Puckett’s Restaurant – Nashville, TN


A recent trip into Tennessee had us staying in Nashville for the first time. Over the course of several days, we had a chance to explore the downtown area, the famous Broadway party spots and a variety of Nashville eateries.

During one afternoon stop, we had the opportunity to visit Puckett’s Restaurant for lunch. This small chain is famous for its southern cooking and has been nominated as a Best in Travel 2022 finalist for BBQ Restaurants by Travel Awaits.

The ambiance was great with its wood paneled stage, lights, and portrait of Willie Nelson on the wall. It felt quaint and clean – and although the restaurant itself was relatively full for a Sunday afternoon, the staff was friendly and attentive.

Though reservations are recommended (and likely required during the evenings), we were fortunate enough to nab a table as a walk-in on this particular day.

So how was the food?

For starters we opted for Puckett’s Nachos. This appetizer was definitely big enough and hearty enough to satisfy our table. With crisp tortilla shells, the famous cowboy candy jalapenos, and a drizzle of their famous BBQ sauce, these nachos were excellent.

Puckett’s Nachos

We ordered ours with pulled pork and brisket, which was tender and flavorful and took the nachos to the next level. We were really pleased with this dish -> highly recommend.

 

For our main courses, we sampled 3 of their most popular dishes.

The Chicken Fried Chicken was very good. Crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside.
It is also a fairly large portion – so keep in mind that you may end up with a doggy bag.

The mashed potatoes and dark gravy were also very good and were the perfect side dish.

Unfortunately, in our case, we found that the green beans were overly salted and the Cajun Corn Cake (which I was super excited for) was just OK.

Overall the chicken fried chicken was a good choice – but you may want to opt for different sides during your visit.

Chicken Fried Chicken

 

Unfortunately, here is where I might make some people upset. Our next dish was the Shrimp and Grits. This version plates their blackened shrimp over a Cajun seasoned white cheddar Weisenberger grits, drizzled with BBQ sauce and topped with collard greens.

Sounds amazing, right?

Though the shrimp were great and full of flavor – all of the additional ingredients simply made the dish too busy. Even the plating looked unappetizing. As much as I wanted to like this one, it missed the mark in terms of overall flavor and appearance.

Shrimp and Grits

 

For the last dish, we sampled Puckett’s BBQ Sliders. The dish includes 3 sliders with your option of pulled pork, smoked sausage, or brisket – and is accompanied by sweet potato fries.

We opted to try one of each. Of course.

The sliders were flavorful and the smoked sausage version was cooked to perfection.

The only drawback to this trio was the pulled pork slider, which was a little overcooked and just a little too dry to be perfect.

Puckett’s BBQ Sliders

 

Of course we couldn’t finish our meal at Puckett’s without sampling one of their famous desserts.

We opted for the famous Deep Fried Brownie Sundae.

As the name implies, this fudge brownie is deep fried and topped with vanilla ice cream, toasted pecans, candied bacon and finished with chocolate sauce, caramel sauces, and whipped cream.

It was delectable, sweet, and delicious without being overpowering. The vanilla ice cream perfectly balanced the chocolate in the brownie and was the perfect ending to our lunch.

Deep Fried Brownie Sundae

 

So was Puckett’s a “Perfect 10”?

No – but it was pretty good.

A great little spot in the heart of Nashville, with a great atmosphere and some nice southern cooking.

Have you had a chance to hit this Nashville favorite? If so, what did you think? And what should we try for our next visit?

Can’t wait to hear from all of you soon!

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