Breakfast at Interstate Bar-B-Que

On the way back from Miami, I had to get up early and fly through Memphis to get back to Atlanta. I consoled myself in my pre-dawn travel by reminding myself that the effort would pay off if Interstate Bar-B-Que was in operation. As I got off the plane in Memphis, I walked into an invisible cloud with the unmistakable fragrance of BBQ. My heart leapt, I turned the corner, and there it was---the happy neon pig.

Interstate is widely considered one of the top BBQ places in the country. Airport food has certainly improved over the years, but it is still rare to have a truly great restaurant inside an airport. Interstate is a welcome stop for all sorts of travelers.

They have some breakfast items but they offer their full BBQ menu all day (I'm not entirely sure when they open, but I was there about 9 AM). I wanted something fast and simple so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a tea. I then rushed over to my plane.

I got to the plane just in time to start boarding, so I was able to settle down quickly with my treat. I heard one passenger say "smells good, doesn't it?". The sandwich came with some cole slaw but no fork. I was a little worried about spilling it if I put the slaw on the sandwich so I just ate the sandwich straight. BBQ is comfort food and this pig certainly made me happy even if he wasn't smiling at the end. The pork was tender and very porky without being overly strong like some cuts of pork can be. Interstate has mastered the art of saucing a sandwich---all of the meat was touched with sauce but not enough was left to drip. The stewardess very nicely took my trash away and my stomach was very happy as we rolled down the runway.

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