A Deep Dive into East Tennessee's BBQ Culture

Ed Reilly writes about the surprising amount of barbecue in East Tennessee.

This week’s guest article is written by Ed Reilly, a self-described “BBQ-ologist” who has worked in the industry for 35 years, including in sales for Weber, Char-Broil, Sunbeam, Old World Spices, and B&B Charcoal. You can reach Ed on Instagram and Facebook. If you want to write a guest article for The Smoke Sheet, please get in touch.

I don’t claim to be an expert on Tennessee's history, but I can tell you that the Volunteer State has more barbecue than most other states in terms of types and regions.

Some experts say there is no particular style of barbecue in East Tennessee, but for one of the oldest states in America, I say barbecue is alive and thriving there. The Rocky Top state saw some of its first settlers in the eastern half, where they made a lasting impression.

The original Calhoun’s sits on the edge of the Tennessee River across from UT’s campus. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

A few years ago, I listened to a conversation between notable BBQ voices John Shelton Reed and Adrian Miller. They were discussing East Tennessee, and I was surprised they agreed there was no particular barbecue style in the area. I spent several summers in East Tennessee between Chattanooga and Knoxville and traveling through Johnson City, and I believe there is a regional and specific type of barbecue that exists and thrives in that area.

To me, one of the best things about barbecue is that it changes every 50 miles or 50 years you travel. Barbecue is often hyperlocal due to its unified un-categorization and vague familiarization. Everyone seems to understand what barbecue is, yet it is difficult for everyone to agree on what it actually is. It is best left up to the individual to judge.

What Separates East Tennessee from Middle and West

The state flag of Tennessee is famous for having three bold stars on it; those three stars stand for the three regions of the state, namely East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Just as there are three sections of the state, there are at least three regions of barbecue. 

The eastern area of Tennessee roughly follows the central time zone line that runs through the state from west Chattanooga and splits the territory between Knoxville and Nashville. This eastern territory was the first place the original settlers lived in what is now Tennessee, and they developed their own unique lifestyles and foodways.

Davy Crockett wrote about Tennessee barbecue in his memoir. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

One of the earliest settlers to the area was Davy Crockett. In his book, A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee, he described how he won over the local citizens and was voted into the U.S. Congress.

“About this time, there was a great squirrel hunt on Duck River, which was among my people,” Crockett writes. “They were to hunt for two days, then to meet and count the scalps, and have a big barbecue and what might be called a tip-top country frolic.” Crockett was known to enjoy barbecued bear meat. He was a skilled hunter and frontiersman, and bear meat was a common food source for early American settlers.

Ridgewood Barbecue and Sliced BBQ Pork

Ridgewood Barbecue is a staple of East Tennessee BBQ. (Photo by Ed Reilly)

The folks at Original Ridgewood Barbecue south of Johnson City have been smoking and slicing their specific style of barbecue for over 77 years. Ridgewood Barbecue has been immortalized in the book The Proffitts of Ridgewood, which tells the family story and history of the beloved barbecue restaurant in East Tennessee. 

The small out-of-the-way Ridgewood Barbecue has been around since 1947 and has been crowned Best BBQ in Tennessee several times. They smoke all their meat and then thinly slice it when you order. Think of a Philly-style sandwich except with juicy smoked pork instead of roast beef. Once you add the distinctive sweet and sour style barbecue sauce and deep kettle fries, it’s a true destination. There are maybe a dozen barbecue places that slice their smoked pork, including The Smoky Pig and Partners BBQ, from Greenville to Johnson City.