The 22 Best Barbecue Joints In Nashville, 2023

For most people, the words "Nashville" and "barbecue" go hand-in-hand. Barbecue is not just a cherished cuisine in Music City, but also an important part of the city's history. Three distinct cultures in the South came together to create what we now consider modern barbecue: Southeastern Indian, West African, and West European.

In the current era, you can find barbecue on just about any block in Nashville. Some places feature the famous Memphis-style barbecue, which focuses on pork shoulders and ribs, as well as pulled pork sandwiches. A few spots — like Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint — embrace the West Tennessee tradition of whole-hog barbecue, which developed out of historically rural communities in the region.

Many of the menus feature other styles of barbecue, such as the beloved Texas-style barbecue, where the meat is slow-cooked after being seasoned with salt and pepper, and is usually served sauceless. Whatever your preference, Nashville not only does it all, but some would say these restaurants do it better than anywhere else in the country. Whatever your barbecue desires, these Nashville barbecue superstars are sure to satisfy with finger-licking goodness.

Honeyfire BBQ began back in 2018 when barbecue enthusiast Ben Claybaker teamed up with his friend, Shane Nasby, to create a barbecue restaurant with a modern twist. The flagship restaurant in One Bellevue Place has a familial feel, with large outdoor seating space for folks to enjoy their barbecue. The sauce is what makes the meat really sing at Honeyfire, as they are all honey-based and homemade.

The menu's slow-smoked meats feature several styles of American barbeque, including Texas brisket, Kansas City sweet sauce ribs, Memphis pork sandwich (yes, with coleslaw on top!), North Carolina BBQ, and Alabama white sauce. Sandwich lovers will enjoy inventive twists on the pulled pork sandwich, like the Diablo Jones, which features hickory-smoked pulled pork topped with white queso, deep-fried jalapeños, and Honeyfire Heat sauce. You can also order a tray with a choice of pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked sausage, smoked turkey, beef brisket, or three Honeyfire ribs.

This food truck specializes in authentic, pit-smoked meats prepared in the classic southern style, with Zilla's own twist of flavors. The truck goes all over Tennessee and is often in the Nashville area serving up pulled pork, ribs, and rib tips. The meat is so delightful that customers often enjoy it without a drop of sauce, as this satisfied customer referenced on Yelp: "This is legitimately some of the best brisket I've ever had. It was tender, juicy and flavorful. If you see this food truck stop and pull over immediately. You know the BBQ is good when you don't need any sauce. I crushed the entire sandwich and never even considered picking up the sauces he gave us."

As far as side dishes go, the mac and cheese is also a favorite order, which is made with five types of cheese and brisket. Another happy customer on Yelp raved, "Omg! Terrance and Zilla are the BOMB!!! I'm a Texas girl, and his brisket is THE BEST I've ever had. Mac and cheese was awesome, too. Can't wait to follow him and try more. You MUST!"

This stationary food truck in East Nashville uses cherry wood instead of hickory to serve up its Tennessee barbecue classics. One of the most unique menu items is the pigsket. The pigsket is a variation of the cut of meat usually found in brisket, and diners love it.

Take it from this fan on Yelp, who really enjoyed their pigsket, writing: "Everything was great! The quality of the product shows, the Pigsket is one of a kind that you won't find anywhere else. All of the meats and produce are sourced locally and used creatively to produce the best barbecue I have had in town."

At Central BBQ, the motto is "Smoke is Our Sauce." Located in the Hillsboro neighborhood of Nashville, Central BBQ has dine-in, delivery, and take-out. The restaurant uses hickory and pecan woods, along with a secret combo of dry rub and spices. Next, the meat is put in a 24-hour, all-day marinade to create juicy, delicious pieces that many customers find so tender that they prefer the meat sauceless.

The ribs are a great order here, with slabs and half-slabs available. Most order them dry, but sauce-a-holics can get them wet. The menu also features pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket, and smoked turkey. Some favorite side orders are the home-cooked pork rinds and the BBQ beans.

Whitt's Barbeque opened its first location in 1978, and the family-run restaurant has been delighting Tennesseans since. The food comes fast, and it's a bit off the beaten path compared to the type of fare you'll find in more touristy areas like Broadway, but it is well worth the venture. Take it from this happy traveler on Yelp: "Fast food style order and sit in to eat. Food was very tasty and service was super friendly!! We are from California and had our hearts set on some good BBQ while in Nashville on vacation. This was our first stop and we were VERY pleased!! The pork sandwich, cornbread, and baked beans were all delicious!"

The hickory-smoked pulled pork is a favorite on the menu, as are the peppery hot wings. Customers can enjoy pork, turkey, or chicken sandwiches on cornbread, and the loaded baked potatoes come with cheese, butter, sour cream, and your choice of pork, turkey, or chicken on top.

Mary's Old-Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Que has been a staple of the community since 1962. This landmark and Nashville icon is located on Jefferson Street in the historic African-American business district. Walk up to the takeaway window and get ready to enjoy a true barbecue perfected by decades of barbecue-loving Tennesseans.

The restaurant is unassuming and full of the warmth and welcome of a family-owned establishment and the food is authentic, made with love, care, and expertise. Customers rave about the pork shoulder sandwich, including this customer who expressed their glee on Yelp: "The pork shoulder sandwich, it came out very smokey (perfection!) tender, and flavorful: exactly what pork barbecue should look, taste, and smell like."

Tex's World Famous Bar-B-Q may be located in Nashville, but for those Texans homesick for the barbecue styles of their youth, this is the place for you. Tex's World Famous Bar-B-Q focuses its menu on Texas-style barbecue, and features a variety of options, including beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, and even bar-b-q bologna.

Carb lovers will be super happy here, as the menu boasts three choices of bread: fried cornbread, sweet corn light bread, and Texas toast. And for pie enthusiasts who want a little something sweet after all those savory meats, the restaurant offers fudge, chess, and pecan pie, and a variety of different cobblers are offered daily.

Pitmaster ​​Carey Bringle is a household name in Nashville. Bringle founded Peg Leg Porker after he was diagnosed with cancer at just 17 years old. During his battle, he lost his leg, but he ultimately triumphed over the disease and emerged with a new passion for life, and for food — particularly for barbecue.

Bringle started competing in pitmaster competitions and often found himself the winner of the blue ribbon. He opened Peg Leg Porker in 2013, and it was quickly named one of the hottest BBQ joints in the country by several television outlets and magazines. The restaurant focuses on Tennessee-style barbecue and offers classics like dry-rubbed ribs and pulled pork sandwiches. The smoked green beans are a unique side dish, and pie lovers have to experience the fried pie a la mode, with your choice of chocolate, peach, or apple.

Bringle's Smoking Oasis is pitmaster Carey Bringle's second restaurant in Nashville, ​​and unlike Peg Leg Porker's — which sticks to Tennessee-style classics — the menu here is a little unique in the Nashville scene, as Bringle takes its inspiration from the flavors of the Southwest. The menu features such creative offerings as smoked prime rib, jalapeño cheddar sausage, St. Louis-style pork ribs, and homemade sides like Mexican Street corn, chorizo queso, cowboy beans, and turnip greens.

Customers don't just love the food, they also love the patio, with one customer commenting on Yelp: "Absolutely awesome space! Great spacious outdoor area with ample seating. The food is set up in a line inside so you can see what you're getting before you order it. I truly cannot tell you which side or main was my favorite because everything here was a 10/10."

Named after owner and barbecue-lover Bill Laviolette's favorite Willie Nelson song, this Texas transplant offers Texas brisket, as well as Tennessee-style barbecue. Yelpers rave about the menu at the restaurant, located on Gallatin Pike, and it even has a 4.5-star rating.

One happy customer wrote, "Shotgun Willie's is hands down the best place to go for barbecue in the area — and it's one of the best in Nashville overall. Their specialty is Texas-style brisket, but you won't have a bad meal here no matter what you get. The staff is friendly and the Texas-centric ambiance is fun. It's a must-try!"

Smokin' Buttz is the dream which came to life for John and Mylica Cathey, who began serving slow-smoked barbeque out of a food trailer in middle Tennessee on the weekends. By 2016, the couple had purchased the Smokin' Buttz Food Truck (known around town as the Buttz Truck), and soon became one of the area's most beloved food trucks. In a town like Nashville, where food truck competition is fierce, that's really saying something.

One Yelper said of the food truck's fare: "It's not even BBQ, it's a party in your mouth. I have never had more moist, flavorful BBQ in my life." Another Yelper raved of the brisket: "Stop reading this and just get over there and order. It was sooooooo good. I'm definitely gonna stop here just for the bbq when I drive through here. First time I ever stopped here and won't be the last. Brisket was the best ever."

According to The Tennessean, when Freddie Waller hands out his mouth-watering rib tips or brisket sandwiches, he often tells customers that he hopes it brings them an "ooh wee moment." Based on the sheer amount of five-star reviews on Yelp, it's safe to say Waller is definitely giving folks all over Tennessee exactly that.

Popular dishes at Ooh Wee! Bar-B-Q includes the smoked Polish sausage sandwich, the rib sandwich, the pork chop sandwich (which comes fried or grilled), the slab of ribs, and the shoulder on pancake cornmeal. Ooh Wee! also offers unique items like gizzards or the jumbo turkey leg, and there are even fried Oreos for dessert.

This quaint, home-style Southern restaurant (which is also known to be one of Nashville's celebrity hotspots) has barely changed in 70 years, and that's part of its charm. The other part of its charm? The barbecue. Loveless Cafe workers begin at 3 a.m. to make sure everything is made from scratch, and that includes the barbecue.

Customers can't get enough of this place, with one Yelper exclaiming, "Wowza! That is the word that comes to mind when I think about our experience at the loveless cafe." The pulled pork is smoked in-house and is a favorite menu item of locals and tourists alike. While you're visiting the Loveless Cafe, don't forget to grab some biscuits at the Biscuit Kitchen, owned by the same folks and located right next door.

Jim n' Nick's Bar-B-Q celebrates the heritage of Tennessee-style slow-cooked barbecue, featuring a classically-inspired menu with beloved Southern cuisine like pulled pork sandwiches and tender beef brisket.

While this restaurant is a chain — and is considered one of America's top chains, FYI — the food is great and the menu features creative twists on old Southern classics, like the mac and cheese topped with barbecue pork and scallions, or the huge baked potato topped with your choice of smoked meat, bacon, cheddar cheese, scallions, butter, sour cream, and barbecue sauce. Burger lovers will enjoy the "Southern burger," smothered in barbecue sauce and topped with bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, and a crispy onion ring.

Located near historic Morgan Park in the Germantown neighborhood of Nashville, Butchertown Hall boasts the "finest smoked brisket outside of Austin." The idea behind restauranteur Terry Raley's eatery is modern barbeque, inspired by the Central Texas meat market culture that he enjoyed in his childhood. Raley combined that inspiration with recipes and styles he found in late 19th-century butcher shops of Nashville, and the result is a restaurant bursting with historically-inspired, yet modern flavor.

The barbecue is delish, especially the brisket. As one Yelper attests: "Their brisket is amazing. It is cooked perfectly and the toppings added great flavor." The menu also features crowd-pleasers such as craft tacos, roasted oysters, and Tex-Mex.

Most Nashville tourists have been to Jack's Bar-B-Que, which began in 1976 on the corner of Broadway and 1st Avenue in a tiny concrete block building overlooking Riverfront Park. Now there are two locations beyond Broadway, and most people know the restaurant from its "pink smoke ring," otherwise known as the constant plume of hickory smoke and the accompanying mouth-watering smells that waft outside.

Customers love the Tennessee pork shoulder, Texas beef brisket, and St. Louis-style ribs. The menu has classic sides like cole slaw, potato salad, fried corn, and baked beans, but the sauce is the real star of the show at Jack's: it comes in three flavors and can be quite addictive. One Yelper shared: "Jack's Bar-B-Que is the number one barbecue restaurant and all of downtown Nashville on Broadway. My family comes from California and we order Jack's barbecue sauce via the Internet just to make sure we have enough at home."

Edley Bar-B-Que prides itself on not taking any shortcuts. Its meats are smoked low and slow using Southern white oak, and all the side dishes are made from scratch daily. Some menu standouts include the Nashville hot links, featuring smoked sausage with housemade spicy pimento cheese, tangy Viola sauce, and pickled jalapeños. The smoker sampler lets you choose any three smoked meats and four homemade sides, served with sauces and cornbread.

Yelpers love the barbecue at Edley's, with one writing of their meal: "Edley's knocked it out of the park with its barbecue! Every part of our meal was fantastic... The beef brisket was really juicy and packed with flavor, and the sauce at the table paired perfectly, adding a sweet and tangy kick to each bite."

This cafeteria-style restaurant has all the Southern comfort classics, and it's been a favorite hang-out of Nashville's politicians, celebrities, and regular neighborhood folks for more than 62 years. Though it's often crowded, it's worth the hubbub to try Swett's cherished barbecue options. Meat lovers can be sure to enjoy the meat and two sides plate, with a choice of BBQ chicken, BBQ pork ribs, pig's feet, beef tips, or pork shoulder.

If you're overwhelmed by the menu or the crowds, and not sure what to order, check out this hot tip from one seasoned pro on Yelp: "If you're new and it's busy, take a peek before you order and listen to what others are ordering. It moves fast and there are hungry folks behind you."

Smokin' Thighs began as a food truck and became so popular that it expanded into two full restaurants. The restaurant is famous for its smoked chicken options, but what makes it really special is the choice of sauce, seasonings, and rubs. Options include dry rub, thai sweet chili sauce, and a range of spicy barbecue sauces from the mild backyard BBQ sauce to the Make U Sweat. Classic menu items include the "Thighs in a Pile", "Loaded Smoked Chicken Nachos," and the "Flying Hawaiian" Chicken Burger.

The "Dump Truck O' Wings" comes in a real Tonka dump truck, full of smoked wings topped with bacon, pineapple, jalapeños, onions, mushrooms, and locally made cheese queso. This restaurant does focus more on BBQ chicken than beef, but they're so good at it that you can hardly find a reason to complain.

West Tennessee's whole-hog BBQ tradition is the foundation of Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint, founded by famed pit master Pat Martin. Martin learned the craft of West Tennessee-style smoke in his hometown of Henderson before coming to Nashville, where he opened Martin's first location. Now demand is so high for Martin's food that the restaurant boasts ten locations.

The food is made from scratch daily, and it takes up to 24 full hours to smoke the barbecue. Customers can enjoy the pulled pork shoulder, brisket tacos, or a full slab of spare ribs. The rotational wine menu highlights natural wines made by independent producers, and are picked to pair perfectly with whatever barbecue choices you select.

While it may be a chain, every restaurant that bears the Bar-B-Cutie Smokehouse name delivers on the promise to only ever smoke its meats with locally sourced hickory wood. The restaurant has become such a stalwart of the barbecue scene in Nashville that there's even a restaurant at the Nashville International Airport, so you don't have to leave town without one last bite.

Customers love the beef brisket, smoked turkey, and baby back ribs. This happy visitor said of Bar-B-Cutie on Yelp, "Little place, great flavor. I was really surprised at the quality of food for the price here. Plus great turnip greens on top of it. I'll be back again for sure."

A favorite in the Five Points neighborhood in East Nashville, Drifters Tennessee Barbecue Joint is tucked away in an alley right next to the Five Points intersection. It's somewhat of a hidden gem with a distinctly neighborhood feel. The restaurant often hosts live, local bands on the outdoor patio stage, and offers rotational and seasonal drink and menu specials.

But what customers really keep coming back for is the hickory-smoked Southern BBQ. Kick the night off with some fried hot pickles or hush puppies, then choose your meat and one of Drifter's five house BBQ sauces from mild to hot: Sweet and smokey, Texas, Georgia mustard, sweet fire, and New Mexico. If all that wasn't enough to tempt you into a visit to Drifter's, here's another perk: dogs are welcome.