There are a few Martin’s scattered around town, but the Downtown location of the whole-hog BBQ spot is the best. It’s incredibly handy when you’re completing the Downtown tour for whoever is visiting and need an alternative to bar food on Broadway or hot chicken. You’ll be on sensory overload the second you walk in with the amount of merchandise like rubs and sauces they have. Any place that has that amount of paraphernalia is either running with a gimmick or actually legit. Thankfully, Martin’s is the latter. Order at the counter before you choose a spot in the vast, multi-level restaurant to spread out in. Just make sure you include the sliced brisket (if it hasn’t sold out), pulled pork, mac and cheese, and some form of the hoecakes, either as a side or in the redneck taco. The tables are stocked with a large roll of paper towels (of course) and different versions of BBQ sauce. The meat stands on its own, but we pour on some extra of the thin Jack’s Creek—the same thing they use to mop the meat—on our pork, and use the Sweet Dixie to dip our dry rub-coated ribs in. And if you happen to be there on a day when there’s live music, it’ll feel like quintessential Nashville.