There was some sad news for residents of East Nashville neighborhoods Cleveland Park and McFerrin Park late last year when, after closing for what was thought to be a temporary renovation, Wilburn Street Tavern reportedly closed for good. There were efforts to help Wilburn Street’s widely beloved proprietor Miss Paulette (aka “Mama”) make ends meet once her bar shut down, but things at the establishment were quiet after that.
Well, some news regarding Wilburn Street Tavern comes our way today. Teresa Mason, owner and operator of award-winning East Side restaurant — and before that, food truck — Mas Tacos Por Favor, is taking over the space at Wilburn Street Tavern. Mason tells the Scene that she’ll be keeping the name Wilburn Street Tavern as well as the bar’s signage (pictured). The goal is to keep the spot a “neighborhood hang,” as Mason puts it, that will serve both beer and liquor. She hopes to open in late April or early May.
Because Wilburn Street doesn’t have a full-scale kitchen, Mason says she won’t be able to prepare the sort of eats she offers at Mas Tacos. She can heat food, but can't cook it — there’s no menu yet, but think along the lines of nachos and Sonoran hot dogs. Mason is currently working on switching out the bar’s furniture and cleaning things up, though she says there won’t be any major renovations. And there will be a pool table.
Meanwhile, Rolf and Daughters’ acclaimed chef Philip Krajeck is planning to open a pizza spot called Folk this spring in the former A&P grocery store at 823 Meridian St. — a space with which Wilburn Street Tavern shares a wall. It looks like both spots are on pace to open right around the same time, and the dual openings should be pretty transformative for the area.
