Pat Martin and his pit
It’s not all doom and gloom out there, BiteStars! Between last week’s celebration of the best in food and drink and some great news from local favorites, it’s starting to look a little more hopeful for Nashville food fans.
That newest good news comes courtesy of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Hugh Baby’s and Hathorne, all three of which have recently announced openings or reopenings coming up in the near future and next spring. On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Pat Martin returns to his company’s roots with the opening of a brand spanking new Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint location in Nolensville at 7223 Nolensville Road. This is actually the third spot in Nolensville that Martin’s has called home, after opening his original pit in 2006, moving to a larger building across the street and now heading back just a few doors down from his original location.
The new 2,400 square foot restaurant will offer even more flexibility for Martin’s fans with dine-in, carryout, curbside pickup and delivery all available. The new restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. under current limited-capacity constraints, and the restaurant team remains committed to ensuring the safety of its employees and guests through enhanced cleaning and social distancing measures.
“This is a coming home for me," says Martin. "The Nolensville community has supported me from the very beginning, and 14 years later, I’m honored more than ever to be a part of the neighborhood. Leaving my first location so many years ago was tough, but I learned long ago that you can’t be too emotional about a physical space. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to return to my roots by opening up shop next door to my original store, as well as to introduce Hugh Baby’s to the community.”
Martin’s Nolensville 2.0 will stay in the family after the move, undergoing a conversion into a catering kitchen and drive-thru option for Martin’s other brand, Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop. Martin plans for a spring 2021 opening, when Nolensville residents will be able to grab and go with a bag full of Hugh Baby’s popular smashed griddle burgers, barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, fries and shakes. Plus Martin will also feature the regional specialty slugburgers on Fridays, so you can start craving them now!
Closer to home, John Stephenson is tickled to announce that after months of getting by with only limited carryout service, Hathorne is finally reopening for dining-in service on Wednesday, Oct. 21. In addition to keeping the kitchen fires burning with carryout, the staff at Hathorne has stayed busy preparing the popular West Nashville restaurant for a safer reopening by rearranging the indoor seating and installing heaters and fire pits on the comfy outdoor patio to increase distanced-dining options.
The seasonal menu may have changed a little bit since last you visited, but some of your old favorites doubtlessly remain, so make a reservation to welcome Hathorne back to the land of the living! New operating hours will be Wednesday through Saturday, 5-10 p.m. They’d also like to remind you that preordering for their special Thanksgiving carryout menu is already open, so you can check that off your to-do list if you’d like. Welcome back, Hathorne!
