10/16/09

I miss the Rendezvous the most

by Shirley Sparks

I used to live in Memphis and at least once a week we ate at the Rendezvous. Best ribs I have ever eaten, great atmosphere and just all round best place to be. I enjoyed living in Memphis but the thing I miss the most is the Rendezvous and their ribs. If ever there, it is the place to eat. I order them since we live many miles from there now. That is how good they are!!!

• Pros: Best ribs ever
• Cons: None

07/17/09

ribs for people who do not know good ribs

by scully1

I had a party of 28 with me for our annual dinner,and all agreed this place was far from great..tourist trap at its best

AND i have an argument with the hostess,what a mean spirited individual....

I'll never be back

06/10/09

Not a Dry Rub Girl but these were the best Ribs EVER!!!

by AllieT

Love this place! Go as you are. No need to dress up...that's my kind of place!! Got seated, fed & out in less than an hour on a Friday night! Been ordering their spices & sauce for years. Found out my Dad and Mr. Vergos used to work together in the early 60's in Memphis. Made going there that more special. SO HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO GO EAT THERE!!! Atmosphere is great, service is awesome and love the fact that I can order all their food online & have it delivered in less than 24 hours!! Rendezvous IS A MUST if you're in Memphis!!!

• Pros: So easy to find...right around the corner from Mud Island
• Cons: NONE!!!

12/22/08

Amazing

by missmagnolia

Ask for "JUICY RIBS" whiners! This place is awesome, atmosphere - smokey romantic and rockin

Some folks complain about anything. I lived in Memphis 20 years and ALWAYS try to get down those steps to those waiters that have worked there for years - hard working I might add. Tell that waiter "I want those ribs juicy and tender..so juicy you have to put a piece of bread under the ribs" if you dont care for the dry rub. Ray J..Wally Reed..Mick Jag..miss those good times! Embrace this place.....everyone I have ever sent loves it. You can always get more side cups..just ask! Its all good. God Bless those waiters! and the Vergos family!....and those guys that work at the Peabody Hotel......some of the hardest working folks I have ever known. God Bless You all.

11/16/08

best rbs and service i have ever had!

by bpreachm

i was visiting Memphis and was taken to this restaurant by relatives. i had a taste for some good ribs and food and i wasn't disappointed. but i was overwhelmed by the service i received. I was waiting to enter the eating area and i saw the long row of steps and realized that i could not enter. I turned and told my wife that my knee replacement surgury would not allow me to navigate those stairs. a passing employee overheard me and told me that he would get an elevator key to take me downstairs. then proceeded to take me to a waiting room and cut on a tv for me to watch whlie i waited on him!! the service was excellent with little wait and the food was the best i have had. i will return every chance that i get!

• Pros: good service and foods
• Cons: have a flight of stairs to go down to get to eating area

08/29/08

There is a reason people write songs about it.

by kiercemartin

I honestly think this is some of the best bbq in Tennessee, in the southeast, Heck, in America for that matter. If you're a babrecue aficionado at all, you 'll love this place. Best dry rubs, ever, period. The cool atmosphere only adds to the mystique and the legend, but be prepared because you are going to have to wait...and wait.

06/01/08

Way overrated---horrible service!

by dougvr

This place was a great dissappointment. We moved here a year ago and I make way better ribs at home. They were dry, small and chewy. But the service was absolutely forrific! Not a pleasant dining experience at all!

05/10/08

Lost their touch

by KruBruder

The Rendezvous is the place that made me never want wet ribs again. They set the standard for dry rub ribs for me. That was 17 years ago. I took my wife there after telling her for so long that yes Corky's is great but the Rendezvous is the epitomy of dry rub ribs. We went there last night and I was dissapointed as was my wife. I ordered a full order of ribs thinking I would take some of it back to the hotel. My wife did the same. The ribs were dry (not just dry rub) and a full order (rak- user guidlines won't let me spell it correctly)didn't even fill me up or my wife. Either they had a bad night or they have gone way downhill. Based on ther other reviews, they have taken a turn for the worse. So now Corky's is our number one pick.

04/29/08

Horrible ribs - not just dry rub - dry, tough meat, rude hostess, horrendous cole slaw.

by judynt

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, they were bland. 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 Blues City Cafe at Beale & 2nd Sts. - just go there!

10/22/07

McDonalds has better ribs and its cleaner too.

by jttoad63

I see now why Corky's is rated #1 BBQ in Memphis.

The Rendezvous is the most over rated eatery my wife and I have ever set foot into. The restaurant was a filthy hole...a layer of grease and dust cover nearly every object in the place, and the so called "world famous ribs" were dry, hard as a rock and tasted like plain old Mrs. Dash seasoning from the local store.

I asked for a knife, but all utensils are cheap, flimsy plastic, so I opted to use my Swiss army knife.

The side dishes, of which they have only two, were brought to us in containers the size of small dixie cup.

We could not wait to get out of there and get some good BBQ at any number of the bars on Beale St.

I must admit, there are people waiting in the street to get into the Rendezvous, but none of them were locals...they knew better...the Rendezvous is a tourist trap. My advice is to walk in check it out, maybe go upstairs for a couple drinks to soak up the nostalgia, just don't order any food.

• Pros: upstairs waiting area nice...nostalgic, historically accurate ornate look
• Cons: filthy restaurant with lousy food