City Guide: 10 Best BBQ Joints in Nashville

November 8, 2017 0 0

Nothing says authentic local cuisine more than Nashville TN’s best BBQ restaurants. The city is a melting pot of all barbecue styles—you can find dry rub, barbecue sauce, and mayo-and-vinegar BBQ all across Music City. Nashville has even been named America’s Best City for Barbecue by Travel + Leisure. With so many BBQ joints around the city, where does someone new to the place start? Who has the juiciest pork shoulder? The tangiest ribs? The crispiest fried chicken? Find out for yourself at Nashville TN’s best BBQ restaurants. Get an extra set of napkins and dig in!

Name	Location	Description
Peg Leg Porker	903 Gleaves St	People come here in droves for the full rack of ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and mac and cheese. Get adventurous with your apps, though, and try the Memphis Sushi (sausage cheese platter with saltines). If you can’t get enough, you can bring the experience home with you with PLP’s line of sauces and rubs, whiskey, and (if you still have room in the car) professional-grade home smokers.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que	908 Main St	Edley’s is a Nashville institution. Stop by for a truly home-style meal. They take great pride in their farm-fresh ingredients and slow, low-roasted meats like hot chicken and brisket. It’s savory, flavorful, and prepared as only Edley’s can do. Add some fried pickles to your order to amp up the dish and you’re good as gold.
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint	Multiple Locations	Martin’s goes “whole hog” in a very literal way. Each day, a new hog goes on the pit for a slow-roasted, tasty barbecue. Whole hog is a world unto itself, and The Big Momma Sampler will give you a taste of the best offerings on the menu—ribs, pulled pork, and the brisket burger. And if you can’t get enough of Martin’s, find some of their recipes online to whip up your Martin’s favorites.
Mission BBQ	161 Opry Mills Dr	Mission BBQ has a truly authentic American mission: proudly serving those who serve. This BBQ spot dishes out some of the best pulled chicken in Nashville, and honors our first responders through American décor and memorabilia. They give back to local and national organizations by feedig America’s armed forces, so your money contributes to the mission as well.
B&C Melrose BBQ	Multiple Locations	B&C stands for “bacon and caviar,” and odd mix that also accurately conveys the exquisiteness of their food and the down-to-earth atmosphere. Order the brisket and their Grits of the Day to get a feel for things. (If you’re lucky, B&C will be serving garlic cheese grits, a local fave.) Want a celeb endorsement? This place is so good that Beyoncé herself gave B&C a shout-out onstage when playing Nashville.
Jack’s Bar-B-Que	Multiple Locations	Jack Cawthon of Jack’s has been in the BBQ business for decades. You can find his show-stopping fare all around town, in fact. If you’re stuck on what to order, the pork shoulder and ribs will be your two go-to dishes. Just trust us on this one.
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant	500 Church St	Southern staples such as shrimp and grits and catfish are Puckett’s speciality. The customer fave, though, has got to be The Piggy Mac, a heaping of creamy mac and cheese served atop savory pulled pork. They also host local artists so you enjoy live music while you’re chowing down.
Bar-B-Cutie	Multiple Locations	Juicy, mouthwatering meats await you at any of Bar-B-Cutie’s five Nashville locations. They offer a lot in terms of quick, delicious eats, sure, but they also offer great deals as well. Monday through Wednesday, you can dig into a $2 pork sandwich that’s insanely good.
Swett’s Restaurant	2725 Clifton Ave	This cafeteria-style joint dishes up generous portions of beef tips, BBQ chicken and ribs, okra, and cornbread. But their speciality is fried chicken. Not just any fried chicken, but crispy, juicy, and cooked-to-perfection, this stuff’s a local favorite. You never know who’ll you be shoulder-to-shoulder with in this place, either: Nashville’s political movers and shakers and celebrities all eat here.
Hog Heaven	115 27th Ave N	You might just die in Hog Heaven when you bite into their pulled pork sandwich. This is no-frills eating, though, as Hog Heaven is just a walk-up window, but what they lack in space they make up for in their BBQ; in particular, the famous white sauce—the perfect accompaniment to your spare ribs.

 

CHEAT SHEET

For more on Nashville TN’s best BBQ restaurants, also check out:

• Thrillist – Best BBQ Joints in Nashville
• 10Best – Nashville’s Best BBQ Joints
• Visit Music City – Barbecue Restaurants

 

Tags: Food and Drink, Top 10 Guides, Travel Categories: Food + Drink, Top 10 Guides, Travel