Peg Leg Porker BBQ — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

If you’re roaming around Nashville and craving some no-frills, smoke-kissed barbecue done right, Peg Leg Porker is a name you’ll keep hearing—and after a visit, for good reason.

Ambiance & First Impressions: Located in The Gulch, Peg Leg Porker is casual, lively, and full of that down-home Southern BBQ charm. The vibe is welcoming, with rustic decor, indoor and outdoor seating, and even a rooftop patio where you can catch some skyline views while enjoying your meal. It can get crowded and a little noisy during peak hours, but that’s just part of the energy.

Service: Ordering is done at the counter, and then you grab a seat while you wait for your food to be called. Service is generally friendly and helpful, though it can be a bit hit-or-miss when the place is slammed. If you’re looking to avoid longer waits, try going during off-peak hours like late afternoon or early evening. Despite the crowds, the staff seems to genuinely care about making sure you leave full and happy.

The Food (the star of the show):

Dry-Rubbed Ribs – Easily the standout item. These are not your typical saucy ribs—they’re dry-rubbed, smoky, and full of flavor. The meat is tender and pulls clean off the bone, with a perfect bark. If you only get one thing, make it the ribs.

Pulled Pork – Juicy, smoky, and hand-pulled to perfection. The pork has a deep smoke ring and rich flavor that stands on its own, even without sauce. Whether in a platter or sandwich, it’s a classic done right.

Yardbird (Smoked Chicken) – Moist, well-seasoned, and surprisingly flavorful. A great option if you want something a little lighter but still packed with that BBQ punch.

Other Creative Menu Highlights: “Memphis Sushi” (cheddar, kielbasa, and saltines) is quirky but fun. The BBQ nachos with pulled pork, jalapeños, and cheese are also popular and great for sharing.

Sides & Extras:

Mac ‘n’ Cheese – Creamy, rich, and satisfying.

Smoked Green Beans – One of the more unique and flavorful veggie sides.

Baked Beans & Potato Salad – Classic, solid barbecue staples.

Kool-Aid Pickles – Yes, they’re real! Tangy, sweet, and a fun little twist.

Fried Pies (Dessert) – Available in chocolate, peach, and apple—comfort food dessert at its finest. Highly recommended if you have room left.

Drinks: They offer a good variety of local craft beers and soft drinks. The bar area adds to the laid-back, local vibe and makes this a solid place to hang out for a bit.

Pros:

Outstanding ribs and pulled pork

Creative, flavorful sides

Fun, casual atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating

Rooftop patio for an added bonus

Fast-moving lines (usually), especially during off-peak hours

Cons:

Can get crowded and noisy

Service might slow down during peak times

Some items (like sandwiches) can occasionally vary in quality

Not the cheapest, but fair for the quality

Final Verdict: Peg Leg Porker is a must-visit for barbecue lovers in Nashville. The ribs and pulled pork are the real deal, the sides show creativity and care, and the vibe is exactly what you want from a Southern BBQ joint. Expect a crowd, bring your appetite, and don’t...

In the heart of Nashville, where the air hangs heavy with the scent of smoldering hickory and the slow churn of time, there stands a man who has conquered fire. Carey Bringle—a craftsman, a pitmaster, a man whose very name is written in the rising smoke—has, with his wife Delaniah, shaped something remarkable. Not just one place, but two. Two temples to the old ways.

And the first of these temples, Peg Leg Porker, stands as a monument to Tennessee’s own, to the slow-cooked, pig-fat-dripping, crackling and falling-from-the-bone sort of eating that belongs to the South alone. Pulled pork, rich and humble, settles into a bun like an old farmer into a rocking chair. It knows its place, and it doesn’t have to shout. The ribs—smoked long and low, kissed by time itself—slip from the bone with the ease of a river slipping through stone. There is chicken too, but the pig is king here, and it reigns with quiet authority.

There is something more, too. A relic. A prosthetic leg, resting there at the ordering counter, not displayed, not hung, but simply there, like an old friend waiting for its turn to be useful again. And if you know the legend of the place, if you know the story of Carey Bringle, you know it could belong to none other than the master of the pit himself. A man who lost a leg but gained a kingdom. A man who stands taller on one leg than most men do on two.

But there is another place. Bringle’s Smoking Oasis. And here, the story shifts. If Peg Leg Porker is Tennessee’s birthright, Bringle’s Smoking Oasis is its adopted child, wild and bold and full of Texas fire. Here, the beef reigns. Brisket, dark and trembling with smoke, sliced thick and rich with fat, speaks in a deep and knowing voice. Pastrami, its cousin in the smoke, whispers secrets to those who understand. And for all its Texas heart, the Oasis does not forget where it came from—there is pulled pork and turkey here, too, because tradition does not yield so easily.

And so the question comes—where does a man return?

To Peg Leg Porker, where the pig is king, where the ribs speak in soft, slow tones of old Tennessee? Or to Bringle’s Smoking Oasis, where fire and beef and the sharp bark of brisket call out like a song from a long road west?

For me, it is the Oasis. Brisket and pastrami pull me like a river’s current, and I go willingly. But still, I will return to the Porker, to that soft-spoken pig and the leg that waits by the counter, because some stories, some places, are too good not to visit again.

And in the end, it does not matter where you go first. What matters is...

We were between hot chicken and bbq for a lunch before we left Nashville -- by vote, we wound up with bbq, which lead us to Peg Leg Porker.

There's a convenient gravel lot right across the street from the restaurant. We arrived near opening (maybe ~11:15) and so had no trouble parking.

This is an order at the counter restaurant so there was no wait for us, either. Things picked up very quickly as our lunch progressed and by 11:30 or so there was a decent line. Still, it moved at a good clip and food seemed to be coming out very fast. Service seemed nice enough and an older gentleman employee even helped me throw away our trash when we were done.

The interior is pretty large and has bbq-typical decorations, with a bit more of a "bar" feel than a mom and pop Que shop. Nothing wrong with that! I liked the photos on the walls.

Hubs got a half rack, I got a pork plate with fries and mac and cheese. Sis-in-law and her husband both got pork sandwiches with one side and added on an appetizer of bbq nachos.

The appetizer nachos were huuuuge and they had buyers' remorse because it was too much food altogether. Portion sizes are very generous here, to be sure!

The ribs are served with dry rub but of course you can add sauce if you like. We prefer our ribs this way (I was raised on Memphis bbq and converted my husband). We both thought these were good ribs! The fries were average crinkle cuts, but the macaroni and cheese was great! Enormous shells that packed lots of gooey, peppery sauce in each bite. Very flavorful mac; it might've been my favorite part of the meal.

The pulled pork was also pretty good. It was almost too tender -- I like mine to retain just a little bit of chew -- and perhaps a bit more smoke and less fat would've been closer to my ideal of perfection, but I certainly enjoyed it. They have regular and spicy bbq sauce. Both are on the thicker, sweeter side, which is my preference over vinegar sauce. The hot packs a legitimate kick and I enjoyed that. Drinks come in cute souvenir cups and my sweet tea was on point.

This was a solid dining experience that I think the whole party...