I was in Nashville this weekend, celebrating Steve, my dear friend and brother, who graduated from Meharry’s School of Dentistry with his Doctorate in Dental Surgery (DDS).
[I literally have to remind myself to now refer to him as Dr. Steve Yopa] 
His whole family and few of our friends drove/flew to bask in the joy and pride of his rewarding journey and achievement.
In addition to the celebration, eating some delicious Cameroonian food prepared by Steve’s mother and family, I was super excited about the possibility of squeezing in some #FoodPorn in the city of Country Music.
If you’re ever in town, looking for great BBQ food, Jack Cawthon’s BBQ is your spot!
Founded in 1976, Jack Cawthon’s BBQ now has three locations in Nashville and is known for their award-winning sauces and hickory smoked meats.
We had lunch at the Charlotte Avenue location, not far from the Meharry campus.
As soon as you walk into the restaurant, you can already smell the aroma of BBQ, giving your taste buds an imaginative preview of what you’re about to get yourself into!
The setting is casual and perfect for a quick bite with friends.
This is how it goes:
You proceed to the front and place your order at the meat station with various options: Turkey, Chicken, Ribs, Brisket, etc…
There are also various side item options: Potato Salad, Mac’N’Cheese, Green Beans, Turnip Greens, Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, etc…
Your girl went for the Pork Ribs with Turnip Greens and Mac’N’Cheese.
Kaiiii (my African expression of amazement)!
Then, I proceeded to the station facing the meat area for some sauces to slather on my ribs.
The 911 sauce was perfect, a BBQ sauce with a strong kick of hot spices.
Where do I start?
The ribs were literally falling of the bone.
Tender. Tasty. Delicious.
When I smeared that 911 sauce on the ribs, BOMB!
I also had the Tennessee sauce, which was also great but not spicy.
To my surprise, the Mac’N’Cheese was really good, creamy and warm.
I love Collard Greens and that is what I thought I was selecting when the gentleman on the other side of the meat station mentioned these were Turnip Greens.
I never had them before and I could not make the difference between Collard and Turnip Greens.
They were were tasty, well seasoned and delightful.
I could eat them over and over and over AGAIN.
My friend Linda ordered Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and the Potato Salad.
All delicious!
I really loved the Sweet Potatoes, probably thee best I’ve ever had.
Everyone was very pleased with their selections.
I overheard how good the Brisket and Turkey were.
The service at the meat station was great and the gentlemen were very friendly and offered recommendations.
From what I noticed, this is a self-service venue so there were no servers, which I am just now realizing as I write this post.
One piece of advice after your meal at Jack Cawthon’s:
DO NOT make any plans.
Go home and take a nap!