Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House

"Everyone needs a solid ramen bar in the rotation — Black Dynasty is Nashville’s. Located inside Bearded Iris Brewing at Sylvan Supply, the cool, casual restaurant makes everything from scratch, dunking noodles in a variety of rich broths studded with veggies, pork, and oozy eggs. Cap off the noodle feast with a slice of Black Dynasty’s matcha chess pie. —JGJ" - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Ellen Fort

"Black Dynasty started as a noodle spot in the back of Bar Sovereign. Now, you can find it in a roomier operation inside Bearded Iris Brewery at Sylvan Supply. Whether you’re looking to warm up on a chilly winter night or nurse a hangover from an evening of too many boilermakers, come here for a massive bowl of umami-packed ramen—which is way tastier than one of those mobile IV services. You can opt for a table inside the brewery or, if the weather’s playing nice, order your pork gyoza and miso tonkotsu to take out on the patio. The menu may be small, but look out for creative flash-in-the-pan specials like a housemade scallion pancake stuffed with ribeye and Teenage Mutant Ninja mazasoba mixed with shoyu tomato tare, ricotta cheese, and bonito gyofun pepperoni spice. Food Rundown Pork Gyoza This is where you start, with plump and pillowy dough pockets made in-house and stuffed with ground pork, bacon, and cabbage. The accompanying black vinegar dipping sauce is tangy, complex, and a sweet foil to the pork. Miso Tonkotsu The miso tonkotsu is the main act here. The creamy pork broth with hunks of tender pork belly, housemade hakata noodles, and a hefty ramen egg make for a flavor combo that commands your attention. For an extra $1, you can add an extra dose of garlic or spice (the “hellfire” option) to your bowl. And to answer your question: yes, you should. Vegan Tantanmen On the flip side, the vegan ramen is no flavor slouch, with a rich milky vegetable broth, pleasantly chewy Tokyo noodles, a zippy Sichuan tofu, bok choy, sesame, and chili. It’s packed with so much flavor you won’t even miss pork." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones

"Everyone needs a solid ramen bar in the rotation, especially when the weather dips. Black Dynasty is Nashville’s. Newly relocated inside Bearded Iris Brewing at Sylvan Supply, the cool, casual restaurant makes everything from scratch, dunking noodles in a variety of rich broths studded with veggies, pork, and oozy eggs. For a fun twist, check out Slurprise Sunday, when a mystery bowl makes a special appearance with some highly inventive ingredients." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones, Eater Staff

"Jackie Gutierrez-Jones is ecstatic about Black Dynasty Ramen, which technically re-opened in late 2021, but is noteworthy for its exceptional bowls of broth and noodles." - Delia Jo Ramsey

"In April of 2020, chef Rooney’s Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House dropped the secrecy, settling into the kitchen at Bar Sovereign for takeout with comforting bowls of shoyu chintan and vegan mushroom tonkotsu for the hungry homebound. Eventually, they experienced normalcy once dine-in service resumed — then they parted ways. On Halloween of 2021, they switched from dark speakeasy to warehouse chic ramen, moving across town to Sylvan Supply’s Bearded Iris Brewery, where chef Rooney and the crew continues to dole out reliably on-point gyoza, salads, and desserts plus a regular cast of rave-worthy ramen options with homemade noodles — something not found often in Nashville." - Delia Jo Ramsey, Kristy Lucero