Dining Diva Review: Corky's BBQ Nashville TN

Traveling home from my Florida visit, I stopped in Nashville to visit my friend Chris and have dinner with her. Being the barbecue lover that I am, I asked her to take me to a place that had really good BBQ and she took me to Corky's Barbecue. I had a combo plate of ribs and pulled pork with a side of the BEST collard greens I've ever tasted--bar none! I'd go there again just for those greens! The ribs were tender as butter with the smoked me walking right off the bone and the pulled pork was also tender with excellent flavor. Chris had a BBQ brisket that she said was very good and I had a bite to check and it was excellent brisket--but I'm a Southern gal and I think good barbecue requires a pig, not a cow! Our server was very sweet and got our orders exactly right and checked on us to make sure we were enjoying our meal and she was very helpful when we asked her to make some menu recommendations. Their iced tea was very good too, brewed fresh and nicely strong. The ladies room was clean, as was the rest of the restaurant, and was nicely stocked with tissue and paper towels.
They do takeout and catering and you can order via their website at http://www.corkysbrentwood.com/ and the next time I pass through Nashville, you can bet I'll be eating there again!!

Dining Diva Review: Neely's Interstate Barbeque, Memphis TN

UPDATE: November:
I had luch there with hubby on the way back to visit the folks and it has gone
WAYYYYY downhill since then. It was truly terrible--like the meat had been reheated many times and the sides tasted stale. It was a disappointment since I had been looking forward to eating here again!! I'll never eat here again!

I found the Neely's Interstate Barbecue menu and flyer in the rest area just over the Tennessee state line, and since on I-55 you cross about a 3 mile tip of Tennessee it's easily accessible although you can sneeze and miss the entire state! If you are going to see Graceland, a trip to Neely's is time well spent as it has received numerous awards for barbecue. They also have an interesting and original dish called "Barbecue Spaghetti" that is definitely different and quite tasty, but for me the BBQ meat is what I came for! I had the sampler platter to taste some of everything and the meats were divine--tender and smokey from the cooking but the sauce was disappointing and I'm glad I didn't have it slathered on the meat. The biggest surprise was the baked beans--I make great baked beans, and like my secret spaghetti sauce, I don't really like anyone else's beans but the ones at Neely's were OUTSTANDING! Not too sweet and nicely thick and gooey--not the runny and icky version sold as an afterthought by most BBQ places, these were flavored with chunks of BBQ and cooked for a long time as they were thick and gooey. I ate a big portion and tucked two big containers in the trunk of my car to go--and since there's so little trunk space in the Diva-mobile it was tough fitting them in with the ribs that also left Memphis with me! When the food is this good, I eat all I can hold and take home all I can carry! They also had a dessert that is called "Better than Sex Cake" so of course I had to try a slice of that too and it did not disappoint--of course I'd have to call it "Better that Sex with my EX-Husband Cake" but that's a story for another day and a different blog!

Back in Memphis, Neely's Interstate BBQ is great for a quick meal or they also cater. The service was mediocre but it was during an off time and my waitress had probably been there since the place opened and I will give her the benefit of the doubt because of her sullen attitude, I will opine that she was tired and had sore feet and let it go at that. I am leaving in a few days to go to Louisiana to visit my beloved in-laws and then on down to Florida for some review and Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family. I will be stopping again at Neely's as I will have hubby with me this time and hopefully the service will be better this time and the food will be as good! See you at the next booth.......

Dining Diva Review: The World's Best Barbecue--Troy's Ribs Boynton Beach, Florida

The best ribs I have found in the world have been at Troy's BBQ in Boynton Beach. I've been a BBQ Ho for my entire life and have eaten Q all over the USA and the world and I have yet to find a better rib joint than the little take-out shack at NE 10th and Federal Highway (US 1) in Boynton Beach, Florida. There's no point in reviewing ambience or service because there isn't any--it's a takeout window in a 600 square foot building so close to the railroad tracks that you can't hear a thing when the train goes by. Troy is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays and you better get there early because when it's gone you are SOL until the next batch comes out of the smoker--and that takes at least 18 hours. The limited menu features ribs, chicken, beef and pork along with a sweet potato pie that is a really excellent rendition of a humble dish.

Troy uses a secret spice rub and then gently smokes the ribs for hours over a wood mix that leaves them incredibly delicious and shake-the-meat-off-the-bone tender. He has a house BBQ that is good, but I rarely use it--those amazing ribs don't need it!! It's a sweet mustard based sauce that is very similar to Blue Front BBQ Sauce and it's good, but the flavor of BBQ is in the meat, not in the sauce. Call ahead for large orders. He also does catering and I have served his ribs at countless parties where my guest ate every single rib and raved about them. Tell him the limo lady sent you, he'll know! I wish I could talk him into franchising so I could get a franchise here in Illinois!! I used to live 15 minutes from there and now I live in Virginia and every time I come to visit, I bring back 50 pounds of ribs as carry-on luggage to sustain me until my next Florida visit. If there is a heaven, then Troy certainly will have the rib concession because between here and heaven there are no better ribs to be had for love or money, and I am sure that angels will line up for his BBQ! His fame has spread nationwide--I mentioned him to the owner of Pappy's Smokehouse and he has also heard of Troy's Ribs. I'd never live in Florida again, but I sure do miss Troy's ribs--they are one of two places in Florida that I never fail to visit when I am home for a visit with my family!