Payne's Bar-B-Que Review

Hot dog was a cheap hot dog and the barbecue bologna sandwich was not fully cooked served with soggy white bread...

I enjoyed their rib plate. They gave a good portion and they was nice and tender. My daughter had the hotdog. She said it was really good. The best hotdog ever. We are looking forward to our next trip to Memphis.

I was passing through memphis so of course i had to try memphis bbq for the first time. Someone recommended paynes and it is some damn good bbq. I cant eat any other bbq now at home because of paynes

Had the ribs and they were excellent. Could have eaten 5 slabs they were so good. Cole slaw was a little too bitter for me but the beans were outta this world

Great tasting, simply done BBQ. Go for the food alone.

My husband and myself have been customers since the 70's.
We drive about 40 mins. to go there for the best BBQ in the WORLD!
The meat, slaw and sauce compliment each other perfectly.
Dr's, Layers and everyone in between will be seen at Payne's. I love this place and the owners are the nicest people ever!
A heavenly experience!

The old and lovely BBQ. Great ribs. Live all the meats but I pass on the sides.

I asked these people 4 times not to put coleslaw on my sandwich. When there's an hour before closing, I guess getting the order correct doesn't matter anymore. The sandwich was for my grandma by the way. She's highly allergic to cabbage and this could have ended a lot worse. 1st and last time going.

Da bedt baked beans i ever had im on my way now hope dey open

Hadn't eaten in over 10 15 yrs the chopped pork was soooooooooo yummm

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! FILTHY INSIDE AND THE FOOD WAS SO BLAND. MY FIRST TIME VISITING THERE. IT WAS SMOKY INSIDE. THEY NEED A NEW VENT A HOOD A NEW STOVE AND PRETTY MUCH A NEW EVERYTHING. IT WAS MOUNDS OF DUST ON THE AIR CONDITIONER AND WALLS. THE BLINDS WERE TORN AND CROOKED AND ALSO FILLED WITH DUST. I LOST MY APPETITE. MY NIECE AND I GOT UP AND LEFT. WE COULDN'T TAKE IT. I BROUGHT MY FOOD HOME AN NEVER TOUCHED IT. I'LL NEVER GO BACK AND I WOULDNT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO THERE!!!!!! PERIOD POINT BLANK

Had a bbq pork sandwich and smoked sausage and it was great! Very friendly people and also cheap food! Will be going there again.

The best. Give yourself time, this is not Burger king. You'll chat with other patrons as well as the Paynes. Old gas station building.

consistantly good, and different than all the other bbq in Memphis

Pork sandwich is ridiculously good. I will definitely be going back here.

In a town full of and known for BBQ joints this place really stands out. Put this on your must try list. Go there once you will be there twice. Don t go looking for souvenirs or t shirts. Hard down good food. Love that coleslaw. And yes it is chopped with love and rhythm.

Outstanding BBQ, great hot sauce, no frills at all.

The Pork Shoulder sandwich was fantastic. I went with the mustard based mild sauce and was extremely please. This place has a limited menu, and that's because they nail everything. This place is a rising star and one of the best. I only wished I would have ordered more.

A unique experience. Some of the best barbecue you will find anywhere....

Just outstanding BBQ and a dining experience that's hard to describe. The meat was excellently smoked and the slaw is made with mustard, unusual but very good. A small menu but when the basic BBQ is this good you really don't need a lot to choose from. In fact I don't remember any other side vegetables other than slaw and baked beans but both are great. Be sure you visit the men's room and check out the non-functioning-for-years urinal! Just do it, you'll see what I mean. It will be a hard decision next time I'm in Memphis whether or not I will want to try a different BBQ joint or just go back to Payne's.

I have been a regular customer of Payne's since 1973. I don't come here for the elegant decor. I come because it is the best barbecue around and it is served up by the fine folks who own the place and have worked hard for 3 generations to keep the high standards set by Horton and Emily Payne when they started the business.

My favorite bbq sandwich in Memphis or anywhere really. Just amazing.

Pretty good food for really great prices. But no sweet tea? "Hot" BBQ sauce wasn't really hot. 4.5 stars

Ms Payne's BBQ is so delicious, my mom and sister both got rib plates and I tried one of their ribs and holy moly they were so tender and delicious. And my sandwich was soo good! I love the slaw too. And the employees are all so friendly and wonderful people! Can't wait to go back with my stepdad!

This is my favorite place for a barbecue sandwich. They have the best slaw in the country! The smoked sausage sandwich is Soooo good! Mrs. Payne and family are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I highly recommend this place.

Quite tasty. From the street, the place looks like there's an old lady that's been cooking in the same place forever and a day. That's exactly what Payne's is, and it was great.

Not only the best BBQ in Memphis, but on planet earth.

Best BBQ in town. I have been eating here for 50 years.

Has become too expensive, rib sandwich was almost $10.00

Very good and one of the oldest BBQ places we have in Memphis Tn

We went for pork sandwiches, and they were everything we hoped they would be.
The staff was super friendly behind the counter, and the lunch came out quickly. Their slaw and beans and pork is our favorite lunch meal of the trip.

I've been going to Payne's since it opened. Best barbecue sandwich I've ever eaten. The hot smoked sausage is something I have to get every time I go there. The slaw and hot sauce go together so good!

I love trying different BBQ places, they didn't disappoint. Pulled pork and slaw were great.

Always great service... I have r been going there since I was a little girl. 47 now.... Keep up the great work Paynes

Hidden gem, best barbq I've ever had in my life (am northerner.)

Ive been here a few times and every time the wait is short and the food is amazing

I have. Dined here for more than 20 years great food greater people. Love them. Sam

The sandwiches are a great deal for what you pay. I thought they were a little heavy handed with the barbecue sauce and I wasn t a huge fan of their mustard coleslaw, but the bits of meat that weren t overpowered by the sauce were delicious and I liked the beans.

This place is awesome, its a cash-only spot. Cash only spots are always the best spots!

Historical family bbq always good. Fair prices. Always satisfied with product.

the food is excellent. Good size portions. friendly service. we eat there again

Native Memphian who has come here often. Their sausage is amazing. Sauce is spectacular and fried bologna is a southern classic. If you're a tourist don't expect a 5 star experience, but the food never let's down.

I went to Payne's for the 1st time today. Yes, and I mean yes, they have the best BBQ Sandwich in Memphis! The BBQ sandwich was sublime! The only drawback is the restaurant is in a really bad area, but don't let that stop you.

One of the best places I have ever had BBQ. It doesn't look like much, however it beats home cooking by a mile no doubt

Best pork BBQ sandwich in Memphis hands down. Also the baked beans are out of this world.

Service was BLAH. Whatever happen to southern hospitality. Food was not so great . Turn down one place for this one . Not a good choice.

This is one of the best chopped pork sandwiches that I've ever had. The mustard based slaw perfectly complimented the sauce. The staff was very friendly and the dining room was very clean and comfortable. I am so looking forward to going back!

Payne's has the best bar be que bologna sandwiches, smoke sausage sandwiches, rib tips, slaw, bbq sauce shoulders ribs and service! 5 baby!

I've been eating Payne's BBQ Far Over 20 years and I consider it to be the best barbecue in Memphis Tennessee. if you ever in the Memphis area on Lamar Avenue in North Memphis stop by and get that all big jumbo chop shoulder sandwich and you will be very satisfied.

The aroma is quite amazing. The chopped shoulder is very good due to the slaw and sauce. The sauce is reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce but pairs well with the meats. The slaw is a good pickle and mustard base. The beans are quite good, very delicious as they include chopped pork.

The flavor of the ribs matches the atmosphere in the restaurant. It has not adjusted to the changing taste of the times and seems to be quite bland.

The aesthetics and atmosphere of this restaurant show the labor of love that this place represented. Sadly that was in its prime decades ago.

This restaurant is stuck in its heyday, for better or worse. The wait to order was extremely long lasting over 15 mins to place. After placing the order there is another line to pay where the customer must repeat their order and actually pay.

A saving grace is that my food arrived quite quickly, a slab of ribs and 2 chopped pork sandwiches. Other items on the menu such as the hot dog or sausages may take a bit longer as they are not already cooked.

Overall the restaurant is okay, but not a place I will return to. If more effort is placed into the reinvestment and improvement of the restaurant this could truly be one of the best and mosy visited barbecue restaurants in the city.

Wow! This little, unassuming brick building houses extraordinary BBQ. It may not be fancy, but your taste-buds will thank you. The baked beans were definitely my favorite, but the sliced pork sandwich and ribs were quite delicious as well. The neon yellow coleslaw was a little strong, so we could only eat a little of it, but we were so full and satisfied by the time we left for lunch that we didn't even need to eat until the next day.

Very good chopped pork sandwich, best in Memphis in my opinion. The mustard coleslaw is also excellent, just the right amount of sweetness. The shabby interior also adds to the vibe with plastic table cloths and wall unit AC/heaters. This is the place I point everyone to instead of Central which is also excellent but Payne's is more of an experience.

Coleslaw not good, bbq chopped too fine, beans just ok but, had a good amount of meat in them. If the drink was included, it would have been priced about right.

The absolute best bbq!! If you like sweet slaw...theirs is delicious. The beans are out of this world warm and smoky! The family is awesome! Go here...not all those other fakers you hear about...this is the real deal!