Judge Bean's BBQ sits at 7022 Church St. E. Out back, a wood-fired pit cooks the meat low and slow. Inside, a full bar pours margaritas, cold beer and a long list of whiskeys and bourbons. On a lot of nights there's live music or a game on the screens. It has worked this way since around 2009. On Saturday, November 14, the restaurant closes for good, and the farewell party starts at 5 p.m. and runs until closing.
The barbecue isn't going anywhere, though. Over the past six months, smoked brisket in Brentwood has been moving into retail centers along Old Hickory Boulevard and Franklin Road, and the operators are Nashville-born restaurant groups with several locations each. Judge Bean's was the town's family-run barbecue room. Its closing comes at the same moment the newer places are opening.
What Closes With the Church Street Room
Judge Bean's history is a lot longer than its Brentwood years. WhatNow traces it back to founder Aubrey "Judge" Bean. He started on Wedgewood Avenue, moved to the Gulch, and finally settled at 7022 Church St. E. Nashville Lifestyles dates the Church Street location to 2009, which makes for about 16 years in Brentwood.
The restaurant has had more than one set of owners over the years. Current owner Nick Anneken started as assistant manager in 2013 and took over the business in 2022. According to WhatNow, his closing announcement said this about the restaurant's place in town:
"We've watched your kids grow up, catered your families' weddings and retirement parties, and been part of so many celebrations along the way."
The catering mentioned in that quote was a real part of the business. The restaurant's own site describes off-site whole-hog service for weddings, family gatherings, company events and parties, cooked on a newer catering smoker. The menu went well past brisket, too. A Williamson Herald profile from the Brentwood opening singled out the shrimp Diablo and the Judge's chili. Nashville Lifestyles later recommended the loaded BBQ nachos.
Williamson Source reports that the restaurant gave no reason for closing. No plans have been announced for the building.
The Barbecue That Moved to Seven Springs in May
Six months before the closing announcement, the newest big barbecue room in Brentwood opened at a shopping center. HoneyFire Barbeque held its grand opening on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 710 Old Hickory Boulevard in The Shops at Seven Springs. Davidson County Source called it the brand's largest space yet, with indoor and covered patio seating for 200.
HoneyFire came here with a few years of track record. Its flagship is at One Bellevue Place, and it has a stall in the Assembly Food Hall at Fifth + Broadway downtown. Visit Nashville billed Brentwood as its third restaurant. The Brentwood menu has some dishes the other locations don't: a brisket smash burger, brisket tacos, loaded mac and cheese and a loaded baked potato. There's also an expanded bourbon bar with bourbon lockers you can rent by the year.
The full bar, the bourbon list and the big room for groups sound a lot like what Church Street offered. The difference is the setting, which is a suite in a shopping center run by a company with three locations. HoneyFire's Brentwood page lists Suite 305 and these hours:
- Sunday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Next Smoker Goes Into 330 Franklin Road
The second move is happening at Brentwood Place. Edley's Bar-B-Que is building out the former McAlister's space at 330 Franklin Road. WhatNow reported in May that the restaurant would be about 3,800 square feet and bring around 50 jobs. Franklin Is described it as the family-owned brand's third Williamson County location. Will and Catharine Newman founded the company.
The city review gives a sense of what the building will look like. Williamson Source reported that the plans covered new paint, cladding and awnings, plus a covered rear porch for the kitchen smoker. On August 10, the Brentwood Beer Board voted 7–0 to approve a beer permit for the space. According to an OpenTennessee summary of that meeting, General Manager Ben Ingram told the board the restaurant would serve beer and wine and open in December. That summary is AI-generated and comes with its own warning about errors. The safest expectation is that Edley's opens around the end of the year.
Edley's calls its barbecue Nashville-style. Its best-known plate is the Tuck Special: sliced brisket with an over-easy egg, red and white barbecue sauces, pickles and spicy pimento cheese. The homepage currently lists 11 locations, and Brentwood isn't on it yet.
Who Else Shares That Address
Edley's will open into a building that's already filling up with new tenants. Crush Yard Nashville, an indoor pickleball, dining and entertainment venue led by founder and CEO David Hack, held its ribbon-cutting at 330 Franklin Road on June 1, 2026. Big Bad Breakfast, founded by James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, is also coming to that address. It will be the brand's fifth Middle Tennessee location, and The Tennessean reported on October 25 that no opening date had been announced.
So the old McAlister's space is going to Edley's, and one Franklin Road address will soon hold brisket, pickleball and biscuits.
Brentwood's Barbecue Map, Side by Side
Put the three rooms next to each other and the change is easy to see.
| Judge Bean's BBQ | HoneyFire Barbeque | Edley's Bar-B-Que | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 7022 Church St. E | 710 Old Hickory Blvd, Suite 305, The Shops at Seven Springs | 330 Franklin Road, Brentwood Place |
| Status | Closes Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 | Open since May 7, 2026 | Under construction, reported for December |
| Setting | Standalone restaurant on Church Street East | Shopping center suite | Former McAlister's space in a shopping center |
| Other locations | None listed | One Bellevue Place, Assembly Food Hall | 11 listed on its homepage |
| Bar | Full bar, whiskey and bourbon list | Expanded bourbon bar, rentable lockers | Beer and wine, per the Beer Board summary |
| Stands out for | Live music, game nights, whole-hog catering | Seating for 200, brisket tacos and smash burger | The Tuck Special |
Corky's Ribs & BBQ at 100 Franklin Rd. was still taking delivery orders as of late summer 2026. It sits a short drive up the same corridor as Brentwood Place.
The Next Two Months, in Order
For anyone planning a last visit to Church Street or a first visit to Brentwood Place, these are the dates:
- Now through Friday, November 13. Judge Bean's is open during its final weeks, and the announcement invited the community to come by.
- Saturday, November 14, from 5 p.m. The farewell party runs until closing, and that's the restaurant's last day. Expect a crowd.
- Any night. HoneyFire at Seven Springs is open daily from 11 a.m., closing at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- December. This is the opening month given for Edley's at 330 Franklin Road in the Beer Board meeting summary. Earlier reporting said by year-end.
- To be announced. Big Bad Breakfast is coming to the same Brentwood Place address.
If you've had Judge Bean's cater a wedding or a retirement party, now is the time to ask the restaurant about any open catering commitments. Its website still lists regular hours and the Church Street address.
I spent seven years in residential construction, so a former McAlister's getting new cladding, awnings and a covered porch for a smoker is the kind of project I watch closely. If you want to talk through what's changing on Franklin Road or anywhere else in Brentwood, Anna Rose Marangelli is happy to compare notes over a plate of brisket. Schedule a Consultation whenever it suits you.
