Charlie Vergos (June 24, 1925 – March 27, 2010) was a Memphis-style barbecue restaurateur. Vergos was born in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

; his parents were Greek immigrants. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He married Tasia Vergos; they had three children. In 1948, Vergos founded Charles Vergos' Rendezvous. Vergos also helped to revitalize Memphis' downtown; he refused to relocate out of downtown following the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05& ...

and invested in other downtown businesses. He developed Memphis-style "dry" ribs, using vinegar and a mix of herbs and spices to season the meat, and cooking the ribs on high heat for around 75 minutes. Vergos was posthumously inducted into the

Barbecue Hall of Fame The American Royal is a livestock show, horse show, rodeo, and barbecue competition held each year in September – November at various sites in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The Future Farmers of America (now the National FFA Organiza ...

in 2018.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vergos, Charlie American restaurateurs 1925 births 2010 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II