Edley’s is pretty much the perfect combination of BBQ and the Southern tradition of meat and three, with three outposts in 12th South, East Nashville, and Sylvan Park, back up and smokin’. We recommend the Tuck Special, a brisket sandwich with housemade spicy pimento cheese, over-easy egg, and red and white sauce, or perhaps the pork tacos with slaw and pico de gallo.

Tucked behind the high rises of the Gulch, Peg Leg Porker has become a star on the Nashville BBQ scene since opening in 2013, and an expanded second story offers even more drinking and dining space in the “Pig Pen.” Plus, he has plans to open Bringle’s Smoking Oasis in The Nations and another spot in the airport as part of his plans for world barbie domination. Try the Memphis Sushi, a sausage and cheese platter on saltines, or the BBQ nachos to start, followed by the dry ribs.

Beef brisket used to be an afterthought at Nashville barbecue joints, rarely attempted and basically just tolerated as a change of pace from the usual porktopia. Once Bill Laviolette started importing Prime brisket and sausages from his home state of Texas and cooking them in his massive smoker, local barbecue lovers finally discovered what they had been missing. Now he’s the undisputed smoke beef king of Nashville and a welcome addition to the local barbecue scene.

A few other barbecue joints have occupied this converted house off of Charlotte Pike, but nobody hit it big until The Ridge came in and took the menu over the top with loaded sandwiches and a few Latin-inspired specialty dishes. The BBQ Totchos come with tater tots topped with your choice of smoked meat, shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and the number of a good cardiologist.

Pat Martin’s downtown outpost of his growing barbecue empire is definitely the jewel of the crown. The massive building boasts a full-service restaurant on the ground floor and a huge beer garden upstairs with picnic tables, a stage for live music, two bars, games and private dining space for up to 150 guests. Four whole hog pits contribute a hickory smoked incense that draws tourists and locals alike into the pitmaster playground for an evening of fun.

The godfather of BBQ in Nashville, Jack Cawthon opened this spot in 1976 overlooking the riverfront on Broadway and 1st Ave. It was one of the few successful restaurants on lower Broad back when Demonbreun St was nothing but wax museums. Today, there are three total locations, and the original now sits just a few blocks up next to Tootsies. It doesn’t discriminate on style, with a range of Tennessee pork shoulder, Texas brisket, smoked Boston turkey, and St. Louis ribs -- and it's all delicious.

Beloved by tourists for its biscuits and fried chicken, locals know The Loveless Café as a reliable spot for quality barbecue. Just a mere 20 minutes from Downtown, it’s worth the drive to sink your teeth into the pit-cooked pork with honey blackberry barbecue sauce, or the pit-smoked turkey with cranberry barbecue sauce. Watermelon ribs are a specialty you’ll not likely see anywhere else in town, so don’t skip it.

Puckett’s is known for its Southern staples like the chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and meat and three platters, but its cherry wood-smoked barbecue is some of the best around. And the serving options are endless -- whether you choose pulled pork, brisket, ribs or chicken, you can have it in a skillet, on a platter with greens and smoked Gouda mac ‘n’ cheese, in a sandwich like the Tennessee Philly and Mojo Burger, or in a tortilla known as the “Redneck Burrito.”

Bar-B-Cutie is a long-running Nashville tradition that started out in a downtown pie wagon in 1940 then became a South Nashville Car Hop in the ‘50s, all before evolving into a successful smokehouse chain with multiple locations throughout Middle Tennessee and beyond. Its Southern-style sides are made fresh daily and the banana pudding is certainly worth the struggle of saving room for dessert.

Barbecue joints are certainly known for their lack of pretentiousness, but no place in town is more modest than The Gambling Stick, a small food truck and canvas tent tucked into the corner of Porter Road Butcher’s parking lot. But, oh, what they’re cooking up in that tiny trailer! Try the “pigsket” for a unique flavor and textural experience that you won’t find in a regular ole pulled shoulder sandwich.