Nashville airport: Renovations brought a wave of new restaurants to BNA. Try these.
It wasn't long ago that diners at BNA, Nashville's growing international airport, faced fairly slim pickings. But with recent renovations to the airport have come a wave of new concessions joining old standbys. Here's a guide to some of the best places to grab a quick drink or bite before you fly the (hopefully) friendly skies.
International Arrivals Facility
This newly opened main grand lobby terminal, just past security, has added a number of new concessions to the airport, including outposts of some favorite downtown haunts and some entirely new concepts.
Acme Feed and Seed
Acme Feed and Seed's airport bar has a tiny version of the stage that anchors its Broadway spot. Here, you'll find cocktails, craft beer and the same accessible food the downtown location has become known for, including hot chicken bites, nachos, wings, burgers and the like.
Kitty Hawk
This new spot features breakfast sandwiches including The Baseline with custardy egg, sausage and cheese on brioche. You can also grab breakfast bowls over tots. For lunch and dinner, there are substantial salads, soups and sandwiches, including a muffuletta. There's a nice coffee and cocktail menu as well.
Titans Press Box
This is the first Tennessee Titans-licensed restaurant concept, and it's a whopper at nearly 4,000 square feet. Titans fans will dig the team-inspired design. Breakfast dishes include chocolatey brioche French toast, and biscuits and chorizo gravy. Lunch and dinner menus include shrimp cocktail, Nashville hot onion rings, soup and salads, burgers, fish tacos, sandwiches and more. There's also a full bar with beer, wine and craft cocktails.
Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut's first Nashville location, which shares a space with Kitty Hawk, is anchored by two doughnut display cases showcasing the iconic Portland-based doughnut maker's greatest hits, including the Maple Bar, Voodoo Doll and the Homer. A window from the dining room into the kitchen offers a glimpse of thedoughnut-making process, underscoring that these over-the-top sweets are made fresh daily.
A/B Rotunda
Bar-B-Cutie SmokeHouse
This airport version of a favorite Nashville smokehouse features barbecue platters and sandwiches, and plenty of down-home Southern sides, plus local brews and cocktails.
Hissho Sushi
This sushi spot features standard rolls, but you can also order a Japanese breakfast bento box with salmon, steamed rice, pickles and tamago, which is a great choice if you're tired of breakfast sandwiches.
Starbucks
This standard chain coffee house has all the breakfast sandwiches, wraps and pastries you've come to expect, and a full coffee menu.
Tennessee Brew Works
Local craft beer and burgers are the name of the game here.
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor
This is the airport outpost of a favorite Nashville spot known for its creative burgers and fries. There's also a beer menu, plus phosphates, milkshakes and ice cream sodas.
Concourse A
Arrington Wine Bar and Grill
This wine bar has some decent selections by the glass, including Tennessee wines. There's a full cocktail menu, too. Food includes healthier options like well-made salads. You'll also find burgers, steak sandwiches and breakfast dishes including a steak omelet.
Fugitives Public House
You'll find chicken biscuits, BLTs, burgers and other sandwiches, including a decent pesto chicken sandwich, plus craft cocktails and beer.
Kijiji Coffee
This spot for premium coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and grab-and-go pastries and juices is a great choice if you're pressed for time.
Concourse B
Little Harpeth Brewing
Sip Nashville craft beer made in the German lager tradition and snack on loaded tots, pretzels and burgers for lunch and dinner, and classic breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Kijiji Coffee
This spot for premium coffee, breakfast sandwiches and grab-and-go pastries and juices is a great choice if you're pressed for time.
Pig Star by Peg Leg Porker
This spot for authentic Memphis-style barbecue comes from nationally acclaimed pitmaster Carey Bringle, the pitmaster behind Peg Leg Porker and the very good Bringle's Smoking Oasis in West Nashville. Expect slow-smoked barbecue meats with signature sauces and rubs, and classic barbecue sides. Burritos, biscuits and gravy, grit bowls and smoked turkey hash make up the small breakfast menu.
Concourse C
Hattie B's
This is the only Hattie B's location with a breakfast menu, which theoretically starts at 3:30 a.m. (though it was not yet open at 8 a.m. before a recent flight). Breakfast includes peach or pimento-cheese biscuit muffins and hot chicken biscuits. Lunch and dinner, served from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., offer staples like hot chicken sandwiches, tenders and wings with sides including pimento mac and cheese, and red skin potato salad. Yes, there's beer and booze.
Slim and Husky's
This Nashville-grown hip-hop themed pizza restaurant serves creative pies including the pepperoni-stacked Rony, Roni, Rone! with classic red sauce and a house cheese blend. There are hot chicken pizzas, salads, and vegan and build-your-own options. There are cinnamon rolls for dessert and plenty of beer to drink.
400 Degrees
Owner Aqui Hines pays homage to Prince's Hot Chicken with 400 Degrees, where she also manages to serve some of the city's best hot chicken. This BNA outpost features deep-fried bone-in hot chicken and tenders, homestyle sides, and local craft beers and cocktails.
8th & Roast Coffee Co.
This full-service coffee shop features top-notch ethically sourced coffee beverages, breakfast sandwiches, grab-and-go pastries, and boxed breakfasts and lunches. If the lines are short, this is a great option when you're pressed for time.
Barista Parlor
You'll find excellent coffee here, plus signature breakfast biscuits, sandwiches, pastries and cookies.
Bongo Java
This kiosk serves organic fair-trade coffee. Grab a pastry or a pound of coffee beans on the way home.
MEEL
If you're looking for fast and healthy, MEEL has plenty of nutrient-dense grab-and-go eats made with an eye toward what's local, seasonal, organic and non-GMO.
Ole Red
Blake Shelton's Ole Red brings Broadway vibes to BNA with live music, beer and cocktails. Breakfast includes biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, avocado toast and yogurt parfaits. Later, you can buy wings by the dozen or snack on big burgers, nachos and hot dogs.
Pyramids Cafe
Pyramids Cafe serves great gyros, hummus, stuffed grape leaves and other fresh takes on Mediterranean fare. For breakfast, you'll find a fairly standard American menu. But since breakfast sandwiches on big carby buns seem to be a BNA standard, it's worth noting that you can get a fresh feta and vegetable egg wrap that comes with grilled chicken, but you can swap out the chicken for extra vegetables.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack serves made-to-order Angus beef and veggie burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, classic crinkle-cut fries, milkshakes, frozen custard, floats and more.
Smashville
This Nashville Predators-themed bar serves standard bar fare and drinks. Preds fans will love the chance to watch live hockey games in-season while being surrounded by team colors and merch.
Swett’s BBQ
This is a no-frills but good smoked meat and southern sides joint. Expect mac and cheese, pulled pork, broccoli casserole, and breakfast wraps and sandwiches in the morning.
Tailgate Brewery
This Nashville-based brewery's BNA outpost features 16 local craft brews on tap, pizza served whole or by the slice, loaded waffle fries, wings, breakfast sandwiches and more. You can also grab cans to go.
The Urban Juicer
Probably the spot with the healthiest fare at the airport, this is where to find smoothies, cold-pressed juices, wraps and salad.
Three Casks
This bar features mostly locally made spirits, plus burgers, sandwiches and barbecue. Taps feature Tennessee beers, and there's even a grab-and-go window where you can snag a cocktail.
Tootsies Orchid Lounge
Another airport outpost of a favorite Broadway honky tonk, Tootsies features live music, a full bar and a menu of American fare, including burgers, barbecue, cheese steaks and chicken sandwiches.
Vino Fiesta
This is a serviceable wine bar with tapas and tacos that you won't necessarily write home about, but it's a great spot to while away an hour or two if you're tired of the standard burgers, chicken sandwiches and beer.
Concourse D
8th & Roast Coffee Co.
This full-service coffee shop features top-notch ethically sourced coffee beverages, breakfast sandwiches, grab-and-go pastries, and boxed breakfasts and lunches. If the lines are short, this is a great option when you're pressed for time.
Party Fowl
This Nashville hot chicken kiosk has an extensive brunch menu featuring a hot chicken omelet, and hot chicken and beignets. Not into hot chicken? Get the pimento smash burger or a house wedge salad. At the bar: local brews, boozy slushies and wall-to-wall TVs.
Puckett’s Gro. & Restaurant
Puckett’s roots stretch back to the ‘50s when it was just a little grocery store in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. The airport location features live music and serves Southern staples including fried chicken and homestyle sides plus breakfast platters to fuel you for your flight.
The Southern Steak & Oyster
This full-service restaurant and bar serves New Orleans-inspired food and other Southern coastal fare, including gumbo with andouille and crawfish, barbecue shrimp, shucked-to-order oysters and dry-aged strip steaks. The restaurant serves breakfast until 10:30 a.m., including big barbecue platters with fried eggs or, for something lighter, granola and berries.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Where to eat, drink at BNA, Nashville's growing international airport
