Tennessee > Memphis: Rum Boogie Cafe

For the last three nights, my wife and I have drank at the bar attached to the main "Rum Boogie" establishment. They are two separate venues, but both are owned by the same people and served by the same kitchen. The music at the main cafe seemed a little too anesthetic for us, so we went next door where some real raw blues and soul were playing. Tonight, we decided to sample some of their food.

My wife had the red beans and rice. She is of Cajun descent and knows a good bowl of red beans and rice when she gets it. She approved wholeheartedly and cleaned her plate. The spice was very strong and well balanced and the sausage was high quality. My wife's only complaint was that there was not enough of the sausage in the bowl. There were about two slices in what amounted to about a pint of beans.

I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was good, but much the same as most other barbecue in this town in that the flavor was not in the meat nor the little bit of bark that was present. The savior was the sauce, which was of the spicy variety. It had been applied very liberally. There was no coleslaw present either on the sandwich or on the side. The fries it was served with were outstanding. I would have been very happy, except that the "unsightly bits" had not been removed from the meat before serving. It was full of gristle and fatty bits, which took the enjoyment out of the meal. I would say almost ten per cent of the sandwich was made up of trash bits.

Dang, you guys are just having some bad luck at some of these places. Kind of surprised that you didn't find the flavor to be in the meat here. I like the taste of the meat here a good bit.

I wouldn't say we're having too bad of luck. This trip has been a very rich learning experience for the two of us. I've eaten some OUTSTANDING barbecue. The pulled pork not so much, but I have eaten ribs (at pig on beale) that were head and shoulders above anything I've ever tasted before. I've tasted spices and flavor combinations at every stop that I would never have imagined before and I've got to meet and speak with people at these restaurants that I've so far only seen in videos or read about in books.

I don't know what it is about the meat's flavor, exactly. I even spoke to some of the local people about it, just in conversation. The emphasis is placed almost completely on the sauce, it seems. The moisture and texture of the meat were perfect except for the fatty bits at Rum Boogie, but without too much distinct flavor. It's as if they're giving the customer the option to decide how his sandwich will taste by providing him with a blank slate of meat and some outstanding sauces to flavor it with. There hasn't been a place thus far that hasn't had at least one very good, unique, sauce. The only thing I've learned about more than ribs on this trip has been sauce.

Their food is really good. Great lunch specials. I had one of the best racks of ribs I have ever tasted at this place. It had a sweet glaze and some dry rub. Good fried food too. Definitely NOT a tourist trap.