Celebrating 20 Years Of Whole-Hog Tradition
A Note From Pat Martin
On October 16th, we celebrated 20 years since we opened Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, TN. I never remember thinking about crossing a milestone like this. I didn’t have time to think like that, nor could I afford to. I was only able to look at what was right in front of me. Frankly, I hadn’t even put much thought into what this anniversary really meant until the day before. It hit me hard that morning. There's so much from the past two decades to reflect on, it's hard to even process it all.
I’m so thankful to God for blessing me and my family with the opportunity to live my lifelong dream. I didn’t deserve it, and I still don’t. The day we opened, Wyatt was 11 months old, Martha was pregnant with Daisy, and we were broke. Opening day was rainy and cold and a disaster operationally, but I couldn’t have been happier. At the end of that first night, I knew I’d found my drug — the restaurant business.
We started with 950 square feet and 12 tables in Nolensville, and somehow, 20 years later, we’ve grown to nine restaurants across four states with about 450 people on our team. I never could have imagined that back then. We’ve grown a whole lot over the years, but we’re still independently owned, still cooking whole hog the West Tennessee way, and still doing our best to stay true to what got us here in the first place. None of that would be possible without the people who have helped build this thing along the way.
I can’t thank my wife and kids, my parents, and the friends who believed in me enough. To our original crew and everyone who has come after, thank y’all. And to the Nolensville community and all of our guests over the years, thank you for sticking with us, even when we messed up.
I’m especially grateful for the barbecue community and the lifelong friends I’ve made because of it. As The Legend himself, 17th Street Barbecue founder Mike Mills, would always say, “The pizza people ain’t gettin’ together like we do.”
I love you all, and I’m so indebted to you all. Lord willing, we’ll keep plowing ahead for another 20 years!
- Pat Martin
Spreading the Gospel of Whole Hog BBQ
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint opened its doors in October 2006, in Nolensville, TN, to preserve and celebrate the art and craft of West Tennessee’s legendary whole-hog BBQ tradition. Pat Martin first experienced this culinary specialty as a college student in the small town of Henderson, TN. He was immediately hooked on whole hog - the painstaking technique, the variables of live-fire cooking, the time and energy, the smoke, the smell, the history, and the flavors.
What began 20 years ago as a small, little 950-square foot, 12-table spot is today a beloved culinary destination with six restaurants in Nashville, and locations in Birmingham (AL), Louisville (KY), and Charleston (SC). We welcome guests to join us in our dining rooms, at our bars, in our beer gardens and patios, our private dining rooms, drive-thru and curbside, and through catering and off-site events. We take great care in preparing time-honored recipes that speak to our West Tennessee-style BBQ roots, and pair them alongside beloved Southern classics and signature dishes like Redneck Tacos and BBQ Nachos.
WE SMOKE OUR MEATS OVER LOCAL HICKORY WOOD, FOR UP TO 22 - 24 HOURS.
WE PROUDLY PRESERVE THE ART AND CRAFT OF WEST TENNESSEE’S LEGENDARY WHOLE-HOG BBQ TRADITION
Building upon the success of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Pat opened Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop in 2017 as a tribute to the small town BBQ and burger spots that dotted the mid-South of his youth. Dedicated to simple, delicious food and warm Southern hospitality, Hugh-Baby’s menu covers all the classics, with burgers, Memphis-style pulled pork, hot dogs, fries and hand-spun shakes at its heart. There are three Hugh-Baby’s locations in Nashville, and one in Charleston, South Carolina.
March of 2022 brought the publication of Pat’s Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, The Grill, and The Smokehouse (Clarkson Potter). Through beautiful photography and detailed instruction, this procedural book is a must-have guide to open-fire cooking. Here, Martin looks to transform the way you cook by revealing the craft of West Tennessee-style BBQ - a tradition he’s spent a lifetime studying, teaching, and celebrating. Pat Martin lives in Nashville with his wife, Martha Ann, and their three children Wyatt, Daisy, and Walker.
OUR ENTIRE MENU IS SCRATCH-MADE, EVERY SINGLE DAY - FROM SIDES TO SAUCES, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
