"This East Nashville brewery already has a home on our best big group dinner guide, and it works as a birthday spot for a lot of the same reasons. First, pizza has historically fed the birthday masses —shoutout to those elementary school skating rink parties—and Smith & Lentz has one of the best pies around town, using sourdough-fermented dough with bubbly and crispy mozzarella on top. There’s plenty of room to stretch out with your friends, too. Grab one of the picnic tables, order some pepperoni or cacio e pepe pies, and—because S&L also happens to be a great brewery—a few pints of their crisp German pils or Mosaic IPA for the obligatory birthday toast." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak
"East Nashville beer hang Smith & Lentz upped its game after the 2020 tornado with a facelift, plentiful patio space, and a solid new pizza menu. Crisp pilsners and sourdough-fermented pies take center stage here — try the one loaded with pepperoni and drizzled with hot honey. The “take your pie to prom” option adds brushed garlic butter, dried oregano, chile flakes, and grated Parmesan." - Ellen Fort
"There’s perhaps no better food for large groups than pizza (but we’re open to introductions). Smith and Lentz just so happens to have one of the best pies around town, using sourdough-fermented dough with bubbly and crispy mozzarella on top. The large space was rebuilt after the 2020 tornado and now has plenty of room to stretch out with your pickleball league after a game. Grab one of the picnic tables, order up some pepperoni or cacio e pepe pies, and—because S&L also happens to be an excellent brewery—a few pints of their crisp German pils or Mosaic IPA." - jackie gutierrez jones 2, ann walczak, adam sloan
"At Smith & Lentz, the back patio is where you want to be. You’ll find lots of covered seating and plenty of neighbors sharing pepperoni pizzas with hot honey, salads made with kale that was grown 20 miles away, and glasses of beer that taste like they were scientifically tailored to everything on the menu. Try the Pizza Palace Pilsner for something light and crisp, or the dry-hopped Fool’s Paradise IPA for a fuller-bodied option. There’s a lot of energy inside, too, mostly thanks to their open kitchen and the friendly door guy who’ll probably remember your name after one visit. " - adam sloan
"At Smith & Lentz, the back patio is where you want to be. You’ll find lots of covered seating and plenty of neighbors sharing pepperoni pizzas with hot honey, salads made with kale that was grown 20 miles away, and glasses of beer that taste like they were scientifically tailored to everything on the menu. Try the Pizza Palace Pilsner for something light and crisp, or the dry-hopped Fool’s Paradise IPA for a fuller-bodied option. There’s a lot of energy inside, too, mostly thanks to their open kitchen and the friendly door guy who’ll probably remember your name after one visit." - Adam Sloan