Saturday night was a rather mild night for mid-August. I had just wrapped up covering Titans practice out at Saint Thomas Sports Park, got my write-up done, cleaned up, and was ready for a relaxing night with the SoBros First Lady. We live in Hermitage, and weren’t really in the mood to travel downtown for a laid back dinner, and the restaurant scene in Hermitage is a tad boring. So, we settled on a good meal at Nectar: Urban Cantina in Donelson. The parking lot was full, so we had to park across the street and walk. Sure was thankful for that milder weather then – but, that’s when it hit me: “man, she was right. The realtor was right.”
Back in January, my girlfriend and I visited with a realtor. We were beginning the daunting process of trying to acquire a home in Nashville in 2018. The realtor we met with kept recommending Donelson. I couldn’t help it – I’m a 32-year-old native Nashvillian….it’s not like Donelson has ever been atop the list of trendy towns in middle Tennessee in my lifetime. I initially rejected the idea completely.
But, then everything fell apart anyway. I was in the middle of a job transition – then, my first week on the job, the company announced it had been purchased, and no one really knew what was going to happen to us. I was literally going into work every day not knowing if I’d have a job the next. Pretty bad timing – didn’t really see my situation as stable enough to make such a large investment.
So, we ended up abandoning the process for a while. But, the realtor’s message that day kinda stuck with me. I mean, they do kinda have a nose for these things, right? She called it “the next East Nashville.” Seven months later, and I definitely see the vision.
Real estate out there is still very much affordable, and if you drive through the neighborhoods in the area, there sure is an East Nashville vibe. Some of the houses are old, clearly dated, but vibrant with character. Plenty have been fixed up and repainted. You do see that same sort of mix between old and new, separated by a single street or city block.
But, then there’s suddenly become this growing restaurant scene as well. McNamara’s has long been my favorite spot in the Nashville area. That bar upstairs is the nicest, most comfortable bar in town for a guy who suffers a bit of social anxiety. It can be quiet, but you can still catch a game there, get some good food, throw darts, and the selection of beer is exquisite. Phat Bites is another longtime Donelson institution, known for its unique dive bar vibe and sandwiches.
Then, there’s the new wave of trendy spots popping up. Homegrown is a great little neighborhood taproom with a wide array of local beers available. If you’re a comic book fan like myself, there’s no better Wednesday than picking up your new comics at Rick’s Comic City, then moseying over to Homegrown to read and drink for a little bit.
Right down the road, Caliber Coffee opened up shop. The butterbeer latte is to die for, but it’s the atmosphere that looks like something straight out of the East Nashville playbook. I’ve already mentioned Nectar, which has instantly become one of my favorite spots in town. The taco menu is diverse. I’ve nearly had them all, but the two I can’t have a meal there without would be the chilled ahi tuna taco and the double decker brisket taco. Margaritas are made fresh, and there’s no better cap to a lunch there than with a coconut mocha from the coffee shop up front. Out back, you’ll find a nice backyard environment with a stage. Not a bad way to spend an evening, for sure.
But now, Party Fowl has opened up in town. That’s a heavy-hitter from the Nashville hot chicken scene, and the venue they’ve constructed out there can only be described as a massive compound. Same great beer selection, same great hot chicken, same grit cakes, and a great patio out front. It feels like in a matter of just mere months, Donelson has suddenly developed this trendy restaurant scene (and that’s not even mentioning Darfon’s or former culinary staple, Ellendale’s (R.I.P.).
The town is now buzzing with activity. It’s now possible to have an A+ date night without venturing out of the area. Considering how Nashville is growing, it stands to reason that the areas on the outskirts of town would eventually start seeing some of that growth. But, for the longest time, it felt like Donelson was lost in the shuffle. People were skipping over it to get out to Mount Juliet. But, I don’t know that that’s going to be the case anymore.
Between the real estate market and the blossoming restaurant scene, it sure seems like there’s an effort to spruce it up. Does that mean it’s the next East Nashville? I don’t know. But, if that’s the vision, then they’re on the right track.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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