Memphis Blues BBQ (Morgan Crossing)

There was a time when Memphis Blues was on constant meal rotation when we lived in Yaletown.  Being super busy with work, we'd just be lazy and get takeout from their original Broadway location.  With that, we've experienced the good, the bad and the ugly.  You see, when meats are smoked/prepared ahead of time (because they have to be), there will be inconsistencies.  Also, for those BBQ purists who would like to add the usual jeers and/or hurl insults at Memphis, please do so now.  However, we live in Vancouver and really, there are not a whole lot of places to choose from.  Hence, when Peppermint wanted BBQ, we visited the South Surrey location because there was really nothing else in the neighbourhood.

Of course the best way to experience Memphis Blues or any BBQ for all that matters is to get a platter.  That we did with the Elvis Platter which included all the meats and sides.  About those sides, the Fries were hot and crispy. Coleslaw, Potato Salad, BBQ Beans and Corn Bread rounded out the compliments. I dug into the smoked Pork Ribs first and they were actually decently moist with a nice flavourful bark.  For those who are familiar with chain restaurant BBQ ribs, these were not par-boiled first hence they were predictably more dry.  Also fatty and moist was the Smoked Brisket which also sported a smoky bark.  Right beside it, there was the usual helping of Smoked Sausage which was juicy on the inside with a nice snap from the casing.

Moving around the platter, we found the mound of Pulled Pork doused with their house BBQ sauce.  Smoky with mesquite, the sauce also exhibited an equal amount of sweetness from the molasses and some zing from the vinegar.  Similar to the other items, the pork was actually moist even without the help of the BBQ sauce.  Next to it, the Half Chicken was pretty decent where the dark meat was moist while the white meat was typically dry, but not overly so.  The skin was nicely seasoned and well-rendered.  Lastly, the Rib Ends were the driest meat of the bunch, but that was expected.  For some inexplicable reason, we got a plate of Pulled Pork Poutine for kicks.  Well, it essentially was what we had on our platter already except for the addition of shredded mozzarella.  Okay, up until this visit, my previous trips to Memphis Blues had been mediocre at best.  But somehow, due to dumb luck, timing (we were first for lunch) or possibly the care of the staff at this location, the food was relatively good.

The Good:
- Despite the increase in prices over the last 15 years, the platters are still a good value IMO
- This time around, the meats were on point

The Bad:
- Can be wildly inconsistent