Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Que

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

Nice people but the area is pretty bad. Food wasn’t that good either. Had high hopes for this place too!

I had the pulled pork sandwich. He had the pork shoulder sandwich. They were good and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The cole slaw was yummy. She let us have a taste our first turnip greens. Thank you!

As I approached this dive, which is a compliment in this context, my expectations sky-​rocketed due to the claims of being the best were plastered all over the place. After consulting the man behind the counter, I ordered the short ribs sandwich.” He said the short ribs fly out of here. I hesitate to use the term sandwich. It was a rack of ribs stuck between three slices of white bread. The ribs came with a fresh order of turnip greens, which were cooked in smoked turkey, not pork fat.
The ribs were very good. They were cooked to fall-​off-​the-​bone perfection. The rub formed a crusty, tasty surface layer — only to be peeled away to reveal moist smokey meat. The hot BBQ sauce is more of a hot sauce than a BBQ sauce. The ribs stood alone without the sauce.
They received three stars due to the lack of side choices and drink choices and the flavor of the ribs. All of their beverages were canned, which meant no sweet tea.

I got the chicken plate and my roommate got the ribs. Both were almost in edible because they were so dry! Sides were okay. Portions were kind of small for what we paid. The locals were ordering the pork shoulder so maybe we should’ve ordered that. Will probably not be returning as there are much better BBQ places in nashville.

Well, we searched for BBQ and found this place… NOT what we were expecting. Yes we knew it was a no frills kind of place but we at least expected the food to be good. We had a slab of ribs that unfortunately was dry and had no real smoke taste. The sauce was not the best either. Needless to say WE won’t be going back anytime soon.

Very disappointed the slabs were not freshly made and were like a cardboard. The only thing I liked was the wonder bread that came with it

Pretty good… not the best I’ve had. Staff was super friendly ! The potato was the best part of the meal and vole slaw was really good. They had Nehi Peach soda so I was sold at that point. If I were in the area I would check in but not a place I’d go out of the way for to eat BBQ.

My brother never steers me wrong when it comes to good food at great prices. I ask where I could get some good southern stlye BBQ and without hesitation he suggested Mary’s. His only warning was DO NOT get the hot chicken. Not because it taste bad because its so darn HOT! I enjoyed my BBQ’d chicken (with mild sauce) and even ordered a side of wings! I was sad because the peach cobbler wasn’t cooked and ready to be served. Customer Service was fantastic. It’s a no frills type place with a HIGH FRILLS taste. I’ll be back for sure on my next visit to Nashville, TN

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.

I had the shoulder sandwich with pickles and hot sauce. It was so good that I’m still thinking about it a day later! Next time I’ll get slaw on it– and there WILL be a next time!

Mary’s serves a traditional Memphis-​style pulled pork shoulder plate with a choice of hot or mild tangy barbecue sauce, along with two sides for $ 9. Canned drinks are a buck. It’s reccomended that you just order the half-​pound of shoulder and a single large side to split with someone else, because it is a better deal. This place is super authentic, and you will be the only white person there if you show up alone, and you are white to begin with. Glad I stopped by!

I had the chicken with the hot sauce and the chicken was dry even with all the sauce. The hot sauce had pretty good flavor but the chicken tasted like it had been sitting around for a while. The baked beans and potato salad were ok. My friend had the pork and it was terrible. I don’t think I will be going back.

Hate when «spicy» isn’t at all spicy?
Not a problem here. The barbecue is kickin’ and so are the greens!

I struggled with the fifth star but the hot sauce is so good Mary’s merits 5 stars. I had the ribs and they were meaty and succulent. I thought they were braised. If they were smoked then they were finished wet. Whatever it was it worked for me. The dining room is bright and clean, the service was fine, and the camaraderie was unexpected and enjoyable. Next time I’ll try the pulled shoulder. Any excuse for more sauce.

Baby back ribs have a rub which when slow smoked to perfection have a slight shiny glazed crust. They don’t need any sauce to be appreciated but their distinctive orange tinted barbeque sauce of either the hot or mild variety is pretty amazing. Amazing as In «they should bottle this stuff and sell nationally» delicious.
Pulled pork nothing super special, but just good, especially with the house made sauce. Cole slaw was chopped and refreshing. Baked beans tasted like the Heinz variety, sweet ketchupy.
Mary’s apparently has been in business since 1962. Real basic place decorated like a bare bones diner with a counter into the kitchen. Clientele was very local: let’s just say that us Texas toast Silicon Valley types stuck out like a soar thumb. But everyone was very kind and accommodating in helping us make the right choices. The guys hanging out in the parking lot even moved their feet to the side when we parked out front.
Dinner for 4 ended up a bit more expensive than expected. $ 20 for a slab of ribs (large enough for 2−½ people), $ 10 for a plate of pork shoulder and 2 sides, some extra sides and 3 sodas was over $ 40.
Bathrooms looked brand new with hand sensor paper towel dispensers and all. Totally incongruous with the rest of the place.

Some of the best ribs in town. Dry rubbed, smoky, delicious. I’m not as much of a fan of their pulled pork as what Pop’s has, but it’s still the real deal here.
Those of you from out of town, don’t be surprised when they try to give you half a loaf of wonderbread to go with your barbecue. That’s how it’s supposed to be done; it may not be good, but it is tradition.