Sunday morning, Brittany, Ryan, and I banded together to make the trip out to Lebanon, Tennessee, where a new brewery had opened up on the town square. We’ve been talking about how Wilson County needs more unique restaurant and brewery experiences than the overload of chain restaurants for ages, it feels like. That’s why we were all stoked out of our gourds to see that Cedar City Brewing had brought the brewery experience to those of us out here east of town who are completely over the downtown Nashville experience. We met up at 11AM, just as the brewery opened its doors, and proceeded to hang there for a few hours before heading home. Below, you’ll find my typical ‘Nashville Reviews’ grading scales, but before we get to that, check out Brittany’s and Ryan’s thoughts on the experience first.
Brittany Fernandez: “I was so stoked to find out that downtown Lebanon finally had a brewery. I love the area and the atmosphere there, and now I have another excuse to make frequent visits. The layout of Cedar City Brewing is open and inviting. The beertender was friendly and very helpful when I was trying to decide on what drafts to try out (all fantastic choices, but my favorite was the German Festbier they have right now). And when you make it down there, don’t you dare skip out on the food menu- EVERYTHING I had there was fantastic. The smash burger with fries is exactly what I look for in a burger. I can’t wait to go back.”
Ryan Yearwood: “I am so excited this brewery is finally opened, especially at a time when the Lebanon town square has come to life after decades of dormant activity. For this visit, I tried the German Festbier and the Brown Ale. The Festbier was a perfect blend of deep flavor, while light-bodied enough to enjoy year round. The Brown Ale was a bit darker than I expected, but light on the finish and perfect for these mixed-weather days in between Fall and Winter. I was so joyful about seeing my fellow SoBros and drinking delicious beer that I didn’t even give much thought for expectations on food heading into our visit…but holy crap is it good. I scarfed down an order of wings tossed in their hot-sticky-sweet sauce, which were decent sized and cooked perfectly. And of course being the growing boy that I am, I also had to order their smash burger & fries. This was a full-flavor, no BS, cheesy delicacy that I will absolutely return for….soon!“
Pics
Ratings
Food: 6.37/10 – I would easily call this above average brewery food, and I give them massive props for going burgers and wings when most breweries in the area go pizza. I also reserve the right to change this score once I try that smash burger because it looked fantastic. The pretzel bites were elite – crispy exterior with a soft interior, with a fantastic cheese dip and stoneground mustard. The hot chicken bites…I wouldn’t call them “Nashville hot” as much as I’d call them “Chick-Fil-A/Wendy’s spicy chicken.” That’s not a knock – that’s just adjusting expectations. They were fantastic – a great heat level that brought the flavor of the spices out without burning my insides up, and the chicken itself was thicc and juicy. The fries were great, as was the honey mustard. Again, I’m dying to go back and get that smash burger, but I’m confident in saying you can get a damn good meal to go with your eight beers in my experience alone.
Booze: 8.84/10 – SHOCKER: The beer was the strength of the experience at a brewery. I know, brace yourselves. But, seriously, I would put the selection I had at Cedar City up against any of the big well-known breweries around Nashville any day of the week. I tried five (don’t worry…my wife drove me…): the Sweet Tater Ale, the Fest Bier, the Smoked Porter, the Brown Ale, and their cider. My favorite of the bunch was the Smoked Porter – rich and Earthy just like I like my beers this time of year, with just the right hint of what I call “campfire.” The Brown Ale had that full body dialed up to 11, and to Ryan’s point, I thought the Fest Bier had a nice blend of Oktoberfest qualities with a lighter drinkability. I wanted more sweet potato out of the Sweet Tater Ale, but it was still a damn good dark beer in October, and you can’t go wrong with that. Like I said, I was surprised by how much I loved the beer – Cedar City has a contender in the Nashville beer scene.
Value: 7.5/10 – I believe we were there for some sort of $6 pint specials, so I’m not sure if the pricing is accurate all week, but hot damn – five beers, two entrees, and an appetizer ran me $60, tip included. That’s incredible.
Atmosphere 7.13/10 – It’s so cool to see something like this on the Lebanon square, where I grew up going to antique malls with my parents. That’s part of the fun for me – the nostalgia. But, to Ryan’s point, the square is just waiting to pop with activity. I love the open layout of Cedar City Brewing. We camped out upstairs, overlooking the brewery and watching the football games. The service was impeccable, and as Brittany pointed out, the beertender at the tap Sunday was working her ass off. We couldn’t have asked for a much better experience, and it was a hell of a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Overall: 7.46/10 – I was sitting there on Sunday just buzzing right along thinking, “y’know, this is a strong 7.5/10 kind of experience.” And, I held onto that once I sobered up. The fact that something like Cedar City Brewing exists out east of town is exciting, but to go and have the beer, food, atmosphere, and value overdeliver sent me to the moon. This pretty well instantly became one of my favorite spots out here in Wilson County, where we desperately need more unique spots. Let’s hope the trail Cedar City Brewing has blazed opens the way for more craft brewery and restaurant experiences out east.
CURRENT NASHVILLE RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- Audrey (8.82/10)
- Butcher & Bee (8.5/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (8.44/10)
- Barcelona Wine Bar (8.23/10)
- Dino’s (8.22/10)
You can check out our full Nashville restaurant rankings here. I’m always looking for new spots to try – don’t be afraid to hit the comments with suggestions!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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