Restaurants in Memoriam 2019

The end of the year is a time of reflection. Those of us who write about food and drink think back on our favorite meals and plan for the next time we feast. So it’s natural that we also ponder the restaurants that closed over the past 12 months, and pay our respects to those dishes we’ll never again get to savor.

 By our count there were more than 45 Nashville restaurant closures in 2019, as compared to the 26 we tallied last year. Some were second outposts of restaurants that still exist in another neighborhood (i.e., 312 Pizza shuttered its Nolensville Pike location, but we can still chow down on their Chicago-style pie in Germantown). Edgefield closed and reopened (albeit with new owners, a new vibe and a new name — Lakeside). 

While we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible, this list is not exhaustive. We focused on those losses that really hit us in the gut — Fort Louise’s beloved curried fried chicken bucket and that Hog Heaven white barbecue sauce, anyone? Have a look at 2019’s Restaurants in Memoriam below.

51st Kitchen and Bar, 2015-2019

Started in 2015 by Tony and Caroline Galzin of Nicky’s Coal Fired, 51st Kitchen morphed after the couple sold it, becoming the city’s only restaurant with a gated dog park. Lassie and owners are still looking for somewhere else to frolic and grab a drink.

Americano, 2015-2019

This unassuming West End tapas spot was reliable for an affordable lunch, a pre-night-out dinner and food that was interesting but not overly complicated. R.I.P. “hot chicken”-style cauliflower, which was the city’s best vegetarian take on the dish.

Bare Naked Bagel, 2014-2019

Bare Naked Bagel was a food-truck favorite for four years before opening a Hillsboro Village shop, which unfortunately shuttered within the year. It leaves a bagel-shaped hole for those who loved the sandwiches (especially the avocado-laden California bagel) and friendly service. 

Firefly Grille, 2004-2019

Curt Cole’s Green Hills staple was known for its twinkling Christmas-light decor as much as it was for its American cuisine. But the longtime restaurateur returned to the same spot: His new Cole’s Kitchen has many of the same menu items, albeit in a sleeker environment — there’s not a Mardi Gras bead to be found anywhere.

Flyte Restaurant and Wine Bar, 2006-2019

A launching pad for many of the city’s favorite chefs, Flyte brought us farm-to-table fare and wine flights back before they were offered at every corner.

Fort Louise, 2017-2019

This sweet Inglewood restaurant offered locals a neighborhood discount, meaning we showed up regularly for cauliflower served with Green Goddess, the aforementioned curry fried chicken, and a burger that held its own in a city with a lot of burgers. Brunch-and-wine spot lou now inhabits the space.

Frisson Soft Serve, 2018-2019 

It started as a food truck, but once Frisson opened its storefront in East Nashville, the obsession began — with lines down Fatherland of folks wanting to put their own creative (and calorie-laden) toppings on the signature soft serve. Even so, the crowds seemingly weren’t enough to keep the place open. Another food truck, 615 Waffles, is slated to move into the space.

G’z BBQ, 2013-2019

If you were a fan of G’z meatloaf and ribs, not all is lost. Yes, they closed their Inglewood storefront in November, but the catering kitchen is still cooking up a storm — and yes, they plan to be at the Muddy Roots Music Festival again next year. 

Garden Brunch Cafe, 2009-2019

This beloved Germantown brunch spot routinely had lines out the door on weekend mornings. Ever since a sign was taped to its Jefferson Street door saying it was closed — without details — we’ve been at a loss, missing the solid vegetarian-friendly menu and friendly staff and owners.

The Gold Rush, 1974-2019

An Elliston Place institution for generations, The Gold Rush was home to cheap bean rolls and drinks and, until 2016, a place to smoke — not to mention a pre- and post-show hang for musicians playing at nearby Exit/In and The End. We’ll miss the black-bean burger, the bean rolls and the hazy memories of cheap liquor on the Rock Block.

Hog Heaven, 1986-2019

This one hurts. From an unassuming (and unairconditioned) screened-in porch next to Centennial Park, Hog Heaven was a reliable purveyor of barbecue in a city with a lot of barbecue. The non-pork options and white sauce were standouts in the crowded category.

Homestead Manor, 2015-2019

The calling card for this Thompson’s Station restaurant (owned by the folks who bring you Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant and Deacon’s New South) was its 50 surrounding acres, with gardens filled with herbs, and the new use for the 200-year-old building. Sunday brunch wasn’t bad, either.

Hot Diggity Dogs, 2004-2019

It isn’t hard to find a hot dog in town, but Hot Diggity had legit, authentic Chicago-style dogs (Vienna Beef brand) and fries that were always the right combination of salty and crispy.

Jefferson Street Cafe, 2018-2019 

One of a number of coffee shops that closed this year (see our sidebar), Jefferson Street Cafe got off to a bumpy start due to some neighborhood controversy. Once that passed, this spot became a reliable Bonga Java outpost, with good food, coffee, and space to hang out and chat or work in a neighborhood where more such spaces are needed.

Koto Sushi Bar, 1985-2019

It can be tricky to find reliable places to eat before a night of theater, particularly if you want something other than Southern specialties (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Koto — which was opened by chef Hajime Keruma and his wife Song-mi in 1985 — offered a great sushi option near TPAC for a long time.

Lazzaroli Pasta, 2005-2019

OK, so technically it wasn’t a restaurant. But this Italian gourmet grocery was the go-to for fresh pasta, first in the Nashville Farmers’ Market and then at its Germantown shop. Our at-home dining is certainly worse since we lost access to the pillowy filled ravioli made by Tom Lazzaro’s hands.

Le Sel, 2015-2019

Strategic Hospitality closed this French food favorite, which was nestled in Midtown’s Adelicia building, and left us without one of our favorite brunch spots.

No. 308, 2010-2019

Before Gallatin Road was dotted with hipster bars, No. 308 paved the way with its no-signage door, thick menu of craft cocktails and midcentury furniture. Alexis Soler’s watering hole was perfect whether you wanted a quiet early happy hour or a late-night DJ’d dance party. Soler plans to turn the space into a different concept, and we’ll happily drink wherever she suggests, but a little piece of our souls was left at 308.

Nonna’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, 2012-2019

A wood-fired companion to Sylvan Park’s Caffe Nonna, this small eatery was the neighborhood place to go for a pizza and a bottle of vino after a long day at the office.

Pastime, 2017-2019

This sports bar was heavy on the baseball decor and was in close proximity to the Sounds’ First Tennessee Park. A rooftop deck and lots of TVs made it good for game-watching — and the salads on the brunch menu meant you didn’t necessarily have to load up on fried food.

The Pie Wagon, 1922-2018; 2018-2019

We warned you last year, suggesting that if you wished you could dine at the longtime classic again after it was shuttered in 2018, then you needed to make it over to the reopened meat-and-three with new owners. Did you not take our advice? 

Prince’s Hot Chicken, 1989-2019 

Yes, Prince’s has been around much longer than 1989, but that’s when the iconic brand opened its Ewing Drive location. It was unexpectedly shut down when a car crashed into the building, triggering the sprinklers, which caused fire damage. Thankfully we can get the city’s signature recipe at two other locations — on Nolensville Pike and via truck at the 6th & Peabody venue in SoBro — but we’ll nevertheless miss the vibe of the old North Nashville mainstay.

Salsa Puerto Rican, 2013-2019

This Eighth Avenue South restaurant was the city’s most reliable spot for mofongo, the Puerto Rican pork-skin-and-plantain favorite, as well as other Latin American and Caribbean specialties. The sangria helped it all go down easy.

Table 3, 2010-2019

Table 3 was essentially Nashville’s only brasserie, one of Green Hills’ most affordable lunches, and had an atmosphere that made you forget you were at the mall — making Wendy Burch and Elise Loehr’s French oasis one that we miss. Detroit-style pizza joint Emmy Squared took over the space.

Taco Cantina, 2018-2019

It was open for less than a year, but during that time this Mexican eatery in Germantown Depot found a loyal following of lunch-goers who liked the prices for a sit-down table-service lunch and free parking — because no one has time to circle the block looking for a spot at lunchtime.

Tenn Sixteen, 2014-2019

A smoke-free sports bar with a decent, if predictable, Southern food menu, in the heart of Five Points, Tenn Sixteen was a reliable East Nashville weekend watering hole.

Thai Phooket, 2009-2019

It always felt like the unlikeliest of a discovery, a simple Thai spot in a parking lot across from Nissan Stadium. But Thai Phooket welcomed crowds for a decade until a fire forced the place to close its doors. You don’t get the same view of downtown, but you can find the same pad Thai at their Goodlettsville location.

The Local Taco, 2014-2019

The East Nashville spot serving cocktails, tacos, chips and salsa on a Fatherland patio closed this year after the Sylvan Park location shut its doors in 2018. The Brentwood shop remains open, if you’re looking to replace the casual hangout. The East Side building is now home to the upgraded and relocated vegan spot The Wild Cow.

Tin Angel, 1993-2019

Rick and Vicki Bolsom decided to retire, shuttering their time-honored eatery, but also bringing to a close their decades of training chefs and servers to go off and do their best at other restaurants. The couple’s retirement is well-deserved, but that doesn’t mean we’re not sad to see them go.

Farewell Java

It was a rough year for coffee shops. Among those that sent us to get our caffeine fix elsewhere:

37 Degrees Sth, 2017-2019

Bowtie Barista, 2017-2019

Box, 2016-2019 (There are several other Bonga Java outposts around town.)

Flatrock Coffee, 2014-2019

Little Mosko’s, 2016-2019

The Post East, 2014-2019

Stay Golden East, 2018-2019 (The Sidco Drive location remains open.)

Terminal Cafe, 2016-2019