Photos by Sarah Mayo

(Since this article was published, Big Bobby’s BBQ has closed; Single Tree BBQ now operates in the 2805 Old Fort Pkwy. space)

Those west of I-24 on Old Fort Parkway now have a neighborhood barbecue joint since Big Bobby’s BBQ has settled into its place, the unit farthest to the right in a shopping center that also contains So-Cali Tacos and All American Cafe.

The smoker, out in the corner of the parking lot and within sight and smell distance of the busy Old Fort Parkway, calls to the hungry as it pours out smoke and smells rockin’.

Here, brothers Robert and Tony Donelson heat up loads of pork, chicken, ribs and brisket to serve in their restaurant.

“We found this place on accident. That BBQ pit out front drew us in,” Rachael DuVall said. “Wings were absolutely to die for! And they are not winglettes, they are full arm of the bird.”

These beautifully smoked wings—whole wings, with the drum and flat still attached, as the customer mentioned—sit in the smoker until the skin, sprinkled with some herbs, crisps up wonderfully.

Consider trying some wings dipped in a tangy and tasty house sauce that Big Bobby’s calls Boro BBQ sauce, accompanied with some fantastic fried okra, crispy with just the right amount of seasoning in the breading.

In addition to the smoked meats, the restaurant serves a great grilled pork chop, seasoned with a flavorful but not overwhelming rub. This chop doesn’t need any sauce, but some Boro BBQ kicks it up a notch.

The Big Bobby Burger may be one of the best items on the menu, a very juicy double cheeseburger dripping with tasty beefy goodness.

The restaurant usually has some sort of a daily special, perhaps catfish, smoked sausage, roast beef or black eye soup containing brisket, and offers a few $5 kids meals and some family pack options.

Side selections include cheesy cauliflower, coleslaw, dirty baked beans, potato salad, fries and fried zucchini.

“Man, those cowboy beans were great,” Scott Miller said after a meal.

Another customer, Ryan, said that he found the mac and cheese “surprisingly good,” but would have liked more smoke flavor in the chicken and smoked sausage.

Others, though, say that they enjoy that the meats are not overly smoky.

“The wings were extremely juicy, and seasoned perfectly. I really appreciated that the smoke flavor was present, but not overwhelming to the seasoning and flavor of the food,” according to a diner named Taylor.

Another customer said the breading on the fried zucchini sticks just isn’t quite as good and crispy as the okra, and the mayo coleslaw tasted a little plain.

“The baked beans were outstanding and the cauliflower was a nice change of pace from typical BBQ joint sides,” an area Yelper named Ben posted. “The pork was great.”

Kristen Blocker said that she would recommend the pulled pork nachos.

“The pulled pork was delicious,” she said.

Big Bobby’s offers a variety of $10 options including these nachos, a chicken leg quarter and two sides, a pork chop and a side, quarter rack of ribs and one side or a pulled pork sandwich and one side.

Though generally, an entry point for anything meaty is $10, aside from the kids menu or daily specials. Other establishments will have some pork sandwich deals at a lower price. But the Big Bobby’s pork has earned some pleased customers.

“Might be the best pulled pork I’ve ever had! I nearly ate the whole sandwich without sauce because it had such a good flavor,” Billy Holley said. “The house made sauces are good too.”

He did add that in his, and others’ opinion, “the brisket is not their strong suit.”

As far as the homemade sauces, in addition to the Boro BBQ sauce, Big Bobby’s makes a sweeter option with honey and garlic (a two-week process to get this one to infuse properly, the brothers say) and a Bama white sauce, comprised of mayo with just a hint of horseradish.

“Their sauces are delicious, but only their spiciest sauce (which has ghost pepper) actually has any heat,” Paul Kovacic said.

Big Bobby’s cooks the ribs to an incredibly tender point.

“The meat falls off the bone,” Jacqueline Neeley Spires said.

Some competition barbecue purists may call ribs cooked to that point overdone and mushy, but many prefer a softer rib with not as much bite.

Faygo soda is an ingredient of the ribs, according to the Donelson brothers, and getting the meat to a fall-off-the-bone point is intentional.

The two take pride in pleasing customers and earning repeat business. They remind customers since all of their dry-rubbed, smoked meats are cooked slow and low each day, sometimes the restaurant will run out of a certain meat, but there should always be something at the place to fill up a hungry local eater.

Many have commented about the pleasant staff and friendly atmosphere at the place.

In Murfreesboro, a barbecue restaurant has a challenge standing toe-to-toe with Slick Pig and Jim ’N Nicks. And barbecue people can be quite passionate about smoked meat; barbecue preference can be a polarizing topic. The Big Bobby’s meats can receive widely mixed reviews from the community, ranging from “this ain’t how they do it in Memphis,” “I can beat this in my backyard” and “I had to take it home and add more seasoning” to “made to perfection,” “best in the galaxy” and “the best barbecue I have ever tasted.” So for the fans of barbecue who don’t want to invest a day smoking meat or driving to Memphis, Big Bobby’s BBQ is a fine locally owned barbecue joint on the west side of Murfreesboro worth a shot.

“The barbecue here is amazing,” Michelle Smith said. “The dirty beans are delicious, the nachos are a huge serving with all the fixings—nice family owned place. Grab some food and help support this restaurant.”

___

Big Bobby’s BBQ
2805 Old Fort Pkwy.
Tues.–Sat.: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sun.: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
615-624-7930
Pulled pork sandwich and one side: $10; three wings and two sides: $12; half rack of ribs and two sides: $16; Big Bobby’s Burger and two sides: $10; two pork chops and two sides: $15; pulled pork nachos: $10
bigbobbysbbq.com

___