Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The Barbecue Shop on Madison in Memphis is my favorite -- I go every time I go home. And Tops is my family's standby for barbecue pork sandwiches (with coleslaw on the sandwich, as I've only seen Memphians do). I've only eaten the pulled pork and pork ribs at The Barbecue Shop, but my Yankee husband says that their brisket is fabulous too. And they actually make sweet tea that's not too sweet. But some of the places you visited are definite disappointments, particularly the rendezvous unless you hit it just right.