Pushing nine months since first announcing plans to open a new location in Midtown, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint is finally about to make that vision a reality. Tuesday, March 26, is the hard opening date for the latest location of Pat Martin’s growing barbecue empire, when the doors will swing open at 2400 Elliston Place.
While you can expect the same brand of fantastic whole-hog barbecue sandwiches, ribs, brisket burgers and chicken that Martin’s has been smoking for years, (but don’t sleep on their fantastic catfish, seriously!), this particular outpost has a unique structure. The restaurant will actually take over the former location of the Logan’s Roadhouse on Elliston in what my colleague William Williams of the Nashville Post described as a partnership where Logan’s “provides the lease in exchange for a minority ownership in this one location.” The Martin’s team will have complete control of day-to-day operations, and most customers will probably have no idea that there’s anything different about this particular location.
The Midtown Martin’s will feature two large block pits for cooking whole hogs, allowing the team to bring a fresh hog off for both lunch and dinner on busy days. You can also expect the same eclectic “redneck chic” decor that characterizes all of Pat Martin’s barbecue joints, so somebody has probably been hitting the thrift stores for old Molly Hatchet album covers to plaster the walls with. A large patio with a full outdoor bar will feature Martin’s traditional fun cocktail creations and plenty of great local and regional beers, so there’s a good chance that this will become a prime gathering spot for happy hours and pregaming before events at Vanderbilt.
Another Martin’s within walking distance of where I live? This could be trouble.
