Papa Turney's Old Fashion BBQ — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

I visited this local BBQ spot because I was hungry, curious to try something new, and wanted to support a Black-owned business in the area. I was tired and just hoping to grab a quick to-go order.

The place was packed—often a good sign—so I asked the cashier how long a takeout order would take. He told me “5 minutes.” That sounded reasonable.

But after 15 minutes with no update, one of the owners (a woman) asked for my order number. After checking, she said, “Whew, it’s going to be a while.” I let her know the cashier told me 5 minutes, and she reacted with, “5 minutes?!” I asked multiple times for an updated estimate, but she kept brushing me off with vague, dismissive answers like “It’s going to be a minute.”

At that point, they were still calling out numbers in the 40s and 50s, while mine was in the late 60s—and the orders weren’t even going in sequence. Realistically, I was looking at another 20–30 minute wait, minimum.

Eventually, the male owner—her husband, I believe—stepped in and offered me a refund, acknowledging the wait would be long. I accepted. Unfortunately, even that process was slow. I waited several more minutes because the cashier disappeared. The female owner eventually called over a young family member (a kid) to handle it, and then the cashier reappeared to finalize the refund.

As I was leaving, I said, “Thank you, have a good night.” That’s when the female owner replied, “Bye, sorry for your loss.” At first, I didn’t register what she said because the live band was playing, but once I did, I was stunned.

That comment was unnecessary, unprofessional, and rude—especially since I had been polite and patient throughout what was a frustrating experience. If anything, the issue was with the cashier misrepresenting the wait time—not with me for deciding not to wait indefinitely. Ironically, I might’ve given them another chance—until she said that.

I won’t be returning. Someone of her age and position should know better—but clearly, professionalism and grace don’t always come with experience.

And to Miss Ma'am who made that snide remark: I didn’t lose anything. But you just lost a...

Where do I start?.... Five stars is not enough to give for the experience we had here.

My girlfriend and I came to Tennessee, for my sons Graduation from high school. In typical fashion, we all were going to have dinner and celebrate the occasion. Someone had suggested we go check out Papa Turney's Old Fashioned BBQ. Looking at the menu, the food looked soo delicious! It was about 46 minutes from where we were at. I was growing impatient, looking at the time. The stated closing time was 10pm, we were slated to arrive at 9:15pm. Through my experience in life, it is an unwritten rule not to go so close to closing time. There was 8 of us in total, 4 or 5 being fairly picky individuals. We finally arrive there, its jumping with a live Blues band and a handful of people milling around inside and out. It's about 9:30/ 9:40 when we finally place our orders. This is when we met Mike the owner of the establishment... The food came out very quickly, tasted sooooooo damn good!!! Mike though was the best part! He created an experience and cultivated a environment of comfort and belonging! He treated all of us as if he had known us all for years! He was so welcoming, personable, attentive, patient and kind. He chatted with my sons about school, music, life experience... It felt like going to your favorite relatives house that you havent seen in years for dinner. He didnt rush us once, made sure everyone had enough to eat, was content and comfortable!

This was my first time to the south! Ive heard of southern hospitality, but never experienced it first hand. I was blown away by the whole experience! Mike said "We treat our last guests, like they were our first guests!" This waz such a memorable experience, if I ever get Alzheimer's... Id forget my own name, before I forgot my night at Papa Turney's Old fashioned BBQ!

I live in Denver Colorado, I would walk from here too Papa Turney's just to say hi to make again! Dont sleep on this place, it was the best!!! Thank you Mike and the Papa Turney's crew for the best hour of dunning Ive ever...

This place has a whole lot of soul! I just wish I had visited it before I went there for the first time with a friend so I would have known what to expect. I'm thinking more "surf shop" than restaurant here.

The live music they had playing was top notch! The barbecue was fine.

I had actually called in advance for in a reservation, but nobody met us at the door. Customers just go up to the counter, order their food, and then find seats on their own (kind of like McDonald's). So I missed the nice table that they actually DID reserve for me up by the window! That was a disappointment.

My friend and I both ordered pulled pork sandwiches with sides and they were quite tasty. My mac and cheese was dried out though. The buns were delicious.

You must be prepared for the vinegar smell when you walk in the door. I suppose that's a Southern thing that I was just not familiar with. My friend was not taken aback by it at all. She was from NC.

I am sure that the one person who did approach us to make sure that we were okay as new customers was probably the owner or manager. It is truly a very welcoming place right by a beautiful little harbor on Percy Priest Lake. If the music is too loud for you inside, you can go sit outside to the covered patio area and you can still hear it just fine. There is also a TV screen out there showing the band that is playing.

I would definitely return to this place just for the easy, comfortable, welcoming feeling they offer. Just don't expect barbecue like they have at the...