MAYTER SCOTT
Shotgun Willie's BBQ
Nashville may be known for its country music, but there's some damn good BBQ here, too. Leave room for some finger-licking good 'cue and check out these spots around town:
Pitmaster Pat Martin serves up West Tennessee’s whole hog barbecue at several locations around Tennessee. Meats that come out of Martin’s kitchen are prepared and smoked over local hickory wood for 22 to 24 hours, giving it its distinct, smoky flavor. Choose from a variety of sides and sip a sweet tea with your meal.
Located in the Gulch, Peg Leg Porker is a family-owned and operated business that specializes in a variety of barbecued meats. Pitmaster Carey Bringle, the peg-legged owner who lost his leg from cancer as a teenager, is at the helm of this no-frills spot. Don’t miss the to-die- for mac-and-cheese and a glass of their signature whiskey to pair alongside your pulled pork platter.
Edley’s has a little bit of everything for everyone, with a menu full of meats like wings, brisket, ribs, chicken, and turkey, plus sides and sauces. Start with the shareables and move on to meats cooked low and slow on the smoker. Top off your meal with a piece of pecan pie or banana pudding.
A second concept by Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker, Bringle’s is an indoor/ outdoor oasis that offers a rotating menu. Open Wednesday through Sunday, this West Texas-style joint serves delicious barbecue with sides like street corn, cowboy beans, and potato salad, just to name a few. There’s also a great outdoor area filled with picnic tables, big TV screens, and lawn games.
Locally owned and family-run, HoneyFire offers good food and Southern hospitality to Bellevue and beyond. Order your meal (we opt for the burnt ends and bologna sandwich with a side of cinnamon baked apples) and take a seat in the modern dining room or wrap-around porch. Don’t forget to finish it off with a peanut butter banana pudding or the featured dessert.
Get a taste of West Tennessee without ever leaving Nashville. Originally from Memphis, Central BBQ uses hickory and pecan woods along with their dry rub to craft tender, delicious meat. Smoke is their sauce! Menu options include smoked wings, nachos, a slab of ribs, pulled pork plates, smoked turkey, and more with locations in Capitol View and Hillsboro.
Shotgun Willie’s is their name and real Texas barbecue is their game. A well-known and loved local spot, this BBQ joint slings out sandwiches and plates from the pit every day. There’s beef link sausage, pork ribs, and smoked chicken, plus pork shoulder and brisket, with sides like jalapeño cheddar cornbread, green beans, and baked beans. And don’t skip dessert, with options including banana pudding and Texas sheet cake.
The Carolina barbecue hotspot recently opened its first Tennessee outpost at Eric Church’s Broadway bar, Chief’s. The James Beard Award- winning pitmaster’s Whole Hog style BBQ includes Scott’s take on the classic Nashville hot chicken, beef brisket, and burgers, alongside the classic South Carolina whole hog BBQ. The restaurant is situated on the top two floors of Chief’s, with both sit-down and grab-and-go options.
MEAT YOUR MATCH
Get your grill on and bring the barbecue to your own backyard with the help of some local butcher shops.
Grass-fed, pasture-raised gourmet bison meat is what Bullbourne Ranch brings to the table. Consumers can purchase steaks, roasts, and ground bison from Bullbourne Ranch’s website, and even sign up for a subscription.
West Nashville’s Sperry’s Mercantile stocks a variety of quality meats, seafood, exotic cuts, and special orders, in addition to several house- made products. This gourmet grocery store and butcher shop has convenient and efficient order pickup services in both of its locations: Belle Meade and Bellevue.
A premier butcher shop and deli, this Nashville spot serves fresh meats, prepared foods, and more with different specialty items each week. All beef cuts are top choice or prime Certified Angus Beef.
Serving Middle Tennessee for more than 20 years, The Butcher Block in Franklin provides handcrafted meats from Creekstone Farms and sandwiches using Boar’s Head meats with rolls from Savarino’s Bakery. Their butchers prepare beef, pork, and poultry with care and precision.
Porter Road sources meat without hormones or antibiotics from Tennessee and Kentucky pastures, dry ages, and hand-cuts it at their own facilities. The East Nashville butcher shop caters to everyone from novice cooks to professional chefs with their whole-animal butchery and market items available for in-store pickup or subscription.
SMOKIN’ OAKS ORGANIC FARMS MARKET
For this family-owned market and butcher, how the meat was raised is just as important as the taste. That’s why they strive to provide the healthiest goods possible from their farm. In addition to the Nashville- based operation’s dedication to clean ingredients, they offer catering, cooking workshops, and event space.
This meat market has been a staple in the Mt. Juliet community for decades. Houston’s Meat & Produce offers everything you need to complete your meal: quality meats, deli favorites, seafood, and more available for catering, pickup, delivery, or on-site grilling.