If you love a good burger and Memphis barbecue, listen up.

The folks at Tops Bar-B-Q and Burgers have created two over-the-top burgers that combine their famous barbecue and popular burgers: The Fireman and the Policeman.

I recently stopped by the East Memphis location at 5144 Poplar Ave. to give them a try, and Daily Memphian reporters Samuel Hardiman and King Jemison joined me to put these two new burgers to a taste test.

The Fireman is a classic Tops cheeseburger topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce and slaw. Literally, it’s all the best of Tops in one bite.

It gets its name from the fireman who requested the sandwich one day at the Rhodes Avenue location and has been an unofficial menu item for years. Hunter Brown, Tops’ vice president, said they have tried to research the exact year the restaurants began serving the Fireman, but it was so long ago no one knows the date.

Earlier this month, Tops launched a second specialty barbecue burger called The Policeman.

The Policeman Burger features the famous Tops cheeseburger topped with smoked beef brisket, Applewood bacon, mayo, pickles, grilled onions and drizzled with barbecue sauce.

“Someone told us this thing should be illegal. It’s not only mouthwatering but named in honor of our local policemen and women. It pays tribute to the dedication, bravery and service of policemen and women who work every day to keep us safe,” said Randy Hough, Tops CEO.

Our Burger Taste Test

Tops Bar-B-Q’s new over-the-top burgers, the Policeman burger and their Fireman burger, are available on their menu. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

The quarter-pound burgers at Tops are old-school, cooked on a flat-top griddle to order. They’re a classic done right, and it’s no surprise they are consistently named one of the best burgers in Memphis.

So could these new burgers top the classic burgers? All three of us walked in the door a bit skeptical.

We ordered one of each of the new burgers, plus a classic cheeseburger with all the toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayo and mustard. 

The folks at Tops kindly divided the burgers into fourths for us, and we dove in.

Between bites, we shared our thoughts.

Hardiman said his favorite of the two was The Policeman.

“I love the texture of the brisket and the crispy bacon paired with the burger,” he said after a couple of bites. “This is really good. I’m going to come back to order it for lunch again soon.”

A professed fan of the Tops barbecue sandwich and sauce, Jemison’s favorite was The Fireman.

A look at the Fireman burger at Tops Bar-B-Q on Poplar. Tops Bar-B-Q’s new over-the-top burgers, the Policeman burger and their Fireman burger, are available on their menu. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“I really like the slaw on this burger, plus there’s more barbecue sauce on this one,” he said. “I had wished that The Policeman had more sauce, but keep in mind that is coming from someone who is obsessed with barbecue sauce.” 

The Policeman was my favorite of the two. I think it may be the bacon that tipped the scales for me. That said, I might get a side of slaw on my next visit and see how it might add to this already over-the-top burger creation.

A look at the Policeman burger at Tops Bar-B-Q on Poplar. Tops Bar-B-Q’s new over-the-top burgers, the Policeman burger and their Fireman burger, are available on their menu. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Our final verdict? Maybe Hardiman said it best, “Once you have gone to The Policeman or The Fireman, you can never go back to a normal burger.”

And he’s right. The addition of the pork and brisket both take a Tops burger to a whole new level. Just trust us.

Whichever one you choose, I have one piece of advice: Have lots of napkins.

The week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

TacoNGanas serves birria-style Mexican street tacos. (Jennifer Chandler/The Daily Memphian)

TacoNGanas announced that it’s bringing its birria-style tacos to FedExForum this fall.

Charlie Vergos Rendezvous has added three new products to its line of seasonings and sauces. Each is a recipe used in the famed restaurant, and by the Vergos family at home. 

Southern Hands Homestyle Cooking has become one of my favorite spots when I am craving Southern fare on-the-go. While their Memphis fast-casual restaurants may offer quick service, the meal has been made with love and care using decades-old family recipes. I shared my top choices for lunch and dinner in this week’s “What to Order” column.

In this week’s “Food Files,” Sophia Surrett reported that South Main’s Crave Cheesecakes, at 523 S. Main St., is now Dvour Desserts. The rebranded shop will still feature cheesecakes, but it has added new sweets such as donuts, which they serve on Saturdays as a special. 

“We didn’t want this place just to be (an average) dessert shop,” Dvour Desserts owner Travis Brady said. “I want it to be a destination and try to create an experience.” (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Surrett also reported that Filipino chicken chain Kukuruku Chicken is opening its third Memphis-area location at 3358 Poplar Ave., and cake franchise Nothing Bundt Cakes is opening a new location at 8750 U.S. Highway 51 N. in Millington. 

Jody Callahan stopped by the Second Annual Patio Porkers on Beale barbecue contest last Saturday. Here’s the recap of the fun as well as a list of the winners.

Grind City Brewing Co. owner Hopper Seely shared the recipe for a “Lagerita,” his beer-based spin on a margarita using their Poppy Pils pilsner.

And Joshua Carlucci’s “$10 Deal” this week is Sen Trang’s bun cha gio noodle salad, which he said “contrasts rich, savory, fatty flavors with the fresh, crunchy and bright.”

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

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