Tennessee barbecue on the best-of lists

We only include lists we have already sourced on our spot pages and guides. A list missing here doesn't mean a spot was left off; it means we haven't sourced it yet.

Spots on several lists

A count of how many of the lists on this page include each spot. It's a count, not a ranking, and it's in alphabetical order.

Tennessee Tourism: Made in Tennessee Bucket List Barbecue Spots

The state's tourism office, TNVacation, "Made in Tennessee Bucket List Barbecue Spots" (updated Oct 20, 2025), features these spots we cover1:

• B.E. Scott's Bar-B-Que, Lexington
• The Bar-B-Q Shop, Memphis
• Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, Memphis
• Cozy Corner, Memphis
• Edley's Bar-B-Que, Nashville
• Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint, Nolensville
• Peg Leg Porker, Nashville
• Sweet P's Uptown Corner, Knoxville

The Infatuation: The Best BBQ In Nashville

The Infatuation, "The Best BBQ In Nashville" (Oct 14, 2026) includes these spots we cover2:

• Bringle's Smoking Oasis
• Curry Boys BBQ
• Edley's Bar-B-Que
• Jack's Bar-B-Que
• Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint Downtown
• Ooh Wee Bar-B-Q
• Papa Turney's Old Fashioned BBQ
• Peg Leg Porker
• Shotgun Willie's BBQ
• Stoke Haus
• Tex's World Famous Bar-B-Q

Eater Nashville: The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Nashville

Eater Nashville's barbecue map (updated May 2024) includes these spots we cover3:

• Bringle's Smoking Oasis
• Butchertown Hall
• Edley's Bar-B-Que
• Jack's Bar-B-Que
• Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint Downtown
• Ooh Wee Bar-B-Q
• Peg Leg Porker
• Shotgun Willie's BBQ

Nashville Scene: Best of Nashville

The Nashville Scene's Best of Nashville has a readers' poll and a Writers' Choice section. Placings below are the Scene's.

• Readers' poll 2026, Best Barbecue: Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint won, and Edley's Bar-B-Que placed third (Oct 8, 2026)4.
• Readers' poll 2026, Best Ribs: Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint (Oct 8, 2026)5.
• Readers' poll 2025, Best Barbecue: Edley's Bar-B-Que (Oct 9, 2025)6.
• Writers' Choice 2024: Shotgun Willie's BBQ (Oct 17, 2024)7.
• Writers' Choice 2026, Best New Barbecue: Stoke Haus (Oct 8, 2026)13.

Our spot pages: Martin's Downtown, Shotgun Willie's BBQ, Stoke Haus.

Visit Franklin: a Franklin barbecue top 10

Visit Franklin, "Top 10 Barbecue Joints in Franklin That Will Keep You Coming Back for Seconds", by Chris Chamberlain (May 18, 2026), names these spots8. Shown alphabetically:

• BB's Bar-B-Q
• Corky's Ribs and BBQ
• Edley's Bar-B-Que, The Factory
• Hogwood BBQ
• HoneyFire BBQ
• Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
• Judge Bean's Bar-B-Que
• Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
• Puckett's
• Stroud's Barbecue

FranklinIs: 2026 Sizzle Awards, Best BBQ

FranklinIs, "Dine With the Best: Guide to Williamson County's 2026 Sizzle Awards Winners" gives these Best BBQ placings9:

• First: Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
• Second: Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
• Third: Puckett's

Southern Living: The Best New Barbecue Restaurants of 2024

Southern Living, "The Best New Barbecue Restaurants of 2024" includes two Tennessee spots we cover10:

• Bringle's Smoking Oasis, Nashville, as reported by The Tennessean (Aug 27, 2024)11
• Jacks Creek Bar-B-Q, Jacks Creek

Eater: The 23 Essential Barbecue Dishes in America

Eater, "The 23 Essential Barbecue Dishes in America" (Jun 17, 2016) names the dry ribs at Peg Leg Porker12.

Keep planning

Our Tennessee BBQ road trip planner covers West, Middle and East Tennessee. For city detail, see the Memphis BBQ guide, the Nashville BBQ guide and the Franklin and Williamson County BBQ guide.

FAQ

Sources

1. Made in Tennessee Bucket List Barbecue Spots · TNVacation (Tennessee Department of Tourist Development) · published updated Oct 20, 2025
2. The Best BBQ In Nashville · The Infatuation · published Oct 14, 2026
3. The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Nashville · Eater Nashville · published updated May 2024

How we write guides. We don’t publish our own reviews or scores. Listings reflect where independent press and readers’ polls agree, and every claim links to its source. Paid placements never change a guide. Hours and sell-outs change, so check with the spot before you drive.