was ok, you understand, but not really competitive. And they served BEEF! even though I am from Texas, I now know that that stuff is not really barbecue, just smoked meat. I’ll give the Kentucky place some credit, though, they had mutton and frog legs. You don’t get that in Memphis, but any Memphite will tell you don’t need those things when you have our ribs or pulled pork.
    And Ellen, I must disagree about the fries. The best side is beans, but greens are also competitive. And once you have had the home-made chips at Central BBQ, you won’t ever eat fries again.

  • First time I ordered a BBQ in Illinois I sent it back, telling them they got my order wrong. Turns out, it was their idea of BBQ…baked sliced pork on white bread with a sauce that resembled thinned catchup. Oh well….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay in Touch with Ellen's Very Southern Voice Newsletter

Follow Ellen Morris Prewitt

Subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,107 other subscribers