Judge Bean’s BBQ

I really wanted to like this place because I love barbecue so much. Unfortunately, the flavor just isn’t for me. I ordered the smoked chicken with green beans & greens. The whole meal was spicy & way too smokey. After each bite I had to take a sip of water. My fiancés pulled pork was a little tough, compared to other bbq joints. The people are nice, but we won’t be back. Moes bbq in Franklin is the best!

The food here was excellent. Service was medium. The wait staff would ask if we needed something, then they’d forget to bring it. Later they would apologize. It was a busy Saturday night. They were friendly, however, and the food was delicious.

It pains me to leave a 3-​star review for an establishment that bears my name, but that’s just what’s got to happen. Stick around for the end though, because there are a couple of things YOU HAVE TO GO IN AND ENJOY!
I first saw this place a few years ago when I was in Nashville for an interview. I thought then to myself, «Well, I’ve got to try that some day for sure.» You see, apparently somewhere back in the family tree, there’s a relation Judge Roy Bean, the only law west of the Pecos.
Anyway, tonight was the night I chose the location for dinner without much input from my family. We all like BBQ of some sort so it’s usually a safe bet for a family dinner.
My son and I split a sampler plate that had pulled pork, brisket, ribs, a couple of wings, diablo shrimp, some texas toast and two sides. My wife and daughter split another combo meal with chicken, pulled pork and a couple of sides. In addition, I also ordered an appetizer called Texas sushi.
We were all a bit underwhelmed overall with most of the BBQ. It wasn’t bad by any means, but there are better options available in the area. My wife prefers brisket and the brisket tonight was very tough and chewy except for a couple of pieces that ended up being fairly tender. My son likes ribs and he didn’t even finish the half-​rack included in our meal. They were kind of fatty and chewy as well. I will say that I generally prefer my ribs to be a bit dryer so the fat is more rendered and crispy. There were a couple of good bits of rib that I did have as for flavor overall. My daughter is our pulled-​pork lover, she enjoyed it and I think it was the best option we had for BBQ overall. They also had a BBQ grilled chicken breast pieces that looked very good and my wife said that is what she would get if we ever returned. Overall sides were very good as well.
Now, I will say there were a few things I enjoyed that were absolutely delicious. First, on our combo platter there were a few hot wings included. These were cooked great (not slimy) and seasoned with a delicious BBQ sauce and what appeared to be a combo of dry rub of some sort. Perfect heat and tenderness.
Also, in our combo were some Diabo shrimp. This was like a jalapeño popper, with a boiled shrimp stuffed inside it and then wrapped with a piece of bacon! Absolutely fantastic delicious! I’d stop in for an order of these as a snack!
Lastly, another appetizer I enjoyed was the Texas Sushi. This was a jalapeño popper, stuffed with a piece of smoked sausage and then wrapped in a slice of beef brisket. Again, overall this was a very tasty bite. I say bite, it took me about three bites to finish each one. The brisket was still a little tough and chewy, but flavor was good. If there was a downside, the smoked sausage flavor overpowered everything else just a bit. Perhaps a smaller piece instead. I also had the idea of swapping the sausage for a rolled up piece of brisket that was then wrapped with a piece of bacon.
The service was attentive and friendly. I did ask if they could bring me a «hot» BBQ sauce they didn’t put in the table and she said sure. I never saw it during my meal. Not sure if they thought I couldn’t handle it and were protecting me or just forgot.

I’ve been to a lot of bbq joints, and this is probably my least favorite. We started off with chips and salsa, which the salsa was served hot, like they just got done cooking it. And that’s fine if you like it that way, but it’s certainly not the way I expected it to be. It should at least state it that way on the menu. My wife had the smoked chicken and I had the bbq ribs. Both of our meats were too smokey in taste, and very dry. And the service was way too slow.

Pork and sausage were very greasy. Sweet potato fries and okra had no flavor. Banana pudding was also nothing special. All things considered, I cannot say anything good about this restaurant. I have been to barbecue restaurants all over the United States and this one ranks near the bottom of my list.

This place is apparently pretty polarizing. I don’t understand why. It’s actually pretty reasonably priced given its location and everything is done pretty well. Great hot sauce for the wings, pulled pork is good, brisket is a little gamey, but tasty and the beans are great. I’d put it somewhere below Martins, but in my opinion better than the chains (Corky’s, Jim and Nicks and so on…).
I think the atmosphere is pretty «local» and down home, which is tough when you’re nestled in the heart of Brentwood’s commercial district. I found the customer service friendly and welcoming.

Where do I start. .the food is #awesomeness they give you 6 big slices of brisket their greens are off the chain along with their Banana pudding the staff are always professional and I always leave at least a 20 percent tip they work very hard for it
So if your looking for a great barbecue place in Brentwood this is it

Next time I’m in town I’ll be sure to come back to this place! Don’t be deceived by the exterior of this place, it’s bigger than it seems and it has a neat atmosphere. The food was fantastic, we had a large group with us so we were able to try several different items from their menu, everything was great.

If you like an authentic BBQ joint, look no further! The place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when you open the door the aroma makes your mouth water.
The wait staff is very pleasant and courteous.
I had the brisket and it was very tender. Enjoy!

Great BBQ! The place looks like a dive but friendly waitstaff and fast good food! Loved the bbq platter with many options to share. The shrimp Diablo was a favorite!

Stopped in as it was close to the hotel. Had the prerequisites covered. Cold beer and BBQ. Very pleasantly surprised. Eclectic atmosphere. Good service. The BBQ was excellent. Had some Brisket and pork. Good as any I have had in Texas, Alabama or Tennessee. Definitely will stop back next trip into town.

I love this place!!! It’s like the local watering hole. The bar is a great hang out spot and you feel at home. We ALWAYS get brisket nachos… There’s no way my boyfriend would let us walk outta there without having an order. I’m not a nacho dish kinda gal, but this place has me hooked! I would definitely recommend this local favorite any day of the week. Their BBQ is by far my favorite in Nashville.

For a small venue it had huge flavor! I was in town for business and a group of us tried this place out. I ate my meal and tried other foods at the table, everything was terrific. Parkimg was adequate, the price was reasonable and the portions filled my large belly up! Will go again if I’m in town!

Tony loves this place and claims the BEST BBQ in the Nashville area. Noël had never been here before so we opted to take her… The place was not very busy. So we were seated immediately, then the waitress took our drink order. Tony Bud in a bottle, myself Soda and Noël wanted Rootbeer. The waitress served Bud Lite .ugh she messed up that quickly… so we had to send her back.
Tony and I opted to share a BBQ platter of Brisket, Ribs and smoked Sausage with sides of green beans and mac n; cheese and a slice of Texas Toast. The food was good… but not the best… but definitely good. We went to celebrate the fact Tony as a new job with a construction company…
Noël ordered a burger with fries. and OF COURSE I had to try the fries… KILLER !!!
We will definitely return. The food was good. I would recommend to everyone if you are in the area… GO !!! Eat some BBQ and leave a review to share your opinion !!!

Right from the get go Judge’s has the ambiance all great BBQ joints should have — tucked away, shack light atmosphere, pales of napkins on the tables — I love it.
I have been to this location a few times now and have had consistently good service from a knowledgeable wait staff. They are known for their brisket but personally I have found it to be a bit dry and do not care for it – I would stick with their pulled pork and delicious fall-​off-​the-​bone ribs. I am a big fan of their sauce more so than other joints, and prefer their mac ‘n’ cheese over both Edley’s and Peg Leg. If you save room, the Pecan Pie is life-​altering. They also have a good local beer selection and ample parking.
Despite all the positive reviews, I’ve yet to try the nachos — next time!
Pro-​tip: There is no hostess so drop your name in the bucket when there is a wait!

Order a Shiner Bock draft and brisket for five star taste. The chicken was also good. The pork was ok and fish taco nothing to write home about.
The sides were ok. Service was fast and friendly! Recommended, if you eat like you are in Texas. Brisket stands out as exceptional.

If you don’t know what to get, ask your server. Our server was super sweet, very descriptive and extremely helpful with our order. The ribs were great and her recommendations of sides went perfectly with our meal. There is a ton of construction going on next door but, luckily, you couldn’t really tell from inside. There was music and the game on and tons of cheery people just enjoying the afternoon.
I definitely suggest stopping here and checking out whatever it is they suggest!

Had the Judges BBQ plate/​a good value@$ 12.50 pulled pork was good, fries soggy thou Merideth was very attentive to our needs.

We went to Judge Bean’s BBQ on a whim after doing some shopping in Brentwood. It was so good! We’ve been hunting for really great brisket around Nashville, and while we’ve found some pretty good ones, their’s takes the prize hands down.
To start, we had to taste the salsa because I read a review that said there were pieces of brisket actually integrated into it. Yep — amazing. Very spicy, I will warn. I am not a sensitive to spice kind of girl, and my mouth was burning. We also got a small order of their wings with the pepper sauce and I have to say, some of the best wings I’ve had in a long long time. I have been craving them since we went!
For dinner, I ordered the daily special of the Brisket Chimichanga. There was a nice balance of ingredients (beans, cheese, brisket, rice) inside, but I’m not sure if it was the fact that my palette had just been attacked by the salsa and wings, or if it truly was lacking in seasoning. My husband ordered the brisket platter (of course, since that’s what we were there for), and loved it!
We’ll be back, if for nothing else wings and brisket.
Much Meat Love to You, Judge Beans!

We drove by this place several times, we just couldn’t commit to going in. The parking lot was always full, which was a good sign. Tonight we decided to go in, so glad we did, our brisket plater, bbq beans, potato salad & a shrimp Diablo.
It’s been a while since I have had brisket this good, that it could be cut with a fork. You need to come check them out!