Nestled in the heart of BNA country is Birrieria y Taqueria Arandas, one of Nashville’s finest and most underrated Mexican eateries. A squat building with scattershot parking and an endless lunchtime rush, Arandas would blend in perfectly had it opened a few miles southwest on Nolensville Pike. But as brave pioneers, the owners of Arandas chose a unique location, and it is there that food-obsessed locals and airport-area wanderers alike find solace.
The menu is vast, with mainstays and deep cuts battling for precious space. Choices range from classics like tortas ($8.25), mulitas ($2.50) and your-choice-of-meat burritos ($8.25), to pollo al carbon ($8.50) and a quesabirria (quesadilla dunked in beefy tomato broth, $12.99) — that one rivals a Delmonico’s ribeye for eye-popping decadence. But the obvious choice is the pambazo ($9.50), a grilled sandwich filled with chorizo and potatoes and dipped in an aromatic red sauce, best served with green salsa and a squirt of lime.
When the pambazo arrives, the world knows. The steaming plate, the glowing bread, the luscious bits of sausage and pork fat, all cocooned in a rich red-pepper sauce. It’s impossible to eat sandwich-style, so a plastic fork and knife are necessary — though how you attack the sandwich is up to you. What is certain is that on a slow weekday evening, with the dining room empty and a telenovela buzzing on the flatscreen, there is no better place to be than 104 Graylynn Drive.
