Pitmaster IndexDesiree Robinson
Owner & Pitmaster
Desiree Robinson
Cozy CornerMemphis, TN
Signature:Barbecued Cornish hen
Desiree Robinson and her husband, Raymond Robinson, opened Cozy Corner in North Memphis in 1977. For years she worked a job at BellSouth and helped at the restaurant on weekends while Raymond did the cooking. After Raymond died suddenly in 2001, she took over the restaurant, including part-time pit duty. In October 2020 she was inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame, the first African-American woman inducted. By 2020 she described herself as semi-retired and had passed much of the day-to-day business to her grandchildren.
Technique
Cozy Corner cooks in an aquarium-style barbecue pit at the front of the restaurant. Barbecued Cornish hens and smoked turkey are specialties, and its pork is sliced rather than chopped.
Recognition
- Inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame (2020)
Influences
Raymond Robinson (husband, not father)