Photo: Kaldari, Public domainCity guide · Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Barbecue, Explained
Where critics and locals agree, by style and neighborhood, plus a one-day route, food trucks and sell-out tips.
Tennessee · West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee
BBQ restaurants in Tennessee, by area
Spots by area, our Tennessee guides and road trip trails. Alphabetical, not a ranking. See which spots are on published best-of lists.
113 written up495 spots on our list8 areas
Browse by area
Spots by area
- Memphis area West Tennessee · 71 spots
- West Tennessee West Tennessee · 52 spots
- Nashville Middle Tennessee · 56 spots
- Around Nashville Middle Tennessee · 86 spots
- Middle TN countryside Middle Tennessee · 58 spots
- Chattanooga area East Tennessee · 55 spots
- Knoxville and the Smokies East Tennessee · 86 spots
- Tri-Cities and Northeast East Tennessee · 31 spots
Road trips
Tennessee trails
- Franklin and Williamson County Trail Day trail · Williamson County, Tennessee
- Memphis in a Day Road trip · Memphis, Tennessee
- Nashville in a Weekend Road trip · Nashville, Tennessee
- The Tennessee BBQ Trail Road trip · Nashville to Memphis
Guides
Tennessee guides
Photo: Kaldari, Public domain
Photo: Chun Yip So, CC BY 2.0Style guide · West Tennessee
West Tennessee Whole Hog Barbecue, Explained
History, how it's cooked, the pitmasters who kept it alive, and how it compares to Memphis, Texas and Carolina.
Photo: Johnsparks75, CC BY-SA 4.0City guide · Nashville, Tennessee
Brisket in Nashville: where to find it
Where to find brisket in Nashville, with sell-out notes and what to order.
Photo: Ichabod, CC BY-SA 3.0Area guide · Williamson County, Tennessee
BBQ in Franklin and Williamson County
Whole hog, Nashville hot, Memphis ribs and Texas brisket, from the Sizzle Awards and Visit Franklin.
City guide · Chattanooga, Tennessee
Where to Eat Barbecue in Chattanooga
Killer potatoes, scrap plates and old gas-station smokehouses, from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
City guide · Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis BBQ
Rendezvous ribs, barbecue spaghetti, Cozy Corner's Cornish hen and Payne's chopped pork, with prices from each spot's own menu.
Photo: Southern Foodways Alliance, CC BY 2.0Style guide · Tennessee
Memphis vs. Nashville BBQ
Dry rub vs. sauce, ribs vs. whole hog, and where to taste each, all sourced.
Best-of lists · Tennessee
Tennessee Barbecue on the Best-of Lists
Spots named by The Infatuation, Eater, the Nashville Scene, Tennessee Tourism, Visit Franklin and Southern Living, each list credited and linked.
Photo: Daderot, CC0 1.0Holiday guide · Tennessee
Thanksgiving Barbecue Catering in Tennessee
Holiday spreads, trays and sides from 14 Tennessee barbecue spots for Thanksgiving 2026, with how many each feeds, starting prices and order deadlines.
Photo: Blake Wisz / Unsplash, Unsplash LicenseHoliday guide · Tennessee
Smoked Turkey for Thanksgiving in Tennessee
Where to order smoked turkey, brisket and sides for Thanksgiving 2026, with prices, order deadlines and pickup dates from each spot.
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