Ramey’s Whole Hog BBQ, Parsons, Tennessee

Ramey’s is a treasure. It really should be a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site to celebrate barbecue — in this case whole hog barbecue. I’d been there once before during my Great Memphis Region Barbecue Sandwich Tour. (See posts for August-September, 2019; and here for Ramey’s.) Ramey’s is only 113 miles from Nashville, traveling as we did via the Loveless Cafe and Motel, and I would drive farther for less.

Actually, our drive was a little farther because Nancy had just had a big breakfast at the Loveless Cafe, and preferred not to eat lunch a mere two hours later. I’m an understanding guy, so we drove about and looked at azaleas in historic Franklin and on the back road to Parsons. Plus, we drove on the Natchez Trace — quite beautiful with blooming dogwoods at every turn.

We got to Ramey’s and I ordered a pork plate with potato salad and slaw.

And a bologna sandwich.

Apparently, I should have driven around longer, as Nancy was still full and just had some slaw. Here I am, dining al fresco.

Okay, I know you’re asking, bologna? Yes, bologna. It’s a big thing in Tennessee. Helen’s in Brownsville is known for it, and, I think, Payne’s in Memphis, two great places. It’s whole loaves of bologna smoked and then finished on the grill for some caramelization. I’d had some once at a tailgate in Tuscaloosa.

How was the pork? This confirmed my view that Ramey’s cooks the best whole hog barbecue in Tennessee: delicious, smoky pork with a vinegar-pepper sauce, and cooked as close to perfectly as the hands of mortals can get. It’s better than the much better know B.E. Scott’s, and better than Martin’s. It would make my Ten Best in Eastern North Carolina List without breaking a sweat. You really have to taste it to understand how good it is, and why it’s the best.

I enjoyed the potato salad and cole slaw, and the bologna was good as well, with a nice, smoky flavor. Bologna will never be in the same league as pork barbecue, but it’s pretty darn good, and that’s a nice sandwich for $5. It came with a sweet sauce, which was not a plus for me, but I added some of the cole slaw and it was quite good. But the pork is the thing.

I got to meet most of the Ramey family. Daryl is on the pits with his brother, Doug. Daryl’s wife Joy, and their daughter Christine, work in the kitchen and at the register. They’re lovely people, hard-working and as friendly as can be, the sort of people you relax around immediately. It was a joy to chat with them. Doug asked me, “Aren’t you the guy who got hung in the ditch?” I allowed that I was and said I’d expected there’d be a historic marker by the ditch. Doug said that if they owned the land, there would be. Before long we were showing each other granddaughter pictures. Here are, left to right, Daryl, me, and Doug —

Daryl gave me a tour of the pit, where they still cook the hogs directly over hickory coals.

Ramey’s burned down six years ago. That can happen when you cook barbecue properly, over direct heat from hickory coals. B’s Cracklin’ is just rebuilding (under a new name) in Atlanta, and Mr Barbecue just reopened in Winston-Salem.

The Rameys had to rebuild. This time they poured concrete into the gaps in the cinder blocks, and Daryl devised an ingenious motorized pulley system so that he and Doug can lower a heavy metal cover and contain the fire by smothering it.

That allows them to retain the extra flavor that comes from the pork fat dripping onto coals, generating pork fat smoke and further flavoring the meat, all with that extra protection against uncontrollable flareups.

Making barbecue this way requires extraordinary skill and attention. Maintaining the fire at the right level requires constant adjustment. The day of our visit was humid, and that required a touch of extra heat. The work is hard, but it pays off in the extraordinarily high quality.

This is the traditional way to make barbecue. Ramey’s exemplifies something very valuable, something that goes beyond the quality of the barbecue itself. UNESCO identifies World Heritage Sites, and they also recognize the Intangible cultural heritage of nations and peoples. As I said up front, UNESCO should recognize Ramey’s as one of a handful of sites that maintain the traditional barbecue culture in its purest form. Most barbecue places now add heat from gas and electricity, and some put aluminum between the fire and the meat. Many more add foods not linked to their location and heritage, but Ramey’s holds fast to the traditional barbecue, to the way that makes their whole hog barbecue the best in the state.

Ramey’s is worth the trip from Nashville, or from Memphis or Washington or Paris. You’ll see a great craft expertly executed, and enjoy lovely people and superb food.

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