Memorable | One of the Best
Germantown Commissary
Review by: Michael Stern
Here’s well-made downhome food, served in decorator-rustic surroundings in an upscale neighborhood. The Germantown Commissary has barnboard walls choc-a-block with old tin signs, wind-up telephones and vintage advertisements. Many of its tables wobble as much as those in a juke joint and the air swirls with the seductive aroma of a working smoke pit.
It is best known for ribs, which truly are first-rate: crusted with sauce, scented by hickory, meaty as hell with enough chew to provide maximum flavor. You can order them by number of bones, from five to twelve (a full rack), or as part of a half-and-half plate with another barbecued meat. We suggest the latter, because it would be a crime to come to the Commissary and NOT have pulled pork. It is shoulder meat, pulled into slightly-more-than-bite-size strips and hunks, some edges crusty, some parts velvet-soft. You can also get the meat chopped, which is OK, but deprives your tongue of the pleasure of worrying those long strips of meat you get when it’s pulled.
For dessert, there are smokehouse classics: banana pudding with softened vanilla wafers in the custard, and tongue-soothing lemon ice box pie.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $$ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Germantown Commissary Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Germantown Commissary?
2 Responses to “Germantown Commissary”
Dan Murrell
December 15th, 2013
We have lived here a long time and had not visited the Commissary until recently. It was the first stop on a progressive birthday dinner. At each, we tried ribs and a pulled pork sandwich – and whatever else struck our collective fancy.
A whole rack of ribs does indeed cover the length of a long plate and they are tender, meaty, and delicious. The pulled pork sandwich is wonderful, especially with a mix of the two sauces. The sauce in the red bottle is actually hot and spicy, as promised. The onion rings, fresh out of the kitchen, are the best I have found in Memphis in over a decade. The BBQ salad must have had a pound of meat heaped on top of the greens. Good beans and slaw. Tamales are only average. Finally, the coconut pie is incredible – it is like a huge macaroon floating on whatever cream they use. Our server was one of two who make those pies; I got up to hug her and say thank you. The pie alone is worth a trip. The banana pudding was good, but next to the pie, it was a definite second choice. Prepare for a wait at the dinner hour. Otherwise, our experience has been that it won’t be more than 10-15 minutes.
Gina Lannin
February 18th, 2010
“The ribs at Germantown Commissary are the best ribs I have ever eaten!” said my husband after our first of three meals at Germantown Commissary during our stay in the Memphis area. We continued our search for the perfect ribs, but nowhere else came close.
The homemade ranch dressing in the BBQ salad is AMAZING and the coconut pie is like a Mounds bar in a crust – DELICIOUS! The pulled pork tasted good but was a bit dry for my taste. The spicy BBQ sauce made everything that much better and the baked beans were like no other we have had – again, delicious. A rack of ribs for two plus a BBQ salad fed our family of four AND we still had leftovers.
It would be worth designing a day around – Germantown is a cute town with lots of shopping. Enjoy!