Dinner at Corky's in Memphis


 
J

Jon Randall

New member
Long time member, but don't post very often.. However after a recent trip to Memphis for a wedding and a dinner on a Friday night at Corky's (on Poplar), I felt compelled to offer an opinion. I mean after all, everyone's entitled to one, right?

Quick background info: Chris's site here led me to asking for a Weber smoker for Father's Day about 4 years ago. Never looked back, love it to death. Have recruited two others to buy a WSM. I enjoy the usuals - pulled pork, whole briskets (when I can find them) and baby backs. The neighbors and folks at work are always asking when I'm gonna smoke some more...got them hooked!

Back to my Corky's experience. Although ribs are their specialty, I opted to go with the brisket dinner. Wanted to see what a top rated BBQ joint in Memphis had to offer.

Sad to say, but while it was fork tender, and they gave you a very genreous serving, it tasted like Mom's pot roast. I asked my son (he got the pulled pork dinner which he said wasn't as good as what he's had from the WSM) to try some, and he agreed - pot roast!
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This was ordered with the sauce on the side. I wanted to experience true Memphis BBQ. But no smoke ring, nothing that suggested this stuff had even been smoked. It was very lean, but it could have been cooked in a pressure cooker for all I know. Actually that's kind of what it looked like.

Anyway, just wanted to offer a review. Bottom line - nothing like the brisket that I've been fortunate enough to pull off the WSM after an overnighter.
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Jon
 
Not surprizing at all. The only BBQ joints that can make a respectable brisket are down in TEXAS. If it weren't for TEXAS y'all wouldn't even hear of the brisket cut.
 
Interesting--My Dad/Mom stopped there on their way south to visit me (illini country orig.) this spring and loved their ribs. Didn't try anything else though. Corky's just built a new joint here in BR. I've been wanting to try it just haven't had the time yet.
 
Corky's is a rib joint. I'm not suprised that the other stuff wasn't that good. I might have expected the pulled pork to be good (not great), but the brisket - well, I'm thinking you're lucky it tasted like pot roast. I don't think they really know what a cow is in Memphis. Brian's right, brisket is Texas BBQ. Memphis is pork and more specifically, ribs.
 
Very true.

But, that said, there are plenty of not-so-good ribs in Memphis (to me, Corky's hasn't been consistent since they went 'corporate' and built the big plant near the airport and started shipping and packaging for supermarkets)--and there is lots of crummy brisket in Texas.
 
Kevin is correct about brisket in Texas. I have only lived here since 1968 so I'm still a newby from that weird place ....Louisiana. From what i've experienced ther are two kinds of brisket
(1)Tender(2)Inedible. When we gare invited to a Q we are told that" ..........can really cook a brisket" that tells me it will be tender.Much else doesn't seem to matter.I'm not complaining mind ya given the alternative and the fact that I have plastic teeth.LOL Hope I haven't offended anyone's sensibilities.
 
And of the first kind--the tender--there are two kinds: Tender and flavorful, and tender and bland. Despite what those outside of Texas think, and despite being the source of many well-liked rubs (Texas BBQ Rub, e.g., and many recipes published in books), Texas has a number of joints (especially in central Tex) that serve bland (but tender!) brisket. Fortunately, not every joint adheres to tender being the be-all end-all and many actually make--and use--rubs(!). Finding good ribs is another story.
 
I know I shouldn't judge Corky's by their airport version, but I went a year ago while transferring to another flight. I know they are famous for ribs, but they totally tasted pressure cooked and not even seasoned very well. I thought I had gotten a bad version so on a return trip I tried it again and it was even a little worse. Please tell me that the airport version is inferior to the typical Corky's or else I will never put that stuff in my mouth again.
 
Corky's has a big plant west of the airport that produces for the grocery stores and mail order and, I imagine, the airport. (I'm guessing they don't cook there, right? Never been.) They have large catering jobs as well, especially in the late spring through the summer, which Poplar can't handle and keep up with their own so the plant ships to Poplar. My guess (I have no way of knowing) is that you're getting plant product at the airport and maybe restaurant maybe plant product at Poplar.
 
I've been wanting to try corky's but I had a bad run in with luther's that has stopped me from ordering Q anywhere. I want to try a place that really good because if i run into another place like luther's it will be another 4 years before i even think about trying again.
 
I just saw where you're from--I get andouille at Wayne Jacob's on W 5th (and a latte or two at PJ's) when I'm in your area.

I used to go to 200-300 Q places a year but that dropped dramatically as disappointment grew. Now I hit maybe 50. There isn't all that much really good Q out there commercially. Plenty of lousy, plenty of mediocre, a fair amount of pretty good--the pickings are slimmer after that.
 
Jacob's has some of the best andouille around. They have some other great places around but being that we are the andouille capital of the world you would think we would have even more places. I guess its quality not quanity. To tell you the truth I didn't know if i should put laplace because not many people have heard of it. I usally have to say 30 min outside new orleans. Anyway I'm thinking about trying out hillbilly's if its still open. If you have had anything pretty good anywhere near here let me know cause I'm looking for a good place. Only good Q that I've had was a brisket at my roomates dad's house. Everything else I've tried has been mediocore at best.
 
Hillbilly BBQ used to be closed on Sundays, but the last time I drove by, on a Saturday, they were closed, too. It's still not unusual since the storm, though, for restaurants to only be open weekdays due to labor shortages. I used to like the ribs, brisket and turkey at Luther's, but they still haven't reopened in Metairie.
 
I had the same experience at a chain here in Charlotte this weekend called "Carolina Country BBQ". The pork was dry, but at least had some smoke flavor. The Brisket on the otherhand had no smoke flavor and tasted boiled rather than smoked. It was tender enough, but not what I call BBQ. I've yet to find good brisket at a Charlotte restuarant.
 
Great googly-moogly...why Corkys in the first place and why brisket in Memphis?!!!!

I'm married to a Memphian and we were married in Memphis...I'm from Central PA where BBQ, to me, was a sloppy joe until she introduced me to BBQ...wow, what an eye opener...never had anything like it...

Where to start...

1) My wife contends that if it isn't pig...it isn't BBQ...it's something else...when I mention doing brisket on the WSM she, and her family, look at me with a slightly disgusted look...oh well...

2) Memphis is a PORK bbq city (see #1)...they are just loaded with incredible mom and pop joints...as well as some worthy notables like the Interstate...

3) Memphis is about pulled pork folks...my wife chuckles every time someone identifies ribs with Memphis...yeah they have great ribs too...but they have THE BEST pulled pork in the land...sorry, tried them all...not even close anywhere else and, please, no vinegar...and no chopping...yikes...

4) Visiting Corky's in Memphis now is like visiting a Ruby Tuesday's in New York City and saying you've had their finest cuisine...when I was married some 15 years ago Corky's was still great and we served it for a family gathering to ooohs and aaaahs...as the years wore on and they tried to expand the franchise...it's become no better than the old "Red, Hot, and Blue"...mediocre...at best...we avoid it!

My wife grew up on classic Leonard's pulled pork...and I loooove their buffet...but her family also gets pulled pork from the Commissary in Germantown (next door to Memphis)...

Please...brisket in Texas...yum (my wife - not so thrilled)...and pulled pork in Memphis...what I love about both Texas and Memphis as opposed to the many joints I've tried in KC and the Carolinas (and St. Louis for that matter) is that they don't cover up the meat with sauces or vinegar...it's all about the meat...
 
Brad,

Appreciate the education!!

I just assumed that a placy as 'famous' as Corky's would do a brisket right - but with that said, even the pulled pork was nothin' to write home about. We did stop at Interstate BBQ on advice of some friends last year, and it was delicious...though I did opt for the pulled pork on that trip!

Jon
 
Well I tried corky's and hillbilly's ribs. Corky's was alright but not to much of a smokey flavor at all. Hillbilly's was much better. Really smokey and alot of flavor. Could have been a little more tender but that didnt affect the overall experience at all. Their pulled pork was also far better than corky's. The only thing i would add to the pork is some more spice and salt. Then again I love things spicy and with strong flavors. One question why do either of these restraunts not offer sliced brisket?
 
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