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.
The Menu
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.

This is the impressive menu at Tennessee’s Real BBQ Real Fast. I will tell you, I was overwhelmed (in a good way) with the amount of options. FYI: They charge 3.5% on top of their listed prices if you use a credit card.
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.

Tennessee’s Real BBQ Real Fast has had so many awards they stopped entering themselves into competitions. At least that’s what the owner told me. Either way, they have their awards listed proudly on their wall.
Do You Agree That It’s The Best BBQ In Massachusetts?
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.