Ayla Brown: I Just Found My Favorite BBQ Place In Massachusetts

I'm not even kidding, but I think I found my favorite BBQ place in Massachusetts. It's called Tennessee's Real BBQ Real Fast and I'll tell you why I fell in love with it.

I live on the South Shore and one day I wanted something different to eat for lunch. Usually I make lunch at my house, or I head over to Johnny Kono's for a South Shore Bar Pizza. But this day I Googled "food near me," and a BBQ spot named Tennessee's Real BBQ Real Fast came up as an option. I had never been there but the reviews looked really really great. So I put my son in the car, and we drove to Tennessee's in Braintree.

The location is a very unassuming spot. It's located right in between a Burger King and a Subway. To me, those aren't fine dining establishments whatsoever, so I was a bit skeptical when pulling in. But when I got out of my car, the whiff of meat in a smoker immediately caught my senses.

We walked into Tennessee's and the menu was large and exciting. There were combo dishes, kid's meals, burritos, sandwiches and so much more. I love beef brisket so I asked the guy at the cashier if they could give me the burnt brisket ends. I also got a side of homemade Mac and Cheese and cucumber salad. My 18-month-old got the kid's ribs with a side of baked beans and cornbread.

I took my first bite of the beef brisket and it was beyond flavorful. Since I asked for the ends, I knew it was going to have a lot of flavor, but I didn't know it would be packed with that much of a salty, but sweet punch. I'm a fast eater in general, but I believe I set the Guinness World Record for the time it took me to wolf down my meal. It was that good. I know my son loved his ribs because he picked them up and ate them right off the bone.

Turns out, Tennessee's is a small franchise in Massachusetts. There are three locations, all owned by different people. One is in Braintree, the other is in Peabody and the last one is in Framingham. I'm sure they're all great, but the one I tried was in Braintree.

I was also impressed by the amount of awards that they've won over the years for their BBQ. When I asked the owner about it he said, "We've stopped entering ourselves in competitions because we've won so many." Subtle brag, but I respect it. Basically they're so good that they don't even need to compete anymore.

So there you have it. I've had plenty of BBQ in my life, but this is the best I've tried in Massachusetts. Do you agree? If not, here's some other places to spark your interest, according to Jackson Blue.

BBQ is serious game so when picking THE best BBQ in Massachusetts you're bound to ruffle a few feathers but here we go anyway. I love sooooo many barbecue joints. I don't discriminate. Sweet BBQ. Mustard-based BBQ. Brisket. Ribs. Pulled pork and chicken. It's all good to me. Just don't go easy on those collard greens and corn bread, that can be my meal right there.

These picks aren't my picks, that would just be one guy's point of view. Instead I took a lot of time going through every article I could find that claimed they had the definitive best BBQ list in Massachusetts. They all differed so how could they actually each be the definitive list?? Mine is by no means "definitive" either - BUT - hopefully it's the closest list we got! I took the top 5 from each list and gave their 5th place 1 point, 4th place 2 points, 3rd place 3 points, 2nd place 4 points, and 1st place 5 points. Then I added up the points... and this countdown popped out!

So thank you to all of our sources, including: Food Network, Only In Your State, Best Things in Mass, TripAdvisor, and Yelp.

And while we're talking Massachusetts food, THESE ARE THE BIGGEST FOODIE TOWNS IN MASSACHUSETTS, RANKED. Did your town or neighbor make the list??

OK, on with the 'Q!

Reunion BBQ - Boston
439 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
(857) 317-2979

Must Try: Bao buns!

Bark BBQ - Plymouth
367 Court St #3, Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 720-2275

Must Try: Whatever the special of the day is! And great cornbread.

Kinfolks Award Winning BBQ - Taunton
289 Winthrop St, Taunton, MA 02780
(774) 409-4615

Must Try: The Smoked Chicken and the Pulled Pork and the Ribs!

M+M BBQ - Boston
1250 Massachusetts Ave, Dorchester, MA 02125
(617) 307-7674

Must Try: The Ribs

Redbone's Barbecue - Somerville
55 Chester St, Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 628-2200

Must Try: The Giant BBQ Sandwiches

West Side Steak + BBQ - Worcester
2 Richmond Ave, Worcester, MA 01602
(508) 756-6328

Must Try: Their Brisket!

Theodore's - Springfield
201 Worthington St, Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 736-6000

Must Try: The jambalaya!

Tennessee's - Braintree, Peabody, and Framingham
173 Pearl St, Braintree, MA 02184
260 Andover St, Peabody, MA 01960
341 Cochituate Rd, Framingham, MA 01701

Must Try: St. Louis Ribs

Rusty Can - Byfield
6 Fruit St, Byfield, MA 01922
(978) 462-1204

Must Try: The best cheeseburger around!

Smokehouse BBQ - Norwood
917 Washington St, Norwood, MA 02062
(781) 620-4200

Must Try: Brisket Sandwich

Larry J's BBQ Cafe - Boston
600 D St, Boston, MA 02210
(617) 348-9800

Must Try: Hot links!

B.T.'s Smokehouse - Sturbridge
392 Main St, Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-3188

Must Try: Brisket Sandwich

The Smoke Shop BBQ - Cambridge
25 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 577-7427

Must Try: Smoked Turkey BLT

Blackstrap BBQ - Winthrop
47 Woodside Ave, Winthrop, MA 02152
(617) 207-1783

Must Try: Burnt Ends Sandwich

Sweet Cheeks Q - Boston
1381 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 266-1300

Must Try: Sliced or Chopped Brisket, even tastier after a Red Sox win.