Desiree Robinson
“People ask me for the recipe all the time. I tell them the recipe is the love my father put into this place for 40 years. You can't write that down.”
Desiree Robinson took over Cozy Corner from her father Raymond Robinson, who founded the restaurant in 1977. Under Desiree's stewardship, Cozy Corner has maintained its reputation of the most authentic and soulful BBQ joints in Memphis. She is the keeper of the family's BBQ Cornish hen recipe — a Memphis original that her father invented and that has never been successfully replicated elsewhere in the city.
Philosophy
My father Raymond built this place on love and smoke. Every bird, every rib, every bologna sandwich carries that forward. BBQ is how we feed our community and tell our story.
Technique
Whole Cornish hens are rubbed with a proprietary dry seasoning blend and slow-smoked over hickory wood until the skin crackles and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. The bologna is smoked whole and sliced to order.
Recognition
- Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest — Whole Hog Division
- Southern Foodways Alliance — Oral History Project