Bill Laviolette’s lunch-only East Nashville storefront — named for his favorite Willie Nelson song — gets major buzz for its Texas-style brisket and ribs, smoked over white oak and pecan wood, as well as a Tennessee-style pulled pork sandwich piled high on a brioche bun. As Shotgun Willie’s BBQ warns on its website, these meats do sometimes sell out, so don’t dawdle if you want a taste.

Butchertown Hall — a restaurant and beer hall that won an Eater Award in 2015 for its standout digs — offers its take on Texas barbecue and a modern approach to butchery in Germantown. Order anything with brisket: oak-roasted brisket tacos, brisket by the pound, brisket-grind double burger. Also, don’t miss the chorizo-crowned queso or top-notch margaritas.

Walk up to the window at Jefferson Street’s family-owned landmark, founded by Mary Seals in 1962 and located in the historic Black business district, to order one of the best plates in town, or try the iconic rib sandwich (good luck finishing the whole thing). The sauce is the star at Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Que; it’s a mustard base with a peppery, vinegar-tinged flavor that helps tenderize the meat. And if you think you’re used to Nashville hot, the hot sauce here may cause you to question your heat tolerance.

This barbecue temple has stood on Broadway since 1989, thriving since long before the area was nightlife central. Jack’s also has two additional locations now: one on Trinity Lane and another in a historic former music club at 1601 Charlotte Avenue. All three share a no-frills vibe and serve the full slate of barbecue styles, from St. Louis to Texas to, of course, Tennessee.

Pitmaster Pat Martin is keeping the West Tennessee tradition of whole-hog barbecue alive and well, growing his Nolensville-based restaurant into a chain spread across several states, including Nashville locations in Belmont, Midtown, Nissan Stadium, and downtown. Don’t miss Martin’s quintessential pulled pork barbecue sandwich; other hits include wings, wet or dry ribs, brisket sandwiches, barbecue bologna sandwiches, and Redneck Tacos on cornbread hoecakes.

Edley’s Bar-B-Que is a local favorite that has grown to encompass several Nashville locations and beyond. Co-owner Will Newman shared some impressive stats back in 2016, revealing that the original 12 South location alone sold over 1,393 pounds of pulled pork per week at that time. The Tuck Special is a sandwich to behold: sliced brisket crowned with an over-easy egg, a hearty smear of pimento cheese, red and white sauce, and pickles. Whatever you do, begin with the hot chicken nachos and a side of jalapeno ranch, and save room for the banana pudding.

Pitmaster Shane Nasby opened his smoked meat source in Bellevue in late 2018. The fast-casual barbecue joint serves the likes of chopped and sliced brisket, pulled pork, and smoked turkey on decadent sandwiches or on trays. The Southern Shine sandwich stacks hand-pulled pork atop fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese, and candied bacon with a drizzle of Honeyfire sauce on a toasted bun, perfect with sides like white queso mac and cheese and Hoosier corn pudding (inspired by Nasby’s Indiana roots). And the peanut butter banana pudding is unbeatable.

The fifth floor and rooftop restaurant (the uppermost level is perched atop the bar’s six-story building) at Chief’s pulls from Eric Church’s Carolina roots, with a menu from lauded pitmaster Rodney Scott on offer. Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog Barbecue at Chief’s offers brunch, lunch, and dinner service, as well as a walk-up order window that operates in the morning and at night. Find dishes like pig skin nachos spiked with Alabama white sauce, sandwiches loaded with meats like prime brisket or pulled chicken, and the pitmaser’s signature whole hog plate.

This Nashville mainstay with a sprawling outdoor patio features all the barbecue shop favorites, including juicy pulled pork, thick smoked turkey slices, behemoth beef ribs and brisket, pastrami, and even St. Louis-style pork ribs. (The brisket, pulled pork, and pastrami can be served as sandwiches.) On Thursdays, find a dripping birria taco special; on Fridays, smoked prime rib is available. Sides like grilled street corn, coleslaw, and cowboy beans round out the regular menu.