Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, the beloved neighborhood restaurant specializing in West Tennessee whole hog barbecue celebrates its 20th year in business this October. Nashville-based restaurateur, author, and television host Pat Martin opened his first Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in 2006, a small spot in Nolensville, Tennessee that quickly became a national culinary destination and has since grown to nine locations across the Southeast. Martin proudly preserves and celebrates the art and craft of West Tennessee’s legendary whole hog tradition, specializing in exceptional pit-cooked meats, homemade Southern sides, and warm hospitality. Its largest and most iconic downtown Nashville location was named to Bon Appétit’s 50 Best New Restaurants in America in 2017, and is consistently featured as one of the top 25 Nashville restaurants by The New York Times, underscoring its reputation for excellence.
While much has changed in the past two decades – from expanding to nine locations across the South in an ever-changing industry, to developing one of the country’s most extensive natural wine programs at a barbecue restaurant – the heart of the business remains the same: preserving West Tennessee whole hog barbecue traditions, cooking from scratch daily, and offering genuine Southern hospitality to guests. Martin has spent more than 20 years building his reputation by doing things the right way, no matter how difficult. With humble beginnings embracing the discipline and patience required to honor barbecue traditions in an era of shortcuts, Martin has never cut corners.
On the Menu
At the heart of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is a steadfast commitment to cooking from scratch, a philosophy that extends well beyond the pit. Fresh hogs are placed over local hickory wood and smoked for up to 24 hours, while everything from Southern sides to sauces is prepared in-house daily. Food is made to order, with the same attention to technique and quality that has defined the restaurant since 2006.
The menu celebrates both time-honored West Tennessee barbecue traditions and Southern comfort food, with signature dishes that have become synonymous with the Martin’s experience. The heart of the menu is pulled pork, served on a potato roll with slaw (as Martin would say, “the way God intended”) and Jack’s Creek Sauce or piled high on BBQ Nachos or Redneck Taco, alongside smoked wings, brisket, and spare ribs. Scratch-made sides, including fresh-cut fries, mac and cheese, baked beans, and hushpuppies, round out a menu that reflects Martin’s Southern roots and family recipes.Beyond the pit, Martin is the creative force behind the restaurant’s thoughtfully curated natural wine program, an unconventional pairing that has become a defining part of the concept. Following the ethos that natural wine complements barbecue better than almost any other beverage, Martin has spent years building a wine list centered on small-production, low-intervention wines made using millennia-old techniques. Its bright acidity, freshness, and texture cut through rich, smoky meats without overwhelming the palate, allowing the flavors of the smoked meat to shine.
By the Numbers
What began in 2006 as a modest, 950-square-foot restaurant with just 12 tables in Nolensville, Tennessee, has grown into a nine-location business spanning four Southern states. Following its expansion into Mt. Juliet in 2013 and Nashville’s Belmont neighborhood in 2014, Martin’s opened restaurants in downtown Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky, in 2016; Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama, in 2018; and Nashville’s Midtown neighborhood and Charleston, South Carolina, in 2019. Today, Martin’s remains independently owned and employs approximately 450 people across its restaurants, a dedicated team that has helped preserve and carry forward the tradition of West Tennessee whole hog barbecue over the past two decades.
Celebrate in Style
To commemorate the anniversary, Martin’s will offer limited-edition hats and T-shirts depicting the original Nolensville location. Beyond the celebratory collection, Martin’s offers a variety of merchandise and pantry staples available year-round, both in restaurants and online. Fans can bring a taste of Martin’s home with signature barbecue sauces, dry rubs, and seasonings, or shop a collection of branded apparel, hats, and accessories. Also available is Martin’s debut cookbook, Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, The Grill, and The Smokehouse, featuring more than 65 recipes and an in-depth look at the techniques and traditions behind live-fire cooking. Shop the full collection at shop.martinsbbqjoint.com.
More About Pat Martin
A leader in American barbecue and hospitality, Martin’s commitment to live-fire cooking and preserving the fading culture of West Tennessee whole hog barbecue has made him one of the few pitmasters still carrying that torch today. Martin has built a hospitality portfolio rooted in authentic Southern food traditions, community, and culture – whether it’s barbecue at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, burgers at Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop, or biscuits at SweetMilk Breakfast & Lunch – that reflects a hands-on approach and reverence for the craft.
Martin opened his first Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in 2006, a small spot in Nolensville, Tennessee that quickly became a national culinary destination that has since grown into a beloved brand with nine locations across the Southeast. Building upon that success, Martin opened Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop, a tribute to the small town barbecue and burger spots that dotted the mid-South of his youth. SweetMilk Breakfast & Lunch, an ode to his grandmother’s Southern cooking known for its hand-cut, cast iron-baked biscuits, is Martin’s latest venture. The concept currently includes a flagship location in Donelson, Tennessee, and a recently opened second location in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a strategic growth plan focused on expanding the brand’s national footprint over the next decade.
In 2022, Martin launched the Life of Fire brand with his debut book, Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, The Grill, and The Smokehouse (Clarkson Potter), a definitive procedural guide to open-fire cooking. The television series Barbecue: Life of Fire followed, debuting in 2024 on Outdoor Channel and Tastemade. Now one of Tastemade’s most popular shows, the series has engaged an ardent following drawn to Martin’s unapologetic focus on traditional, labor-intensive methods. In the show, Martin embeds himself with pitmasters, chefs, farmers, and larger-than-life characters as they share their own cooking heritage and traditions with him and speak to the importance of keeping those customs alive. Season three of Barbecue: Life of Fire is set to premiere in early 2027. Life of Fire, Seasons 1-2 streaming on MyOutdoorTV and Tastemade, select episodes on Netflix.
A respected leader within the Nashville hospitality and civic community, Martin is a frequent speaker at universities, corporate events, and industry gatherings, where he shares insights on leadership, entrepreneurship, culture-building, and preserving American food traditions. He also actively champions organizations such as Southern Smoke Foundation, which provides emergency financial relief and mental health services to food and beverage workers in crisis, and Tomahawk Charitable Solutions, which honors and supports wounded and fallen military and law enforcement members and their families.
