Jack Cawthon's Bar-B-Que sits on Charlotte Avenue at the foot of Capitol Hill, close to downtown, the hospitals, and the universities. The name traces back to 1989, when Jack Cawthon opened the original Jack's Bar-B-Que in a small concrete-block building on the corner of Broadway and 1st Avenue, overlooking Riverfront Park — one of the first casual restaurants to open on lower Broadway after years of decline, with its hickory smoke drawing in locals and visitors alike.
The menu covers familiar Nashville barbecue ground: pulled pork, ribs, and brisket, sandwiches, and sides like baked beans, potato salad, cornbread, mac and cheese, green beans, and sweet potatoes, with pies (chocolate, pecan, chess) for dessert. Brisket along with the sides and desserts have built a following among regulars. The operation also runs catering through Cawthon's Caterer, Inc.
Locals describe it as a dependable, no-frills spot, pointing to friendly service and consistent, authentic barbecue as reasons they keep coming back.
The menu covers familiar Nashville barbecue ground: pulled pork, ribs, and brisket, sandwiches, and sides like baked beans, potato salad, cornbread, mac and cheese, green beans, and sweet potatoes, with pies (chocolate, pecan, chess) for dessert. Brisket along with the sides and desserts have built a following among regulars. The operation also runs catering through Cawthon's Caterer, Inc.
Locals describe it as a dependable, no-frills spot, pointing to friendly service and consistent, authentic barbecue as reasons they keep coming back.