Food and Drink

15 Fall Restaurant Openings in Nashville to Get Excited About

Put these on your calendar.

Photo courtesy of Boqueria
Photo courtesy of Boqueria
Photo courtesy of Boqueria

Restaurateurs are generally an optimistic sort. Even in the face of uncertain future conditions and potential new dining capacity regulations, they plunge on into the breach and continue to open new restaurants. We’ve got nothing but props for their fortitude and look forward to seeing these impending spots open sooner rather than later. As always, take these opening dates with a full shaker of salt, because, well… things happen. The next restaurant to open on time may well be the first restaurant to open on time.

Photo by Michael David Rose
Photo by Michael David Rose
Photo by Michael David Rose

The Wash

Address: 1101 McKennie Avenue, East Nashville
Opening date: Impending
This clever little food hall will actually house six concepts with each occupying a stall in a former self-service car wash. The space will serve as an incubator for independent restaurants that might not be ready to jump into a big bricks-and-mortar building yet and will focus on international cuisines ranging from Cuban to Vietnamese.

Punk Wok

Address: 4101 Charlotte Avenue, West Nashville
Opening date: Impending
They’re currently hiring staff for this pan-Asian concept coming to the new Sylvan Supply complex. If you’ve been lucky enough to catch one of their pop-ups in preparation for opening, then you know how exciting of a development this is for West Nashville residents. Expect an array of cold and hot small plates plus boldly flavorful main plates cooked in infernally hot woks.

Courtesy of Goo Goo Clusters
Courtesy of Goo Goo Clusters
Courtesy of Goo Goo Clusters

The Goo Goo Shop

Address: 116 3rd Avenue South, SoBro
Opening date: September 2021
When the popular downtown dessert bar and confectionery closed last spring for a full remodel effort, they promised they’d be open by Labor Day, by hook or by crook. Well, life happens, but we’re still holding them to September so that we can again enjoy the delicious chocolate candy nut clusters plus the opportunity to design and create our own specialty premium Goo Goo concoctions. Plus they’ll now have wine and booze, so it’ll be worth the wait!

Twelve Thirty Club

Address: 550 Broadway, Downtown
Opening Date: September 28
While the downstairs level of this elevated honkytonk has been open for a few months already, we’ve all been waiting for the build-out to be done so we can check out the rooftop bar and the promised “dapper as hell” Supper Club upstairs. “Dapper” is also an adjective frequently used to describe Twelve Thirty Club investor Justin Timberlake, so we expect his sense of style to exude throughout the 400-seat dining room and entertainment venue. It’ll be nice to class up Lower Broad a little bit for a change.

Courtesy of Urban Farmer
Courtesy of Urban Farmer
Courtesy of Urban Farmer

Urban Farmer Nashville

Address: 1808 West End Avenue, Midtown
Opening date: October 2021
If there were such a thing as a Nashville new restaurant random attribute generator, you wouldn’t have to spin the wheels many times to come up with “upscale chain farm-table steakhouse in a hotel,” which is exactly what Urban Farmer will be when it opens in the Hutton Hotel. That’s also to say that it will probably be wildly successful, because smart people know what works, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The Dutch

Address: 300 12th Avenue South, The Gulch
Opening date: Fall 2021
The first of two concepts planned by James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini for the new W Hotel in the Gulch, The Dutch is a spinoff of his popular American eatery in New York City’s SoHo. You can expect the same lively atmosphere and elevated American cuisine with the occasional international twist. It’ll be open for brunch, lunch and dinner, so you’ll have plenty of chances to soak up the vibe.

Carne Mare

Address: 300 12th Avenue South, The Gulch
Opening date: Fall 2021
Chef Carmellini’s second restaurant at the W should open fairly soon after The Dutch, and it will be more of an Italian chophouse and seafood restaurant informed by the chef’s extensive experience working around Europe. In addition to bistecca and frutti di mare, Carne Mare will lean heavily on Italy for its wine list and inventive cocktail recipes.

Courtesy of Whataburger
Courtesy of Whataburger
Courtesy of Whataburger

Whataburger

Address: Various
Opening Date: Fall 2021
Wait a minute! How did a Texas-based burger chain make this list? Mainly because transplants from states that have Whataburgers won’t stop talking about it! Also, because they’re apparently teasing Nashvillians by announcing that they’ll open nine locations over the next year, but only in the outlying communities around the city’s core. The first will open in Hermitage later this year. What’s the matter? Afraid of a little smashburger competition from Gabby’s and Hugh Baby’s?

Church and Union

Address: 201 4th Avenue North, Downtown
Opening Date: Fall 2021
This outpost of the Charleston restaurant 5Church continues the tradition of the original by naming itself after its address. (We won’t quibble (much) about the fact that Church and Union actually run parallel to each other.) The dramatic interior of the cavernous space is decorated with a huge ceiling mural of the entire text of The Art of War by Sun Tzu, so you’ll need to order multiple courses from chef Jamie Lynch’s menu of New American food to get through all 11,000+ words. Better plan for return visits instead.

Audrey

Address: 809 Meridian Street, East Nashville
Opening date: Fall 2021
Chef Sean Brock has been working on this shrine to the food of his native region of Appalachia for years. The striking restaurant building towers over the primarily residential neighborhood, and more than one foodie has admitted to circling the block to see how close it was to completion for more than a year. While Brock’s timing pandemic-wise has been pretty crummy, his dedication to the health and safety of his employees and guests is extremely admirable. From early hints about what sort of food he plans to create at what he promises is “the kitchen where I want to cook my last meal,” we’re all waiting with bated breath.

Courtesy of Halls Chophouse
Courtesy of Halls Chophouse
Courtesy of Halls Chophouse

Halls Chophouse

Address: 1600 West End Avenue, Midtown
Opening date: Spring 2022
Halls Chophouse is the third Charleston-based restaurant planning to open up a new outpost in Nashville over the next few months. (They must be earning some serious Rapid Rewards points flying back and forth on Southwest.) The large steakhouse will be an anchor tenant in the new Broadwest development rising out of the ground in Midtown. The straight-ahead menu of seafood, steaks and chops will be accompanied by signature side dishes with Southern accents. You know what The Kinks said, “give the people what they want!”

Xiao Bao

Address: 830 Meridian Avenue, East Nashville
Opening date: Late 2021/Early 2022
There’s quite a buzz about this Charleston-based casual but elevated Asian concept coming to the same block as Sean Brock’s Audrey. Joining the already excellent Folk and Redheaded Stranger, that stretch of Meridan may soon become the tastiest block in all of Nashville. If they bring the same okonomiyaki topped with pork candy and a sunnyside-up egg and the delectable dumplings from the original Xiao Bao Biscuit, we’ve all got something to look forward to.
 

Courtesy of Tailor Nashville
Courtesy of Tailor Nashville
Courtesy of Tailor Nashville

Tailor

Address: 620 Taylor Street, Germantown
Opening date: Early 2022
While this isn’t a new restaurant, Tailor is moving to a new location about a half of a mile from its original 3rd Avenue address. While it’s fun to think that they’re moving to take advantage of the fact that their new spot is on Taylor Street, in truth Tailor chef Vivek Surti deserves his own kitchen after sharing space for the first couple of years of operating his supper club. After earning multiple national accolades for his brand of first-generation Indian/American food served in a convivial atmosphere, we can only imagine how much better it will be when he runs the whole house.

Boqueria Nashville

Address: 5002 Broadway Place, Downtown
Opening date: Winter 2021
Anchoring a corner spot in the ground floor of the massive Fifth + Broad residential/commercial/entertainment complex downtown, Boqueria must have had a lot of looky-loo’s peering through the windows wondering when it would open and join the complement of other excellent restaurants in the development. The wait is nearly over, and soon we’ll all be enjoying tapas and vermouths at this latest outpost of a small Spanish restaurant chain. The menu looks like a lot of fun, and small plates are the ultimate way to enjoy a social evening of food and drink.

Courtesy of The Rutledge
Courtesy of The Rutledge
Courtesy of The Rutledge

The Rutledge

Address: 1st Avenue South and Demonbreun, SoBro
Opening Date: 2022
The team behind the original Rutledge in Franklin isn’t in total control of their opening date, because they’re waiting for the tony Four Seasons Hotel and Residences to be completed above them. And you know you can’t rush that kind of quality. When they do finally throw open the doors, you can imagine that they’ll be held to quite high standards for their brand of cuisine that they describe as a “modern approach to classic favorites.” Because it would be a real bummer if you disappointed the resident of one of the penthouses at table 27 and then discovered he owns the bank that has the mortgage on your house.Want more Thrillist? Follow us on InstagramTwitterPinterestYouTubeTikTok, and Snapchat!

Chris Chamberlain is a food, drink, and travel writer based out of his hometown of Nashville. Find him on Twitter @CeeElCee.

Food and Drink

Red Rooster Is Serving Free Chicken and Piping Hot Cash This Christmas in July

Get your early dose of festive cheer.

Red Rooster Christmas in July
Instagram / @redrooster_au

The cold weather in most parts of Australia coinciding with EOFY celebrations is the closest thing that we’ll get to snowy Christmas vibes. And if you’re in dire need of some festive cheer after the first six months of 2023, grab your ugly sweater and head to your nearest Red Rooster for Xmas in July deals.

From June 29 – July 31, 2023, Red Rooster is serving up free food items, a chance to win $10,000 or one of 10 merch packs valued at $400 and other fun prizes. All you have to do is sign up as a Red Royalty member and spend $5 on at a location near you or online.

Each week there’ll be new delicious deals and prizes to win. The week one deals have already dropped and they’re looking pretty tasty. You can get access to them via your Red Royalty account. The more you purchase, the more chances you have to win.

Spoiler alert: you can get 10 chicken nuggets for free, right now. Brb running to Red Rooster.

Terms and conditions apply. Visit Red Rooster’s Christmas in July to see all the deals.

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