Memphis Blues - Abbotsford

My husband and I love this place. I can't do spicy and they always remember not to add seasoning to their calamari after frying. A kick still, but not too bad. Sauce is a bit spicy, but works well. I like their Iced tea (not sweet tea-what we call our iced tea). Beans are fabulous. Corn bread is so good, my husband has ordered extra. The Prawns are his favourite. Never disappointed.

Full Slab o'ribs was good! Staff were very friendly and attentive. Food came on time. Loved the ribs with hot bbq sauce and frank's red hot sauce. Pecan pie was really good too.

So using Urbanspoon as a guide, the hubby and I dropped in to see if the claims of "not so great" were accurate. I'm pleased to say that MBBBQ is NOT the nasty place people make it out to be. We walked in for an early supper, and there was plenty of room to choose from. The owner was more than helpful and answered all our questions, even when I was being a smart-a$$ and asking for a brand of beer SPECIFIC to Tennessee! Thanks for letting me pull your chain, Shawn! (Hope I spelled that right.)
We started with the Mac and Cheese balls so we could think without having out stomachs declare war on our spines. What an interesting dish! It did not have the cheesy hit that is expected from Mac and cheese, but the richness of the ball itself more than made up for it. It was not as greasy as I expected it to be and the sauce it came with gave it a perfect kick! Conclusion: YUM!
The next decision was to order two beef rib specials, mine with fries and hubby's with potatoe salad. I was disappointed that I didn't have enough room to finish all of it! I DID finish the important stuff: the ribs and the collard greens. Let me focus in the ribs for a moment. I have NEVER had ribs that were so tender and juicy before in my life!! Fall-off-the-bone and so well cooked that even the connective tissue was not only edible but flavorful. The extra sauce that was provided was a great pair to the meat. It was a perfect tomatoe-based southern sauce, which could throw some people for a loop if they expect the standard northern vinegar-based type sauce. The collard greens went down so fast I toyed with the idea of getting a side to-go! (But I didn't. That's for next time!) They were cooked to perfection and had an interesting twist to them. I forgot to ask what EXACTLY they did to them, but it's worth it to find out for yourselves.
We also ordered a side of catfish, just to try it out. The flavor was unbelievable! Crispy and hot, crunchy and soft. And the sauce, again, amazing! My only complaint would be that it was slightly overcooked. And even then, when using a toaster oven to reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day, it was perfect! (Stay away from microwaves to reheat fish, in my opinion.)
Cole slaw, potatoe salad, corn bread...delish! For me, however, the star of the sides was the baked beans. Again, I have no idea how they do them (and Shawn wouldn't tell me!) but I could have those at anytime of day or night! And I am SO not a legume fan!! Smoky, meaty and just a wonderful mouth feel!
After everything was packed away, both of us creaked, we were so full! It was a wonderful taste experience.
No matter what you see on this site (and trust me, I use it nearly everyday), go check out places for yourself. MBBBQH is really a gem. If you can't get to Memphis for BBQ, get to Memphis Blues for the next best thing.
Oh, one last thing: do stay away from the ketchup. Unless you like a super-sweet and slightly musty condiment, I'd avoid it. Use the BBQ sauce instead. :)

I'm a frequent patron. Always have great food. The owner is amazing. Thanks again.

Unique Gem in Abbotsford. This is the type of food you see on The Food Network for great BBQ and pulled pork sandwich joints. Stunning flavours and for the first time in my life, I liked beans! No need to travel to big cities to get these flavours any more. Paul is a friendly host and will make it worth your while to come by and say hello.

Seating is chaotic. I had brisket and salad... Moist and delicious. My husband ordered the special, full rack of beef ribs with all the fixings... He enjoyed it very much.