I was just in TN for a couple weeks and got to hit a few BBQ joints - not nearly as many as I had hoped, but got about 3 spots in - one of them about 8 or 9 times though. 
First up, Pup's Pit in Knoxville, TN.
Great BBQ shack kinda atmosphere. Nuthin' Fancy (that'd be a great name for a record...). Problem is, the food wasn't that great. I got ribs and pulled pork and neither were very good. Not horrible, but definitely not anything I'd drag anybody to.
Not much bark to speak of - very soft.
Stringy pulled pork.
They had interesting stuff on the menu, like the pork burger and a few other things, so I would probably go back just to make sure it wasn't an off day, which is always possible. Plus it's not too far from where my folks and some friends live so I want it to be good!
Next up, the venerable Ridgweood BBQ in Bluff City, TN.
Lots of y'all have already heard about this place and know that their pork is shaved rather than pulled. The smoker is down in that bldg.
Blurry pic of a sammich - farking huge!
The blue cheese dip is a must. Served with saltines, but also great with ruffles as well as pork rinds.
This is the platter. There is BBQ under those fries.
See?
I dumped slaw and blue cheese dip on all that and ate it. It was fanfarkingtastic. I ate like a pig the whole time I was in TN. They have really great beans at Ridgewood as well. I didn't get a pic of those.
I think this woman's job is just to hang out and charm the customers. She's very good at her job! I could have hung out there and shot the breeze with her all day.
This is my second time here - I love this place.
(Lionel - sorry I didn't holler - we were on our way to Abingdon VA and didn't think we'd have time for a sit-down - we decided at the last minute to stop rather than eat in the car.)
Luckily I read about Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant in a thread about Nashville BBQ. I was in Franklin and went to that one - a lot.
Great PP sammich. A poster in the Nashville BBQ thread said he was grossed out by the saltiness of the pork, and I could see how somebody would be, but I wasn't - I liked it. Salty or not - this stuff is cooked just right with cherry wood.
Their baby back ribs (called something bones, or maybe just bones - can't remember) are also excellent - here's a blurry pic of those. This is a case of a rub and sauce working very well with each other - great balance of salt, some sweet (not normally my thing but I'll make an exception for these!) and a little heat.
I got the sammich a second time, and put the slaw on it this time. Farking beautiful.
Their shrimp and grits are killer as well.
Had many a breakfast there - country ham is superb, good biscuits and gravy, had an expertly prepared spinach and gouda omelet on the morning I was trying to eat healthy. This is a quality establishment right here. I don't know about the other locations, but the Franklin one is great. I heard there's one with an open mic night and while the music is good, the food is not.
I was hoping to check out a lot more places in Nashville as well as holler at some Brethren, but my time was much tighter than I had anticipated, so I didn't get out much. No complaints about the 4th though.
While I still somewhat enjoy living in CA, especially due to the weather and a job I really like, I am thankful every day I'm from the great state of Tennessee - as is my bride. Beautiful land, fantastic people, great food - and enough Daisy Duke shorts to blind a man. :clap2:
First up, Pup's Pit in Knoxville, TN.
Great BBQ shack kinda atmosphere. Nuthin' Fancy (that'd be a great name for a record...). Problem is, the food wasn't that great. I got ribs and pulled pork and neither were very good. Not horrible, but definitely not anything I'd drag anybody to.
Not much bark to speak of - very soft.
Stringy pulled pork.
They had interesting stuff on the menu, like the pork burger and a few other things, so I would probably go back just to make sure it wasn't an off day, which is always possible. Plus it's not too far from where my folks and some friends live so I want it to be good!
Next up, the venerable Ridgweood BBQ in Bluff City, TN.
Lots of y'all have already heard about this place and know that their pork is shaved rather than pulled. The smoker is down in that bldg.
Blurry pic of a sammich - farking huge!
The blue cheese dip is a must. Served with saltines, but also great with ruffles as well as pork rinds.
This is the platter. There is BBQ under those fries.
See?
I dumped slaw and blue cheese dip on all that and ate it. It was fanfarkingtastic. I ate like a pig the whole time I was in TN. They have really great beans at Ridgewood as well. I didn't get a pic of those.
I think this woman's job is just to hang out and charm the customers. She's very good at her job! I could have hung out there and shot the breeze with her all day.
This is my second time here - I love this place.
(Lionel - sorry I didn't holler - we were on our way to Abingdon VA and didn't think we'd have time for a sit-down - we decided at the last minute to stop rather than eat in the car.)
Luckily I read about Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant in a thread about Nashville BBQ. I was in Franklin and went to that one - a lot.
Great PP sammich. A poster in the Nashville BBQ thread said he was grossed out by the saltiness of the pork, and I could see how somebody would be, but I wasn't - I liked it. Salty or not - this stuff is cooked just right with cherry wood.
Their baby back ribs (called something bones, or maybe just bones - can't remember) are also excellent - here's a blurry pic of those. This is a case of a rub and sauce working very well with each other - great balance of salt, some sweet (not normally my thing but I'll make an exception for these!) and a little heat.
I got the sammich a second time, and put the slaw on it this time. Farking beautiful.
Their shrimp and grits are killer as well.
Had many a breakfast there - country ham is superb, good biscuits and gravy, had an expertly prepared spinach and gouda omelet on the morning I was trying to eat healthy. This is a quality establishment right here. I don't know about the other locations, but the Franklin one is great. I heard there's one with an open mic night and while the music is good, the food is not.
I was hoping to check out a lot more places in Nashville as well as holler at some Brethren, but my time was much tighter than I had anticipated, so I didn't get out much. No complaints about the 4th though.
While I still somewhat enjoy living in CA, especially due to the weather and a job I really like, I am thankful every day I'm from the great state of Tennessee - as is my bride. Beautiful land, fantastic people, great food - and enough Daisy Duke shorts to blind a man. :clap2:
