Across the U.S., barbecue styles vary, with residents of many regions claiming vehemently that their type is “the best.” But no matter which style you prefer, you can likely agree that all American barbecue shares one trait: It is perfect for feeding a crowd. Planners interested in incorporating this quintessentially American cuisine into their meeting or event are certainly spoiled for choice across the region.
In many Southeast barbecue traditions, pork is king. That includes eastern North Carolina, where restaurants like Sam Jones BBQ specialize in roasting whole hogs over wood coal for an even cook. “Traditionally, in the eastern part of the state, we’re cooking whole pigs and using vinegar-based sauce,” says co-owner Michael Letchworth. Opened in 2015 by Letchworth and third-generation pitmaster Sam Jones, Sam Jones BBQ operates out of two locations: one in Raleigh and one in Winterville, near Greenville.
When Jones and Letchworth opened the Raleigh location in 2021, they included an upstairs private dining room that comfortably seats about 45. “With that upstairs meeting space, we have groups who do just lunches, and we also have people [who want] the full buffet deal,” Letchworth says. The standard buffet option includes barbecue (pork, chicken, or ham); sides; nonalcoholic drinks like sweet tea; and cocktails, beer, and wine from the restaurant’s full bar. Sam Jones BBQ also caters large events and sells house-made sauces and seasonings, great for attendee gifts.
In Memphis, Tennessee, honey barbecue sauce is the star of the show. Groups can take in the city’s renowned barbecue scene with Memphis’ Backbeat Tours, which features the “Taste of Memphis BBQ” tour and the “Blues and BBQ” tour. Both experiences take groups up to 100 people to well-known barbecue restaurants in the city via modern, vintage-style buses.
“All our tours are super customizable,” says Meagan May, vice president of Backbeat Tours. “For the Taste of Memphis BBQ tour, we focus on the three main types of barbecue served in Memphis: pork ribs (baby-back ribs), pulled pork, and what we call ‘weird barbecue,’” she explains. “At all these different restaurants, almost everybody has something on the menu that has barbecue in a place you wouldn’t necessarily expect. [For example,] there’s a place that has a pulled-pork grilled-cheese sandwich, and there’s another one that has a barbecue baked potato.”
May says the Blues and BBQ tour is short and sweet, during which groups ride around in a bus with a musician playing live blues onboard while attendees learn about Memphis’ music history. The tour concludes on a mouth-watering note with a group dinner at a Beale Street barbecue joint, often featuring live music. “It’s truly authentic,” says May.
One stop along the Taste of Memphis BBQ tour is Central BBQ, where hickory and pecan-smoked meats are the secrets to success. The chain, which opened its first barbecue restaurant in 2002, has four locations in Memphis and one in
suburban Southaven, Mississippi. Catering & Events Specialist Brittany Higginbotham, who works for the nonfranchised Memphis locations, gives the lay of the land when it comes to catering.
“We have boxed meal options, as well as buffet-style packages [groups] can choose from,” Higginbotham says. She notes all the meats are smoked in-house with no sauce, making it easy to accommodate gluten-free attendees (the sauce is not gluten free). Central BBQ’s Summer Avenue, midtown, and downtown locations in Memphis all feature private event spaces, she adds—
the midtown and Summer Avenue restaurants each have one space for up to 80, and the downtown location features three separate event spaces for groups as large as 110.
Also in Memphis, across the street from the Graceland mansion (the former home of Elvis Presley), is Vernon’s Smokehouse, part of the Elvis Presley’s Memphis complex. Here, perhaps before or after a tour of the famous singer’s abode, groups can enjoy authentic Memphis barbecue fare—the restaurant features its own signature barbecue sauce. Also on the menu are some of Presley’s other favorite meals, including meatloaf, catfish, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Planners might arrange for a group dining experience at Vernon’s for up to 240.
Beyond the Carolinas and Memphis, Alabama also boasts a thriving barbecue landscape, and Old Greenbrier Restaurant in Madison near Huntsville has been serving up tasty meats since 1952. Catering for up to 3,000 attendees is no problem for this hot spot, where juicy chicken, pork, and ham are poised to delight. Its three private meeting rooms host groups large or small, with flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and podiums available upon request.
