Sadly, I just really haven’t found coleslaw at a restaurant in Memphis that I just love, so we tend to just make it at home. The problem seems to be consistency. Sometimes the coleslaw at certain eateries is good, other times not so much.

I hope that someone has some good suggestions on this topic. What really bothers me is that some of the places that serve good versions of the type of food that really lends itself to coleslaw such as fried catfish, chicken and bbq are the worst with sides such as coleslaw!

I’ll probably be crucified for saying this, but I’m quite partial to Tops BBQ/Three Little Pigs BBQ coleslaw. I think it has something to do with the mustard-mayo aspect. I don’t like supersweet slaw or the artistic, julienned and underdressed stuff. It’s also chopped up, so you don’t have long and stringy cabbage pieces hanging off a sandwich or your fork.

I guess it’s like a ketchup brand or potato salad. It’s something that, in the South, you grow up eating. You grow to like it a certain way.

I think the cole slaw at Payne’s Bar-B-Que rates at the top. It’s a perfect mix of mustard and mayonnaise, with a vinegary-sweet bite to boot.

I’m partial to creamy cole slaw instead of a mustard-vinegar base. Two of my favorites are served at Joe’s Crab Shack and Soul Fish Cafe. Both those places have excellent hushpuppies, too, which are a great match with the slaw.

Neely’s has really good slaw & the recipe is on Food Network website. I agree with Matt about KFC’s & the people who like Top’s. I think KFC’s must have some milk in the dressing because it’s so creamy. I also liked John Wills - their Big Q plate with a variety of BBQ meats & tangy mustard slaw was some of the best around. I haven’t had a single thing at Soul Fish I didn’t like. It’s hard to decide if I want a Cuban sandwich or catfish when I go there. I’m going to have to make a run to Payne’s soon because I haven’t been in awhile.

There’s a bit of a problem in that cole slaw functions as both a side dish and a condiment in Memphis, and what might function well as one might not for another.

Payne’s makes a great sandwich topping–possibly the best in town, but may be a little too sweet-sour-salty to function as a side dish.

Jim-n-Nick’s makes an excellent side dish, but brings little to a sandwich beyond texture (understandable, given that it comes from an Alabama barbecue tradition).

A couple that work pretty well as both: Cozy Corner and Rendezvous.

A couple that don’t do it for me as either: Corky’s and Central Barbecue.

Nothing else has made much of an impression either way.

Best by far was the purple cabbage/vinegar slaw at Michael Cahill’s “Cafe Roux” out near Germantown. With that gone, I prefer small doses of mustard-based cole slaw when I can find it.

Let me sing the praises of Germantown Commissary’s SIDE DISH of cole slaw (cole slaw as a condiment is only acceptable on hot dogs). In fact, GC does well with the whole bbque experience–potato salad, deviled egg, banana pudding . . .Sorry that I digress. Cole slaw is ancillary to me.

I no longer live in Memphis but when I did, I think Neeley’s had the best cole slaw I have ever tasted. I love it on their sandwiches and if no one has had any, they don’t know what they are missing.

Mrs. Winner’s has great slaw! It’s really creamy how I like it.

The Cottage restaurant on Summer. With chicken livers…but that’s another story!

Opinions are all over the place on this one. How could it be any other way? Unlike with, say, catfish where everyone is looking for a common standard (crispy, clean, not overcooked, non-greasy), coleslaw is personal. We each have our perception of what coleslaw is supposed to be: sweet or vinegary, mustard or not, chopped or julienne, green cabbage only or lots of extras. etc. Our perceptions are by what we expect of coleslaw from our childhood as often as by our taste preferences. This will be an interesting list.

That said, it MUST have mustard, it MUST be chopped, it MUST be green cabbage - Tops will do just fine.

Michael Cahill is now at the Philadelphia MS Indian Casinoa (Silver Star and Golden Moon).

White Slaw: Captain D’s has the best mayo based slaw. Belmont’s little dab a slaw is also real good mayo based

Yellow Slaw: Leonards, Coleman’s, Topps and Neely’s are the best Mustard slaw. Rendezvous slaw is a mite too spicy (I detect some greek seasonings in it).

Hybrid (Mustare/Mayo): Mz Payne’s

I really don’t like vinegar slaw, so I don’t have a vinegar option.

Anybody remember the Cafe St Clair Slaw??? (The real restaurant version) Its one of those lost treats, like the Ember’s Thousand Island Dressing.

I love the coleslaw at chick fila. Very creamy!

Back in the good old days, I thought Leonard’s had the best cole slaw–crisp, not too sweet, and not too mustardy–although it’s chartreuse color would indicate the contrary. It’s still my favorite, though I agree that the Kosher deli section at Kroger on Mendenhall is close to the top.

Belmont’s cole slaw is pretty dang good. I like Popeye’s too.