This can't be 'cue! Only one Memphis restaurant made Yelp's list of Top 100 barbecue spots
Yelp has released its Top 100 BBQ Spots for 2024 — and only one Memphis restaurant made the list.
Featured at an insultingly low 100th place, Elwood's Shack barely managed to squeeze its way onto Yelp's supposedly definitive list.
Elwood's Shack is one of the Memphis' newer barbecue joints, but it's already proven to be a big success. The original location opened off Summer Avenue in 2013 inside a tiny cinder block shed. The Shack's top of the line brisket, pastrami, pizza and fish tacos, among other items, have made it a favorite among Memphians.
That success has translated into expansion: Elwood's opened its second location on Park Avenue in September 2023.
Yelp's ranking comes down to customer reviews. "We identified businesses in the Barbecue category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning 'barbeque,'" the article states, "then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords."
A BLUFF CITY BBQ TOUR: 5 Memphis barbecue sandwiches in just 4 hours. Here's what we ate.
All this ranking really says is that Memphians don't feel a need to get on Yelp to leave 5-star reviews — if we did, the Memphis barbecue places would dominate this list. But if you're really feeling snubbed by Yelp, next time you grab some BBQ at your favorite Memphis spot, remember to leave a quick review. 2025's list will look a lot different.
Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis restaurant Elwood's Shack makes Yelp list of Top 100 BBQ spots
