The Best BBQ in Nashville for a Bachelor Party

Why BBQ Is the Right Call for a Nashville Bachelor Party

Nashville does hot chicken and honky-tonks, but BBQ is where a big group of guys actually wants to land. Portions are huge, the beer is cold, and nobody is checking your dress code.

Most of these spots are counter service or casual table service, which means a group of 12 can walk in without a reservation nightmare. The two exceptions are noted below.

The Best BBQ Joints

Peg Leg Porker

Best for: The flagship BBQ meal of the trip | Price: $18 to $35 per person

Pitmaster Carey Bringle is a Nashville legend and his Gulch smokehouse is the city's benchmark for dry-rub ribs. The location puts you a short walk from Gulch bars for the rest of the night.

They also bottle their own Tennessee whiskey, so the pre-dinner round handles itself.

Order this: A full rack of dry ribs with smoked green beans, plus a pour of Peg Leg Porker bourbon

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

Best for: Whole hog and a built-in beer garden | Price: $16 to $30 per person

Martin's cooks whole hog over coals the old West Tennessee way, and the downtown location has an upstairs beer garden that comfortably swallows a bachelor party. You can eat, drink, and stay for hours without moving the group.

Order this: The Redneck Taco, pulled pork piled on a hoecake with slaw

Edley's Bar-B-Que

Best for: A casual lunch between activities | Price: $14 to $25 per person

Edley's is a homegrown Nashville chain with locations in 12South and East Nashville, both neighborhoods your group will probably wander anyway. It is fast, consistent, and the patio is built for day drinking.

Order this: The Tuck Special, brisket with a fried egg, pimento cheese, and pickles on Texas toast

Butchertown Hall

Best for: The upgraded group dinner | Price: $30 to $45 per person

This Germantown beer hall smokes Texas-style brisket and serves it in a room that looks nicer than anywhere else on this list. Long communal tables make it one of the few BBQ spots in town where a reservation for 12 actually works.

Order this: Smoked brisket with fresh tortillas and a round of Mexican lagers for the table

Von Elrod's Beer Hall & Kitchen

Best for: Game day or a pre-show base camp | Price: $20 to $35 per person

Just north of downtown by First Horizon Park, Von Elrod's pairs house-smoked sausages and ribs with one of the biggest beer lists in the city. The massive indoor-outdoor space means a group of 15 will not overwhelm anyone.

Order this: The sausage sampler for the table with giant pretzels

Shotgun Willie's BBQ

Best for: The BBQ nerds in the group | Price: $16 to $28 per person

This East Nashville spot cooks Texas-style brisket that locals argue is the best in the city, and it sells out. Go early, order big, and do not expect to linger, because this is a get-in-line joint, not a lounge.

Order this: Brisket by the pound, moist cut, before it sells out

Planning Tips

• Counter-service spots like Peg Leg Porker and Shotgun Willie's move fast, but send two guys ahead to grab tables if your group is bigger than 8.
• Book Butchertown Hall at least two weeks out for a weekend dinner reservation of 10 or more.
• Brisket sellouts are real. Hit Shotgun Willie's before 1pm or accept whatever is left.
• Build BBQ into lunch, not dinner, if your night involves Broadway. A rack of ribs at 6pm slows a crew down.