Avoid The Pig on Beale (Memphis)

I ate at The Pig on Beale, fittingly enough on Beale Street in Memphis, TN. I was not impressed. The service was slow, and they put us at a dirty table, that no one bothered to clean while we were there. It took them 15 minutes to notice us in a small restaurant that was not at all busy. We were there at 2pm on a Wednesday. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, fries, and slaw. When the food arrived, it was all beyond bland. The pork tasted like the kind that you buy refrigerated in tubs, with a little cyanne pepper, the sides also tasted pre made, and were also seasoned the same way, as if to lend authenticity. It did not work. This princely feast cost me over ten dollars with a drink. I did not leave a tip. I guess it serves me right, for looking for real Memphis barbecue in a location as touristy as Beale Street.

I am curious...............why would you not leave a tip? Did you think your waitperson prepared the food?

LOL,Greymo-got the most ridiculous image of you wondering why....

Probable didn't leave a TIP because it took over 15 minutes to get noticed and they never cleaned the table.

In the conditions described I'd have walked after about 10 minutes. Obviously they don't want/need your business.

MikeS.

I agree with Rowsdower98. I've left small to no tip before and even a 32 cent tip (all in pennies) as a protest of beyond poor service. Being a waiter/waitress is a tough job and I usually tip 20% (or more if service was exceptional), but I've had some awful experiences as well as really touching ones where I left a huge tip and wrote a letter after to let the owner's know how impressed I was by my server.

With all of the great BBQ places in Memphis, very few of them are on Beale Street. My favorite place for a pork sandwich is A&R Bar-B-Que on Elvis Presley Blvd., which is about 5 or 6 miles from Beale Street. Other great choices in the area are the Cozy Corner and Interstate BBQ.

Sorry to stray off the posted topic, but billyboy reminded me of something that happened years ago.
I was at Lenny's in Branford, CT years ago with my ex-husband. Often times when they're busy, the very young busboys (or girls) would help deliver food to the tables. Our dinners were brought by our server, and my ex's baked potato dropped off by a kid who looked like he might have been all of 13 years old. The ex asked for butter, and the boy politely showed him that there were two foil-wrapped pats of butter on the other side of the potato. The ex asked for more. The boy, completely innocently and sincerely, replied "But it's not really good for you". He still brought the butter, and the ex gave him a $50 tip. Probably the nicest thing I could ever say about the ex.

I think one way to help a restaurant improve, or to push it a little closer to closing, is to not tip for poor food or service.

If the wait staff doesn't get tips, they'll maybe suggest improving the food, or even not deliver bad food to the tables (I've seen restaurant signs "If you wouldn't eat the food, don't serve it"), or quit.

Acting like everything is OK - when it isn't - helps no one.

That's a great idea. Then the servers can go home and feed their kids pretend food with the money they didn't make. Always a good idea to chop the head off of the messenger.

If it's bad, just don't patronize it. But while you're there, don't screw the people providing their time and labor to you if they are providing reliable service, regardless of the food.

quote:

Originally posted by saps

That's a great idea. Then the servers can go home and feed their kids pretend food with the money they didn't make. Always a good idea to chop the head off of the messenger.

If it's bad, just don't patronize it. But while you're there, don't screw the people providing their time and labor to you if they are providing reliable service, regardless of the food.

So in your opinion a server should still be tipped for poor or no service ???? I believe that you are in the minority. If my waiter/waitress messes up my service, their tip will suffer every time !!! What other incentive would they have to improve ????

If The Pig on Beale is as bad as Rowsdower98 says, it won't last long. There is just too much great barbecue competition in a city like Memphis. I know I would be very unhappy about sitting at a dirty table that they never cleaned up.

quote:

Originally posted by bowhuntrrl

quote:

Originally posted by saps

That's a great idea. Then the servers can go home and feed their kids pretend food with the money they didn't make. Always a good idea to chop the head off of the messenger.

If it's bad, just don't patronize it. But while you're there, don't screw the people providing their time and labor to you if they are providing reliable service, regardless of the food.

So in your opinion a server should still be tipped for poor or no service ???? I believe that you are in the minority. If my waiter/waitress messes up my service, their tip will suffer every time !!! What other incentive would they have to improve ????

Yeah, I blew that one. I probably should have read the original post more carefully. I would have walked out before even being served, let alone stay, pay, and leave some sort of tip (or no tip).

The Pig on Beale is living on the tourist and beer-drinker evening crowd that fills the street on a nightly basis. Lots of noise and music and walking between 'clubs' and bars make it a natural for folks who are not really interested in the food, but more in the ambience of the location.
There is much better BBQ at locations around the city.

Al - You are 100% on this one, LOTS better que places all over Memphis, the Pig's day has come and went, they are trying to hang on to a reputation they once had. It is definately now a place to bar hop in, and not worry about the food.

Interstate BBQ is one of my favorites when in Memphis.

We must have hit the Interstate on a bad day for some reason. The service there was the worst I have ever experienced in a casual dining location. The hostess all but threw the menus onto our table from 5 feet away and stormed off as if we had insulted her..without a word other than good morning passing from us. The server took our order and delivered our food without a word, then she too became invisible. The BBQ was not even warm. The Sauce was cold and the spagetti tasted like Franco-American out of a can with BBQ sauce dumped on it.
I will not go back.

Now that's a terrible thing to do to good Franco American.

Al, Jim Neely the owner would probably rectify your inexecusable lack of service as it very much is not the norm. I've been there (once served by Jim himself) a number of times and never had anything like that happen to us. I try to stop at both The Interstate and The Cozy Corner every trip through Memphis (along with Bryants for breakfast, Gus's for chicken and The Little Tea Shop for lunch) usually running out of time before I run out of good places to eat. The Four way Grill and The Arcade are two more places to stop at and now I have to add the A & R to my growing list. This is one great Roadfood town. Beale is like a Disneyland for blues lovers but you never hear of someone going to Disneyland strictly for the chow.

I went to Interstate in 1999 and really enjoyed it. I remember ordering the Ribs and bbq Spaghetti, of course that was almost 8 years ago and things could change.

In 2005 I went to Neely's BBQ (which I understand is separetely owned) and really enjoyed the large pulled pork sandwich and bbq spaghetti.

I see they have two distinct websites
and do not appear affiliated with eachother except maybe they share the same family name

www.interstatebarbeque.com

www.neelysbbq.com

WJ: Al went to Interstate the other day and he hated it. I stopped by there about three years ago and I felt the same way. Just my opinion.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I've never been overly impressed by any restaurant on beale street

I must respectfully disagree with startrader regarding A&R. IMHO it was the worst Q I had in Memphis. It was very sloppy and didn’t have much flavor. No offense to you, just my opinion of the food.

I did have a good burger and fries on Beale, can’t remember the name of the joint.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

WJ: Al went to Interstate the other day and he hated it. I stopped by there about three years ago and I felt the same way. Just my opinion.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Opinions??- I'll give you opinions!!

All kidding aside, Al and I talked about that in Austin. I haven't been to Interestate since 1999, so it's possible it could have slipped. Apparently Jim Neely the guy who owns Interstate is not affiliated with Neely's BBQ also in Memphis which I went to recently in 2005

I had a greaseburger on Beale street at Dyer's. I had spent the past two days with Bushie, Pogophiles, Tiki, Sundancer and Janet & the Mayor,
then at Dyer's I got to meet Iwanago. The greaseburger was fair; Roslyn was top-drawer.

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO is any one listening????
I don't know how many times I've told you folks that while on Beale St. it.s Blues City Cafe...........
it was right under your noses cuz it's at the head of Beale right across the street from BB King's
I wouldn't dream of setting foot on Beale St. with out walking in this joint first..... wet ribs to coffee and pie
Blues City Cafe http://www.bluescitycafe.com/

quote:

Originally posted by fpczyz


HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO is any one listening????
I don't know how many times I've told you folks that while on Beale St. it.s Blues City Cafe...........
it was right under your noses cuz it's at the head of Beale right across the street from BB King's
I wouldn't dream of setting foot on Beale St. with out walking in this joint first..... wet ribs to coffee and pie
Blues City Cafe http://www.bluescitycafe.com/

Yes, I was there back in 99
Had the BBQ Shrimp.

I am more than willing to admit that I hit them on a bad day. I can't believe they treat all their customers the way we were treated. If I were a betting man, I would say that there was a major tiff between the service staff and the kitchen help and maybe the management too, and the result was that all sides were determined to piss off the customers. This was a disaster. If anyone trys the place since we were there, please post an up to date evaluation. AND We are talking about the Interstate BBQ , just a couple of blocks off Exit 7 I-55 on the south side of Memphis.

I've always had good luck at Interstate ... Yet there are so many spectacular places to eat there.

Mr. Mayor-
Sorry to hear about your bad experience at Interstate. I'm not sure which would upset me more....terrible service or awful food.

I have been to Interstate three times and two of the times everything was excellent. The third time, I also received really bad service, but at least the food was still good. Consistency doesn't seem to be one of their strengths.

I am thinking that the last time I was there was 2005.

Curiously, my Moon Guide to Tennessee, a very reliable guide ,says in its 2005 edition that the Interstate has slipped. I still like the Airport location. I agee with Frank(words I never thought I would type!) that Blues City is pretty good. The music is always first rate.

quote:

mr chips Posted - 02/28/2007 : 10:14:17
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I agee with Frank(words I never thought I would type!) that Blues City is pretty good. The music is always first rate.

.......................... lol,
Thank you Chipper, see it's working Our new motto "It's just food, folks. Try to be civil ."

I know it's very hard for people from Oregon and Washington St. to be civil because of the lack of sunshine in their diet and with all that rain it makes them kind of soggy ................
so I appreciate your words Mr. Chips, it shows growth on your part, sort of like all that green moss that's growing on the north side of your body.
Hang in the for it soon will be summer and you folks in the northwest can enjoy your 3 or 4 days of sunshine.
All kidding aside......... I'd like to confess I'm not much for our new Motto cuz it's taking all the fun out of my posting with kindness......... yuck, that aint no fun.