Check back in the future for a full review. If you’d like to read more about it sooner, comment to let me know. Until then, don’t miss my Quick-Fire Guide below. Also check out full reviews and Quick-Fire Guides of other bbq restaurants from my BBQ Guide.
Quick-Fire Guide:
Here are a few notes about the ‘que:
Tenderness-
- Ribs-On my first visit to the flagship store at Poplar and Kirby years ago, the ribs were tender and moist, but lacked a fully developed bark (crust). They’d only been open for a few weeks and still seemed to be working out the kinks. On my first visit to their second location (and my favorite) at Poplar and Perkins Ext, my ribs were perfectly tender and moist, with a fully developed bark. On every visit since, my ribs have been outstanding. I even requested them for my birthday one year.
- Shoulder-My pork shoulder meat from the Perkins Ext location has always been moist, tender and with a nice exterior crust. The smoked pork on my bbq nachos from the Timber Creek store was also tender and moist, but the bark was a little soggy in places.
- Beef Brisket-On my first visit to the Poplar Kirby store, the brisket was fa-a-ar from the real-deal stuff I’ve experienced in Texas and Kansas City. It was actually grilled, complete with grill marks. It was ok, but just resembled thin-cut steaks and was just simply nothing like smoked bbq beef brisket the way that I have experienced it and enjoy it. Fast forward a few years, One & Only had grown in popularity and I’d discovered that the Perkins Ext store was my favorite. I decided to try the brisket again and it was totally different from the brisket we had on our first experience. This brisket was actually more like Texas brisket, only, it was slightly overcooked and a bit dry in places, while maintaining some juiciness overall.
Smoke-
- Ribs-On my first visit to the flagship restaurant in Germantown, the ribs were a bit over-smoked and slightly bitter, ashy tasting. On every visit since then to the Perkins Ext store, my ribs have outstanding wood-smoked flavor.
- Shoulder-The pork shoulder from Perkins Ext has always had beautiful wood-smoked flavor. At the new Timber Creek restaurant, the pork on my bbq nachos had nice wood smoke flavor.
- Beef Brisket-My brisket from the Kirby store years ago lacked enough smoke flavor (while the ribs had too much, interestingly enough). Since then, my brisket from the Perkins Ext store had nice wood smoke flavor.
Sauce-I really enjoy the particular balance of sweetness, tanginess and spiciness in both the regular and hot bbq sauces from One & Only BBQ. I usually get both. I’d even go as far as to say that they’re some of my favorite bbq sauces.
Thanks for visiting my Memphis bbq blog! Comments, rants, raves, disagreements and downright bbq feuds are welcome below. Tim Shirley