Memphis Minnie’s BBQ Joint and Smokehouse
576 Haight Street
San Francisco, CA
415-864-PORK
I tasted a bunch of Memphis Minnie’s barbecue at a tech conference this past weekend. I have no idea who Memphis Minnie is,and their website doesn’t say, but I’ve found my favorite barbeque joint in San Francisco, finally. Even better, it was (practically) free. Here’s what I ate:
- Texas Beef Brisket
- Smoked Chicken (drumstick)
- Potato Salad
- Collard Greens
- Macaroni & Cheese
- Corn Muffin
Looking on their menu, this would come to more than $15 (a Two-Way Combo that comes with 2 sides and a muffin, plus extra side). Here’s a quick rundown on the pros & cons:
Pros:
- The brisket was tender and moist on the inside, crispy toasty on the outside
- The Mac ‘n cheese tasted fresh enough. Maybe that was due to the mac being made with shell macaroni, vs the elbow type
- The corn muffins were baked with just the right amount of browning. The cornmeal is just discernable enough that I was convinced this was made from scratch.
- Oh did I mention I got to eat this practically free at Word Camp??
Cons:
- The collard greens were sweetly salty (as they should be), but maybe a little too salty. A big caveat here in that I like to eat my meal items all separately, so I can taste everything individually. If I had mixed this in with the muffin or potato salad, it would’ve been fine.
- The drumstick I had was a little dry on the inside, but the skin….perfectly decadent.
I’ve tried Big Nate’s BBQ, and that place on Divisadero. I’m sure there are different styles of BBQ but the one at that Memphis Minnie place got me hook, line, and sinker.
I’m an ardent fan of corn bread. But for some reason, those corn muffins at the conference just didn’t work for me. I guess I just wasn’t used to the texture of the cornmeal. I loved the brisket, M&C, and collard greens, though.
Another thing about corn bread: Even though I’m great at making it from scratch, I once prepared a batch from a box mix (FMV brand, bought as an inside joke). I was forlorn to admit that I liked the mix better than scratch.
I had dinner at this place and ordered a combination plate with brisket and ribs.
The brisket was fantastic, but I was a little disappointed with the ribs… good flavor, but they were not quite as tender as they could be.
Hey Jacques – got a Foodala recipe for some homemade ribs that you’d like to share?