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Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

4.1 (3.7k reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 1 week ago

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint Photos

Business Info

MARTIN'S BAR-B-QUE JOINT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

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Full Slab (12 Bones) Mac and Cheese Baked Beans Potato Salad
Felicia C.

Was craving BBQ so my husband and I came here while we were in town. Since this was one of the most highly rated BBQ spots, we decided to give it a shot. The lines were long but the service was actually pretty quick. It was a hot day and the inside was hot as well unfortunately. Full Rack - Solid BBQ but a bit inconsistent. Some parts were tender while some parts were tough. Overall flavor was really good and we had lots of leftovers after our meal. Mac and cheese was good but wish that it was less mushy. Beans and potato salad were a great accompaniment to our meal. Overall, if I was in town, I would probably try somewhere else for ribs, but solid option!

Max W.

I had Martin's not once but TWICE this week... back-to-back nights. Is there better barbecue in Nashville? Maybe. But do you get better, more centrally located, with ease of access? Absolutely not. The place is very easy going and all of the staff is super helpful and knowledgeable - especially when guiding you to a meal that balances what you want without totally over ordering (although that can't help me). Then you circle around to the food itself... the smoke on the meats is perfectly balanced with the natural flavor of the meat with the seasoning. The meats are also WET and JUICY in the best way and what you wanted to be fatty was the right level of fatty. My favorite is probably the ribs, followed by the wings with the Alabama white, and then a close tie for third but the big bologna takes the cake. GO TO MARTINS IF YOU WANT GOOD BBQ! And then go again the next night.

Menu (Sept 27, 2026)
Gregory B.

One thing I love about Martin's is it is always consistent. While I do think there are better joints in the city, I have never had any issues with Martin's. I wish I could say that for other BBQ joints. This time I shared the Big Brother Sampler with Green Beans and Brocolli Salad. Somehow it got sent out with mac & cheese, so they sent out the brocolli salad for free. I appreciate when they make good and leave a little something. Great service. Brocolli salad was a bit sweet, but still tasty. Green beans were pretty average. Mac & cheese a step higher. Ribs a dry rubbed. I prefer Peg Leg's, but these are decent. Brisket was nicely done, as well. This location has a downstairs area with two bars and tables in between. There is also an upstairs area where bands play, if you are interested in music. There is a way to escape via Almond Street, if you don't want to walk back down the stairs. I tried the BBQ sauce, but did not really feel it added much to the food. As a downtown place, it is also useful they have less expensive cocktails than Lower Broad.

Susie T.

I feel sad to say this but I did not enjoy any of the food here. This place gets so busy and its so popular. I see many many people just walking by to take a picture of the sign! I love the decor in the inside. They have a live band upstairs. The line to order is awesomely place with rubs and bottles of sauce. Now, back to the food. The brisket is tooooooo soft. It breaks apart just sticking a fork in it. The ribs are too dry and the bbq sauce didnt hit. The fish fry just falls apart. I really didn't enjoy the food but I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I wouldn't come again as I feel maybe other spots could be better.

Robert W.

In search of a bbq place that's walking distance from downtown. This place kept popping up as highly recommended in different blogs and sites. Gave it a try- line was long but moved relatively quickly. Staff were friendly and gave suggestions in what to order. I had the beef brisket bbq tray which came with two slices of bread and 2 sides. I had the baked beans and the corn bread not cake. The brisket was ok but a bit consistent. Some pieces were pretty tender and juicy but others were actually quite dry and had to soak it in the bbq sauce. Baked beans were absolutely delicious. Cornbread was so so. It was more of a pancake. The spicy bbq sauce had a kick to it but I loved it. Price is on par with downtown prices. I took it to go but the ambience was lively and fun. I didn't get a chance to check out their beer garden. Overall would give it 3.5.

Mascot
Lisa-Marie B.

martin's barbecue what can I say but delicious finally got a chance to have your brisket while I was in Nashville last month and chefs kiss love the pulled brisket or chopped or whatever it is highly recommend chopped versus sliced baked potato was succulent and the mac & cheese was even better. Keep up the great work and please never run out of meat again.

Beverage Menu
Winston L.

Came here for a late Saturday dinner and they were busy, but there was still plenty of seating available. Order at the counter, they bring out the food to your table, and they'll also bus the table. We ordered 3 things to feed 5 medium hungry people and that was about right. The quantity of meat on the full rack of ribs felt like it was 2+ entrees. The beef brisket and whole pig (pulled pork) plates came with 2 sides and the full rack of ribs came with 3 sides. The ribs were meaty and cooked to a firm more chewy consistency. Brisket came with 3 half slices (probably the only plate I could have finished on my own) - cooked to a firmer consistency with a few drier bits. Whole hog was what I assume pulled pork from different parts of the pig (they have a separate pulled pork from pork shoulder). Thought the pulled pork had the right consistency. All the meats were reasonably seasoned. For the table, there was a very thin vinegar based sauce. The ribs came with a sauce that was the consistency that I would expect from a barbecue sauce. The rib sauce might have had a little ketchup and brown sugar in it to give it some body, but it was still very vinegar-forward. I would give the slight nod to the sauce that came with the ribs. We tried seven different sides - Slaw, Broccoli Salad, Baked Beans, Hoecakes, Green Beans, Fries, Mac & Cheese. I liked Fries the most - slightly thinner cut and really nice crust. Cornbread Hoecakes were the most interesting item being a Cornbread version of a pancake. Nothing particularly notable about the Slaw, Broccoli Salad, and Mac & Cheese - thought they roughly met expectations. Baked Beans were also on the tarter side. Green beans were Italian Green Beans and a bit softer than I'd like. I can't recall having other Nashville Barbecue, so this is really my first time having it. Meats were a bit firmer than what I'm used to. I've also been heavily conditioned to sweet sauces, so vinegar-forward Nashville style was a shock to the system. Sides were ok. Good amount of food for the price (with the brisket being a portion that most people could finish)

Fried Chicken Tenders and Margarita
Katherine C.

Delicious food, fun ambiance, and awesome live music! Definitely don't forget to get the margarita, it's delicious!

Brisket sandwich with hush puppies and beans
Jennifer C.

Came on a weekday for lunch. It's a flew blocks away from Broadway. The space itself is pretty big and we didn't have any trouble getting a seat even though it was busy. You order at the counter and they bring your food out to you. Got the brisket sandwich with a side of hush puppies and added an extra side of beans. The brisket was really tender and well seasoned. The beans were a bit on the sweet side for me but I did like that they had chunks of meat in it. The hush puppies are still amazing. Perfectly fried and not too heavy. Also not sweet at all which I really liked. It also has an onion forward flavor that I liked. I will say it's a bit pricey with my meal with tax and tip ended up being close to $30.

Brisket sandwich with hush puppies and baked beans
Denny V.

First time in Nashville so definitely had to try their BBQ. Saw rave reviews for Martins so was super exited to try! They had open seating and there was a decent line but moved very quickly. Food also came out fast as well! Got the brisket sandwich with hush puppies and bake beans. The brisket was so tender! It paired well with their Jack Creek sauce which had nice kick and sweet and sour taste. The hush puppies are a must! They were had a nice crunchy exterior with a pillowy soft inside. I appreciated that they werent too sweet as well! Baked beans were also solid. It came with a decent amount of bacon in it! Definitely will be back when I'm back in Nashville. And excited tol try something else on the menu!

Terrance G.

Of course when in Tennessee from Texas you have to try their bbq and brisket. It was good but i still take Texas bbq at day. The restaurant is pretty large and the line moves quickly. The inside is a little toasty though but they do have Full bar to help cool you down.

look at the size of that chicken... $15 doesn't buy what it once did.
Jöshua M.

I dined at this Martin's BBQ after an interview. I parked close by and expected a memorable meal. I certainly got that, but in all of the wrong ways. I wanted something cheaper and lighter so I grabbed a chicken plate. At ~$15 pre-tax, it certainly isn't cheap. That said, that's the cost of doing business in Nashville these days. I was deeply disappointed by the portion size. Yes, smaller chicken often times tastes better because it likely is a bit more natural than the massive birds you sometimes find. I still really didn't like how the caloric content of my meal was almost exclusively from the sides. If portion size is small, flavor has to be big. Sadly, flavor was pretty mid. It wasn't bad, but it's nothing special. So, this was a deeply unsatisfying meal, but it wasn't bad. That's easily a 2- or 3-star meal. Why is it 1-star? Well, I have no choice but to give it 1 star because the greedy owner/proprietor/whomever the decision maker is decided not to validate parking. I had to pay an absurd $15 extra for parking due to this restaurant's disgusting greed. So now instead of paying $15 + tax + tip for a mid-at-best chicken meal, I paid over $30. It's frankly absurd to allow reckless greed to take hold when you operate in the same city as Jack Cawthon, Carey Bringle's establishments and Edley's BBQ. I'll pick one of those restaurants 10 of 10 times over giving the obnoxiously greedy Martin's BBQ another try.

Madelynn F.

We just arrived in town and dropped our bags off at the hotel. I was hungry and we started walking and this was one of the first places we saw. We Popped in and I was not disappointed. We had the baked beans, the potato salad, the brisket, and the St. Louis style ribs. Food was hot fresh and served quick. We also had the pecan pie for dessert.

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Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

Is the food halal ? Does the place serve pork Want to double check is the beef lamb…

Hi Martin's does serve pork. Not sure if anything is halal, I would call to inquire.

Is this restaurant wheelchair accessible?

Yes, they have a ramp right at the front entrance and an elevator to the outdoor deck area.

Are you dog friendly?

The outdoor patio was , but not inside

UPDATE: Thanks all for the quick answers. Sitting at their bar now- mask free;)... (Original question: It says mask required. Is that just outdated?)

No mask required.

Is there a cover when a show is on? If so, how much?

No cover, just a great show!

On a Friday, what would be the best time for a group of 8 to get there and be able to sit outside?

I'm not from TN, but i would assume the best time is before peak time/line starting build up. So i would say between 4-5 pm; not too early and not too late.

Is the outdoor seating area dog friendly?

No dogs are not allowed in the outdoor seating area

Where is the best, closest free parking?

You can park on third avenue on the street (one block up). There isn't a ton of spots but its free if you can find it. There is a $5 pay lot directly across the street on 4th

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Went with my boyfriend & parents on a Saturday evening to catch a football game. The place was…read moreabsolutely mobbed and the host was running around like crazy, but everyone was SO friendly and SO helpful! I would have expected (and forgiven) some hasty replies given the state of chaos, but the staff was genuinely so wonderful while working their butts off. We ended up finding a spot in the upstairs seat-yourself section within 10 minutes and had excellent service from the bartenders up there. Great TVs and fun atmosphere to watch a game. The food was excellent overall. The hot honey pepperoni pizza with feta was phenomenal, so delicious. The pesto chicken sandwich was also great. We had 2 hot chicken sandwiches which were good. Everything was hot and fresh. Reasonably priced & good quantity of food for the prices. I would definitely come back, and will make a reservation next time to make everyone's life easier!

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We had dinner here our first night in Nashville. It has a quiet elegance and great for an intimate…read moreconversation over dinner. Service was excellent. It was walking distance from our hotel and a couple of blocks to Broadway so great location. I chose the halibut and it was delicious. It was tender inside but had a nice sauted crisp on the outside. Unfortunately, I did not like the veggies that came with it and I pretty much love all veggies. It was listed as summer squash escabeche. Not something for my palate in taste or texture. Husband had the Lumache alla vodka pasta and it was very good. We started with the meatball appetizer. Loved that. We finished with the affogato which is one of my favs.

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Whiskey River Saloon

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4.0(154 reviews)
0.4 mi•Downtown
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Such a fun place to have a night out with the girls! Especially when there's a mechanical bull,…read morelive music, and line dancing! Seeing the mechanical bull honestly made my whole night haha. Even if I didn't last very long on it it was still totally worth it! The live music and line dancing definitely added to the vibe, and my group and I had a great time joining in and dancing around :)

I can't speak to the food or drinks, but I can speak to the service. The food is located on the…read morefourth floor, and an elevator is available to get you there. It was our first time visiting, and we weren't sure where to go. The security guard at the main door was very helpful and pointed us in the right direction. However, when we got upstairs, it was a different story. There was no one there to give us any direction, and we didn't see a sign stating whether we could seat ourselves. The place was a bit busy, but there was a section with about six empty tables. We chose to sit there so we could be near the fan since it was very humid yesterday. No one acknowledged that we had been seated, so when a waiter walked by to clear a table, I asked if it was okay for us to seat ourselves. He said yes, handed us menus, and walked away. No problem--I could tell it was busy and that he was running around, so I took no offense to him walking off. We waited about 10-15 minutes. No one offered us water or came over to greet us. The same waiter I had spoken to returned to our table carrying an empty pitcher, and I greeted him. In response, I got, "You know what you want?" I repeated my greeting, and he repeated his question. Mind you, he never introduced himself, so I have no clue what his name is. The only conversation we had before that was when he confirmed that we could seat ourselves. While I understand being overwhelmed or tired, I can't understand being met with such a rude disposition when I had done nothing to warrant that response. Needless to say, I didn't want someone who found greeting me to be an impossible task handling my food, so we left. He couldn't have cared less that we were leaving. He grabbed his pitcher and walked away before we did. They could have really good food and drinks, but I'll never know. My hope is that this was a one-off situation, but something tells me it's not. There's a bar on the first and fourth floors. The first floor is pretty open with minimal seating, so I'm assuming it's meant for dancing. They also have a live band set up on that floor. Lastly, thank you to the security guard. He was a tall guy with braids, and despite our brief interaction, he was the only person who made us feel welcome. Outside of that interaction, this place was disappointing.

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4.1(144 reviews)
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Lainey's place had great food!! The Cajun twist on the menu items is plum delectable, and…read moreeverything was cooked beautifully. Very generous portions! Our server was a very sweet young lady named Darren, she was very attentive. The atmosphere was very fun, the live music was excellent! Zach Scott, he's got new fans in us, and his friend Austin was great too! The shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were ginormous; I ordered that and the dirty fries, thinking they'd be little appetizers. I couldn't finish them! The seasoning on the shrimp was so yummy, and the Cajun cocktail sauce was a perfect pairing. The dirty fries had this amazing sauce and mixed with the seasoning, onions, cheese, etc. I almost couldn't stop eating it. Savory goodness! My son's steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, topped with a delicious dollop of Cajun butter. My (teenage)daughter had the Cajun pasta, which was creamy and scrumptiously seasoned. She made sure we all tried a bite, after she composed herself- this dish brought her to tears! My mother had an off menu item, a summer fruit salad dish with prosciutto, she said she could eat that every day! My hubby had the pulled pork grilled cheese, it was a juicy, meaty entree and the candied jalapeños added a delightful flavor-twist that really leveled it up. (For it being labeled as a grilled cheese, it could use a little more cheese.) The sweet potato waffle fries were crispy and delicious. We'll definitely be back, can't wait to plan our next trip to Nash!

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Inside views

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint - bbq - Updated October 2026

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