The Smokers Are Lit: City Barbeque Is Now Open on Thompson Lane
The wait is over, and the smoke is real. After weeks of anticipation, City Barbeque flipped on its smokers for good and opened its doors at 107 N. Thompson Lane on July 20, giving Murfreesboro a new home for slow-smoked brisket and a plate piled with Southern sides.
Opening morning had the feel of a proper welcome. The restaurant marked the occasion with a “Rib'n & Ribbon Cutting” alongside the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, and the first 50 guests through the door walked away with more than a full stomach — gift bags stuffed with a branded T-shirt, a bottle of the house sauce, and gift cards worth anywhere from $5 to $50. It's the kind of low-key, line-out-the-door debut that says a place plans to stick around.
Second stop in Tennessee
The Murfreesboro location is only the second in Tennessee for the fast-growing chain, which planted its first state flag in Johnson City in late 2025 and now operates across roughly a dozen states. That out-of-state pedigree tends to raise an eyebrow in a region that takes its barbecue seriously — but City Barbeque leans into the craft rather than the shortcut, building its reputation on meats that spend real time over hardwood rather than rushing off the line.
The menu is a tour of the classics: sliced brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, and smoked turkey and chicken, backed by a lineup of scratch-made sides that does a lot of the heavy lifting — mac and cheese, baked beans, collard greens, fried okra, and coleslaw. For anyone who has been keeping an eye on the storefront going up on Thompson Lane, the payoff is finally on the tray.
How to get it
City Barbeque is handling the full range of ways people eat barbecue these days: dine-in for the folks who want to settle in with a tray and a sweet tea, plus carryout and delivery for the ones feeding a couch full of people at home. The kitchen also runs full-service catering, which — with football season, tailgates, and holiday gatherings all bearing down — is likely to keep the smokers busy well beyond the lunch rush.
It's a notable addition to a Thompson Lane corridor that keeps filling in, and one more sign that Murfreesboro's dining map is being redrawn faster than most locals can keep up with. If you had this one circled, the smokers are lit and the counter is open.
For the full backstory and what led up to opening day, see our earlier preview: City Barbeque Sets a July 20 Opening on Thompson Lane.
