This Tennessee BBQ Joint Elvis Loved To Overtip At Is Still Open Today

Memphis is a city known for BBQ joints, and many have been around for decades. One spot that's been around for over 100 years is Leonard's Pit Barbecue. Opened in 1922 by Leonard Heuberger, the restaurant still features its original fare. As the restaurant grew, moved, and changed, it began to attract some high-profile clientele. Although it didn't make our list of great hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurants, its reputation speaks for itself. One celebrity customer it managed to impress was the King of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley.

Elvis was a big fan of Tennessee food, and he even had restaurants deliver ribs across the country for him. But whenever he was in town, he'd take special care to visit Leonard's. During the 1960s, he opted not to eat with the masses during daylight hours. Instead, he'd wait until dark, when the restaurant would close down so he could dine privately. Fried chicken, BBQ sandwiches, and ribs were supposedly his favorites, and he would sometimes host parties at the restaurant which would last all the way until dawn. 

This may sound like a lot of effort to put out for one customer, but Elvis was willing to make it worth their while. Staff would receive massive tips of $50, the equivalent of $538 today. Servers would get even bigger tips of $100. Elvis' generosity became something of a local legend. Around that time, Leonard's was one of the world's largest BBQ drive-ins, but they offered affordably-priced fare, making those massive tips even more impressive. Leonard's Pit Barbecue is still open and operating to this day, but there are a few things you should know.

The first tidbit to be aware of is that Leonard's Pit Barbecue specializes in Memphis-style BBQ. That means slow-cooking with spice-heavy rubs, prepared "dry" without sauce. Tennessee might have the best donuts in the United States, but it's probably best known for pork BBQ, such as that served at Leonard's. As far as the restaurant's offerings, the pork is slow-roasted and smoked with hickory. Customers can request food dry, wet, or muddy, which is a combo of spiced dry rub and glaze. Customers rave about the pulled pork shoulder sandwiches, mustard slaw, and of course, Elvis Presley's well-loved ribs.

The other thing to know is that the current location is not the one Elvis ate at. In the 1980s, a location on Fox Plaza Drive opened, owned then by Dan Brown. This was the primary spot until 2021, at which point new ownership took over. The new owners closed the Fox Plaza location and reopened on North Germantown Parkway in Cordova in 2023 with an eye for future expansion.

For those worried about all this change, fear not. Most dishes have remained the same for 100 years, and the new owners have pledged to preserve that history. The cooking methods have been passed down to the staff so everything continues to be made the old-fashioned way. Some reviewers still claim it's some of the best BBQ in the state. So, even though the venue and owner have changed, Elvis' preferred late-night BBQ fare lives on.