Another year of getting out there and reviewing Nashville area restaurants is in the books, and another year of planning where to go next is in front of me. Am I food critic? No. That’s not lost on me – I’m sure people read ‘Nashville Reviews’ and think I’m a caveman. That’s fine. I also have the palate of a raccoon, so as I’ve told friends before, my opinion on food probably shouldn’t matter all that much because I’m easy to please. I’m perfectly content with a bin of trash for dinner on Friday night. Nonetheless, the spirit of this series on this website is just to let you guys know what’s out there, snap some food pics so you can decide if you want to try it for yourself, and let you know what our experiences were like. Let’s recap 2022 before I list a few places I’d like to get out and try this year.
New Nashville Area Restaurants I Tried in 2022
Just Love Cafe (Mount Juliet) – full review – Great latte. Great breakfast burrito. But, man – the price tag was a little much for the value of what we got. I still like Just Love every once in awhile, but the expense pulls it out of the regular rotation for me…especially when I can go right down the road and stuff my gullet at Waffle House for half the price.
Smokin’ Thighs – full review – My wife had it all the time when she worked out in Berry Hill, and would always come home talking about it. Back in the spring, on what was a rare snowy day in March, I finally made it out there to try the hot chicken, get a cold beer, and scope it out.
Dino’s – full review – I’ve stood behind Brown’s Diner as the best diner burger in town for years, but every time the conversation came up, people told me I had to get to Dino’s to try it out. I finally did last summer, and it was everything that was sold to me. How rare that something is unbelievably hyped up to you, and then it still somehow OVERdelivers on the experience? I still have to get down there and try the hot chicken.
Drake’s (Cool Springs) – full review – Look, I get it. Who’s reviewing chains on the internet? That’s part of the bit, but also, don’t sleep on Drake’s when it comes to getting a damn good burger, especially right there near the theater. Perfect meal before a movie!
Audrey – full review – Every now and then, I do clean up and enjoy civilization. Thanks to my buddy Zach Lyons of Football & Other F Words and A Football Show, my wife and I were able to enjoy the full experience of Audrey’s creative dining experience. It pretty well instantly became my favorite restaurant in Nashville.
John A’s – full review – I was always curious about John A’s because I’ve had friends who swore by it. It wasn’t exactly my favorite new experience of the year, but it was good enough to pique my curiosity to go back and try the hot chicken.
Bite A Bit – I’m always going to ride-or-die for Rudie’s (pour one out, R.I.P.), so it was hard to finally face that something new occupied that building. But, after a few rounds of drinks at Village Pub, that pad Thai hit just right, folks. The larger menu looked pretty damn good, too. I didn’t write a review about this because I was just drunk enough to not be paying attention to what I was putting in my mouth (twss).
Flat Tire Diner (Old Hickory) – Flat Tire earned a reputation around these parts east of town, but I think I’m going to have to call a mulligan on the lunch I had there and go back for breakfast before I can write a full review of it. This was one place where I didn’t necessarily see what all the fuss was about. I had a pork chop sandwich with a pineapple on it, and it was pretty good. But, I live for those big diner breakfasts, so I want to get a more complete picture before I say anything for sure.
Church and Union – This is what a caveman I am. I go to Church and Union and have a fantastic steak dinner, but all I can think about since is the fucking A+++++++ charcuterie board they served us as an appetizer.
The Ridge – full review – I finally got to try The Ridge when the McCashes “catered” it for us for our live stream of ‘Drinking With…’ on Halloween Eve Eve. And, let me just say – I finally get why Steven raved about this place for so long. It truly is some of the best BBQ you’ll find in this city, and it doesn’t get near the credit it deserves. Kudos!
Cedar City Brewing (Lebanon) – full review – Lebanon, and really, anywhere out east of town, has needed a brewery like this forever. That Cedar City Brewing brings that to the Lebanon town square is just icing on the cake. Good beers. Good food. Good vibes. This was instantly one of my favorite new spots when we tried it a couple months ago.
2023 Watch List
I have a long list of places to get to. Believe me – how ambitious it is to say I want to get every area restaurant I possibly can into our grand catalog of ‘Nashville Reviews’ is not lost on me. It sounds insane, and that gives me an incredibly deep pool of options to write about every year. But, as we wind down for the holidays every year, I do take a gander at what’s opening, and I listen to what people are saying on social media, and I do circle a few names to make a concerted effort to get to in the following year. This is that list today!
- Assembly Food Hall – it’s the only restaurant I listed at the beginning of 2022 that I never went down to try! But, that’s just because I hate going downtown these days, so let’s try again in 2023. *shrugs*
- Shotgun Willie’s BBQ – Our buddy Sean Atkins put this on my radar last year, but I’ve seen a few of my Twitter mutuals rave about this place, and considering I’m a big fan of BBQ in general, I need to try it.
- Edley’s (Donelson) – I could’ve sworn I wrote a review about Edley’s, but nope…never did. With that shiny new location in Donelson open, I’m going to have to get out there and cover it.
- Little Hats Market – Another neat little spot Sean told me about, Little Hats Market is an Italian-style diner and market out in Germantown.
- Dicey’s Tavern – I stumbled across Dicey’s Tavern before it opened, and it immediately looked like my kind of place. When our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, went down and gave it his seal of approval, I knew I had to add it to this list.
- Noble’s – All of y’all watching the race gimmick there put this place in my brain to begin with, but since then, I’ve heard several people, including my own uncle, tell me how good it is.
- Hathorne – Long considered among the city’s best, I’ve been wanting to try Hathorne for a long time. I just haven’t made it out there because I rarely hang out on that side of town. My wife wants to try it out, so we might have to have ourselves a nice little date night some time this year.
- The Paper Mill (Mount Juliet) – With the controversy of Courtney’s in the rearview mirror, The Paper Mill has risen from the ashes. It’s one of the hottest new spots our here east of the city, and I hear they have a damn good smash burger.
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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