Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Que

Reviews

• Nathan T.

  star star star star star 19 July 2026

  If you want great, no-frills, Memphis-style pork shoulder barbecue, excellent ribs, or a decent catfish platter, look no further. I had driven by Mary's almost every day on my way to work at a school off of D. B. Todd, and I finally had to stop in for lunch one day. I'm so glad that I finally did.
  
  Let me start with the service, about which I really can't say enough - the proprietor was right at the ordering window and made me feel instantly at home, even though I was only stopping in for carry-out. She was kind and gracious, and the rest of the staff was laughing, friendly, and constantly checked with me to ensure that I had already been helped.
  
  I got a pork shoulder sandwich, french fries, corn cakes. As for the pork shoulder sandwich, it came out very smokey (perfection!) tender, and flavorful: exactly what pork barbecue should look, taste, and smell like. The tangy orange-colored sauce wasn't what I was expecting for a Nashville barbecue restaurant, but boy, did it hit the spot. The french fries were glorious; hot, oily, and crispy. They had clearly just been fried when I got served up my extremely generous portion. The corn cakes were yet another wonderful surprise. I've always been a little suspicious of corn griddle cakes - simple skillet cornbread has always been the way to go for me - but these were phenomenal. That's not even to mention the fact that Miss Mary, the proprietor, gave me an extra corn cake free of charge simply for chatting with her! The cakes were well-done, savory, and chewy with a pleasingly gritty texture, just like Southern cornbread should be.
  
  I'll be back the next time I can. I already have this place marked off as my "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant in Nashville, and if you're ever on the lookout for great barbecue at an also-great price, look no further than Mary's Old Fashioned Pit Barbeque.

• S B.

  star star star star_border star_border 4 July 2026

  I got the rib sandwich which is really like a half slab of ribs. No sauce on the ribs. Very spicy watery hot sauce came with it. I had to ask for bbq which was a lot sweeter so better to me. The ribs were tender but there wasn't enough meat on the bones.
  
  I don't even remember the sides I got because they were forgettable but I remember them being edible.
  
  Fish sandwich was ok. Lacked a bit of seasoning and the bones were a problem.
  
  I'd return if someone I'm with wants to try it. But I don't see myself going on my own to satisfy any future bbq cravings.

• Monica W.

  star star star star star 1 July 2026

  Every time I come to Nashville, Mary's is a must stop by. The fish sandwich is amazing. My favorite must have are the ribs!!! 5stars all the way

• Kevon P.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 29 June 2026

  I'm not sure what it used to taste like but everything was gross and the customer service was poor as well. The fish was over cooked and chewy not to mention I was told I didn't need to look at my plate because everything was in there only to find that I wasn't given pickles or onions which are imperative to a good fish plate. The pork shoulder was also trash and tasted baked. The spaghetti tasted like it was poured out of a can and the fries seemed as though they were fried the the day before. The baked beans tasted like I was eating a spoon of cheap BBQ sauce and the potato salad was warm which is a food hazard. I should've known better when the restaurant was empty during rush hour. I defiantly won't be returning and wasting anymore money at this establishment. 98 percent of what I bought went in the trash.

• Trice E.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 26 June 2026

  I use to come here when I was a kid I use to look forward to coming here from California however that was years ago so years later under new ownership it was not as good as it use to be it use to be moist and full of flavor not anymore dry pull pork yuk what a disappointment