The Mockingbird is a new american restaurant in The Gulch, Nashville.
Maneet Chauhan's Gulch room in Nashville runs globally inflected American comfort food with strong cocktails, opened 2018 and steady at the top of the area.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Crispy pork shank, Fried chicken
Must order: Crispy pork shank with chili crisp, plus the kale Caesar.
Tip: Happy hour is generous and easy to walk into; book ahead for the patio in warm weather.
Address: 121A 12th Ave North, Nashville, TN 37203
Chef Philip Krajeck's Germantown Italian-American kitchen in Nashville opened in 2012 inside the Werthan factory and runs handmade pastas and wood-fired.
Signature: Squid ink chitarra, Wood-fired pork chop
Order: Squid ink chitarra with octopus and chickpea, plus the wood-fired pork.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out on Resy; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00 and serves the same menu.
Chef Tandy Wilson's Germantown room in Nashville serves blue-collar Italian and Southern cooking since 2007. Kitchen leans italian southern.
Signature: Belly ham pizza, Catfish with chickpeas
Order: Belly ham pizza with mozzarella, oregano, chiles and pickled peppers.
Tip: Bradley Midgett took executive chef duties in March 2025; the menu stays Wilson's. Sunday Suppers are the easy seat.
Chef Julia Sullivan's Germantown seafood room in Nashville opened in 2017 with a raw bar, wood-grill program and a wine list built around growers.
Signature: Oyster tower, Wood-grilled fish
Order: Half-dozen oysters from the daily list, then the wood-grilled whole fish.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday is the easier seat. Happy hour 17:00-18:00 runs $1 oysters at the bar.
Ford Fry's Atlanta-born seafood concept landed in Nashville's Germantown Hammer Mill in 2023, anchoring a seafood tower programme and Le Loup cocktail lounge.
Signature: Seafood tower, Oysters and grilled fish
Order: The opulent seafood tower for two, plus the wood-grilled fish of the day.
Tip: Skip the line by booking the bar; downstairs at Le Loup serves the same raw bar with cocktails.
Sean Brock's Rutledge Hill institution in Nashville cooks ingredient-driven Southern food on a wood hearth, run today by chef de cuisine Brian Baxter.
Signature: Cornbread skillet, Pork belly with peas
Order: The cornbread skillet, then whatever the menu lists from the wood hearth.
Tip: Lunch is a quieter seat with the same kitchen. Book the porch in spring; it overlooks downtown.
Sean Brock's East Nashville Appalachian fine-dining room opened 2021, named for his grandmother and in the 2025 Michelin Guide. Sam Jett runs day-to-day.
Signature: Heritage pork, Cornmeal and grits
Order: The full tasting if you can; otherwise heritage pork from Brock's own farm.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. June, the upstairs counter, is on hiatus for guest chef sessions in 2026.
