CW's Place and La Jewell's Deli move to the head of the class.
The South Memphis diner and the East Memphis deli earned perfect 100's in their latest Memphis-Shelby County health inspections.
Too bad I couldn't show them some love.
An employee who answered the phone at CW's Place, 3307 S. Third St., was curt. I guess I didn't catch her in a particularly good mood. She told me the manager is out of town, and I cannot visit without him.
La Jewell's Deli is behind an unassuming, gray door like all the other tenants' doors on the second floor of the Poplar-Perkins Building, 4646 Poplar Ave.
I knocked. I yanked the lever. I hollered through the mail-drop.
Nothing. The phone rings and rings with no voice mail.
The deli's next-door tenant told me off-camera that La Jewell is out of town, but she really does have great sandwiches. She said the place is terrific.
Guess I'll have to wait until next week to tell both of them, "Congratulations!"
THIS WEEK'S BIG TIP: Abe's BBQ, 616 N State St, Clarksdale, MS (662) 624-9947
Since 1924, Abe's BBQ has catered to the appetites of Clarksdale. Incredible barbecue ribs, pork sandwiches and chili-cheese cheeseburgers!
I thought I knew who had the best tamales. I was wrong. Abe's BBQ has the best chili and hot tamales I've ever had. Some of its most loyal customers swear by the Tamaco.
"It's shredded lettuce, tomato, with tamales on top, poured with chili on top," says Anne Harber, a regular customer for 60 years.
Ask for Lucille. She's been a server for Abe's BBQ 11 years.
"I know what they want to drink. I take it straight to the table, and most of the time, I know what they want to eat," she says proudly. "They don't even have to order!"
That's service!
WHAT ANDY LIKES: The tamales, the BBQ sauce, the pork sandwich
For all of this week's Memphis-Shelby County restaurant inspection scores, click here.
