Small and squat in a cinderblock square just off Lamar Ave in midtown Memphis, Payne’s Bar-B-Q proves that a simple meal, made with care and attention (and a lot of hickory coals), can buffer itself against the tides of change and remain a neighborhood stalwart, beloved by locals and travelers alike for over 50 years. These days, Ron Payne and his sister Candice run the pits at Payne’s, having taken over from their parents, Horton and Flora. Other than that, not much has changed. The recipes are the same. The…
