Payne’s Bar-B-Q

Small and squat in a cinderblock square just off Lamar Ave in midtown Memphis, Payne’s Bar-B-Q proves that a simple meal, made with care and attention (and a lot of hickory coals), can buffer itself against the tides of change and remain a neighborhood stalwart, beloved by locals and travelers alike for over 50 years. 

These days, Ron Payne and his sister Candice run the pits at Payne’s, having taken over from their parents, Horton and Flora. Other than that, not much has changed. The recipes are the same. The sandwiches are the same. The tablecloths, red and white checkered, stained and sticky, may very well be the same. When things are this good, why change? You can perfect a lot of things in 50 years.

The menu here plays the classics. The pulled pork sandwich is a best-seller, but they’ve also become known for their “BBQ bologna”—a hulking slab warmed and smoked over hot coals, slathered in sauce and laden with slaw, sandwiched between two slices of white bread. It’s a perfect combination—the sauce sweet and piquant over the smoked meat, and the mustard-based slaw tangy and aromatic.

At Payne’s, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The food speaks for itself. As the lunch crowd begins to filter in, I’m reminded that some things—when done right—don’t need to evolve. They endure, simple and timeless, true to form.