Steven’s Barbecue

Home of Viking Range stoves, Greenwood is a culinary capital of the South with many good places to eat. Steven’s Barbecue, off the beaten track, is loved by locals for being quick, causal, and remarkably affordable. Its interior is done up like a roadhouse, with aluminum signs and long mantle shelves brimming with tchotchkes.

Chocolate cake has made Steven’s famous throughout the Delta. It’s a strange signature dish for a BBQ restaurant, especially peculiar when you actually see the humble brownie-size square of cake. It looks like a slightly pumped up version of the little iced chocolate square that comes with TV dinners. But tasting is believing, and this cake is justifiably renowned. It is moist and light but with a deep lingering chocolate richness.

If you’re passing through Greenwood with a full belly, you could just get a slice cake and move on, but you’d be missing excellent and underrated BBQ, not to mention stellar Delta tamales. The tamales are medium-spicy and juicy enough that they are best eaten here.

Steven’s BBQ sandwich is a sloppy mess of moist pulled pork heaped high enough that it’s pretty much impossible to eat without plastic utensils. This isn’t meant as a knock, but a boast. It’s exactly what a barbecue sandwich should be: a big pile of smoky meat with bread and sauce for decoration.

Memphis-style ribs (we get ours dry) are better than many in the Bluff City. They are generously rubbed and have a red smoky bark. They hit just the right amount of salt and tenderness. No sauce is necessary. Side dishes are simple, fitting in with the general theme of honest, well-made food that doesn’t get too brash. The only things over-the-top at Steven’s are huge styrofoam tumblers of sweet tea … and the explosive chocolate flavor of the cake.