Modern Forage: Memphis, TN
BBQ Spaghetti is part of a broader Memphis pattern of putting BBQ on everything (BBQ nachos, BBQ pizza). The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue (formerly Brady & Lil's) is credited with popularizing it.
Memphis is the canonical home of BBQ Spaghetti, a Memphis-only fusion that puts pulled pork and BBQ sauce on spaghetti noodles. The Bar-B-Q Shop on Madison Avenue is credited with popularizing it.
This list is almost certainly incomplete; Memphis holds further hyper-local dishes that have not yet surfaced in the survey.
A note on the Where-to-eat blocks. Every entry below carries a list of restaurants and, where available, star ratings as of the date this post was published. These are a snapshot. Verify hours and addresses before driving anywhere.
Memphis BBQ Spaghetti — Memphis, TN
Spaghetti noodles tossed with tangy barbecue sauce and topped with pulled pork. A Memphis-only fusion that sounds bizarre to outsiders but is ubiquitous on Memphis BBQ menus. The Bar-B-Q Shop (formerly Brady & Lil’s) on Madison Avenue is credited with popularizing it. The BBQ sauce replaces the pasta sauce. Thinner than typical spaghetti sauce but thicker than straight barbecue sauce. “Explaining barbecue spaghetti to non-Tennesseans usually earns confused looks and skeptical questions.” Part of a broader Memphis pattern of putting BBQ on everything (BBQ nachos, BBQ pizza).
Sources: Taking the Kids (2025); Food Network (TN feature); Noogatoday (2021); Fast Food Club (2026); everafterinthewoods (2025). Five+ sources.
Where to eat: The Bar-B-Q Shop, 1782 Madison Ave, Memphis (the canonical popularizer). Cozy Corner, 735 N Parkway. Most Memphis BBQ joints carry it.
More from the series
Browse the rest of the Modern Forage survey.
Research & primary sources
Methodology, validation logs, and the entries that didn’t make this post are in the modern_forage/ on GitHub. Every entry here passed a 2+ independent-source check; the citations under each dish list them.