Memphis Minnie's

05/23/2008 Posted by AkronAl

In the Lower Haight, Memphis Minnie's suprises many people with delicious authentic smoked BBQ. Everything is smoked on site, and they make their own sauces. I like the atmosphere, but there isn't really a lot of seating, and I prefer to eat BBQ at home anyway, since it can be a little messy. I've had just about everything. I'll run down a few items. Brisket - the best meat there, they smoke it for a day or so, and it is amazingly tender. Pork - wow, southern style pork done right. Ribs - smokey and lip smacking Turkey - really smokey, a great sandwich Andouille - smoked & awesome, with an authentic flavor, also awesome on a sandwich BBQ Pork Rolls - Awesome! Spicy smoked pork in a crispy spring roll, with a tasty remoulade Grit Sticks - these are good, too, and unique. Grits mixed with cheese, form into sticks, and deep fried. Yum. Macaroni and Cheese - This I kind of burned out on. I like the crumbly topping, but there is a sweetness in there I just don't care for anymore. Yams - solid, but unspectacular Pit Beans - mine were mealy, never got them again Red Beans & Rice - perfect southern style red beans & rice, not available everyday Chili - chunks of brisket made into southern style chili, if you're really indulgent get the Frito Pie, which I thought only existed in Texas Biscuits and Gravy - phenomenal, only available for brunch, rich sausage gravy and perfect bicuits Cornbread - served as muffins, quite tasty & not too sweet, great broken up into the chilli or with the Carolina Mustard sauce Banana pudding - chunks of banana! Real whipped cream on top! Peach Pies - good, but kind of small Pecan Pie - Ever had a really BAD pecan pie? I can't say Minnie's is anything exceptional I'm not into greens. Sauces - Minnie's has homemade mustard, red, hot, and vinegar sauces. I don't care for the red, but the others are great. Minnnies has a thing for Sake, but I'm not a fan. For a budget lunch, get a sandwich. They come with 2 sides for $7.

Pros: Food, service

Cons: sometimes crowded, a little small

01/31/2008 Posted by Armondo344

Best god darn ribs and brisket I ever had! It is a little pricey, though, that is the only downside. I got the three item combo (ribs, chicken, brisket) and with a soda, it was around $20. I guess thats the price you have to pay for good bbq. All of their food has an authentic smokey flavor to it, and the meat has all been slow roasted to perfection.

Pros: Delicious

Cons: Pricey

11/20/2007 Posted by infiniteturnsignal

I'm from Georgia. I ate at Memphis Minnie's expecting something mediocre but by god, this place was AMAZING--and trust me, we do BBQ right in the South, so that is a high compliment. You have to try the pecan pie. It was a year and a half ago that I ate there and I still long for that delicious, buttery pie.

Pros: Damn delicious

Cons: Small space

09/04/2007 Posted by wallstpup

9/4/07 The two of us have distinct palates for ribs. I like dry and very smokey. My wife likes juicy, tender, sauced, and delicately smoked meats. The latter is what you find at Tony Romas. Lucilles is somewhere in between. For me the meats are 100%. Got the 3 meat sampler for $16.95. Got the pulled pork, brisket, and pork ribs along with mac cheese, cole slaw, and a corn muffin. I don't mind stripping the ribs and adding my hot sauces to the mix of pulled pork. They got the 3 sauces on the table, but there was a gem of a hot sauce by the register. They make all their sauces and this habenero bbq sauce is awesome. Oh yeah! The strong smokey meat with that sauce sent my taste buds into orbit. My wife lliked the brisket. It was tender and lean, but she passed on the rest including the cole slaw and muffin. The muffin was dry and the slaw was vinegar based. The mac cheese was hot and cheesy. I never had cucumbers in my slaw before - so it is a very unique recipe. I would pass on the slaw next time I go. In summary Minnies caters to a distinct bbq style that is not found in chains.

Pros: dry meats, brisket, hot sau

Cons: dry meats, cole slaw

07/15/2007 Posted by foodielover

Was so excited to try the food here while driving by because of the reviews. So, we showed up for take-out and found a long order line. I thought the beef brisket was great, cooked so that everything just falls apart tenderly. But the St. Louis smoked pork ribs were a bit dry. We had 2 orders for almost $14 each and the 2 sides which came with it weren't as good as I'd expect. The macaroni & cheese were served in these small containers, the size of a tiny Jello take-out at cafeterias, and not very tasty. Didn't like the greens either. The french fries were interesting, flavored like BBQ potato chips. They give you 2 containers of sauce, the green tangy one I could've left behind, but the BBQ sauce was pretty good. Obviously a popular neighborhood hangout. It's a small place but you could fit 8 at one table. I wouldn't rush back here but am willing to visit again to sample some of the other items mentioned by other reviewers, including the sandwiches.

Pros: Good brisket, comfort food, very casual atmosphere.

Cons: Parking, dry ribs, funky decor

07/01/2007 Posted by ezralebarron

The décor may be a bit loud, but this is the best barbeque I’ve ever tasted, and my dad was a butcher for thirty-five years. I would recommend the pulled pork, the juicy brisket, and the mac & cheese. On Wednesdays Minnies sells pastrami sandwiches that could usher in word peace. I have hosted parties and catered with Minnies and it turned out great. Good stuff!

Pros: the pulled pork

Cons: nothing whatsoever

06/27/2007 Posted by tnguydave

This is the best pulled-pork BBQ you will find in the City - for all those from the South looking to tantalize their taste buds with BBQ. Their sauces are a little different than what a southern boy like me is used to, but all you have to do is find the Jack Daniel's bottle they pass around (it doesn't have liquour, but the hottest, I mean HOT, BBQ sauce in it) which will make up for what otherwise should be traditional homemade BBQ sauce. Their Brisket is also excellent, as well as the sausage and chicken. I do not care for the ribs though - sorry Memphis Minnies, when it comes to Baby Back Ribs, no one beats Tony Romas!!! But you have Tony Romas!! beat on all the other categories... Minnie's Banana pudding is out of this world also, but the only down side is that the desserts are all a bit pricey. And when you see a Big Good Ole Southern boy walk in wanting a BBQ platter, you should at least give him 2 cornbread muffins, instead of one! The only, and I mean only, downside to this restaurant is that it's small. You may have to stand in line waiting for a seat. Sometimes, you might squeeze in and sit at a table with strangers, but hey, it's worth it. A note for the gay Bear scene, the guys running the place are all WOOFY and cute, which makes the BBQ for us bears taste even better... GGrrrrrr. The servers, in general, are all very nice. I will continue eating BBQ here, especially when I can't afford the more expensive Baby Back ribs at Tony Romas. YUM.

Pros: Tasty, great quality, pulled pork BBQ, Chicken, Brisket and Sausage

Cons: Small place, hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, ribs not that good.

06/03/2007 Posted by donovanx

I'd heard lots of good things about this place too, but the times I've come here, I've been disappointed more often than not. The barbecue has mostly been overdone, which means it may have been juicy at one point, but by the time they served it to me, it was pretty dry. There's better barbecue around the corner on Divisadero and Hayes or so-- I think the place is now called Lilly's.

Pros: You can sit down here-- that's a pro.

Cons: The food.

02/24/2007 Posted by lwong666

So happy to find this place. Such tasty ribs at reasonable price. Cole slaw was really fresh too. Yum!

Pros: Ribs so good it almost feel like they do not belong in a city

Cons: Wish they served the sweet potato pie hot or even warm. Serving cold didn't work

01/18/2007 Posted by stentorian

Let's start with the good news. Memphis Minnie's prepares terrific barbecue at a reasonable price. They have a good beer selection and surprisingly, a selection of sake. I had the mixed meat platter and greatly enjoyed the brisket and andouille sausage. The banana pudding dessert is a must. On a quiet evening you can have a wonderful, down home dining experience, right down to the checkered tablecloths and flying cow. Now the bad news. If they are busy you may have your food and nowhere to eat it. Seating is limited. You order on a cafeteria style line and hope that a table becomes available. We had a table and only had to suffer the hungry gazes of those waiting for us to leave. Hint to owner: Increase seating capacity!! I heartily recommend Memphis Minnies but check table availability first.

Pros: Great Barbecue at a reasonable price

Cons: Seating can be a problem