News

Memphis Flavor is happy to carry the new line of products from Heath Riles BBQ. Heath Riles has established himself as an industry leading expert in both competition barbeque and competition grilling.  Not simply a pitmaster in his own right, Heath is also the creator of an award winning line of barbeque rubs, sauces, marinades and injections. Heath is a many time winner of Memphis BBQ Network Team of the Year as well as over 50 grand championships. Try his rubs and sauces at your next party or BBQ contest. The secret combination of ingredients captures the true taste Memphis style championship BBQ with the perfect balance of sweet and heat. Click HERE to see if we can send you some of his Memphis Flavor!

Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters/Nirvana was a judge at the Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Contest. Here is a great article about his weekend.

For a complete rundown of all the winners visit HERE

Porkosaurus, World Championship BBQ team, is Memphis Flavor’s newest addition to the BBQ family. The team has been together for 20 years and what they started as a hobby, became a business due to the high demand of their recipes.

Their original award-winning Porkosaurus BBQ Sauce is a hit and will be sure to make your mouth water.. Their sauce is great on ribs, butt, poultry, sausage and grilled vegetables. Pair it with their BBQ Rub and you are set!

NEW!  "Charlie's Select" Sauce takes the famous mild sauce and sweetens it up a bit.

This sauce goes great with ribs, pork shoulder, chicken, baked potatoes, french fries, hamburgers, etc.  Use it in place of salsa or ketchup on just about anything!  This sauce contains no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial food coloring.  This sauce is also gluten-free. Click HERE to pick some up!

 ITS BBQ FEST TIME AGAIN!!

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the epic celebration for the love of all things barbeque. What could be better? Great people, great brews, great weather (fingers crossed) and delicious Southern food on the mighty Mississippi.

As most of you know, Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbeque Contest hosts hundreds of teams from all over the country and around the world, but nothing beats local, Memphis flavor. Many of our vendors will be competing but if you can’t make it to the river this year, don’t worry! Memphis Flavor is here to help, you can order plenty of delicious local flavors here and have them shipped right to your door.

Here is a look at our partners and some of the greatest BBQ producers around.

Central BBQ
“They Smoke the Good Stuff.”

Central BBQ opened on Central Avenue in 2002. This makes it relatively new compared to some of the other legendary que joints around Memphis but in a short amount of time Central BBQ has made a lasting effect on the city and has become a local favorite. Roger Sapp and Craig Blondis, owners of Central BBQ, have experience competing in the contest on the River. Check out Central Smokers if you are at BBQ Fest this week.

Central BBQ has three locations in Memphis and has recently partnered with Kemmons Wilson Companies to expand into neighboring cities and aims to eventually become a national brand. They have been featured in many national TV shows and publications and continue to receive raving reviews . Check out a Central BBQ Memphis gift box if you want a taste. Also, their Jerk seasoning is out of this world.

Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

“A Memphis Tradition Since 1948”

Rendezvous has been a part of Memphis for over 60 years! Located in the heart of downtown, they are a true city landmark. They have grown with the city, and their dry rub ribs are a Memphis staple. Most of the staff members have been with the company for over 30 years and have become experts in the barbeque business. You can find their world-famous rubs and sauces here.

Germantown Commissary

“So Good Y’ull Slap Yo Mama”

For those of you not from the south (bless your heart), a commissary is just another word for a country store. Germantown Commissary was a country store for over 90 years and sold everything from blue jeans to bologna. It was then purchased by Walker Taylor in 1981 and transformed it into a hub for some of the best BBQ around. The rest is history. The smells wafting from the cozy building are glorious. Check out the deliciousness here.

Killer Hogs “Competition BBQ”

Malcom and Waylon Reed have been competing in BBQ competitions for 13 years. The brothers know what’s up when it comes to barbeque. Malcom Reed hosts an epic Youtube channel containing plenty of knowledgeable BBQ tutorials with over 100K subscribers. Killer Hogs’ barbeque has won dozen of awards, including 2016 Memphis In May 1st Place Vinegar Sauce. Check them out down by the river at this year’s BBQ Fest. You can also try their rubs here.

Victory Lane BBQ

After transforming an old race car into a grill in 2008, Doug Golden and Erik Garner combined their passion for BBQ and southern hospitality to form Victory Lane BBQ. Pitmaster Heath Riles later joined the team and has since won many awards and gained national attention. They will be competing in this year’s BBQ Fest and they offer some unique championship rib rubs including Cherry Bomb, Sweet Peach, and Sassy Apple.

Willingham’s BBQ

“World Champion BBQ Sauces and Rubs”

John Willingham was a highly innovative man and a true legend. He patented many of his ideas and his delicious BBQ recipe just happened to be one of them. He was inducted into the American Royal’s Hall of Fame which is barbeque’s highest honor. Hat’s off to Mr. John. View his products here.

Best of luck to our BBQ Fest Partners!

Happy Porking to all y’all,

Memphis Flavor

Aw yeah! Round out your new spring attire with our new trucker hat. Stylish yet rugged, this is a slam dunk. Classic navy with our cursive logo creates a sporty look for male or female. Wear the Flavor!

Southern Living just came out with their list of the top 10 BBQ restaurants, and Memphis is proud to have 2! Both 

Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous and Central BBQ made the list. Below is a video featuring all of them. Enjoy!

Makeda’s Cookies was established in 1999 and built on the premise of “butterific love." The recipe is a family treasure that has been passed down and perfected by three generations. The company started as a side business which eventually led to them requiring a larger space where they could amp up production, thus forming Makeda’s Cookies.

   Makeda Denise Hill was born October 11, 1990, daughter of Morris and Willie Mae Hill. She departed this life on July 18, 1997 after losing her battle with Leukemia. Makeda's Homemade Butter Cookies are named in her honor to keep her memory alive. In the Holy Bible Makeda was the Queen of Sheba. In Memphis, Tennessee Makeda is the Queen of Cookies.

   The essence of the company is simple, while it is cookies that are the key component of the business, it is actually smiles that the employees are after. In fact, the aroma traveling from the ovens is enough to conjure a big grin on anyone's face. It is intoxicating and heavenly.

   The first version of the butter cookie recipe was inspired by the delicious cookies that were served in Memphis City Schools years ago.

   In 2015, Makeda’s Cookies opened its second brick and mortar store on Butler Avenue just across from The Civil Rights Museum, a prime Memphis location. This spot gives them enough space to host birthday parties and pop-up shops. Local kids can also sell homemade items and have a fun way to learn business skills. Future plans are in the works for hosting live music at the large downtown location. 

   Each batch of cookies are made fresh and cookies are easy to find as they are sold in local Kroger, CashSaver and Superlo locations. Each bags contain 18 perfectly baked butter cookies. The Makeda's menu is below. Click HERE to have a few bags shipped to your door!

by Amanda Smith