Established 1974
history
The best family restaurant in Memphis since 1974
Welcome to Marlowe’s Ribs and Restaurant. Since 1974, we have been providing the best in Memphis hospitality to locals and visitors from around the globe.
We have tastes that will satisfy anyone’s palate, including our award-winning BBQ pork ribs, beef brisket, BBQ shrimp, and our famous Italian-style BBQ spaghetti.
Along with visiting Graceland, visiting Marlowe’s for a meal while you are in town is a must. Located only 1 mile from Elvis’s home, Marlowe’s not only provides a great family atmosphere and great food, but we’ll even bring you to the restaurant!
A few words about us
Best family restaurant since 1974
You might think that our barbeque smoker runs on just fruit wood, but here at Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant, I tend to think we operate on family tradition.
My name is Melissa Gigliotti Coleman, and unlike most kids, I grew up in a restaurant. When I was nine years old, my father Tony Gigliotti fulfilled his dream and opened “The Whitehaven Ranch House”. He uprooted our family from Pennsylvania to settle down into the neighborhood of the King of Rock and Roll.
Pappy's Love For Memphis
My father quickly fell in love with the city and began making lifelong friends like George Klein, Richard Davis, Gene Mason, Dr. George Nichopoulos (and his son Dean Nichopoulos), and many more. Just one mile from Graceland, we began noticing that we had the best of both worlds – a local joint with a base of loyal regular customers and tourists from every corner of the globe here to pay homage to the King.
One of my first memories is watching my grandmother make lasagna. I can still hear the sounds of the pans clanging together, the smell of chopped garlic, and the feel of the ripe tomatoes in my hands while I perched on the counter of her restaurant in Pennsylvania. Every day we prepare this dish at Marlowe’s, making it impossible to forget that our restaurant has a history that runs deeper than most. As a child, I watched my father effortlessly welcome every guest into our restaurant like family. When you step into Marlowe’s, you are entering our home.
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How we started
In my teenage years, Dad began experimenting with barbeque. He built a pit in the kitchen and discovered the BBQ sauce and technique that would make us famous.
He renamed the restaurant “Marlowe’s” after my sister Marlo and started a BBQ dynasty I am proud to continue today. We painted a small, retired school bus with pig caricatures and began picking up guests from local hotels. The “Pig Bus” was an instant hit, and we quickly became the unofficial cab service of Elvis Presley Boulevard. Within a year, the Pig Bus was so popular and overused that we had to retire it.
Elvis bought a pink Cadillac for his mother with his first royalty check, so we followed suit and bought a Cadillac limousine. After a fresh coat of bright pink paint, the shuttle service was reborn. Today we have a fleet of seven pink limousines ready to come bring you to our front door. Even Guy Fieri with Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives couldn’t resist a ride.
While many years ago Dad claimed to retire, but just like the King, he has never really left the building. He can still be found strolling around the restaurant singing Elvis songs, telling stories, or working in our gift shop. That's how you know you're in the right place!
