Memphis Blues Barbeque House (Broadway)
1465 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Some months ago, I visited Memphis Blues Barbeque , specifically, their Commercial Drive location – you can check my previous post, here. That night, I ordered one of their specials – ribs – and the food was slightly disappointing. The general consensus was that I shouldn’t have ordered ribs; however, based on my previous experiences (in general, good), plus the comments in the post, I knew I should re-visit them. And so I did, only I went to their Broadway location instead.
Not sure if I should have been surprised or not but the place was still packed (Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.). I would have expected it to wind down, specially considering most restaurants were half empty. Oh, well, when the food is good… The special that night was, wait for it, beef rib!!!! Needless to say, given my previous experience, I wasn’t going to order it. And, after making my order…
Condiments, condiments!!! 
Now, I will admit, I did not try any of these. In my case, I wanted to taste the meats “as is”. However, there was one thing that made me uncomfortable: how do you know what sauce is in which bottle? After all, they are not labelled! I mean, the red one *could* be catsup but what about the transparent one? Or the transparent one with the red cap? Hmmmmm…. But, given the place was dimly lit (whether by design or mistake; I had to take the pictures with my Speedlight), I doubt a lot of people would have paid too much attention. Anyway, here is what I ordered.
A combo platter with my choice of two meats. In my case, I went for chicken and brisket. But, wait, let’s take a closer look!
Coleslaw and BBQ sauce. since they gave me some of their “regular” sauce, I did not use any of the bottled ones. And, of course, the baked potato.
Baked beans.
Beef brisket.
Chicken (half) plus cornbread.
The coleslaw could have been a bit more acidic (personal preference); otherwise, it served to “balance” all the meat. The BBQ sauce and, as a result, the baked beans, were a bit too sweet for my liking. Take this comment lightly, though, as my baked goods guinea pigs have commented I tend not to add too much sugar. The cornbread was slightly disappointing, as it did not taste any corn-y flavour, as it was mostly texture. Again, personal preference? I wish they gave me some honey for this, though. Finally, the chicken was half and half: The white meat part was just OK but the dark meat part had some slight spice taste. The BBQ sauce managed to balance it. And, finally, the brisket. Ah, the brisket…! It was so tender you didn’t really need a knife to “cut” it into pieces. Could have been slightly more moist but, otherwise, I won’t complain (hey, after all, smoking/BBQ is not an exact science!).
Overall, despite some ups and downs (and left, right, left, right, A+B… Errr…. Bad joke… ^_^;;;), the overall meal is on-line to what I was expecting so I won’t say any more. If there was one thing I could complain, it would be the price. As mentioned in my previous Memphis Blues post, if they could serve smaller portions at smaller prices, it could be a real winner. But, oh, well. In the meantime, it is still an option for me (or time to visit other BBQ shops in Vancouver!).
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I just had Memphis Blues lately as well. I’m not a big fan of the ribs or the chicken. But the brisket, pulled pork and sausage are all very good. Still not too sure about the coleslaw… Still, as you said, it’s a good option in Vancouver. Mind you, it’s almost one of the only options in town. There are not many good BBQs in Vancouver.
Sherman, there are not that many options at all! The only others I can think of are Dix and Migz. Some restaurants have BBQ listed (Burgers Etc) but they have only an item or two. Probably Ozark in Langley but that’s a bit too far. There used to be a place in the curling ring near Cloverdale but, alas, it closed… So, given the limited options, should we complain at all?
Man does that brisket look good. I haven’t been in years, but Memphis Blues used to be a favorite. I remember when they sold frozen product on the side so I could take it back to Edmonton (something I don’t recall them doing anymore).
The unnamed bottles are similar to some of my experiences in Chinese restaurants. Here I am thinking the bottle is soya sauce, when I end up with fish sauce. Silly me.
If you are looking for excellent pulled pork sandwiches and smoked ribs you owe it to yourself to visit Boonie’s BBQ and Soul Food. He gained quite a following in Cloverdale (closed a few months ago), and is now going to open a new restaurant in Maple Ridge at the end of September. Everyone I have taken there said that it blows all other Vancouver BBQ away, including Memphis Blues (personally I can’t stand MB).
jlomein, welcome! Yes, I am aware of Boonie’s but, unfortunately, I did not manage to go there for several reasons, including location and timing (being inside a rink rather than a public place made things a bit difficult). I look forward to their opening, though driving to Maple Ridge… ^_^;;;
Pulled pork and sauage are the two best meats. You missed out on those. Pirces have gone up recently, but the Memphis Feast at around 30 bucks for 4 people was a great way to end football Sundays the last few years.
Try Portabello a few doors down for Italian sometime. Tasty and not overly pricey.
BushLeague, welcome! Pulled pork, well, I prepare it myself so I wanted to try something else. Sausages, in my opinion, are a bit of a hit or miss…. Thanks for the suggestion on Portabello, will check that place next time I am in the area!
Hog Shack
160-3900 Bayview Street
Jurassic Platter, best BBQ I’ve had in B.C. Doesn’t mean much, but still something!
Rolando, welcome! I have heard other wacky things about them…
But, given its location *cough* Richmond *cough*, it is unlikely I am going there anytime soon!
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