Where to Get the Best BBQ in Nashville in 2024
If you find yourself in central Tennessee, you have to take a day to explore the best BBQ in Nashville. Nashville has a rich barbecue culture, with a long history of preparing unique, slow-cooked meat delicacies.
With so many amazing barbecue joints in the city, you won’t have time to try all of the best BBQ in Nashville, Tennessee in one visit. This guide narrows the options down to the greatest Nashville barbecue restaurants that are worth prioritizing. Read on to learn about the best BBQ in Nashville and prepare for your next barbecue adventure.
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Find the Best BBQ in Nashville
For a deep dive into the city's best BBQ spots, check out a food tour in Nashville. Whether you're on the hunt for mouthwatering brisket, ribs, pulled pork or something else, these tours are the perfect way to immerse yourself into all things surrounding the Nashville food scene.
11 Best BBQ Spots in Nashville
1. Bringle’s Smoking Oasis
Bringle’s Smoking Oasis pays homage to the tradition of Texas barbecue with a menu filled with smoked brisket and other savory, Texas-style barbecue dishes. Although Tennessee has a fantastic barbecue tradition of its own, if you’re craving Texas barbecue while you’re in the Music City, Bringle’s Smoking Oasis is an excellent option for the best BBQ in Nashville with Southwestern influences.
The Vibe
Bringle’s Smoking Oasis is a cafeteria-style restaurant where you can take a tray and go down the food line, requesting which dishes you want. This barbecue joint has a casual, family-friendly feel, perfect for grabbing dinner with your kids or enjoying drinks with friends.
What to Order
As a Texas-style barbecue restaurant, Bringle’s Smoking Oasis makes some of the best BBQ in Nashville in terms of beef. The smoked brisket always hits the spot, and if you’re looking to expand your palate, you can try the pork belly burnt ends.
Bringle’s Smoking Oasis | 4901 Centennial Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209 | $$
2. The Loveless Café
The Loveless Café is a wholesome, authentic Southern restaurant that’s a quick drive outside of Downtown Nashville. In addition to all of its classic Southern comfort food, The Loveless Café makes some of the best BBQ in Nashville, TN. It also happens to be a fantastic spot for breakfast in Nashville.
The Vibe
The Loveless Café has a sweet, homey vibe. If you’re looking for date ideas in Nashville that incorporate some of the best BBQ in Nashville, you’ll like The Loveless Café for an intimate and informal breakfast or dinner date.
What to Order
This cute Southern restaurant is best known for its mouthwatering biscuits, available in several flavors, including a pulled pork barbecue biscuit. If you come for dinner, check out the pulled pork with a side of macaroni and cheese.
The Loveless Café | 8400 TN-100, Nashville, TN 37221 | $$
3. HoneyFire Barbecue
If your favorite part of barbecue is a quality barbecue sauce, you’ll love HoneyFire Barbecue. HoneyFire Barbecue has a contemporary approach to making the best BBQ in Nashville, producing elevated versions of traditional barbecue dishes and developing tasty original sauces.
The Vibe
HoneyFire Barbecue is a sleek, modern restaurant with a casual atmosphere. The minimalist decór feels fresh and clean, and the ample outdoor space allows you to enjoy the best BBQ in Nashville while soaking in the Tennessee sun.
What to Order
For a full meal, share the sausage and cheese tray with your friends, and then order the sliced brisket with a side of spicy bourbon baked beans and white queso macaroni and cheese. If you still have room for dessert, the peanut butter and banana pudding never disappoints.
HoneyFire Barbecue | 8127 Sawyer Brown Rd. #304, Nashville, TN 37221 | $$
4. Peg Leg Porker BBQ
Peg Leg Porker BBQ has been considered some of the best BBQ in Nashville for a long time. Founder Carey Bringle — also of Bringles Smoking Oasis fame — makes award-winning barbecue that earns praise from critics throughout the South. Peg Leg Porker BBQ is named after Bringle himself, who lost his leg to cancer as a teenager.
The Vibe
This fun, friendly restaurant is always bustling with a crowd. The no-frills interior space is almost always filled with eager diners who appreciate Bringle’s innovative talent and contributions to the best BBQ in Nashville. Despite the crowd, the line moves quickly, and once you get your meal you can enjoy it inside or out on the spacious patio.
What to Order
For a fun treat, order the dry-rubbed ribs with a side of coleslaw and barbecue beans. The pulled pork sandwich is also fantastic if you are coming in for lunch.
Peg Leg Porker BBQ | 903 Gleaves St., Nashville, TN 37203 | $$
5. The Gambling Stick
If you want the best BBQ in Nashville that honors the region’s food history, The Gambling Stick is a true local spot that values authenticity and sustainability. The menu honors Appalachian culture and uses locally-sourced meat and produce. Although this barbecue joint is run out of a food truck, The Gambling Stick is a well-established restaurant with a loyal fan following.
The Vibe
The Gambling Stick food truck is situated right outside the butcher shop where they get their meat, enabling the freshness that makes this restaurant have some of the best BBQ in Nashville, Tennessee. Alongside the cheerful food truck, The Gambling Stick has an array of outdoor picnic tables and a heated tent for the colder months. This fun spot is great for a quick meal with friends.
What to Order
You’re sure to love any of The Gambling Stick’s cherry-smoked meat options, all of which deserve the title of the best BBQ in Nashville. For a unique experience, order the signature Pigsket, a pork version of a smoked brisket.
The Gambling Stick | 501 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN 37206 | $$
6. Edley’s Bar-B-Que
Edley’s Bar-B-Que is an award-winning and family-owned barbecue restaurant that originated in Nashville. This restaurant emphasizes a positive dining experience and Southern hospitality, serving the best BBQ in Nashville that’s made with slow, deliberate care. They also happen to have some of the best hot chicken in Nashville, if you're ever not in the BBQ mood.
The Vibe
Edley’s Bar-B-Que has a slightly more upscale vibe than some of the other places that have the best BBQ in Nashville. The restaurant somewhat has the feeling of a cozy neighborhood bar, with warm wood decór and reliable and friendly service.
What to Order
Brisket is having a big moment right now in the barbecue world, so it’s no surprise that the brisket at Edley’s Bar-B-Que is slow-cooked and seasoned to perfection. If you want an indulgent treat, try one of Edley’s signature boozy milkshakes.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que | Multiple Locations | $$
7. Shotgun Willie’s BBQ
Located in East Nashville, Shotgun Willie’s BBQ focuses on the increasingly popular Texas-style barbecue. Shotgun Willie’s BBQ started as a food truck and later opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2020, where the restaurant has received steady business and critical acclaim as having the best BBQ in Nashville.
The Vibe
Shotgun Willie’s BBQ is a modern restaurant with a fondness for old-school barbecue culture. The interior is clean and minimal, with an industrial aesthetic and a few retro-style posters. Overall, when it comes to options for the best BBQ in Nashville, this is a casual, chill spot that works well if you’re looking for things to do in Nashville.
What to Order
For a classic Texas barbecue experience, order the brisket with a side of baked beans and queso macaroni. If you’re in the mood to try something different, the smoked sausage comes highly praised as being quite distinctive and the best BBQ in Nashville.
Shotgun Willie’s BBQ | 4000 Gallatin Pike, Suit B, Nashville, TN 37216 | $$
8. Butchertown Hall
Butchertown Hall is a funky mix between a barbecue joint, Tex-Mex restaurant and German-style beer hall. At Butchertown Hall, you can order both the best tacos and the best BBQ in Nashville, TN.
The Vibe
Butchertown Hall is a classy restaurant where you could take a date or impress parents visiting from out of town. It has a refined ambiance while remaining casual and accessible.
What to Order
The culinary team at Butchertown Hall compares its menu to the best BBQ in Austin, and their smoked brisket definitely backs up their claim as the best BBQ in Nashville to rival Texas. For a Tex-Mex dish, try the pulled pork taco with Hawaiian BBQ sauce.
Butchertown Hall | 1416 Fourth Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37208 | $$
9. Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant has locations throughout the Southeast, but the Puckett’s in Nashville stands out as having some of the best BBQ in Downtown Nashville. This restaurant is particularly well-known for its quality breakfast and lunch options, ideal for a casual work meeting or celebratory outing with friends.
The Vibe
Taking inspiration from the original Puckett’s, this restaurant makes you feel like you’re inside a 1950s small-town grocery store. The decorations are charming, and while the wait can be a little long during peak time, experiencing some of the best BBQ in Nashville is worth it.
What to Order
For a true Southern breakfast, order the fried chicken and biscuits. If you prefer to focus on the dishes that are the best BBQ in Nashville, try the Nashville cheesesteak, which is a smoked brisket on a sandwich roll, or the unique Mojo Burger, a beef burger featuring pulled pork and baked beans, along with other fixins.'
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant | 500 Church St., Nashville, TN 37219 | $$
10. The Ridge
If you’re looking for the best BBQ in Nashville that’s a true neighborhood spot, check out The Ridge, a quaint bar and restaurant in the western part of the city. The Ridge combines the heritage of the two founders, producing a traditional barbecue menu with Mexican influences.
The Vibe
When you go into The Ridge, the staff will welcome you like a regular. The restaurant is casual, cheerful and great for families with kids. For a more adult atmosphere, you can go upstairs to the Attic Bar, which has table service, a fully stocked bar and television screens for watching sports games.
What to Order
Order one of the barbecue meat platters if your main focus is sampling the best BBQ in Nashville. Choose the Mexican sweet corn as a side to fully experience The Ridge’s Tex-Mex style, or opt for their award-winning Chicano sandwich: brisket, chorizo and queso pressed like a Cuban sandwich.
The Ridge | 333 54th Ave. N., Nashville, TN, 37209 | $$
11. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is a delightful spot to get great barbecue, drinks and entertainment all in one place. The downtown location is the ideal place to get the best BBQ in Nashville while enjoying the Music City nightlife.
The Vibe
The vibe at Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint is comparable to a large craft brewery. The interior is stylishly decorated, the restaurant frequently arranges live entertainment and the brightly colored upstairs beer garden always has plenty of bar games available. This spot is excellent for young people looking for a laid-back night out.
What to Order
This is one of the favorite choices for the best BBQ in Downtown Nashville. The pulled pork and brisket both have a satisfyingly smoky flavor that you want from the best BBQ in Nashville. Make it a real Southern experience by concluding your evening with a delicious slice of pecan pie.
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint | Multiple Locations | $$
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Nashville is an amazing city full of art, music and fantastic food. Discovering the best BBQ in Nashville is a great way to fully experience what the Music City has to offer. Whether you prefer traditional pulled pork, Texas brisket or bold fusion dishes, Nashville will fulfill all your smoked meat desires.
For even more fun ways to explore Nashville and beyond, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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