Look, the Rendezvous must be doing something right or they wouldn't have a gazillion people packed in there almost every night of the week. It is a fun place to go because it is in a basement down an alley, they have these really cool waiters with lots of personality who have been there for decades, and the food isn't really that bad if you don't know any better.
However, those world famous ribs aren't even BBQ. They are chargrilled over a direct flame for an hour and a half or so and, as a result, they are dry and chewy. I don't mean dry as in "dry rub dry". I mean dry as in dry meat. I couldn't eat them without a lot of that rub they have, which has Greek seasoning in it, and the sauce that you can put on at the table. The rub and the sauce are good.
The bottom line is that most people wouldn't know good BBQ if it hit them in the face because they have never had it. The Rendezvous is a fun atmosphere, the beer is cold, and people usually have a good time there. The only time I go there is when friends or business associates from out of town want to go because it is one of the Memphis things to do for tourists: Graceland, Beale Street, and the Rendezvous.
To be fair, the pulled pork actually isn't bad, and they make a pretty good sausage and cheese plate that goes well with all that cold beer. As far as BBQ joints in Memphis go, however, it is near the bottom of my list.
