MEMPHIS CHAMPIONSHIP/Smokin’ In Mesquite Barbecue Cook-Off
ELV is on his way up to Mesquite (Nevada, not France) this afternoon to judge the Smokin’ In Mesquite championship barbecue cook-off being held there this weekend.
Barbecue, as you know, is one of the four essential food groups — along with French, Chinese and Italian food — so an event of this magnitude cannot go unnoticed, or partaken in, by Eating Las Vegas.
But before we leave, our staff thought they’d share some tasty snaps of some pretty good restaurant ribs they had earlier this week at Memphis Championship Barbecue.
We expect the competition ribs to be smokier. spicier and more hand-crafted than these commercial ribs…but still, these baby backs and Saint Louis fatbacks were darn tasty…and as good as you’re gonna get in our humble burg.
Barbecue has had a tough time of it here in the last two years. Salt Lick, R.U.B. and CJ’s on west Sahara have all folded, confirming what ELV has maintained for years: that Vegas ain’t a ‘cue town and never will be one. Why this is so is beyond our feeble brain, but if it means we have to drive north for an hour or so to get the good stuff, we are off like a prom dress.
And since nothing goes with good ‘cue like a little bluegrass music, here is a little Zac Brown Band to take us home with one of our favorites:
MEMPHIS CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE
1401 South Rainbow Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89146
702.254.0520
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
September 7th, 2010 at 5:11 am
You’re totally on the mark when you say B-B-Q can’t make it here. Even Gates BBQ, one of the prime establishments in Kansas City couldn’t survive. Oh well, there will always be an excuse for a road trip back east to get the real thing.
September 7th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Ya, Mike Mill’s Memphis BBQ will never make it here. His pedigree as MIM Grand Champion must’ve been a fluke. Gee, he has only three LV locations. The one near Nellis AFB has been around for about 15 years; the Warm Springs store about a decade. You’re right, he’ll never make it.
KC, you are a clown. And I mean no disrespect to clowns with that comparison.
September 7th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Gentlemen, gentlemen….I don’t think K.C. ‘cue meant any disrespect to Memphis and Mr. Mills. With that sole exception, barbecue HAS had a tough road to hoe here….which is a cotton pickin’ shame.
Like K.C., ELV still hasn’t recovered from the loss of Struttin’ Gates!….and like VVic, we appreciate the superior ‘cue that Memphis turns out…
Porcine-ly yours in smoke and sauce,
ELV