This place is small, two "resting tables", and friendly folks who make you feel welcome as soon as you enter. It was at the counter that I met Lisa Dudinetz, one of the owners, who manages the front half of the business. Be warned...Lisa is dangerous in her abilities to showcase their food. My intent (as this is a BBQ place) when I came in was for the ribs, but Lisa did a "Vanna White" on me with their special of the day, and I was hooked. The Sunrise Pork Tendy with a side of Chicken & Rice soup was absolutely delicious. The soup is thick with smoked chicken, veggies, and jalapeño and Hatch chili peppers. Your sinuses will wake up and maybe a slight bead of sweat, but this soup is unlike any I've enjoyed...more flavorful and slaps you a bit with the kick of the Hatch peppers. While enjoying the soup I met the other half of the team who handles the cooking side of the business...Craig Dudinetz. I had started on the sandwich and told him how blown away I was...the tenderloin was so tender and perfectly seasoned. When you couple all of the layers of this open face sandwich...every bite was pure joy! This sandwich should be a part of their daily menu...it's that darn good! I need to get back out here to try some of their other menu items...great food and wonderful folks who make you feel at home. Note...they also have a pop-up vendor there called Fried Pie Fever, and while I did not partake, their pies looked so good. read more

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Such an amazing spot! I finally got a chance to stop by again, and was even more impressed than my last visit. The owners are so wonderful, they greet you like you've been friends forever even if it is your first time in. They take excellent care of their customers. The food is really fantastic. I got The Standard burger this time, and it was great. On a whim I decided to try the Mac N Cheese, and woah!!!! I had no idea what a treat it was going to be. They use cheese sauce on the griddle as part of the preparation, rolling it up into an amazing mac n cheese burrito of amazingness! I also got a rack of ribs to take home, and they were delicious and plentiful. After enjoying half for dinner, there were enough leftovers to make a rib meat omelette the next day, and some rib sandwiches for lunch. I only wish they were closer to me. It is about a 45 minute or so drive each way for me, but it is sooooooo worth the drive. If they were down the street from me I would be there every day. read more

The Candied Rib - The Standard burger and the very unique Mac N Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

I am disappointed in myself for waiting so long to try this place! I had the chicken over rice and it was delish! My husband had a burger and mac and cheese (best mac and cheese I might have ever had). Don't sleep on this one MJ!! read more

We finally visited @candied_rib_co the other day and I can't believe this place was right around the corner all this time and we never experienced their delights The ribs, salmon & burger were all excellent but I'm still dreaming about the macaroni and cheese -- it was the richest, cheesiest thing I'd ever eaten. So if you find yourself in Mt Juliet at lunchtime (Wed-Sun 10:30-2) I highly recommend trying them out! read more

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Hands down the best BBQ I've had in a loooooong time. Nice people, intentional ingredients, and the food is fantastic. Easy to see why they have such a high rating. read more

The Candied Rib - Brisket Smash Burger. Delicious. - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

I've been anticipating trying this place for 2 years so I really wanted to like it. It was so inedible, I had to toss the burger before taking a photo. Just ordered the standard burger which is their double smash burger with American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles and Boygah Sauce on a brioche bun on carry out. No tables to eat inside. My husband and best friend had the same order. Upon all of us taking a first bite all you could taste was salt!! Yuck. I couldn't eat it. We all tried a couple of more bites, just to see if the first taste was off and all agreed. Too salty! Couldn't eat it. Just from the few bites I had I got a bad headache, my bp went from 125/82 to 143/95. Was sick for the rest of the evening. If you like salt, then you'll love this burger. read more

Had candied ribs, Mac and cheese, steak bites, and maple bacon sweet potato. It was excellent!!! I have been wanting to go to this restaurant for awhile and this was my first trip. I highly recommend it and I'll be back soon! read more

The Candied Rib - Candied Ribs, Mac and cheese, steak bites and a maple bacon sweet potato. Yum! - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

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This just might be my new favorite spot. Tried the special Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Food was delicious and portions were great. Sunday I had the Chorizo Cowboy burger and the tallow potatoes with cheese. Cheese could have been melted a bit more but I think as this is a takeout spot it would melt if I ate it at home. The owners are both nice and friendly and they run a nice efficient shop. While it's a bit small it's good to sit and eat while it's hot when you can. I'd love to see this have more seating but real estate in Mount Juliet is scarce. read more

The Candied Rib - Saturday Special. Combo plate - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

Food is excellent! Sometimes a little crowded and it basically only a to go spot. Wish they had a bigger location with a patio. But, again...food can't be beat. read more

great food and great pepole had the salmon today best I ever had u need to go there I will be back many times read more

First time here, awesome food and awesome people. We had a burger with Mac n cheese and smoked chopped beef with potatoes, it was all delicious! Staff was very friendly and engaged with their customers. read more

We drove over an hour to try the food! We were not disappointed. My husband had blackened salmon, ( I don't eat fish) I tried it. I was able to eat it. Very good, not fishy. I had candied ribs with the dark truth sauce... fantastic. The owners were there serving, and very friendly . It's small, and an on taking your food with you, very very limited seating. It didn't matter to us, the food was sms in. Gotta try their coleslaw, it was amazing as well, Definitely, going to be going back! read more

The Candied Rib - 4 candied style ribs! More than I could eat. - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

Salmon was great, ribs were excellent & burger fantastic! Wonderful wholesome family!!! *Top hat wearing cook, beautiful family ~doing their thing, creating yumminess! They were using tallo, before tallo was cool! read more

The Candied Rib - Store front - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

3.5 rounded to 4 When I was looking at the websites for various restaurants just outside of Nashville what caught my attention for this one was their emphasis on healthy cooking: no seed oils, etc. There are two small tables inside, 2 chairs each. I decided to take my order to go as it was still rather early in the morning. I ordered the baby back ribs plate. The Yella Slaw was very good. I was expecting it to have a strong vinegary taste but it didn't, and it wasn't too sweet for my tastes. Iam guessing the flavor and yellow color come from mustard. I could eat a pint of that. The tallow grilled potatoes were ok; I would probably try one of the other sides but I appreciate their being grilled in tallow. As for the ribs: the meat was definitely fall-off-the-bone and parts were moist. But other parts were a bit dry. I ordered the ribs candied but next time I will probably try it sauced. I tried the dark and the ruby sauces and I liked the dark (bbq) sauce, which didn't taste too sweet. I should have ordered double of that. I think the ruby sauce was primarily based on vinegar (red wine?) and didn't go so well with the ribs according to my tastes. Would love to sample some of the other sauces. The restaurant is run by a husband-wife team and they were friendly and welcoming. If I am in the area, I would try The Candied Rib again. read more

Great tasty food....Great family owned restaurant....Great service....will definitely visit again!

So I have had bbq all my life. The food at the Candied Rib far surpasses ANY bbq I've previously had. Everything looked sinful and succulent. The Candied Ribs were so good that I opted not 2 put any sauce on them. These were perfection incarnate! Easily best I've ever eaten The pulled pork sandwich was incredible! It is savory with what I believe is a homemade bun. One of the top 3 pulled pork sandwiches I've ever eaten. The Peanut Butter Banana pudding was something I've never thought of and it was excellent!! Craig and Lisa were the perfect host/servers/cooks. They treated us like family. Chick-Fil-A could take lessons from these wonderful ppl. I will b back for the burgers, more sides, and the daily specials read more

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The food here is absolutely incredible. Especially the grilled shrimp and the burger. Lisa and Craig are so friendly

Okay, I have not written a review in awhile because I didn't want to add more negativity in the world. But I have to say, this place knocked it out the park. We missed them last week because they closed early. But when I tell you it really didn't matter. What a wonderful experience. The food and customer service here are all off the chart. We are making our 40 minute drive home and we are already planning our next visit. Xplr.nash thanks for the recommendation. You will leave blessed in more ways than one! read more

Best pork ribs we've found in Middle TN. Hands down. We got a few Candied Ribs (sweet-ish dry rub) and a full rack of their Sloppy Ribs. Incredible! Plus, their Cheese-Crusted Mac n' Cheese is some of the best Mac n' Cheese we've ever had. And finally, their Cured Bacon Skewer w/ dark chocolate dip is a combination we never we needed! Two folks running this joint, and the service was 100% on point! read more

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The Best dry rub ribs in Nashville area. I will definitely be back! Service was Great and the staff were very friendly! Love that they are a Christian business! It is small inside the business and only has 2 tables. read more

The Candied Rib - Rack of dry rub ribs! - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

I wish I'd stopped in earlier as I found a wonderful family run restaurant making truly unique food. Tried their candied ribs, burger, tallow roasted potatoes and their Mac and cheese; everything was a 10. Bonus points for their sweet kids who helped ring me out. Will absolutely be back. read more

Hands down the best restaurant in Mt. Juliet! The food isn't just delicious, it's unforgettable. You can taste the passion and care in every bite. This isn't just a business for the owners; it's their calling. They pour love into every ingredient and genuinely care about the people they serve. If you're looking for more than a meal but an experience that feels like family, this is the place! read more

Delicious food. Folks were kind, friendly, and helpful. Got the ribs and mac and cheese. Ribs had a ton of meat on them and flavor was great. Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious. read more

This is very high quality take out. Not a dine in. Had the special of the day, a bacon mushroom Swiss burger. Excellent! This is not cheap, but quality usually isn't. I highly recommend. read more

Had food from there on a trip to Mt. Juliet in October, 2025. Delicious--every bite--of everything we ordered. Plus the owners were friendly and so helpful. read more

If you're looking for delicious farm-to-table food, this is one of the best spots in the Mt. Juliet area. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared, and the prices are very reasonable--especially considering they source their meat from a local farm. As an added bonus, everything is seed oil-free! This place is run by a friendly, personable husband-and-wife team. It's a small space, but perfect for a quick and delicious bite. read more

Wow! As a fan of BBQ who sampled a lot of what this country has to offer, this place tops just about anything else I've tried. The pulled pork sandwich was otherworldly and stood on its own without any sauce needed (though the dark/sweet sauce is quite tasty and certainly doesn't take away). The burger was also top notch and perhaps the best I've had so far as well. I was staying in the Mt. Zion area while visiting Nashville for the weekend. After a long day trekking through the the city, we wanted to retreat to our Air BNB and avoid the crowds for the evening. Thank you to Yelp for pointing us to this place. I honestly think it is better than anything we could have found in the city. My wife and I ordered the 'gotta have it' burger and the pulled pork sandwich with sweet potatoes as a side and banana pudding for dessert. The food exceeded my already high expectations for this category in the south. I will now recommend this place to any friends or family who travel to Nashville, even if they are not staying nearby. The inside is very small with only a few small tables. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Definitely a take out place, so keep that in mind. read more

The Candied Rib - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

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Service was amazing as was the pulled pork sammie! I look forward to visiting again soon.

Included a tip without my consent, food is a little pricey for what you get, strictly a carry out spot! I felt like I was getting the meat to keep it from being leftovers for the next day, my opinion! I just wanted to see what candied was I'm a smoker so I look for smoke flavor, and I was disappointed read more

Great family ran restaurant with excellent options and flavor. I got the chicken skewers with broccoli and rice. It had really good flavor. The serving size was a little on the small side though. I definitely want to go back and try other items on the menu. read more

The most unique and delicious mac n cheese. We arrived right at 2pm, not realizing they close at 2. The owners were friendly and accomodating. We look forward to trying it again! read more

Dat potato salad. Let me bathe in it! The Candied Rib, think east coast deli meets southern BBQ heaven. This place specializes in slow smoked sandwiches, classic backyard bbq sides, and fantastic house made sauces! I might have left with bottle of, "The Gold". Which is a mustard based and spicy bbq sauce. They are limited to what they can make at the moment because they're still building out the kitchen, which is why the menu is created almost daily. Those specials and the current menu is f*cking fire! We ordered the pulled beef sando, which blew my mind, and the pulled pork topped with a mango and pineapple slaw. My gawd this food was so good! The meats by themselves were on point, but then you add a soft bun, spicy bbq sauce, and a sweet Caribbean slaw... it just all comes together. On my next visit I'm asking for a bowl of pulled pork, the Gold sauce, and a fork... good day sir! Take out options only, but there's no shame in eating by yourself in car. They also have catering options, which has many more menu options. So why not be the office hero by ordering some bbq for the staff and impressing that hottie in accounting all at the same time? Candied Rib, I'm coming back for seconds! read more

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Wonderful service by great people and the food is to die for. What an absolute gem. Taco Thursdays is very special and never disappoint.

If you haven't tried The Candied Rib in MTJ yet, you should. Omg. Delicious. Family-owned and run, Craig and Lisa are married and they run it. Out of this world barbecue, including ribs, pulled pork, chicken, (brisket) burgers, tacos, and more. You can get a dish and add 2 ribs for $5 and the 2 ribs are basically a meal in themselves. I love Edley's, but this place is phenomenal. Only open til 2pm and carry-out only (although you can eat there if desired). They also offer Thanksgiving meals and pre-orders are open. If you enjoy BBQ, give them a try. Best food I've had in MTJ! read more

Me and my wife have been wanting to try this place for a while and we finally made it there today. It did not disappoint. The food was very tasty. Service is great. There are 2 tables in the lobby, which makes it carry out. Its worth getting and taking back to your place and grubbing. Ambiiance is good. Nice and clean. We are definitely going back. read more

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While the service is slow because they only had one guy in the kitchen. The food was absolutely worth it. I had the smash burger and fries and it was to die for. We had small kids so again... maybe call and order ahead, it took an hour to get our food... BUT... the food is worth every minute of waiting. read more

It was okay. I had ribs. The sauces aren't my fave. I did really like the potatoes.

Candies ribs with spicy sauce were awesome! Place was small so plan on take out. Staff was awesome, cared about me (and others) personally as a customer which made everything even better! read more

WOW! Try this place if you want a totally unique and 5 star meal. We loved the sloppy ribs, candied broccoli and Cole slaw. read more

The Candied Rib - Small restaurant in a stip center, BIG FLAVOR! - Barbeque Near Me - Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

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We are from Texas so we know BBQ. This place is legit. We had great ribs, the most amazing burger, to die for macaroni and cheese and honey charred broccoli. The service was great too. Do not sleep on this place if you live near by, I wouldn't. read more