Judge Bean's BBQ

We got a gift card for Christmas so we gave it a shot. Service wasn't great but it wasn't bad. It took her forever to come take our order but food came out fast. We did have to wait for plates and refills but she was busy and she was very nice. We got a half order nachos as an appetizer. It was huge ! Can't imagine how big the full size was. Had plenty of toppings we got the pulled pork on it. It was so juicy and great flavor. We got the sampler platter to share. Highlights..... pulled pork, ribs (falling off the bone), green beans and wings ( great flavor a tad over cooked). The brisket had great flavor but was way to dry for me. The cowboy beans taste like chili. I was not a fan of the shrimp stuffed jalapeño. I feel like this is a personal preference. Over all it was pretty good. I would go back just to get pulled pork or the nachos!

The country fried steak sandwich special was pretty solid. The server was very helpful and sweet. Great atmosphere and good food

Ashley was our server and she was amazing! Great southern hospitality, warm and cozy atmosphere and even better food. My wife has pulled pork and I had ribs and both were perfectly cooked; not undercooked or dry. Ashley is someone who definitely loves her job and it showed. This was me and my wife's first time in Nashville and Judge Bean's made it with the trip.

Emma never stopped moving and was so friendly and helpful with suggestions. Definitely get the banana pudding. Ribs were literally fall off the bone and then pulled pork mixed with the house bbq - perfect

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO TRY THE BRISKET CHILLI WITH THE GRILLED CHEESE. If you like spicy the texas sushi is amazing and the southwest egg rolls are 🔥🔥. The deep fried pickles are another amazing app as well. On Thursdays they have smoked meat loaf 🤤🤤. I was feeding my whole tree crew this food as well so I'm not the only one who thought it was top tier... but you definitely need to go try it for yourselves... The owner and waiters welcoming and friendly smiles were just a bonus to out great experiences. P.s The Tree Guys

Great waitress tonight working her tail of but super positive/friendly. Food was great, my favorite brisket I’ve ever had!

I always look for green beans on a menu at a barbeque joint, it's key to the BBQ experience for me. Judge Beans gots the beans! And they were delicious! Also, if you're going to serve pulled chicken, you really should offer the white sauce. That's what MAKES pulled chicken. Judge Beans has that, too. Their white sauce has a thick consistency, and if not the best I've ever had, it's pretty freaking close. Can't think of a better one off the top of my head...if you've never had white sauce, try it. Unless you hate mayonnaise, then don't try it. White sauce is mayonnaise based and sometimes has a little horseradish. It's SO good on poultry. Now...I had the the pulled pork plate with green beans, obviously, and fried okra. The fried okra was really crunchy and delicious, and at least half a pound of it on my plate. The hubby got the pulled pork and pulled chicken plate with turnip greens and mac n cheese. That white sauce though...🤤 he also really liked the BBQ sauce that came with the pork, it's more of a vinegar based sauce, which is not my thing. But they had a thick sweet on the table and that IS my thing. And it was good with a little of that vinegar based mixed in. It came served on those shallow metal trays which are perfect for barbeque. Plenty of space to experiment with the sauces. They also have their own Judge Beans pepper sauce you could mix in for a little extra kick. We both had the sweet tea, it wasn't overly sweet, so it was really good. I really wanted to try the sweet potato fries, but I knew I would never finish HALF of what I had on my plate. So, next time, I'm getting those for sure. There were so many yummy looking items on the menu and not enough room in our stomachs. They also had a full service bar, saving that for next time as well. No idea if they have dessert, didn't make it that far. 🤣 Now we discuss the staff. It's a seat yourself kind of place but we were still greeted at the door by Emma. She cleaned our table, brought us menus and silverware, took our drink order and then gave us plenty of time to review the menu without us feeling forgotten. She constantly acknowledged us and checked on us. I observed her with the other patrons and there was an older gentleman with a LOT of questions and she was so kind and patient with him and incredibly helpful. She was thorough in her explanations and brought us to go boxes and a bag to put them in, that's actually important information because most places don't give you a bag and without a bag our leftovers would have been on the ground in the parking lot. I'm known for dropping food. 😬 Anyway Emma was exceptional and we'll definitely be back.

I visited Judge’s Beans BBQ while on a business trip, and wow—what a pleasant surprise! I’m not normally a big fan of BBQ, but this was hands down the best I’ve ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection, flavorful without being overpowering, and you could really taste the quality. The portions were generous, the service was friendly, and the whole place had that welcoming, local charm that makes you want to come back. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area—even if BBQ isn’t usually your thing, this place might just change your mind!

Evening, Sharing a great restaurant we found today in Brentwood! The food was scrumptious! Our hostess was Eve, and she was awesome! Give them a try, you won't be disappointed! Here are some pics! Judge Bean's BBQ

Located in an easy to get to location, this is a bit of a dive for ambiance. There is a small parking lot available. We arrived just before lunch and were seated right away. Our server was amazing. Brisket is 'market price'. There is a decent amount BBQ offerings with a few quirky things like smoked tamales (which were great). My husband chose a build your own burrito with brisket, side of mac and cheese. I chose the brisket platter with mac and cheese and green beans for a side. We were not super impressed with either offering. My platter was disappointing in that more than half the piece of each brisket was fat, the small amount of meat was a bit dry but did offer a lot of smoke flavor. We also had a margarita, which was good with a tajin rim and finished the meal with banana pudding.

Stopped in for a work lunch today and had a mixed experience. The appetizer was god great smoked salsa, guac and queso. Everyone liked it! My workmate mentioned this is hole in wall definitely a divey feel. I got 2 meat 2 sides platter. The brisket was unfortunately on the dry side, and the white BBQ sauce tasted more like straight mayo than anything else. The pulled chicken, on the other hand, was really good and not dry at all. The BBQ beans were flavorful, and the turnip greens were a standout it's full of flavor with just the right amount of heat. The biggest downside was that the plate itself wasn't hot; the food came out barely warm. Service was friendly and welcoming, which definitely helped, but overall the meal was hit-or-miss.

Listen, I'm out here on business trip and this place was relatively close to the hotel. But im glad it was, I had the for starters Shrimp wrapped.. it was yummy The Texan Sushi roll thing was nice, great flavor Then i had the 3 meats, pull pork, brisket and sausage with side of Close Slaw which was awesome and the fried Okra was pretty good too Definitely would recommend and Ashley being the only waitress, she did a great job with being attentive.

Food is fresh made and always awesome. The service is the best and the people are locals and have been at the Bean forever. Ambiance is casual and they have live music on some nights but lots of televisions for watching sports. We love to relax on a Friday or Saturday night.

First time in, but had heard great things about it. Met a work colleague there for lunch at his recommendation. Was blown away, which is hard to do in Nashville with all the great barbecue choices. First off, it's very true to what I consider Texas tradition. Brisket, sausage, etc. My colleague got the jalapeño poppers (not sure that's their real name, but you get idea) Because it was my first time I wanted to sample a little bit of everything so I chose the three meat platter: brisket, sausage, and pulled pork. I'm always skeptical of brisket at any spot north of Amarillo, but this really delivered. Tender, great smoke flavor, moist. A lot of brisket in Tennessee tends to dry out, but this was perfect. The pulled pork was surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much from a Texas place but had a great flavor even without the sauce. The big surprise of the day was the sausage! Best smoked sausage I've ever eaten. It was on the sweeter side, which I love, great smoke flavor and just a really unique flavor profile overall. For the sides, I got baked beans that were very well done also. The ambience is as you would expect from my barbecue joint. Comfortable with great service. We definitely recommend it to friends.

1st timer, and I must say it was a wonderful experience. I server Eve was top notch. She displayed a friendly and helpful attitude during our entire visit. She took great care of our table of 4. We had a table full of food, and everything was absolutely delicious from the ribs, to the brisket, to the tacos, to the wings, to the potatoes, and jambalaya. We had visited another BBQ joint and because of the horrible service we left and came to JB and I'm so glad we did!

We tried the two meat combo with two sides. The turkey was perfectly seasoned and the brisket had good flavor. I like the flavor of the regular and white BBQ sauce. The okra was fried perfectly and the Mac and cheese was tasty and cheesy. It was our first time there and we will go back.

We came here on a Saturday at 7 pm, and the dining room was basically empty, so we got seated right away. The southwest egg rolls were delicious. The pulled pork is good, nothing too special, but definitely yummy. Eve was a great server and so nice, answered all of our questions!!! The place is very rustic, and there is a bar to sit at if you just want drinks.

Found this place by chance while visiting one of our daughters, and absolutely loved it. In fact we went back two more times in less than two weeks - and even brought some friends and family with us from the local area who'd never been. An easy-to-miss, tucked away locals place with a great southern menu, great friendly service and very fair prices. Super comfortable, casual atmosphere with a dining area and a bar. And the Big screen TVs are sure to be carrying SEC athletics. This is officially our new go-to in the Brentwood area of Nashville.

Hop on my big rigggg babyyyyy, we're going to judge beanssss! I don't know who judge beans is but she can judge my beans anytimee Judge beans embodies a trucker stop style interior with some nice southern service. Our waitress even changed the channel to the Dallas game upon our request, a true patriot indeed. Alright, let's get to the nitty gritty. The sampler is a great solution for 2, maybe 3 people, depending on how hungry everyone is. I would classify this meal into 3 different tiers: Pretty good: - Brisket (a good taste, but I'm not a brisket connoisseur) - Beans (for having beans in the name, they weren't anything crazy but still good - Fries (you don't go to a BBQ place for fries, but they were good) - Mac n Cheese (a solid side dish, but could've had a stronger flavor, A sharp chedder would be better) Some Dagum Good BBQ: - Sausage (very flavorful with a crispy natural casing) - Pulled pork (lathered up with their bbq sauce elevates this shredded pig to one tasty hog) - Diablos (If a guy named Jud were make his own kabobs) Judge my beans babyyy: - The Ribs (the only thing falling off this easy was how I fell for this Chica named Selina), - Fried Okra (obviously this doesn't really have any taste on its own, but it was crispy and was a perfect compliment with the ranch to go with the sweet meats) - Iced Tea (or sweet tea for the native southern folk, which I do not identify with yet as I'm still assimilating from my NY roots) - Wings (quite possibly the best dry rub wings I've ever had, crispy, flavorful, and juicy. You can tell that Jud himself was smoking these wings, "Well I'll be" *insert southern accent*)

The food was great and the service was good. I got there like 10 minutes after they opened on a Sunday, not many customers at all. I recommend the quesadilla with pork. The sweet tea wasn't very good imo

Lunch was sampler platter $50 2 chicken tamales $10 2 brisket tamales $12 With tax $79.03 plus a tip BAD So, we decided to try JB's cause I saw tamales on the menu. Born and raised in Texas on bbq and Mexican food, I thought a married pair can't be bad. I was SO disappointed and not only with the tamales but with the brisket (shoe leather). That was some of the toughest meat I have ever had. The baked beans had to much pepper in them. So spending $70 for lunch for 4 is not a great idea!! Good!! Mac and cheese was off the hook, wings had good smoke, sauces were good, fries were crispy and good. I am very disappointed about my experience and I should've steered clear with reviews only have 3.5 stars but I try not to go by that and make my own review. Service was great!!

Came in for some Texas BBQ. Had the brisket and sausage. Sausage was bland and cold and good smoke taste. Just average. Brocket was lean, dry and cool. Pretty dry. Sauces were not good but who uses them on brisket unless you have to. Are at bar. Nice gal there. Left a good tip but more interested in the big loud drinkers sitting at bar. All in all very average and if you have a Texas bbq you had better have great brisket......... and it was barely passable. So sad.

I was working in Brentwood today and I wanted some BBQ so I stopped in for lunch. It's a solid BBQ joint. Usually you can tell a good BBQ place from their pulled pork, so that's what I got and it had a very good smoke flavor. It was tender and juicy. The sandwich had a very good portion of meat and the vinegar sauce they give you to dip was a good compliment to the sandwich. The slaw was good. The fries weren't crispy because they are thick homecut, but they tasted good. Inside the restaurant is homely and comfortable. They had several TV's and they have a full bar. I will go back. I think that I got a good value for the amount of food that I got. The service was very good and the food came out in under 15 minutes.

The food was really good at Judge Bean's BBQ. I had the two meat plate with two sides, opting for the pulled pork and sausage along with the BBQ beans and potato salad. The pulled pork was moist and tasty, and the sausage was really good, with a bit of a kielbasa flavor. The BBQ beans were full of flavor and a little bit sweet, and the potato salad was good with a unique flavor I couldn't quite place. The service was friendly, though a little inattentive. In fairness though, I stopped in at about 2:30pm on a weekday, in between the lunch and dinner rush. So I think service was a little slow in part because the place was rather quiet. I got my food quick, but it took a little while to get noticed so I could place my order. I do like that they have table service rather than ordering at a counter. This place does feel like a bit of a dive bar that happens to serve BBQ. I got the feeling that it is a watering hole for locals, and the interior looks like it hasn't been updated in a very long time. It was comfortable and fine, but definitely looking a little weathered (but then again so am I). Based on the interior, I had somewhat low expectations for the food, but it was actually really good. They also mark their menu to indicate which items are gluten-free, which I thought was a nice touch, especially since my wife can't have gluten.

Great food & a solid all around place, baked beans were fire & the service was pretty good. need to try more entrees.

So glad we found this little hole in the wall. Walked in to a bar filled with locals and a friendly vibe. There is a nice mixture of Tex mex and bbq foods. We tried a little of everything. The white bbq is a must. Skip the brisket, a little dry. Wings are fantastic!! Definitely try the brisket Tamale. The sauce and flavor was so good. Never had a brisket tamale and so happy I gave it a shot. Fantastic spot!

Wonderful barbecue, my favorite so far in Nashville. I have driven by this restaurant for years and have been meaning to stop and try. Today was the day and was pleased to find out that they sell barbecue by the pound. I ordered 2lbs of pulled chicken with rolls and barbecue to go. They provided generous size of sauces. Price was reasonable and comparable to other bq places. Everyone loved it and would definitely stop again as well as bring out of town friends/family for great southern barbecue.

Met a friend there for lunch Monday. I ordered the Brisket Quesadillas. They were some of the best I've ever had. They came with sour cream and 2 different salsas. My friend ordered a Chicken Taco and a Turkey Taco, with 2 sides. They looked delicious, and he said they were. Service was attentive and efficient. Loved the vibe. Playing 90's classic country. Sound level just right.

Ok, let's start with the ambience. Great vibe for an old school BBQ joint. The prices were decent and the beer prices were better! The food was good. I'm not going great here because the green beans seemed canned. But the chicken fried steak and pulled pork sandwich were amazing. Go check out this local joint versus all the chains around them.

The good- brisket nachos and wings The bad- Brentwood prices The ugly- the ribs. "Danger Will Robinson ". Wow. They were pretty turrible. Rubbery.

Newest update in case you are keeping track of this review drama. After dropping my review from a two to a one bc of a rude message I received from an employee of JB I was contacted by management. They apologized for the experience and the comments. Also offered to rectify the situation, but I did not accept. My experience at JB. Everyone at work liked this place prior to cannot speak for how they feel now. We went around lunch with about 8 in the party. We sat in the bar area in the dark. We waited over an hour for food. The waitress never came to the table to update us. Mine was the last out. I ordered blacked tilapia - pretty positive it wasn't tilapia it definitely wasn't blackened. It had some seasoning. They were out of the chipotle sauce and didn't sub anything so with all the seasoning it was dry. When I inquired about the missing sauce... "we are out of a lot of things" so I asked for some additional dressing. Bag salad and bland cold rice. Not a good experience. Yes I realize I ordered blacken fish at a BBQ restaurant, but when you don't know where you are going until you get to the restaurant and you are not a big BBQ fan and BBQ snobby bc your family does competition BBQ. You order what sounds good. Swim a different direction than the fish.

very good food, a bit loud, but service was incredibly! clearly a locals spot but very welcoming of tourists!

The speed of service and food were amazing. The southern style bar and restaurant was what I needed to relax and enjoy. The banana pudding topped it off. Well done.

The appeal of this place is that locals go here. No ridiculously large metal signs that remind you what city you are in. Locals go here for simple tasty plates after working all day. I loved the white bbq sauce with my pulled chicken. My partner advised that his brisket was a bit tough.

Great Food! Really busy with locals, we just happen to run across this place when we were looking for a hotel room. Loved the interior, rustic look.

Great bbq place in Tennessee, food and drinks tasted great, service was welcoming and prompt with very little wait time. Very authentic bbq and sides, I will return to try more on menu

I've heard this place is a staple of Brentwood, and I guess everyone else has too because it was packed on a Tuesday at noon! It's a bit of a hole in the wall-- not sure if they don't have heat or it just wasn't working. I got the brisket baked potato and it was pretty good. This place combines diner and BBQ, so if that's what you're wanting you'll be pleased here.

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon, and we wanted BBQ, and our usual haunts were packed, so we gave Judge Bean's a try. It's a small place, with a separate bar, and lots of TVs, tucked into the back of a parking lot near Brentwood town center. It's not at all pretentious, which is unusual for places in that part of Brentwood, so that's a positive in my book. The menu has plenty of choices, and the prices aren't sky high (also atypical for that part of town). The service was fast and friendly. Soft drinks were served in really large cups, which I appreciate when eating BBQ. We ordered a two meat combo plate (brisket and sausage, with baked beans and turnip greens as our two included sides) and brisket tamales. Turns out, they were out of the brisket tamales and the server came back to see what else we might want. We ordered the three brisket taco plate instead (because it was offered with corn tortillas, and we love tacos on corn tortillas). The server then asked, curiously, "do you want the side dishes that come with the tacos"? That seemed a bit strange, since the sides were included in the price. We ordered cole slaw and "cowboy beans". The 2 meat plate was fine. The sausage was smoky and very tender. The brisket was a bit dry, and the portion was kind of on the small side; maybe 3 ounces. However, the Judge Bean's Texas style sauce worked well with the beef. The bbq beans were standard, and the turnip greens were done well. The taco plate had three brisket tacos with what appeared to be finely chopped brisket bits under some sort of salsa. The brisket itself was fine (but chopped into really tiny bits; too small for my preference) but the corn tortillas appear to have been deep fried a little too long. When I picked one up, oil just gushed from it; there was about a 1/4 inch deep puddle of oil on my plate under each taco (see the pic). It was simply too yucky to eat. This might be a good, "local" place to stop by for a beer in Brentwood (and we need more of those!), but I have to take a pass on the food.

Was at The Boswell Harley Davidsons in Nashville and asked if they could recommend a great bbq spot. I was told to go here. Omg! Exactly what we were looking for. As soon as we walked in the door! Hole in the wall atmosphere with some of the greatest food! It's a bar that serves food and it's great bbq! We got a little bit of everything and it was all good. Had so much food we took some home for the next days lunch. I highly recommend stopping in and getting a drink and some bbq. You will not be disappointed.

Haven't been here in so many years. They have a booming happy hour business I was very surprised. Ribs were fall off the bone I mean like you can't pick up a bone, Meat slides off. Never eat a rack of ribs with a fork before, so not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Flavor was good smoked perfectly, but over sauced but that is a personal preference. Beans were great as were the greens. Unique favors. So why 3 stars? The service I was greeted promptly told to seat wherever and completely ignored. Was a minute from walking out. Then after eating another forever wait to get a check. Help turn the table and give me my check. Good food but weak service. Your mileage may vary

The good here is great! Every time we make it here on vacation we make it a point to have at least 1 meal at this establishment!

Hadn't been to Judge Bean's in a while. Probably due to location, it's bit off the main road so you are unlikely to just drive by. It's basically a BBQ type place, lots of rough wood decor, not too brightly lit, smells of smoky meats. They have a good selection of beers including beers on draft. I went with Black Abbey's the Rose, which was on the rotating selection list. Our server was pleasant and beers came promptly. I ordered a pulled pork BBQ sandwich with the side of sweet potato fries. The Sandwich was good, great meat flavor, I added some BBQ sauce that was on the table and topped with the small side of cole slaw they included. That's just the way I like it, only improvement could have been a pickle, but hey, it was fine! Sweet potato fries were really not up to par, they are waffle type fries and about half were seriously over cooked, some to the point of being almost black. As we were on the very early side of dinner and it wasn't terribly crowded, I'm not sure to what you can attribute that? I have to wonder if folks plating realized it since the overdone ones were tucked under the better ones when the dish was plated?

Been coming here for years. Can be a little hit and miss with actual barbecue (sliced brisket, ribs etc.) but some things are always excellent. Nachos, wings, burritos, quesadillas are all delicious every time.

Great server!. Had the 4 bones with Mac and cheese and fried okra. Took half of it home. And the Bloody Mary was the tops for a great lunch.

The food here was outstanding! I enjoyed the southwestern egg rolls that were unique and oh so tasty!! My husband had the meatloaf the first time and said it was very flavorful. When we returned the next day, my husband enjoyed the Brisket with the mac and cheese & cowboy beans. All were exceptional. The employees were super friendly. The atmosphere was nice and inviting. Lots of TVs to watch sports. We'd definitely go back the next time we're in the area.

Not impressed. The brisket platter was awful. I asked for double brisket instead if two different meats. It should have been $20. But I was charged an extra $8 for double briskit. I'd hate to just order a regular brisket platter. There was a small amount of tough, fatty , flavorless brisket. 1/2 piece of toast, beans and coleslaw which were ok. My friend had a pork sandwich. It was ok, not great. I won't be going back.

I had some good slaw and collard greens and absolutely the WORST brisket I've ever had, bar none. My son and I ordered by Uber Eats and both had the same thing. He called and complained, I'll just do it with the pen. Totally dried and and so tough, it was impossible to eat.

How to stuff potato. The potatoes cooked very well had some interesting toppings that was good but nothing out of the ordinary and then for $15 the kicker is that I had brisket added to it and then they add another dollar amount to that like four bucks and then the sweet potato fries which I thought would be about two dollars and 50 Cent ends up cost another four dollars plus a dollar extra for being a sweet potato. So at the end of the day my $15 sweet potato stuff sweet potato cost almost 30 bucks can't really wreck in also the brisket was good but has a lot of fat so it was not kosher. Oh and says the bill is misleading there's other places you'll get just as good of a mill but a lot cheaper

Love the vibe in here! When we went, there was only one waitress who was a little over-worked, but maybe that will improve. Great food!!! Again, the vibe was the best part. Felt like I was a cowboy in an old saloon. :)

It's my opinion that this is the best place to eat in Brentwood. I lived here a decade ago and now stop by any time I'm passing through. I'm glad to say the quality and service hasn't wavered. Of course you can go for a heavier or more traditional option but one of my favorites is the quesadilla. They have fresh ingredients and great flavors of sauces. I also appreciate how hard working their team is. Be prepared for a small crowd. I suggest making this a lunch time destination or doing takeout for that reason.

Staff is fantastic! Best BBQ around and everything is made from scratch. My favorite place to go in the area by far!

This is a local favorite. The dishes were not large but reasonably sized. I loved that they didn't give you too much meat. The salsa and guacamole is delicious. Salsa has just the right amount of heat and smoke; I couldn't stop eating. I got the taco salad and loved it. Taco she'll was nice and flaky. Everyone seemed to love the brisket.

Howdy HAPPINESS. When the need for bbq hits, it hits HARD. This restaurant was an awesome find. They have a bar area as well as a dining area. I walked in and opted to sit at a table as the bar area was rowdy with a lot of people drinking and watching a game. I could not see or even hear them from my seat (thank da lawd). I opted for something simple and delicious and it did not disappoint. I especially love those green beans! Service was really great as well. This was an authentically Southern bbq place to eat and I'd definitely go back. (Especially after looking at more of the photos uploaded to their Yelp page.) It's a bbq lover's dream come true.

Best taco salad in Brentwood. Not usually a turkey lover but a friend advised me that their turkey was good and he was right. Service was good as well.

I love this little local spot. The family and I stayed near by on the way back from Florida. We wanted BBQ and one of our girls found this place. There were 4 of us and 5 with another family with us. The service was outstanding and the food was to match. I hated that they were out of pork when we went but the greens made up for it. This is a great local hole in the wall BBQ joint. Do your taste buds a favor and go today.

This was a great local BBQ place. Pulled pork was super! The service was fine. The dessert was not good...the chocolate pie was undercooked. It was disappointing. Overall a great BBQ experience.

I'm happy I was able to get a taste of Nashville's BBQ style food as a non- meat eater! I was recommended this place by a local friend and it didn't disappoint! Also, it was all you can eat taco Tuesday! I devoured 3, (debated a 4th). 2 black bean tacos and one fish taco, with a side of fried okra and green beans! Fried okra was my fav!! Nashville has satisfied my hungry tummy!