Charles Vergo's Rendezvous BBQ

Legend has it all Memphis BBQ trails must go through Charles Vergo's Rendezvous BBQ located in an alleyway basement in the heart of the business district.

The dining area is a cavernous maze of rooms packed with fascinating bric-a-brac and Memphis memorabilia. Picture your grandmother's living room with years and years of collectibles.

This place has been delighting customers with their ribs since the 1940s and people just cannot get enough of them. Legend has it Bill Cosby once visited and after tasting the ribs insisting on getting a regular shipment directly to his house, now they ship them to hungry mouths all over the country.

A friend insisted I could not leave without trying the pulled pork nachos. I obliged not realizing they would be the size of my head. They are a sensational creation which include nacho chips, nacho cheese, pulled pork, their sweet BBQ sauce, dry rub seasoning and jalapenos. Fat free too!

Next up were the ribs. They are direct grilled with no seasoning or rubs over charcoal, not wood, so there isn’t any smoke flavor. The ribs go into the giant grill frozen and broil on the top shelf for 45 minutes then they are moved to the bottom shelf for an 1 hr 45 mins. Finally, they are removed, basted with a vinegary solution, dipped in their special dry rub seasoning and served. And with that simple formula, they are able to create the most amazing dry rub ribs I have ever had over and over and over and over again. They estimate that they make 800 slabs a night. Mindblowing right?

Their slogan is, "Not since Adam has the rib been this famous."

This is one of the 4 ovens where they make their dream creation.

Ratings:

Pulled Pork Nachos - 7 - delicious and a very creative use of the pork, however under all the sauce and cheese and jalapenos, the little morsels of pork which were delicious, got a little lost.

Ribs - 8 - best dry rub ribs I've ever had, although they have the texture and flavor of a grilled pork chop due to the relatively quick cooking time and the lack of the smoky flavor.

Brisket - 7 - got a little to taste and it was tender and juicy (and covered in mountains of sauce - a theme with Memphis Q)

Baked Beans - 5 - very average

Coleslaw - 7 - quite yummy - made with mustard, vinegar and hot sauce. this was an interesting spin on coleslaw

Ambiance - 7.5 - it scored well because the knick knacks gave it an old feel, like your grandmother's living room.

Overall - 7 - Not your typical BBQ but the ribs were impressive