Pat Martin, founder of Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint, has a barbecue series now streaming on Netflix.
The show, titled "Barbecue: Life of Fire," follows Martin across the country as he explores regional barbecue traditions and live-fire cooking techniques, the Wilson County Source first reported. Episodes cover West Tennessee whole-hog barbecue, Alabama-style smoked chicken and Santa Maria-style barbecue in California, among other stops throughout the South.
Martin's chain operates a location at 200 Crossings Ln., Suite 500, in Mt. Juliet. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Martin originally launched "Life of Fire" on Outdoor Channel in 2024. The series grew out of his 2022 cookbook of the same name, published by Clarkson Potter, which features more than 65 recipes covering pit-cooked barbecue, grilling and traditional Southern smokehouse techniques.
Selected episodes are now available on Netflix for a wider audience. The Wilson County Source noted that not all episodes have made the jump to the streaming platform.
At the Mt. Juliet restaurant, staff arrive at 5 a.m. daily to smoke whole hogs for more than 20 hours, according to the restaurant's website. The location features a main dining room, a screened-in patio and a bar offering beer and views into the pit room where whole hogs are cooked.
Martin started the chain with a 950-square-foot restaurant in Nolensville, Tennessee. It has since grown to a team of more than 500 employees with Tennessee locations in Downtown Nashville, Belmont, Midtown, Nolensville, Mt. Juliet and Spring Hill, plus outposts in Louisville, Birmingham and Charleston. Martin also founded Hugh-Baby's BBQ & Burger Shop.
He has appeared on The Today Show, Food Network, Bon Appétit, Esquire and National Geographic, among other national outlets, according to the Southern Smoke Foundation.
@PegLegPorker: "Throwback: me and Pat Martin, two Nashville pitmasters who've chased smoke a long time. Good barbecue is a small world and a long friendship."
The Nashville barbecue account Peg Leg Porker posted the tribute on X on Thursday, Oct. 8, the same week the Netflix debut landed.
Martin is filming a third season of "Life of Fire," expected to debut in 2027.
