Day 6 - Fond Farewell on to St. Louis

Day 6: We said a sad goodbye to the Rush-Leavitt family, who were the best hosts we could have asked for. (If you find yourself in Memphis, feel free to book your pumpkin-colored suite complete with crib, blow up mattress, and froggie humidifier in Cordova by calling Jenelle at 419-555-5555. She’ll cook you dinner, play with your kids, and teach you the basics of how to handle getting licked incessantly by a 110lb Rottweiler.) We fed the kids, packed the car, and headed out to get some coffee and pastries. Sean spied a Howard’s Donuts and pulled a “Memphis Left,” which is crossing 3 lanes hastily in order to turn left. He happened to open the door for Mr. Howard, and picked out 6 delicious handmade donuts from the 30+ different kinds.

Our last stop in Memphis was to Cozy Corner at 745 N. Parkway. It’s been owned by the Robinson family since 1977—opened in August, the same month that Elvis died. Mr. Raymond Robinson passed on in 2001, but Mrs. Desiree Robinson and her family are still running the place family-style. We arrived just before their opening at 10am, and were kindly greeted by Delores herself and her great-grand daughter Laylah. Laylah was the perfect hostess and invited Aislinn and Ehren in for a good game of run-around-the-tables while we waited for the famous Bologna Sandwich. It was ¾ inch thick slab of Smoked Bologna that made the bun it came in a courtesy to keep your fingers clean! It was topped with their house BBQ Mild Sauce, and topped with coleslaw. Despite the good breakfast, Sean savored every bite. Ehren took a good taste bite, and quickly leaned back for more! We also picked up 2 smoked wings with the mild sauce as well—will test in a few. If you stop anywhere in Memphis, we highly recommend the Cozy Corner. It’s in sight of the pyramid downtown, easy to find, and the friendliest family BBQ joint that we have seen thus far. We will definitely be back!

Now, it’s time to head back across the Mississippi River into Arkansas and up towards the bootleg of Missouri towards St. Louis. First stop---Ray’s World Famous Bar-B-Que at 4114 N.E.Service Road in West Memphis, AK. This is their 3rd location since opening over 30 years ago. Sean ordered their BBQ Pork Sandwich, and upon paying, was offered a Rib with the assurance that you can’t leave without tasting the Ribs! Sean learned how things are ordered in West Memphis:
“How can I help you?”
“Can I get the small BBQ Pork Sandwich please?”
“You want the Sammich or the Plate?”
“I’ll just take the Sammich.”

Next stop is Willie Mae’s Rib Haus on Broadway, also in West Memphis. Side note---it’s 10:45 am and both Curry Kids fully conked out. Post-Oliver Leavitt/ Laylah play coma. That’s what I call a good vacation. And oh look---A Sonic!

Willie Mae’s Rib Haus was named after the Polk family’s mother, Willie Mae, who passed in 1996. Sean ordered the Rib Sandwich, served drowned in BBQ sauce and laid gently on a bed of coleslaw, cushioned between 2 pieces of Texas Toast. We met David Polk, one of the brothers who was working today, and he was happy to share his family story. Eight brothers and two sisters opened the Rib Haus a few months after her passing, sharing ownership. The whole family has always been cooking, and they decided to open the Haus as a way to honor their mother. They collected all of Willie Mae’s recipes (which consists of a 2-ft stack of ripped and torn yellowing pieces of paper, all handwritten) and started cooking. One of the brothers has been in the Army for the past 30 years, and has traveled the world, allowing him to expand upon his ability to cook the cuisines of all the countries he’s visited. What better way to celebrate Mom AND continue to get her good food? They have an additional cooker in the back of the restaurant that they use for busier times of the year, as well as taking off-site to cook at different functions and block parties as a way to give to their community.

The kids are sleeping, and we’re headed North on 55 towards St. Louis. 257 miles to go! It’s well deserved rest time for the kids without any opening and closing of van doors, nor the added smell of delicious BBQ. Thank goodness I’m full from the Donuts, otherwise the smell of Wings, Pork Sandwich, Rib Sandwich, and a Rib would be killer right now.

After a much needed nap, we stopped in Steele, AK (pop. 225) at Boss Hog’s for a quick lunch. The General Lee was not outside, no. We were immediately pegged for “not being from around here,” and enjoyed a nice BBQ plate and Catfish plate. As we were paying, we found that we made a big mistake---Boss Hogs was really known for their hamburgers—fresh meat trucked in daily! Bummer. Next time. Back on the road towards Bo’s BBQ in honor of my brother and a quick pork sandwich. It wasn’t an intended food stop, but Sean found that it was family run, opened by Grandpa in 1968 as “Coleman’s BBQ.” When Grandpa went to buy rights for the name, he found that the Coleman Lantern Factory had issue with that, so the name was changed to his nickname—“Bo’s.” Bo has since passed, and the restaurant is run by his son and son-in-law.

On to Lambert’s, home of the throwed rolls! And boy, were they throwed! I can admit that jumped up for 3 rolls---all piping hot, just out of the oven. YUM. With a little Sorghum on it, they were perfect. We shied away from BBQ, and had frog legs (local specialty) and veggies. Lambert’s is a lot of fun, and very family-friendly They have a few sides that they serve family-style---just walking around, passing it out. We enjoyed friend Okra (Ehren is a big fan), hash browns, greens, and of course, the rolls. Back to the roll-throwing. They DO throw them—right from one side of the restaurant to the other. Some meet an untimely end by hitting the décor on the inside roof, but others make it right to you if you’re a good catch. Aislinn squeeled each time one was throwed, and kept asking where the roll guy was! It was a perfect end to a long day of driving. On to the Red Roof Inn and a comfy bed!