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Hey Nashvilleians

Boxerpapa
Boxerpapa Posts: 989
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I'll be flying into Nashville on Monday for a few days and was wondering if someone could recommend a good BBQ joint for me to critique. BTW...how's the weather?

Thanx

Comments

  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    I don't eat much Q out. I have enjoyed Hog Heaven and Judge Bean's (Texas style). Pat Martin's just southeast of town is good. Carl's perfect pig in Ashland City is also good- about 20 mins. northwest.

    The weather changes daily. Down in the teens and 20's and a couple of days later, pushing 70. Currently 55 and sunny.

    What brings you here?

    If you need anything email me or I am at work quite a bit (Radnor Wine and Spirits), don't hesitate to holler at me.

    Walt
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I have eaten at Famous Daves in Cool prings area. It was pretty good food. Other than that, come down to Decatur, AL. It is about 90 minutes south. You can try Big Bob Gibson's there. Really good BBQ. If you make it there, let me know, I'll come meet you.
  • Boxerpapa
    Boxerpapa Posts: 989
    Thanks for the heads-up. I'm starting a new job and have an orientation to attend to for three days. If I have spare time, I want to try some BBQ.
  • Boxerpapa
    Boxerpapa Posts: 989
    Unfortunatly, I will not have a vehicle. I'm there for a short amount of time and don't know what my itinary will be. If it was a pleasure trip, I would take you up on the offer, but thanks anyway.
  • My daughter went to Vanderbilt and we used to spend a good bit of time there ..... Google the following places

    Breakfast ..... Pancake Pantry, Nashville, TN

    Lunch (Mon-Fri Only) ..... Arnolds, Nashville, TN

    Lunch ..... Whitt's Barbeque, Nashville, TN (order your sandwich dry, or plain, as they come with mayo and cole slaw on them if you don't .... a really unique clear sauce (on the side), not tomatoe based.

    There will be a line to get in the Pancake Pantry most mornings until 11:00 am, but it is worth it. Arnolds will seem crowded, but it will move very fast. Whitt's has 4 or 5 locations around town, some are eat in, some are carry out only.

    Hope you enjoy your trip, David
  • also, Jack's Bar-B-Que downtown on Broadway (next to the famous Tootsies Lounge) ... food is good, but not great
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    If you are staying in the "Cool Springs" area of Nashville, then you will be really close to Famous Dave's and transportation may not be an issue
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    You're recommending Famous Dave's? That franchise barely lasted one year here and then folded overnight. Not sure what Dave was famous for, but it sure wasn't ribs or brisket!

    guess I should add a post note...Corky's didn't make a go of it here either!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I am sorry those places did not make it in your town. It must not be much of a BBQ town. Having eaten at Corky's Memphis, it is good and the chains must be up to the individual owners.

    What I am telling Boxerpapa is that I have eaten at the Famous Dave's in Nashville and found it pretty good for restaurant BBQ. Now that was about 8 months ago and I hope it is still there.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    oh I believe our area knows good BBQ and supports several Q establishments. Both Famous Dave's and Corky's franchise endeavors were separated by a few years and by different operators. IMHO both just put out mediocre food at inflated prices and the public showed disapproval by avoiding them. A big name elsewhere doesn't mean diddly - it's the food that comes out of the kitchen that makes or breaks a place.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    I believe I owe you an apology for the way I questioned your recommendation of Famous Dave. I should have kept my opinion to myself or at least said something to the effect that my experience with both Famous Dave and Corky's franchise operations was less than glowing. You probably were talking about either the flagship operations or company run outlets and I'm sure they are solid performers with loyal followers. So here I am...I apologize!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    No worries, original stores always seem to do better. I noticed in our area there is a dreamland BBQ. It is HUGE in Tuscaloosa, but I really don't like to local food.

    Even within the Gibson family. I like Big Bob's better than some of the others. Between all of the cousins there are about 6 or 7 bbq places and I would generally recommend 3 of them.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Thanks! Sometimes the clutch plate slips between my brain and common sense!

    I do recall my first trip to the local Famous Dave's. By that time I was solidly into my egging skills, but was there because of the advertising hype and wanted to experience the challenge.

    I overheard a guy at the next table raving about his ribs which had been served at the same time as mine. I silently thought 2 things: 1) how superior my ribs were to these and 2) what that guy would say if he had been served mine!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I agree that I can do bbq at home better than everyplace I've eaten. That is what fresh pulled meat will do. There is one exception. I can't quite get brisket at home as good as Big Bob Gibson's. I did once, but not consistently.

    The problem is that I REALLY like BBQ. I will order it and after the waitress walks away, usually ask my buddies why they didn;t stop me. I would prefer a salad at someplaces rather than spending money on bad bbq.
  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    I dont personaly like Big Bobs. I know he is well known in the BBQ world but he's not serving his competition food in his restaurant. I do like his stuffed potatoes but dont consider that BBQ. I loved Famous Daves when I ate there a few years ago. That was when before I got into doing my own. I might have a different experiance if I went there now.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I doubt it is their comp food. But as an everyday BBQ place, it is pretty good. I usually get a small brisket plate with beans and potato salad. I do not like vinegar based slaw.

    So where would you eat in north AL. I've had Whitts and I will go there only in nessesity. We do have a little place close to us calle Old Hickory, it is pretty good and has a wonderful banana pudding.
  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    Its pretty much like you said, I only eat BBQ out if I have too. I cant think of any great places. Believe it or not, I got a pretty mean slab of spares out of the Hickory Pit over on HWY 20 right there close to Leon Shefffield school. Thats been about 2 years ago. There use to be a real good place just over in TN where I grew up called Boweivels Corner pit. About 10 miles North of Ardmore. It was called Brysons BBQ for a many year. It was true pit BBQ. You could go in there and order a pound of pork and this old guy would go to the pit and bring back the whole shoulder and cut it off. It was very good. I think it has since changed hands and someone got ahold of it that dont know BBQ.
  • I use to live in Nashville when I was in college.

    There use to be a place in East Nashville called... get this... "Bar-B-Cutie"... from downtown go over the bridge to East Nashville. It is like one of those places you see on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" on Food Network... one of a kind... look for the sign with the "Cutie" wearing a western hat, and as I recall she showed a lot of leg.

    Last time I was there was like 1975.... so I don't even know if they still exist... but it was good.

    There also use to be a place called "Macs" over near West End... I don't know it's current status as well... it was a bit more "greasy spoon".

    I'm almost positive the "The Peddler" steakhouse should still be there... It's near Vanderbilt and Centennial Park (check out the Parthenon) as I recall. There thing was mostly steak, but they did a good job.

    You should be able to get a cab to any of them if you are near downtown.

    If you try any of them, give me a report.
  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    Bar b Cutie is alive and well, multiple locations now, they even sell gift cards-loosing a good bit of their early quaintness (new locations remind me of fast food places).
    Macs had gone the way of the dodo, now a sushi place.

    Walt
  • Thanks for the update Walt! Too bad Bar-B-Cutie appears to have, perhaps, sold out.... bummer. Macs is not a tremendous loss. ;-)

    Is "The Peddler" still around?
  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    It is gone also

    Walt