John T.
Yelp
Pre-lockdown experience.*
I've never understood the whole point of a 'food hall.' The name was/is just so d@mn extra. It's a food court. Food courts have been a part of the food system for decades. Was it really necessary to rename them for the assumed benefit of a younger audience? Annoying. Food courts. You know, the places you congregated at as disaffected tweens or in search of a respite during holiday shopping. Food Courts.
Hunters Station is a food court. It used to be a body shop. When I first heard that yet another Nashville mainstay was being repurposed into something else, I rolled my eyes and kept it moving. At the time, I needed to appear excited but, in reality, I didn't see the point. We needed this? Okay. Trying to look at the upside, I thought that it was cool that people would start flocking to the Maxwell neighborhood and maybe realize that 'East Nashville' is an area made up of several different neighborhoods, all with their own flavor. Maybe. Upside.
The sands of time did their thing and Hunters went from flames and cars to, well, flames (food) and cars (lots more people). Giving credit where it's due, the layout is nice. There are plenty of places to sit - inside and outside - and a variety of eating choices that should satisfy parties of all sizes.** If you want burgers and beer or salads and seltzer, you should be able to find it at Hunters. I was hopeful that Hunters would be populated with brand new concepts, rather than outposts of eateries you can already find all over town but a.) that takes money and b.) new concepts will come in their own time.
I'm a suburban Kentucky kid at heart so I feel just fine at/in a food court. Hunters at its origin works just fine for me. Hunters as it might appear in the future sounds even better. Parking can be a pain. The lot is a pay one but I *think* you get an hour free. Maybe. Park on the street. Check out some Maxwell homes.
*Numbers are going up and health care workers are begging people to stay home. You can both shop locally and responsibly.
**No larger than 8, please. Preferably less than that. To go.