"THE" Rooster's

Roosters Texas BBQ and Steak
123 12th Ave North
Nashville, TN
615-770-2880

smoked tomato salsa and chips

I want to say this, Rooster (that is his name) really smokes all the meat he serves. The rig he uses is all wood smoke, and there is no propane or natural gas "help-me" addition. Some lesser BBQ joints have a propane fire feed to rigs to keep a constant temp without constant attention from the pit master. Nope, Rooster and employees make smoked BBQ the real way with real hickory wood. Also, I have confirmed that many of the sides served are truly housemade! There is no skimpy, there are no bad food distributor products. The food is truly Rooster made food. For example, there is kitchen staff whose job it is to thinly slice the onions, dredge them in flour and fry them to make a pile of onion straws as a side. There are also other kitchen staff whose job it is to handcut potatoes to make the French fries as a side. The green beans are also cooked with one of Rooster's recipes and added smoked brisket for flavor. This is a real deal BBQ joint.

brisket plate

The 1st I heard of Rooster's was back in height of summer from Rooster's ex-bro-in-law. Yup the ex-bil's sister used to be married to Rooster, but no longer. No hard feeling, the ex-bil still is friends with Rooster, still respects Rooster's honest BBQ, and has been telling me that I needed try the Rooster's BBQ because Rooster's is true 100% wood smoked BBQ in town. My buddy the ex-bil I do trust to tell me where there is good food in and around Nashville and TN, he has not steered me wrong, and again, he is correct, I do like Rooster's.

Rooster's used to be in Franklin, and Rooster closed the Franklin location a good while back, and had been looking for an appropriate place to open again. It took a while, but finally Rooster settled on 123 12th Ave N. I was a little nervous for the location of this restaurant at the former Jody Faison's Cafe 123 at 123 12th Ave N. When Judge Beane (Rooster's brother) opened Judge Bean's here years ago, I did not like the Judge because the energy in the room was still a little too much like Cafe 123, and not enough BBQ joint, so I did not go there much. I really liked Jody Faison's concepts from 12th and Porter to the Pub of Love to Jody's Boxcar and Faison's. I credit Jody Faison for demanding more from Nashville restaurants and also delivering more. Jody was the King of the "new restaurant scene" dining in Nashville. Thanks Jody for paving the way for the current Nashville food scene. So, years ago, when the Judge moved into one of Jody's former pretty and urban space at 123 12th Ave N, I was not ready to give up Jody's urban dining concept and accept the down and dirty Judge Bean BBQ concept. So, I only went twice to the eat at Judge Beans because the energy of the space was still Jody Faison, I wasn't ready for BBQ. Now, many years later, Rooster's moved in and had not done much to the space, but it feels right now because I am ready to move on from the old Faison days, and accept the BBQ joint now. Actually, I really like Rooster's and the space has become completely his, and it is a great energy of BBQ now.

I guess I should mention this, Rooster's Texas BBQ on 12th Ave N has nothing to do with Red Rooster's up the street on Demonbraun (which is a food and nightclub joint), nor Rooster's on 8th Ave south (which seems to be a dance club with meat and 3 food, and used to be a strip club, and had a shooting there last year). Be clear, Rooster's Texas BBQ is north of Broadway on 12th Ave, and Rooster's Texas BBQ serves true housemade food. The others, not so much.

the room and entertainment

How I see this place, there is a flat screen TV, so I can see it will be a place I would feel comfortable to grab a beer (from budlight to Yazoo), a plate of chips with smoky tomato salsa, a side of onion straws, a side of fries, maybe a brisket sandwich, and watch a football game. Rooster also has some sort of battle of the bands and singers contest going, but I am not sure what that was about. The 1st evening I was there, it was like a cruise ship karaoke with a live band. There were a few women who cycled up on stage and started singing some old country western songs, and I think that was part of the singing contest. I am not sure because I was just there for the brisket, onion straws and salsa.

the 1st guy to try the 72 oz steak challenge
at this location

We went to Rooster's soon after it opened in 12th Ave N. location, and was able to witness a 1st. Yup, a family walked in to take on the food challenge, and this guy pictured above is the 1st one to take on the challenge in this new location. The challenge is to eat a $70 meal in completion, and get the meal for free and a claim to fame at Roosters. The meal is a grilled 72 oz steak, a giant iceberg lettuce salad, a giant potato with a giant glob of butter, and buttered Texas Toast. Eat it all and you win the meal for free! If you don't you gotta pay $70. The fellow above walked in with his family, who did not tell him what he was doing there. The family only told him he was going to eat a special meal. So hush went the crowd, and the man was in the dark until the plates started coming. This 1st contestant, well the outcome was he actually did eat all 72 oz of beef, but he could not swing the sides. No room for the salad, potato or toast. So, he did not win the challenge.

Who is next for the 72 oz beef challenge? Who will it be? Will it be you? Or will you be like me with some snacks and a beverage watching the sport of it all.