Heywood M.
Yelp
The Row is a placed just steeped in history, from tales of bartabs paid by selling song rights (Friends in Low Places) to performers who've started here (Brooks and Dunn).
The stage/bar area is great for catching singer songwriters doing both originals and innovative covers. Early in the week, aspiring songwriters from Belmont University pair up on stage to sing originals and it's usually amazing.
The staff is the nicest, funniest, fastest bunch around from the door to the bussers. The bartenders are superb and personable. Day or night, just a blast whether it's Shelby Rae or Landon or Jake or whoever. A great staff.
It's that rare place that's got a tourist vibe with the genuine feel of a locals hangout (unlike everywhere on that phony stretch of "Nashville" also known as lower Broadway save for Robert's Western World).
I recently had the joy of working nearly a year nearby and was in a couple times a week, and I'd guess was in more than 100 times.
So I'm raving about the place ... why four stars? I actually debated making it three stars.
(Spoiler alert: I am a former chef. I've got some opinions about food.)
The food is mind-bogglingly hit or miss. Let's start with the sides: Cheddar grits were the blandest, least cheesy grits I've ever eaten. Like-no salt (that's gonna be a theme). The snap peas: oily and no salt. The braised greens are likewise oily but at least tasty. The hash brown casserole is GREAT, onion forward and cheesy and delicious. But for $4,99 you get a Baskin Robbins small scoop of it. I mean it's POTATO fer chrissakes.
Some of the entrees are just a mess. The ribeye (and yeah--it's not a steak joint but c'mon. Again NO salt or pepper and I actually didn't know ribeyes came 1/2" thin. The salmon is also a miss. The bland snap peas served with salmon drenched in maple bourbon sauce that needed (you guessed it!) salt at the least maybe some acid like a squeeze of lemon. When the best thing on the salmon plate is the mashed sweet potatoes (which are solid), well ...
The BBQ is pretty good, probably enjoyed the chicken the most. Love brisket but one time it's what I expect: fatty and juicy and smoky/salty; and the next it's a chunk of overcooked pot roast. And then their "sauces" (not theirs but what they serve. Can't even remember the name because I'd never seek them out) are a whiff. The regular is sickening sweet, the hot is closer to an Asian sweet chili sauce, and the white BBQ is damn near ranch (comes with the fried green tomatoes and until my server asked how I liked the white BBQ i was certain it WAS ranch).
(Oh--the fried green tomatoes are great, but like the hash brown casserole way overpriced. $12.00 and you get a very cute "upright taco"-style presentation with maybe half of one medium tomato. I've had fried green tomatoes for $8 that would feed two recently, a big messy plate of 'em.)
Not a fan of the whole smash burger craze because in my world, there's three ways to order a burger (also applies to steak): rare, medium-rare, and DON'T ORDER A BURGER and it's near impossible to get the temp I like on a smash burger, but they're tasty enough.
In a sentence: come for the amazing music and staff ... but eat first.