Nashville rocks, Oh yeah, you can find barbecue too

It seems like it's easy to have a great time in Nashville. We were only there for 24 hours. But in that time we caught a half-dozen bands of which the most notable were the Sunday night acts at Roberts Western World (Chris Casello & The Starlight Drifters and The Don Kelley Band).

But that's just some background to why you are really here. How hard do you have to look for barbecue in Nashville? Well, not so hard. There are a few joints on the main Broadway strip. We tried Jack's:



































The brisket is shown on left and pork shoulder on right. Both were smokey, tender, and served fresh off the pit. The prices are nice too. It's nice to know that this is available right in the heart of it all.

One thing that we are becoming weary of, though, is the "sauce bar." We have noticed that something may be awry when a bbq joint is unwilling to commit to a sauce and rather offers an array of "Kansas City", "Carolina", "Texas", "Memphis", etc. sauces. Here's why:

• First, we are doubtful about whether any single location is really making all these sauces. And then, if these are being bought from an external supplier, what should we infer generally about the other products?
• Second, shouldn't a bbq maker know what's best with their meat? We noticed that at Old Hickory in Owensboro, there was one sauce and one sauce only. And you know what? It was perfect.
• Third, to offer a sauce buffet seems to mistake what really matters in barbecue: it's about the meat and the way it is cooked. The sauce should complement the flavor. It shouldn't be the flavor.

All this being said, Jack's did a nice job with their meat. We only wish that they could commit confidently to their own sauce to highlight what they think needs to be highlighted.