The fact that Nashville hosts one of the best barbecue championships in the country should tell you something about the just how good its local purveys of pigs, beef and chicken really are.
It’s against the backdrop of the upcoming Music City Festival & BBQ Championship (Aug. 24 – 25, 2012) that barbecue restaurants ply their trade, day in and day out. Here are two of the city’s very best:
- Jack’s Bar-B-Que (everybody seems to spell the word differently) is one of those places that attracts celebs, dignitaries and locals alike. That’s the kind of customer mix that speaks volumes about the food. Look for the sign of the three flying pigs, and follow your nose. The best-known location is the one down on Broadway. Two things go into making great barbecue: the meat and the sauce. Jack’s lets you slather your slabs with a selection of six sauces: Kansas City Style (sweet and smoky), Tennessee Original (tangy), Texas Sweet Hot (great with brisket), XXX-911 (it packs a kick), Carolina Style (mustard base, nice with pork) and Music City White (mayonnaise and horseradish base).
- Some foodies think local almost automatically. They tend to can chains. Fine, but they’re cutting out some terrific eateries in the process. One of them is Jim ‘N Nick’s, which manages to act local while having a slew of restaurants throughout the South. Jim ‘N Nick’s supports local farmers whenever they can. This leads to luscious sides such as creamed spinach and slow-cooked collards. And you’re not going to kill your budget by dining here. The smoked beef brisket entrée goes for under $10, and is a bit of a specialty. Jim ‘N Nick’s smokes its meats for 14 hours and everything your fork touches is made from scratch.
(Image: corsairstw)
