Martin's Bar-B-Que (Tennessee's Hidden Gem)

Hello, Today I would like to talk to you about Martin's Bar-B-Que, also known as "Tennessee's Hidden Gem." Martin's is located in off Nolensville Road in the town of Nolensville, TN. This may be a far destination for some, but the drive is well worth it. Martin's has been awarded one of the top 10 BBQ joints in the country by U.S.A. Today and Yahoo and I sure do believe it!

First I will talk about the pulled pork sandwich, and it is very good. What I like about it is it does not have a lot of grizzle like most BBQ places. Martin's has so many different choices for BBQ sauce. They have the Sweet Dixie mild (o.k. but a little too sweet for me ), The Devil's Nectar (very good, I like this better than the Sweet Dixie mild, has a little kick), I prefer the Alabama White Sauce. This is a white sauce with a hint of vinegar and secret seasonings. It is Martin's version of the white poultry sauce that can be found in Northern Alabama. It is a great dipping sauce for their delectable hand cut fries, as well. Martin's has traditional Tennessee pulled pork. If you prefer North Carolina pulled pork then you might be disappointed because here at Martin's they do not use a vinegar base.

Now lets talk about their ribs. Some people may disagree with me, but I would put Martin's ribs up to The Rendezvous ribs any day of the week. Wet or dry these ribs are fantastic. What makes them so good is they have so much meat on them, and their seasonings on the dry ribs are great. Not too salty. If you want a dry rub there are two types of rubs you can get; the Memphis Rib Dust or the Hog Hoss Dry Rub.

I have never been one to like brisket, but I tried it the other day at Martin's and I actually loved it. Most places serve their brisket very dry, but not Martin's. No way! Martin's brisket is served so moist and perfectly cooked that it can compare to any Texas brisket. Also, they are famous for the "Red Neck Tacos," which is either brisket or pulled pork wrapped in a corn cake instead of a taco. This Redneck Taco is what Martin's is famous for.

My advice is if you are a first timer get the "Big Momma Plate." This way you can try everything at once (although you may want to share). This major masterpiece includes; 4 ribs (spares or baby backs), 1/4 pound of pork, 1/4 pound of brisket and two sides.

Speaking of sides, here is a low-down on the side portion of the menu: The fries are great, if you like hand cut fries. The green beans are good. They are Italian style green beans in a sauce that contains bits of the pulled pork. Slaw is good, creamy and thick. Cornbread is also good and moist. The potato salad is pretty good, but I would chose the fries over the potato salad any day of the week!

Now, Martin's has more than just BBQ. If you just simply are not a big lover of the hog, then Martin's has other options for you. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, smoked chicken, and fried catfish are all on the menu, as well. Only once, have a steered away from the hog and that was for some smoked chicken. I must say it is not bad, but I do not care for it as much as I do the BBQ.

Martin's is a great place to go for lunch or dinner, especially if you are with "the fam." But I must warn you, they are not open on Sundays or Mondays and try not to get there too late. When Martin's is out of BBQ, they lock the doors and head on home. Their motto is they would rather "sell out than sell out." This is something I truly respect, because it simply means they would rather close the doors and lock up instead of serve meat that has been frozen. And this is why Martin's is one of the top ten places for BBQ in the country!