A couple weeks ago Chris Chamberlain shared details of Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop, the new project from pitmaster Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint.
Hugh-Baby’s quietly opened Tuesday at 4816 Charlotte Ave., and I made a quick early investigation, though the menu will take a while to fully explore.
The new joint takes over the site of Porter Road Butcher’s former West Side shop. Before the PRB guys renovated it, it was a former Mrs. Winner’s, so the location is returning to its fast-food roots — but only sort of. Hugh-Baby’s is locally owned, and Pat Martin has a strong reputation for quality that has made his small barbecue chain a sensation in Nashville's dining scene. (Martin’s has four locations in the Nashville area, including a gigantic flagship downtown, plus one in Kentucky and one in West Virginia.)
As Martin explained to Chamberlain, Hugh-Baby’s is not a scaled-down version of Martin’s. “They will have totally different flavor profiles,” Martin said. “A trip to Hugh-Baby’s is meant to be a brand-new experience.”
Inspired by simple little Southern burger shacks that Martin frequented as a kid in Memphis and Mississippi, Hugh-Baby’s has this statement on Facebook: "Just because something is to be enjoyed simply, that doesn’t mean you’ve got to throw craft and purpose out the window.” Heck yeah.
Hugh-Baby’s is a bright and cheerful spot, with red-and-white decor and a front patio that includes a treehouse slide for kids to play on.
Check out the menu here. Unlike more common versions, the barbecue turkey sandwich doesn’t feature pulled meat. It’s smoked turkey breast sliced and served with white barbecue sauce. It's a pretty meaty sandwich for only $4.49. The single cheeseburger, made with beef ground daily in-house and served with American cheese, pickle, lettuce, onion, tomato and Comeback Sauce is a similarly great deal at $4.29. (You can make it a double for $6.29.)
One novel item, available on Fridays only, is the Slugburger, a Depression-era specialty of Corinth, Miss. It's a patty of ground pork filled out with soy meal that is deep-fried and served with pickles, chopped onions and mustard. (I'm skeptical, but I'm guessing that if Martin has it on the menu, it's worth a try.)
The menu is rounded out with hot dogs, hand-cut fries and milkshakes that are made to order. I am eager to go back and try everything Hugh-Baby’s is serving up.
4816 Charlotte Ave.
615-610-3340
