Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous and the Birth of the "Dry" Rub
Author Steven Raichlen had some nice things to say about us in his book BBQ Bible: "Whenever I go to Memphis I have a little ritual. I check into the Peabody Hotel, then duck down a dumpster-filled back alley, and rush to Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous....for most people – locals and tourists alike – the Rendezvous' dry ribs are the very essence of Memphis barbecue." Read more...

What Our Customers Say

Our customers are always saying nice things about us – often with their mouths full:

"Those boys can cook!" -- Vince Gill, singer

"Yeah, man, we chowed down on 'em." -- Joe Walsh, guitarist

"This place is an institution." -- Henry Hancock, attorney

Awards & Honors

We get lots of awards too, including:

• Best Ribs, Memphis Flyer annual "Best of Memphis" reader poll, 1997-2009
• Best Barbecue Restaurant, Southern Living Reader Choice Awards, 2002 and 2004-2009
• Best Ribs, Memphis Magazine, 2007-2009
• One of 50 All American Icons, Nation's Restaurant News Magazine, 2009
• The Best BBQ Restaurant, Delta Sky Magazine, May 2009
• Food Finds Across the Region, Southern Living Favorites, Spring 2004
• Top 5 Best Mail-order Meals, Esquire, October 2001
• Top 5 Best BBQ Joints in America, Esquire, July 1999
• Pork Restaurant of the Year, National Pork Producers Council, 1994

We've catered some pretty fancy venues over the years, including:

• American Embassy, Ottawa, Canada, July 1999
• South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Miami Beach, Florida, April 2002
• American Embassy, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 2000
• Air Force One
• Air Force Two
• President Clinton's Inaugural Gala, 1992
• National Tribute to Bill Clinton, May 2000
• U.S. Senators' Luncheon, offices of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
• PGA Champions pre-tournament dinner, Kohler, Wisconsin, 2004
• Justin Timberlake tour
• National Fish and Wildlife Federation Annual Fundraiser, Central Park, New York 2002-2006
• Lunch for President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi, June 30, 2006
• American Embassy, Canberra, Australia, July 4, 2007

We’ve also been featured on a few television stations, including:

• The Travel Channel
• The Food Network
• The Today Show
• Good Morning America
• Turner South
• The Fine Living Channel

Famous Customers

After all these years, we're not surprised by anybody walking through our doors. We host everyone from truck drivers to presidents. We've seated a prince (Albert of Monaco) and a chairman of the board (Frank Sinatra). We get customers on both sides of the political aisle, from Bill Clinton to John McCain. Bill Cosby and his lovely wife Camille charmed our staff. Bear Bryant used to come up from 'Bama. We even get famous fictional customers, like the characters in John Grisham's novels The Firm and The Last Juror.

This is Memphis, so we get more musicians than you can shake a rib at. Guy Lombardo visited us back in the auld days, and Justin Timberlake is lovin' it these days. The Rolling Stones dropped by and got sticky fingers, and Memphis' own Al Green comes in for a plate of love and happiness.

We may brag a little about the big names, but we treat them the same way we treat all our customers. As long as you love ribs and your mama taught you how to behave, you're welcome at our table.