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Memphis

Memphis: Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ

July 6, 2006 at 11:50 AM | 0 Comments

They take their barbeque very seriously in Memphis, and you'll be hearing plenty about it in the next couple of days. While the Rendezvous--the BBQ joint of choice for the President when he came to town last week--is the most famous of Memphis' smoked meat options and the home of dry-rub ribs, it has plenty of company in the BBQ pantheon. Among them is Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ, conveniently located on the way to the airport, and among the best of the BBQ giants in town.

A "small" order of pork ribs gets you two sides and some white bread. Sides include classics like baked beans and cole slaw, but another option is the BBQ spaghetti. It tastes pretty much like it sounds, although the sauce is more tomato-based than what goes on the ribs and pulled pork, both of which are smoky and tender. The sauce is definitely wet without getting too sloppy, with a slightly sweet finish. Polishing off that small order was enough to give us the meat sweats, so unless you're a member of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, it should be more than enough for a meal.

We especially liked Neely's logo: The interstate springs forth from the pigs neck, as if his aorta has been severed and his lifeblood is the interstate itself. For a barbeque restaurant, that's pretty darn profound.

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