2. Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous

Fake opinions
There is no way that more people dislike than love this place. All of you mindless slugs that leave negative comments for no other reason than shine your pole should be jailed. These private, not chain restaurants make a good honest living cooking food their way. Hopefully life will be nicer to you than you are to it. By the way, I love this place!

I CAN't BELIEVE EVERYBODY DOESN'T LOVE THIS PLACE!
I have eat at this place several times, and never been unhappy with the food or the service. The food is great and the BBQ sauce is like no other. Stay across the street at the Peabody hotel and your just a step away. I give it 5 STARS!!

Should have turned around after I saw the rats.
Drove up 404 miles from Louisana. Skipped lunch so I'd have plenty of room to pack in what many have billed as Memphis' best ribs. Parked on 2nd street and walked through the alley to Rendezvous. The two rats playfully chasing each other across the alley was an omen I should have taken more seriously. Categorically disappointed. In hindsight I should have acted on my frustration after the first bit and sent the entire meal back. I've had more tender jerkey. CAUTION - Be leary of anyone (likely Rendezvous employees/family/friends) posting favorable ratings. Don't make the same mistake I made.

Do Not Go
Save your money and don't waste your time, the place is WAY overrated! Ribs were tuff and the pulled pork sandwich was cold. The service was terrible too...

do you know what good bbq is?
I ate here and realy liked. I am so glad I did not let any of the reviews lead me else were. You should eat here ...

Awful
I am sick of people that feel some moral obligation to rate this establishment well misleading innocent people to eat at this horrible establishment. The truth as you will see if you read all the reviews is that the ribs are dry, cold, and crusty. The sides are small condiment portions which you have no choice when ordering. The service is horrible. The ratings are unfair to other establishments that prepare good food and provide excellent service yet they are constantly overlooked because of this overrated fawning that I have to believe most of raters know is not truthful. I have eaten there twice and twice it was awful. If this place was once a dry rub king (it is hard to fathom), it is now a pauper, waiting to lure you in with the hype, take your money, and provide you with the worse dining experience you could ever get; the dreaded combination of poor food with poor service. Forget the claims that certain celebs have eaten there and others have them flown in, and rely on YOUR personal experience with the restaurant. I am sure Elvis and Clinton were never served cold, dry, leftover ribs, and provided with rude service. The only reason I gave this place 1 star is because it was required. They deserve no stars. Try another place for great Memphis BBQ. This is not it.

Best Ribs in Town
Absolutely the best ribs in town. Walk Beale Street to build your appetite, stroll over to the Rendezvous for an excellent BBQ dinner, and then top-off the night with a night-cap in the Peabody lobby. This is a night that is sure to please the hometown couple or out-of-town visitor.

Disappointed
My wife and I finally got around to going there last month after hearing about it for years. We were disappointed. Like others who have posted reviews, we found the ribs to be dry (maybe they had been on the grill too long as we didn't get there until around 10:00pm). Our GPS could not find the address as it is in an alley and hard to find as another poster mentioned. Also as another poster mentioned, the beans ans slaw were served in thimble sized plastic cups. Also like others, we found our waiter to be obnoxious.

Great for Cheese and Sausage
The cheese and sausage plater is worth going for but if you want anything else I would go to Corky's.

The Best
I have flown to Memphis on multiple occasions solely to go to the rendezvous from the west coast. This place has the best ribs in the country. These guys have catered inaugurations, senate functions for a reason. Even the shipped frozen food in fabulous. Yes the staff is somewhat indifferent, but they are professional, you glass won't go dry and your belly won't go empty. If you need your hand held while you eat go somewhere else. I would imagine it difficult to navigate for the handicapped it is in a basement with poor access that is just a fact, that is unfortunate but not easily remedied.

Overrated, overmarketed.... try Corky's or Interstate
On a four day 'foodie weekend' my girlfriend and I decided to drive 10 hours to Memphis for barbecue. Since Corky's was the only barbecue place in Memphis I'd eaten before, we tried Rendezvous the first night. This was the least favorite of our five barbecue meals. Dry ribs (and I know good dry rub barbecue), poor wheelchair accessibility, rushed, indifferent service staff... We'll skip this place next time.

A legend & still the best for Memphis dry-rub baby-back ribs
Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous is an institution for good reasons. First, know what you're going for. The baby-back ribs are to die for. But they are not truly smoked, nor have they ever claimed to be. Unlike shoulder, which must be smoked to truly be BBQ, there has been endless debate about the best way to do ribs, because they are thinner and require far less cooking time. Do you smoke them, or slow-cook them (still over a relatively low heat) over a charcoal and/or wood fire? The Rendezvous slow-cooks over charcoal. And "dry" does not mean the meat is dry (although it can get that way if left on too long - with the volume of ribs they cook, the thin layer of meat and the relatively small amount of fat, that's easy to do - but just send em back and they'll pop right back with a new plate - they're already cooked & ready to go). Dry just means they do not add sauce while cooking, but instead use a dry-rub. Sauce is provided on the table, so you can eat the ribs with our without the sauce. The rub is rich with spices and herbs. And the sauce does not overwhelm the meat. Their slaw is a true BBQ slaw (not mayo-based, but vinegar-based, with spices & some mustard). They seem to change their bean recipe now and then, which is my only criticism. If you order chicken or a pork chop then, well, you didn't have BBQ, and you certainly didn't have ribs, so don't complain. Finally, the character and atmosphere at the Rendezvous make it truly special. It's like a museum in that old basement, and it's just tacky enough to let you know you're in a true BBQ restaurant. It's the perfect place to go with a group of friends for a fun night downtown (not the best date restaurant), then go across to the Peabody, or to Beale Street.

this is basically a tourist trap. the food sucks and the personnel are rude and uncaring. We will sent all our out of town clients and friends to Central BBQ or Arby's if they want better service and manners. The manager sucks and does not care. It is not friendly to the handicap and they should be forced to change the set up. Also, Corky's frozen BBQ is even better. I could handle the food but the service sucked. Thursday, March 19th. I will NEVER eat there again.

terribly overated!! don't eat here. ribs are tough and dry. slaw was inedible, had a sweet, mustard taste. brisket war bland and dry even with sauce. i asked for sausage, but was never brought any. beans were ok and service was quick. these were the only 2 redeaming qualities of my first and last expierence at Rendezvous. if you want good ribs, eat at interstate bbq. if you want exceptional bbq, eat at corkys.

I loved the Rendevous. The atmospehre was fun but a bit noisy. The wait was minimal despite it being a weekend evening. The waiter was helpful, polite, prompt and gave us a bit of history. He had worked there his entire life and his father was one of the first waiters at the restaurant when it opened. The ribs were great. I'd go again in a minute and WILL the next time I'm in Memphis.

After hearing so many recommendations about Rendezvous, I was anxious to try it. All in all it was a disappointing experience. After waiting in the alley for 45 minutes, we were called to our table. The service was prompt, but that was about my favorite part of the dining experience. My husband and I both had the ribs. I found them to be tough, having to chew the meat off the bone. The meat, itself, had no flavor, and tasted as though it had been boiled. To mask all of this, an overly thick layer of rub coated the ribs. It was way more rub than it needed. The sauces were okay. I recommend the hot. Conversely, my husband really liked the heavy rub, and he would eagerly visit the Rendezvous again. If I go with him, I'll probably try the pulled pork or brisket. Maybe they'll get that right.

This is not good BBQ.The waiters are rude,the food isoverpriced and dry.The atmosphere is good,but there are way too many real BBQ restaurants in Memphis to give this bark tasting BBQ a second chance.Worst I have ever had.

I've been there three times from the mideast and i must say Elvis was right...they're my favorite ribs too. They are dry rubbed but you can add their delicious sauce. I do half and half. I read some complaints about the sides...give me a break...I go their for ribs not for coleslaw or beans. I've also had them sent to my house but they're not as good as in the resturant...good but not fantastic. I once drove 250 miles out of my way just to make a stop at the Rendevous. I love them much better than Kansas City style ribs.We always buy a half dozen bottles of their sauce and dry rub to bring back home with us to Michigan. As a matter of fact, we're planning a roa trip to the mecca of BBQ next month and I just might also try Neely's, Central's and the Interstate but it'll take a lot to knock off the Vous.....BTW, we always get there early, between 4 and 6 and there's never a line.

Horrible! I should have known this would be a poor experience from the start, when the gruff person seating guest said, "Only 1?" upon seeing I was on my own, and seated me next to the station where workers were slamming dirty dishes. I asked to move and only after I held my ground did she agree. I ordered the ribs dinner. The ribs were not just dry rub - the meat was dry and tough. They were barely warm and, despite the thick layer of spices layered on top of them after they were cooked. The waiter never came to my table to ask how my meal was, and I had trouble flagging him down. When I told him about the tough and dry meat, he could not care less. He did not offer to adjust the bill. So, I paid, walked a few blocks and happily had superb ribs at River City Cafe at Beale & 2nd Sts. - just go there!

Everyone in Memphis has strong feelings about our barbecue. Well, I feel strongly that Rendezvous's ribs and barbecue are the best of the "big guys." It is far superior to all of the other major players in Memphis barbecue. The ribs are not dripping with a sweet sauce, instead, they are served "dry"--dripping with their own natural juices as it fuses with the special Rendezvous dry seasonings. It is a delicious experience. I love the coleslaw, too. It is a mustard-based coleslaw unlike any other I have ever had. The experience should also be mentioned. Anytime you go, expect a wait. Just go upstairs to the bar area, order a drink and the sausage and cheese plate and start your experience. It will be memorable and delicious, no matter where your barbecue loyalties lie.

I thought it had poor barbecue, poor sides,poor service and a poor location The entrance is in an alley llined with smelly trash. I'll never return.

I travel all over the United States for work, and I mean everywhere. I am also a true barbecue fanatic, and I can tell you taste in barbecue is a personal as fingerprints. I have been to Rendezvous 3 separate times to make sure I got a nice represenation of food and service. I can say that it was consistently what it was all 3 times. This is NOT barbecue, this is grilled ribs, and I do not want the word "crisp" to explain my ribs. Service is sharp, but if you dont get the "Lingo" they are off leaving you with a confused look on your face. Sides are something to truly laugh at, a dixie cup would be truly double the size of the shotglass they give you. Really this should not be considered true barbecue. If I came up with the results served there in my back yard I would consider it a grave mistake never to make again, but since I do not "grill" my ribs I will never have to worry about that. My advice is to try it once, and see. Enough people swear by this place, but I think it is more the mob mentality when thousands of people go there, but no one really knows why. If this place opened a week ago it would be closed already.

I was in town recently for the Beale St Musicfest. Had lunch/dinner at The 'Vous' after several recommendations. It was quick walk to the 'alley' from Beale St. The food was outstanding. Between the three of us we ordered ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket. The ribs and pulled pork were moist and well seasoned. The Beef Brisket was simply a taste of pure heaven. It simply melted in your mouth. Afterwards I watched the brisket being served to another customer and watching her first bite... the look on her face described exactly how I felt. I've read the other reviews and all I can say is maybe they aren't consistent, but I certainly haven't stopped recommending it to everyone I've told about it since I've gotten back home to MD from my trip! Service was professional, courteous, and prompt! Cost was reasonable.

Terrible... overrated. Meat was not good, only 2 sides to choose from and they were no good. This is not downhome good eating. The atmosphere wasn't great either. You will regret going here if you are looking for good Barbecue. If you just want Barbecue you will be fine, but you will not find "good" here. I was very disappointed on this trip

All 5's for this excellent rib restaurant! The ribs themselves - fabulous with any of the spicy sauces.. The wait-staff knowledgeable and attentive. The ambiance unique!

Being from Kansas City, I know barbeque, and this is not it. It may be a landmark and the atmosphere is great, but I was expecting a lot more when it came to the food, the ribs were dry, as well as the pulled pork. Memphis may want to be the BBQ capital, but Kansas City blows this away, if you like REAL BBQ, Rendezvous is not the place for you. The only redeeming thing on the table was the sauce, try the hot one.

Great ribs...anyone from the South who KNOWS ribs knows the Rendezvous and Memphis.

The Rendezvous exists on its history and the fact that John Grisham made it famous. I've been there several times and it occured to me on the last visit that the emperor has no clothes. The ribs were way too dry, the service surly, and the rest of the food was pretty mediocre. There are a number of other local BBQ joints that are much better. It's just such an icon that nobody's willing to be honest about it.

It doesn't get any better than this!

Great atmosphere and setting. I stop here every time I’m within 50 miles of Memphis... It's Great!!!!!!!

The service is fast and friendly, but does not make you feel you are being rushed. The ribs are excellent. It is the kind of place you can have barbecue sauce smeared all over your face and feel comfortable about it.

Great food every time! My favorite place in Memphis to eat.

Very good food but kind of hard to find. Entrance is in the alley!

It was great the sausage and peppers were the BOMB.