Judge Bean's BBQ

Tex-mex like not other in town. Was on the spicy side. Kids loved the burrito but they love spicy. Laid back atmosphere. more

I've been to every BBQ restaurant in the Nashville area and this is my favorite. No pork (it is Texas style) but all the meats have that great smoky flavor. The ribs are amazing. Very tender and juicy. Brisket is also excellent. Tender and has a great flavor. It's got a very casual, laid back atmosphere. The servers are friendly and full of personality. They also have a ton of TVs and its a great place to watch games. more

Best BBQ place I've been to in Nashville area. Everything I've had on the menu has been good, but I recommend the brisket. Tender, juicy and meaty. Good BBQ sauce too. Sweet, tangy and smoky ... I also suggest the chili. Pretty spicy, but very filling! This place is very laid back and small. Gets kind of crowded for lunch sometimes, but worth the wait. Got a ton of TVs. Kind of a guys' place. more

Never had Texas-style BBQ before but I'm an instant fan. I got the three-meat combo and the brisket, ribs and chicken were all excellent. The meat has a nice smoky flavor. I recommend some of the shrimp diablos and the cowboy beans too if you can handle spicy food. more

?? Went in on a Sunday afternoon, been wanting to try there BBQ. Sat at the bar and the bartender was more interested in partying with her friends than serving me. She was even drinking a beer. After about 15 minutes she finaly came back to check on me and take my food order. I didnt order, she got no tip and I left. Sent an email to the management and of course no reply so I assume that this type of service is standard for the place. more

Judge Bean's is reopening in Brentwood on Monday, July 20th. You will love the Texas style BBQ. The brisket is awesome, as is the atmosphere. Live music on the weekends and new kids menu are promised. Pros: Best brisket I've ever had more

I absolutely love this restaurant. Their brisket is the best I've ever had. I recommend getting the Brisket Plate, the Brisket Tacos, or the Brisket Tamales. The Cowboy Beans are also a great choice for a side. The food is awesome. You can't go wrong here. Pros: Best brisket in town Cons: Service could be better more

While at Greere Stadium for the Sounds game I figured I would go up and try Judge Bean's as I was thinking that it had to be better than Sluggers which used to be there.\r When we got up there it was pretty empty with only about 3 other tables being used. I thought it was a bad sign, but we went in anyway. I ordered a Burger, and my buddy got the ribs. I have this rule that says if it is a BBQ place and there is no stack of fire wood go somewhere else. I should have stuck to my guns, but I figured a burger would be ok. It took forever to get the food after we ordered. I remember commenting to my friend that the game was only nine innings.\r Things did not get much better when the food did come.. The meat had some sort of seasoning on it that was not good, and the cheese.....give me break, but they use Nacho Cheese on burgers. I asked for some lettuce and they do not have it.. Was this BBQ or a Mexican Cantina?\r I tried one of my friends ribs and it was the same old boiled ribs that I hate. They brown them a bit, slapp on some sauce and call it BBQ. I am no Einstein, but I do know BBQ and this was not BBQ.\r It is too bad. I go to about 40 games a year and it would be nice to get a decent place up there, but this is not it. I am back to bringing in Burger King burgers or Fried Chicken from the market. It is better than Judge Beans., and a heck of a lot cheaper too. Save your money for some Peanuts downstairs. Pros: The fries are good Cons: The rest of the meal and the long wait to get it more

The cussing (14 times!) on the menu was pretty classless......and i cuss with the best of them! the portion size for the meals were very good, but the meat was not fresh. i got the brisket tacos and the brisket sandwich. tacos were pretty good. the sandwich was o.k. at best. they sliced the meat paper thin (like on a roast beef sandwich slicer) and layed it over chopped brisket meat (used for the tacos i assume, which means it came right out of the fridge!). whenever you eat brisket that is sliced paper thin they are trying to hide things. when it is sliced thin BEWARE......that means (usually) that it is too dry to serve otherwise (sliced in 1/8"" thick slices). its like eating pulled pork that already has sauce mixed in with it to hide how dry it is. the atmosphere was pretty cool but thats about it. Pros: ambience Cons: food more

Love this place, I don't live in nashville but this restaurant made me want to! I can't compare it to anything- never have had real Texas BBQ. Wish they shipped the meats-honestly the best sausage I've ever had in my life....mmm...will be back asap. Pros: sausage, casual atmosphere more

This place has a awesome menu topped with things like Brisket Tacos and BBQ Burritos -- as well as other more traditional items (brisket, baked beans, chicken, sausage, etc.). This place is awesome -- without a doubt -- I plan to go back repeatedly. Great decor and atmosphere as well. Pros: Awesome food, cool menu, cheap! Cons: I kind of wish the sauce was a bit spicier, but the smoked meats are awesome! more

with all due respect, sbmorton, the Texas BBQ staple ain't the hog - having said that, I have given Judge Bean's brisket a try THREE times - it certainly ain't Texas BBQ - if the Judge wants to claim he's from Texas, he needs to smoke it low & slow - Nashvillians, please do not let this be the bar with which you 'judge' Texas BBQ - folks 'round here love you some pork, but if done right, I guarantee the brisket will become a close second more

I think that the new location is perfect. The ambience is exactly what a boutique BBQ should be shooting for. However, despite the brilliant ambience of the venue, I think this Texas style BBQ leaves much to be desired. If you plan to fancy yourself as a true southern BBQ joint then you need to be able to master- the pig. Sure, this place has excellent brisket, but brisket ain?t hog. In my opinion, hog is the only true bbq, and if you can?t make a decent shoulder sandwich or pork ribs, then pack your bags. Also, the house BBQ sauce tastes like ketchup, liquid smoke, and nickel. If this place wants to compete with the other BBQ restaurants in town then they need to focus on improving their pork shoulder, ribs, and sauce. One more thing, the service is very slow. I waited 15 minutes for a beer while the bartender watched a hockey game. Inexcusable. more

My friend and I love some BBQ and after hearing several people rave about this place I suggested it for lunch one day. Mind you this is Texas BBQ not TN/NC pulled pork which I prefer. The brisket was very tender and good but not enough to convert me. The 2 sauces were good but pretty much average. The cowboy beans had a great flavor but were lukewarm. The fries were great (no mashed potatoes, a big negative) But the thing that left me scratching my head was the slice of plain wonder bread! For $10 I would expect a piece of good ole Texas cornbread or at least buttered toast. Anything but a 2 cent slice of wonder bread! That to me is worth at least 1 point deduction. If this is your first time in Nashville check out Jacks or Hog Heaven first for Tennessee BBQ. For everyone else this place is definitely worth checking out (especially if you are a Texas BBQ person) and I would go again if someone else wanted to go; but this is not good enough to satisfy my weekly BBQ craving. Pros: Good Texas BBQ Cons: Average sides, Wonder Bread, Weird seating/ordering setup more

Which is a good thing. Was in town to party in Nashville from New York, and asked a friend where to go for BBQ. He recommended Judge Bean's. My wife was nervous of this out of the way end of 12th street place, but it was a Saturday afternoon and I walked in to a lot of ugly pumpkin colored shirts and the Oklahoma vs Texas game on TV. Made for a great afternoon. I ordered the sampler platter and that ended up being perfect for a tourist because I had about 8 different options. The ribs were amazing, the shrimp thingy I ate was delicious, brisket melted in your mouth, sauce was spicy and zesty but went great with beer. Only parts I didn't like was order first, pay at window, bring food. Kind of a gourmet fast food, but the taste was worth that minor inconvenience. I like sitting down, being lazy, and being waited on. Still want one opened in NY. Pros: Great BBQ Cons: Pay First and Seat Yourself more

I'm a born & raised Tennessean, love Country music, Wade Hayes, Preston Coley and Darrell Mcall. I lived and worked in La Grange, TX enjoyed BBQ at the meat market in Giddings, missed it when I returned to TN. Was introduced to Judge Beans through the Wade Hayes fan club. Had the opportunity to partake of the offerings and listen to Wade perform. Each a joy unto itself. I reccomend the #2 regular. It is the best, leanest portion of beef. The #1 is tough and leathery. What makes the Judges so good is the long slow smoke, unlike TN BBQ that is quick cooked and smothered in sauce. A true conesieur of ANY cooked beef product will forgo a sauce. If you visit and don't enjoy your experience or the opportunity, stay home next time. If you're complaing about the price go back to Mickey Ds they have a Cheap menu, that's why Americans are SO FAT\r I really enjoyed meeting Aubrey and thanking him for opening his establishment, Now if he'd only bring some Kolaches to enjoy, I'd be back in TX heaven. Pros: Brisqet Cons: Parkin more

Came to Nashville with my friends for vacation. Heard of Judge Beans and just had to try it. Wish they would come up North and show us Northerners how to make good Texas Barbecue. Service the night we were there was excellent and the everything we had was plentiful, flavorful, tender and down right delicious. Mr. Bean ....You did good.\r \r more

Where to begin. . . If there is a band there playing FORGET about carrying on a conversation with your dining mates anywhere in the restaurant. The band is way too loud and when I was there noone seemed to be paying attention. Overall food sucked on many levels. Very pricey AND small portions. I got the ""sampler platter"" to try some of all of it. Brisket was very dry and tasted like lighter fluid. Ribs were o.k. at best but very very grease. Smoked sausage was horrorable! More of a hot dog than sausage and SWIMMING in grease. Tamale was cold in the center and dry. Shrimp Diablo was o.k.. Wing were actually pretty good. Got a side of cowboy beans which would not have filled a shotglass. Girl taking the order was very rude and snotty. Finally, for some reason, ""the judge"" decided it would be a good idea to include curse words (S##T) on his menu to make a point. What a real classy place! I'll never go again. Pros: Some of food was o.k. . . . Cons: most was not. Band too loud. Service too rude. Overpriced. Portions too small. more

Judge Bean's is not going to be all things to all people. If you particularly like Pork BBQ and have never had Beef BBQ, then give Judge Bean's a try. If you fear change and don't like to try new things (and Pork BBQ is your thing), then don't even bother. Judge Bean's BBQ is smoked with a variety of woods (not just the Hickory we're used to, but Pecan and Mesquite) and it has a different effect on the meat.\r \r I enjoy the really smokey tenderness of the brisket, and the sauce could be famous in and of itself. The new location (12th Avenue North) lends itself very well to the ambiance that Judge Beans wants to achieve. The staff cover a large area, but not one of my many visits there has left me feeling that I was mistreated or neglected. The menu is surprisingly broad for a staff of this size, offering Tacos, Burritos, famous Brisket, and my favorite: Tamales. Everyone should try the tamales (the Corn husk on the outside should be peeled off before eating) and savor a flavor that is authentically Texas.\r \r Go forth and enjoy with an open mind and you'll likely discover yourself a regular at this joint. I was a fan when they were at the Wedgewood location, but the move gives them more a feeling of permanance, as I hope they will be for years to come. Pros: Flavor, Aftertaste, Experience Cons: French fries :( - try coleslaw in lieu of more

In town on business from VA and got a taste of God's country. The food was incredibly good. Reminded me of home. Just missed the onions and pickles. Pros: Good food, ambience Cons: a little pricey, parking more