Jack’s Bar-B-Que, Nashville, Tennessee

You’ve met my good friend, Darryl Morin, first in a guest post on Smoking’ Dave’s in Estes Park, Colorado, and more recently at our magnificent dinner at Mo’s in Milwaukee. Darryl is back with a guest post on Jack’s, an old line place in Nashville. When Nancy and I were in Nashville, I really wanted to go to Jack’s, but we couldn’t hack our way through the thicket of bachelorette parties that jammed Lower Broadway and beyond. Ever resourceful, I went to the Midtown branch, Jack Cawthon’s, where I dearly loved the pork.

Why’s Darryl in Nashville? This year Nashville hosted ViVE2023, a conference of tech executives focused on health care, and Darryl is the CEO of a tech company, Advanced Wireless. Darryl also likes a meal now and then, and having come up in Cotulla, Texas, and as a graduate of North Texas, Darryl likes his barbecue. Here’s his report.

I snuck out of #ViVE 2023 for lunch here in Nashville, Tennessee. Naturally, I consulted John Tanner of John Tanner’s BBQ Blog for some good barbecue. Without hesitation he pointed me to Jack’s Bar-B-Que on Lower Broadway.

It did not disappoint. Jack’s is a large space with what seems like a constant stream of customers.

The decorations include the sort of genuine local sports memorabilia that give you confidence that this is the place for good local food.

I ordered a brisket sandwich with potato salad and baked beans.

The brisket was tender and moist, and retained its smoky flavor. The beans were sweet but not too sweet, and the potato salad was well balanced. I washed it down with a sweet tea. And the people at Jack’s were as friendly as can be.

The only thing that Jack’s couldn’t provide me was time for a nap afterwards. If you’re in Nashville, Jack’s is the place for barbecue!

I’ll add that Darryl, being from South Texas, naturally chose the brisket, and naturally considered the non-Texas beans to be sweet. (As I noted in a recent post on Pinkerton’s in Texas, “The South Texas beans were very tasty. I’m not a fan of the sugary, molasses-laced baked beans offered elsewhere, but I’m a big fan of Southern pinto beans and of the Texas variety.  The South Texas beans were graced with a fair amount of meat and green chiles.” Think country pinto beans with green chiles.

I’m glad but hardly surprised that Darryl enjoyed Jack’s. They know how to make barbecue. Definitely go there if you’re in Nashville, and for that matter, definitely go to Nashville. While you’re there, here are some other places to try for food and music.

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