Best Bar-B-Q in Nashville

[cracker32]

i grew up on it.....the town im from (lexington/henderson, tn) has been spotlighted by all the food mags, leno, letterman, culinary institute, etc. for the bbq history (check out the oral histories at southern foodways alliance) so i think i have some idea of what really, really good q tastes like. the fact is nashville does not have very many bbq restaurants worth eating at. there are a few pretty good places around the metro nashville area......jacks on trinity was mentioned and its pretty good, neely's is good, carls perfect pig is good. all that being said martins in nolensville is the best nashville has....by leaps and bounds. it is as good as any ive had anywhere back in west tenn & memphis. if you are really looking for the best we have to offer then i'd go to martin's.

[alleycat]

I finally got around to trying Jim and Nick's Barbeque last week. It was a little nicer restaurant than I expected (since most barbeque places are not known for their decor). The barbeque and sides were pretty good (I'd give the barbeque a B+), and the service was excellent.

[statefan]

Alleycat, I need to send you some brisket from Austin or surrounding areas. I have grown up in North Carolina, lived in Nashville for the last 11 years, but never knew good BBQ until I moved to Texas!

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by statefan

Alleycat, I need to send you some brisket from Austin or surrounding areas. I have grown up in North Carolina, lived in Nashville for the last 11 years, but never knew good BBQ until I moved to Texas!

I know a few places that have really good BBQ, but none of them are convenient to where I live (Bellevue). At least Jim & Nick's is on my way home.

I'm dubious of claims of "the best BBQ is from [insert name here]", but, heck, if you want to send me some brisket from Texas, why, I'll surely take it! ;-)

By the way, I got a ham from Rice's Country Hams in Mt. Juliet this year to give to a friend (my "little sister") in South Carolina and the report back was it was great. Rice's does the hams the old-fashioned way. Their service was excellent as well. It's nice to see some people doing things right.

[carolmcb]

Alleycat - Texas BBQ brisket is to die for. My husband and I miss that so much since we moved from Texas (way too many years ago). I love BBQ and love the ribs from Carl's Perfect Pig in White Bluff, TN, but Texas brisket is much better.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by carolmcb

Alleycat - Texas BBQ brisket is to die for. My husband and I miss that so much since we moved from Texas (way too many years ago). I love BBQ and love the ribs from Carl's Perfect Pig in White Bluff, TN, but Texas brisket is much better.

I believe you. And I will accept my punishment by accepting brisket from Texas. And eating it! ;-)

But . . . you're forgetting the "mom effect". Be it ever so humble, there's nothing quite like mom's cooking (even if she insists on cooking a roast until it's well done). It's the same with BBQ. I like my BBQ the way I've had it for most of my life . . . whole hog, slow cooked by old black men or Masons or Methodists over a real wood fire (the key word being slow).

There will never be a winner in some debates . . . and the best BBQ is one of them.

Now, who needs my address in order to send me BBQ? ;-)

[statefan]

Originally Posted by alleycat

I know a few places that have really good BBQ, but none of them are convenient to where I live (Bellevue). At least Jim & Nick's is on my way home.

I'm dubious of claims of "the best BBQ is from [insert name here]", but, heck, if you want to send me some brisket from Texas, why, I'll surely take it! ;-)

By the way, I got a ham from Rice's Country Hams in Mt. Juliet this year to give to a friend (my "little sister") in South Carolina and the report back was it was great. Rice's does the hams the old-fashioned way. Their service was excellent as well. It's nice to see some people doing things right.

Rice's country ham was the one thing I missed this Christmas. I used to work in Mt. Juliet, and once we discovered the place, we usually averaged 3.5 to 4 hams. Most was sent to family members as Christmas presents and my husband used the slices as gifts to his business associates. (His buddies in New Zealand loved it!) Christmas morning was always the same, country ham, homemade buttermilk biscuits and red eye gravy!

As far as BBQ goes, I have found my living in three distinct and varying BBQ hotbed has made me like certain things from each place. Growing up in Gastonia, NC, we had Carolina Country BBQ. Honestly, their BBQ was OK, sauce was good, but the thing I remember most is their hushpuppies! We also had a little business up the road called Black's BBQ. To this day they actually have car hops who take your order at the car and bring your order out to you. They have decent minced or sliced BBQ sandwiches, but the BBQ "slaw" they use is in a league of its own. Kinda a cross between a regular cabbage slaw and a sauce, it has a lot of spices, a great on anything. (We always loved it on leftover turkey sandwiches thanksgiving night and as a dip with potato chips.)

In Tennessee, I found Whitt's or BBCutie would always cure my need for some BBQ. I never really thought either one was that great, but the pork sandwiches were usually a good standbye for a quick lunch or buy a "family pack" for a quick supper.

But now, Texas brisket has brought new meaning into my BBQ life. Here there are plenty of legendary joints to pick from. We have been here for 7 months and still have places to try.

So if I had a choice, I would take the BBQ slaw from home in NC, the pulled pork from Tennessee and the beef brisket from here in Texas to make my perfect BBQ meal complete! Now after talking about it so much, I might just have to go get some tomorrow!

[Diane Giam]

Originally Posted by alleycat

I finally got around to trying Jim and Nick's Barbeque last week. It was a little nicer restaurant than I expected (since most barbeque places are not known for their decor). The barbeque and sides were pretty good (I'd give the barbeque a B+), and the service was excellent.

Alleycat , and the Cheese Bisquits that go with it are delish. I've been to the one in Smyrna and I noticed a new one opened in Murfreesboro.
My husband loved the Barbeque Chicken at Carl's Perfect Pig in White Bluff.
There is also a barbeque place in Clarksville I found was excellent.
I do love Martin's also and its inexpensive.
Diane