A place with “butcher” right in the name really has to bring the meat. While I’m not necessarily the target-carnivore at the new
Butchertown Hallin Germantown, I will say there are few things in life I enjoy more than a good cheeseburger. In fact, it tends to be my litmus test at restaurants like these.
Terry Raley, who owns The Pharmacy and Holland House in East Nashville, worked with developers Woodland Street Partners to open Butchertown Hall at 1416 Fourth Ave. N. The space has an edgy, industrial vibe that works well in the neighborhood and still manages to be inviting at the same time.
“We wanted to explore European and Tex-Mex cuisine filtered through barbecue technique,” Raley explains via email. “Secondly, we wanted to attempt to capture the essence of the neighborhood's historical significance, and translate that to the modern era. What did the immigrants from 1850s Nashville contribute, and how do we effectively honor those contributions of butchery and brewing?”
My friend and I had lunch there on a recent snowy weekday. The inside is bright and modern, all sleek edges and caged rocks and interesting woodcuts, and the staff was very welcoming.
As with any new restaurant, you may want to wait a minute to let them work out some of the kinks, but overall we were quite pleased. My friend was disappointed to learn they were “out” of the lamb tacos — which was surprising since we got there at 11:30 a.m. and were among the first half-dozen lunchers. But she really enjoyed her carnitas and steak tacos.
There was no question I was going to get the cheeseburger, but I didn’t want the double-patty offering (told you I’m not their target-carnivore). They happily knocked it back to a single for me, and it was absolutely tasty. I don’t know that it’s a Nashville’s Top 10 burger for me, but I’d definitely be happy to order it again.
Because I was too busy admiring the decor, I failed to notice there were fries on the menu and ordered the elote salad instead. The Butchertown Hall take on Mexican street corn is served cold in a little pile on the butcher paper — you get hipster- and toddler-friendly brown paper on mahogany planks instead of plates here — with cilantro, jalapeno and queso fresco. It was fine, not mind-blowingly great, although there was one really interesting thing about it: When I pulled out my leftover burger half later that evening at home, the remaining elote smelled JUST like leftover pizza. (I would totally buy a scented candle with a cold-pizza aroma, so I consider that a big plus.
Probably our favorite thing about the mid-priced menu of burgers, barbecue, sandwiches and tacos was the house-made soda selection (similar to what's offered at Raley's Pharmacy). My friend got the Grapefruit/Cinnamon/Black Cardamom soda, and it was uh-MAZE-ing. Like drinking a cinnamon roll, but not in a gross way. There’s also a really impressive list of beers and tequila, if that’s your thing. And if you are, in fact, Butchertown’s target-carnivore, it probably is.
Butchertown Hall
1416 Fourth Ave. N.
615-454-3634
Serving lunch and dinner daily, plus brunch on Saturday and Sunday
