One of the biggest quandaries being a semi vegetarian is that I love BBQ. I love the smell of it, the preparation that goes into and of course the taste of it. Yet it can be almost impossible to find a decent BBQ place that cooks anything other than cow or hog. So, on my recent trip to Nashville I was gearing myself up for a meal of side dishes, hopefully smothered in that BBQ aroma, since that was as good as it was gonna get for me; or so I thought.

On my Aunt Willow’s recommendation, we ubered over to Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and as we got out of the car, we could already smell the smoky goodness wafting out of the building. Once inside, the day just got even better as I spied smoked turkey on the menu; remember semi vegetarian here, hahaha.

As we settled into a booth, eagerly awaiting our first taste of Southern BBQ, we scoped out the interior which is covered in street signs, license plates and other fun southern memorabilia. An eclectic mix between a bayou shack and a dive bar, Martin’s feels like the ultimate garage hangout minus the greasy tools of course. It’s the perfect ambience to dig into some juicy meat that’s for sure.

Service was quick and it seemed like mere minutes before our trays, loaded down with food, were plopped in front of us. Aubrey got the brisket of course, because how could she not, and pushing my semi vegetarianism aside, I took a bite or maybe two, because how could I not? It was delicious, smokey and not a bit dry. My smoked turkey was equally lip smackin’ and once we figured out what to do with the Jack’s Creek BBQ sauce; which was to douse nearly everything in it’s spicy vinegary goodness, we were in BBQ heaven.

The sides were super tasty too and though I am not usually a mac & cheese fan, thanks to a childhood filled with the Velveeta version, Martin’s mac & cheese was damn good. Really the perfect plate would include green beans, coleslaw and the mac & cheese but that’s a hell of a lot of food, so the best bet is just to go with someone who doesn’t mind a little side sharing. Those are really the only people you should eat BBQ with anyway.

After we thoroughly gluttonized ourselves, we had to check out the Martin’s merch of course and I scored a new favorite trucker hat which London officially claimed for himself the moment I got home with it. There was also a good t-shirt selection and of course their famous BBQ sauces to go as well.

Finally we were off to our next adventure with a belly full of some of the best BBQ to be had and it wasn’t long before we were plotting our next stop at Martin’s which transpired just days later and nearly had us missing our plane home, but for BBQ this good, it was a small price to pay and worth a missed flight or two.

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

2400 Elliston Place Nashville, TN 37203

615-747-2473

Open Daily 11am-9pm