Where is best Bar B Que restaurant near Nashville (Martin: houses, shop) - Tennessee (TN) - Page 5 - City-Data Forum

nALgirl · 02-07-2012, 06:33 PM

We went to Stonehouse Q last weekend. It was ok; a little smoky for my taste. We were not impressed with Martin's at all.
I have B & C on my list; we are trying to eat at somewhere new (and local) each weekend as we explore the area.

BirdieBelle · 02-07-2012, 07:37 PM

We tried B&C last weekend. Pork sandwich was pretty good. I can't get used to having to order slaw on my sandwich instead of having it come "standard."

I also don't get the big deal about Martin's. Each time I go there it is dry. I am heading for the Slick Pig in Murfreesboro next.

I'm still waiting to find my "Q" spot here.

DonCorleone · 02-08-2012, 06:49 AM

What have you ordered at Martin's?

I really like Martin's and think that when they're at their best, they are the best...no question, but I have to admit that it is probably a little overhyped. And if you're driving (like me) from points far from Williamson County, you certainly hope and expect a real experience when you go there. What I like is that they have so many different offerings and everything I've had (for the most part) is really good. Ribs are good, pulled pork is great, brisket is usually very good (though I've noticed some inconsistancy), and their smoked wings are fantastic, especially the Alabama white sauce. But like all good 'que, there can be some inconsistancy. And sometimes they sell out of certain meats so that is disappointing when you drive 45 minutes + to get there just to find out they're out of ribs, or brisket...

So, I'll say that while I think they're the best, I certainly understand the criticism. Heck, my wife isn't that much of a fan.

brentwoodgirl · 02-08-2012, 07:27 AM

We didn't really like Martin's either. I had the Redneck Taco and my husband had pulled pork. We didn't try it until after all the hype started, so I'm sure the high expectations didn't help.

wmsn- I don't like slaw on my BBQ sandwiches, so I didn't think about that, sorry. I loved their pulled pork. It was soft and really small pieces, with no gristle. It seems like a lot of places here serve huge pieces of pork, so with one bite of your sandwich half the meat comes out. And most places have hard pieces and fat mixed in. My only disappointment at B & C was that they didn't have deviled eggs.

My favorite BBQ in Memphis is G-town Commissary, and B & C is the closest thing to it I've found to it here.

BirdieBelle · 02-08-2012, 08:05 AM

It's so funny that BBQ can inspire such passion

I always start with pulled pork wherever I go, just because I can judge "how they treat the meat" and I don't like to mess with ribs. But my husband usually orders those, so I trust his opinion. I think what bothers me is that whatever I order at Martin's, tacos or sandwich, it's dry and I have to keep adding sauce. Don, I have not had the smoked wings at Martin's yet. Need to go back! That is what the Slick Pig is supposed to be known for as well.

B-girl, I DID notice that about the meat at B&C. I agree with you about huge chunks. Cooks need to think about the diner's experience when eating that one sandwich. Just because you are working with a whole shoulder, we only get that one little bit of meat, so make it amazing all the way through. Lack of gristle, or UGOs (Unidentified Gristly Objects, as my dad calls them) is a plus. I liked their sides a lot.

The fact that every diner's preference is different and every restaurant's specialty is different means I have a policy of trying every place three times. You never know when someone is having an off day.

ExIslander · 02-08-2012, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonCorleone

What have you ordered at Martin's?

I really like Martin's and think that when they're at their best, they are the best...no question, but I have to admit that it is probably a little overhyped. And if you're driving (like me) from points far from Williamson County, you certainly hope and expect a real experience when you go there. What I like is that they have so many different offerings and everything I've had (for the most part) is really good. Ribs are good, pulled pork is great, brisket is usually very good (though I've noticed some inconsistancy), and their smoked wings are fantastic, especially the Alabama white sauce. But like all good 'que, there can be some inconsistancy. And sometimes they sell out of certain meats so that is disappointing when you drive 45 minutes + to get there just to find out they're out of ribs, or brisket...

So, I'll say that while I think they're the best, I certainly understand the criticism. Heck, my wife isn't that much of a fan.

Spot on. When it's good it's really, really, really good. But... An ongoing problem for barbecue joints is that it's a very handcrafted method of cooking. This isn't assembly-line food. As such a restaurant becomes more popular and the original driving force (in this case, Pat Martin) becomes more distracted by running a bigger business and traveling to evangelize the genre, the day-to-day quality can suffer. I don't get over there all the time but I've heard people say there's a noticeable difference on the days Pat's riding herd versus the days he's not.

P-Connection · 02-10-2012, 11:40 PM

Bar B Cutie's is the best Bar-BQ in Nashville hands down! And, I was born in Memphis, and that's the world capital on Bar BQ.

bmrisko · 02-13-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-Connection

Bar B Cutie's is the best Bar-BQ in Nashville hands down! And, I was born in Memphis, and that's the world capital on Bar BQ.

North Carolina is the world capitol of BBQ - Eastern NC to be exact.

However, Martin's is pretty dang good, most of the time...

skyblueNashville · 02-13-2012, 05:10 PM

We need to give Martin's another try. They must have been having an off night the one time we tried it. It was fatty. I can't stand fat in my BBQ. It's been so long that I can't even remember what I ordered though! Time for another trip!

dustinsn3485 · 02-13-2012, 06:28 PM

I've not been to Martins yet still...The lack of good reviews on here has left me less excited to go. I'll still go soon though..

However, there is a place that gets little mention and I've been 3 or 4 times now and am always so impressed with their bbq...Drifters in East Nashville. You guys gotta go to Drifters. It's a fun little bar, but the bbq is always great!

It's in my top 3 favorites.

I tried Bar B Cutie and was way less than impressed. Same with Whitt's, just not very good. I think it's got a lot to do with not liking vinegar based sauces. I love a sweet smokey texas style sauce. Brown sugar and tomato base for me.