Drifters BBQ

Drifters is a «dive bar» style BBQ restaurant /​bar that occasionally has live music. You can sit inside or they have a good size outdoor section that is dog friendly. The staff is incredibly nice, always have a great experience. Their ribs are fantastic however they run out so availability is hit and miss. That said, in my opinion, the Drifter’s burger is probably the best burger in Nashville. I highly recommend Drifters and would give them a 6^th star if I could.

Great place for outdoor eating with a simple vibe and yummy bbq. We had the pulled pork bbq sandwich and fried catfish. Great band was playing and was a fun place to chill before heading to Family Wash for a show.

Had the woodchuck cider and a tofu sandwich. Big heavy sandwich, in a good way. Tofu fried, a little bland in terms of the breading, but great texture/​moisture level, and bland tofu breading works as a good base for their variety of sauces, many of them spicy in unique ways. Good outdoor seating with good lighting. Parking’s a pain but its a pain for any business in this area.

Cool little spot with live music. Their food was really good, everything from the pulled pork, to pulled chicken, beans, and so on. But their sausage, wow, really really good.

When visiting Nashville, it is imperative to make sure you eat at a BBQ place. Coming from Texas, I have had some pretty damn good BBQ. I found Drifters on Unilocal and was excited because they also had vegetarian options for my boyfriend who is vegetarian.
We ubered to this place which was one of the best decisions. They have a parking lot but it is shared amongst many establishments. On a Saturday night, you can imagine it wasn’t fun. None the less, we didn’t have to worry about it (on a side note, Sunday afternoon is fine).
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the hostess. She sat us down quite quickly for how busy the place was. There were a lot of options on the menu. It was a good mix between Mexican and BBQ (interesting combo but no fusion). As per all the Unilocal reviews, it sounded like the Hush Puppies were a must. They were pretty tasty but I didn’t see the whole hoopla about them (I would give them a ⁴⁄₅).
I was super excited for my BBQ. For $ 9, I got brisket, pulled chicken, baked beans and fries. Unfortunately, as I started eating my food, that excitement went down. The brisket was very dry. I am used to brisket that melts in your mouth and is juicy. The pulled chicken was the same. Except for the color, you would not be able to tell apart the difference. The baked beans were quite yummy and so were the fries but it didn’t cover the disappointment I had over my BBQ.
Overall, it’s a fun place to relax but if you want to go enjoy BBQ, might not be the best option.

I didn’t really give these guys proper attention since I just stopped in on my way to the airport and got a pulled pork sandwich to go. The gal working at the bar was super nice and the roadhouse feel of the place was just fine. Ate the sandwich 2 days later but even then, I think it was the best pulled pork I ate on my zip thru Louisville, Memphis and Nashville. It wasn’t all super shredded, some good chunks on a nicely grilled roll. It would have been even better in real time with some great sauce and sides. Next time.

This place is tucked into a side street unknown to google maps. We only came here once but they have a really chill atmosphere, friendly waitstaff and bartenders. We were there on a Tuesday and there was a really good band there. I had BBQ brisquet nachos and they were great. My husband highly recommends the ribs. I expect this place is a good place for an after work drink as well as dinner with the family. We saw all kinds while we were there. The food was good but the atmosphere made for a good bar/​dinner hangout as well.

From the exterior, Drifters looks more like a hole-​in-​the-​wall biker bar than a purveyor of smoked meats. The inside mostly mirrored my initial impression, except that it was much more inviting than I assumed. I’m sure that Drifters gets packed once happy hour rolls in.
When I ordered a sweet tea to quench my thirst, I was immediately asked, «How sweet?» God bless the South. I opted for their Hickory Smoked Sampler Platter: a third-​rack of ribs, and three ounces each of pulled chicken, brisket, and smoked sausage. This bad boy also comes with baked beans, coleslaw, and fries, though I humbly subbed in hushpuppies for the slaw. I do wish they served pulled pork with this sampler instead of poultry, but c’est la vie.
The beans were somewhat sweet, but not overly so. Drifters’ fries were fairly standard, although I loved the seasoning blend dusted on top. It gave things a really nice zip. The hushpuppies were the standout winner of my side dishes. Their beautiful, golden crust had a great crunch and was equally tasty. I also liked the slight spiciness to them, which was even better with the accompanying remoulade.
Not surprisingly, the Texan in me was expecting sliced brisket, but sadly their beef comes shredded. Even so, there was plenty of scrumptious bark to go around. The meat had great flavors from the marinade and a decent smokiness to boot. It was also very tender, which I always appreciate.
I didn’t really anticipate housemade sausage at Drifters. It did have a nice sear from the grilltop, but no real smoke that I could taste. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy dipping it in the hushpuppy remoulade. Perhaps they should just make that their standard pairing for the sausage.
There was much more flavor in the chicken than most of the smoked poultry I’ve tasted. It was tender and not at all dry. The chicken had only a modest hint of smoke though. I did receive a good mix of white and dark meat though.
Dry-​rub ribs were just what I wanted, and Drifters delivered in spades. The rub was sweet and spicy at the same time, giving each bite an interesting flavor profile. I think that the mild smokiness also allowed the spices to stand out even more. The ribs had been cooked a little longer than I would have liked, yet still not quite falling off the bone. The flavors definitely made up for any texture issues though.
Drifters may not be one of the usual barbecue stops for Nashville tourists, but it definitely should be.

Passing through Nashville on a recent x-​country drive and I NEEDED ME SOME Q. Drifters provided !
Fellow Unilocalers steered me to this dive and IT WAS GREAT. We had the combo platter. Ribs slid off the bones, brisket & sausage were also perfectly smoked & prepared. Sides were tasty classic preparations. Service was Friendly and Quick. Food & Service were 5 star. 4 stars cause, although they had a full bar, they did not have any NA Beer. Doesn’t matter, next time in town, I’ll be back

Today, I had the nicest surprise on my lunch burger…
I ask that my bun be toasted and when it arrived, I saw a little garlic butter with garlic on my bun.
What a treat!
I like this place.

When you think about BBQ you should need to remember it’s not just a type of food it’s a culture. Drifters captures it perfectly. Great food with a BBQ sauce station and some great beers to choose from. They always have live music and the bands are excellent. Now throw in the fact you can bring your four legged kid with you… and you have a wonderful hang out spot.

Everything was delicious! I am extremely pleased. I definitely recommend you try this spot!

Good spot for a burger and happy hour is all day on Tuesdays so that is always a good thing. I love this place for staying non smoking so that is plus!

Obsessed!
We landed in Nashville at about 10 pm and the first thing I did was open up my Unilocal app to find some Bbq!
So glad we came here. We got a sort of sampler platter with ribs, brisket, hot links, fries and fried pickles. It was SO good!
Definitely recommend! Chill spot, good drinks, friendly service and lots and lots of yummy sauces!

Arrived here late after our flight landed and we checked into our rental down the street. The wait staff was nice and brought our drinks promptly. It was a bit tough to get water refills, though.
I had the catfish and the brisket. The catfish was done correctly, but the piece was really small. The brisket was tender but a bit too «mushy» for my taste — as though it had been sitting in water. I loved the «sauce bar» — lots of options, and all very flavorful. The hush puppies were the surprise-​and-​delight piece of my meal — the sweet onions and pickled jalapeño made for a super unique flavor, and the dipping sauce they came with was great.
One side note: we were there for over 2 hours on a Friday night and there was no live music. A band was setting up as we were leaving, after 11pm. We had hoped based on the reviews that we would at least hear live music coming in from outside, but either there was some confusion or a scheduling error.

Amazing food and great ambience. Was wanting good barbecue after a long flight from Los Angeles.
My girl read some good reviews about Drifters and we set out GPS as soon as we landed. It was on the way to our hotel.
We ordered the fried pickles, hush puppies, corn dog and the Hickory Smoked Sampler Platter (pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled chicken and French fries).
The ribs are amazing. The meat pretty much falls off the bone. Some of the best barbecue I have ever had in my life! If this place was in LA, I would eat here every day.

Not bad, not bad at all! Drifters gets a major nod for being a BBQ joint with a dedicated vegetarian menu. Keep your expectations in check, though, after all it *is* a BBQ joint. No culinary wonders for those of us avoiding the offerings from the smoker (however, my guy is a BBQ fanatic and ordered the most monstrous plate of nachos with some kind of BBQ meat splayed across ‘em. This looked like a delicious mess, which was confirmed), but utterly basic basics: tofu, which I’m a fan of + Morningstar Farm protein, which I’m not a fan of (and if you’re vegan, know that Morningstar Farm is not).
I ordered the Tofu Dinner w/​o slaw, which also comes with fries and beans (not sure if that was meat swimming around with those beans so I didn’t taste them. It sure looked like meat shreds). It’s a generous portion and although I wasn’t blown away by anything on the plate, I can see it being the perfect late night food (yes! they have late night hours!) and it sure did treat my lingering annual hangover right. As did the Bloody Mary.
The staff is nice. The patio is sweet and the interior is the perfect dark, divey BBQ joint kind of atmosphere. I like this place a lot. And I’m just so appreciative of a BBQ place doing something cool for vegetarians that is truly unexpected. What’s not to love about that?

Great dive-​bar scene with plenty of outdoor seating. The food is surprisingly good, but I’m not a bbq fan… so I usually order the veggie burger and it’s delicious! Beer is reasonably priced.
This is a traditional spot for me to hit, as I usually alternate between Drifter’s and Beyond the Edge.

Ah, Drifters… No frills at it’s finest!
It’s tucked right in the heart of five points, but doesn’t feel «too» hip. You’ll see all kinds here… Old, young, couples, families, dogs too!
The food is consistently good. I always go for their BBQ pork sandwich, my man goes for the pulled chicken sandwich. It’s one of my favorite places for BBQ in Nashville — and I’m the kind of person who has to sample BBQ everywhere I go. LOVE IT.
So the food, it’s good. The atmosphere is what keeps me coming back though. The staff is so friendly, the crowd is usually really chill, and the outdoor seating is the best! Especially when a local band is playing, which is often.
For me, summer is Drifters season… I’ll be there quite a lot over the next few months. See you there!

Drifter’s was open where most airlines almost weren’t. This was the first stop that I brought my friends to when we finally arrived in Nashville. It had been a while so I had to get the Drifter, which has changed a little, no more middle bun in between, because who needs more of that anyway?
Other than that, the special was dollar Hi life bottles. Despite the shitty weather the staff was really friendly and my friends were happy with their first Nashville experience after having waited almost 14 hours to arrive.