Mas Tacos Owner Plans to Revive East Nashville Dive Bar Wilburn Street Tavern

A recently closed neighborhood watering hole on the east side is getting resurrected, as Mas Tacos owner Teresa Mason will reopen Wilburn Street Tavern this spring.

Located at 302 Wilburn St., the dive bar, previously owned and operated by beloved neighborhood fixture Miss Paulette, closed temporarily early last fall for renovations. But that closure continued to draw out, with a permanent shutter announced in December and no future plans revealed for the space at that time.

So how different will the ‘new’ Wilburn Street Tavern be? Well, not much. Mason tells the Nashville Scene that along with keeping the name, she’ll also keep the current signage and plans for it to continue to be a low-key hangout for McFerrin Park residents when it opens in late April/early May. The space will get a spit polish, with new furniture and a pool table.

Wilburn Street Tavern will serve beer and liquor, but don’t expect big things from the kitchen. Without a full kitchen at her disposal, Mason will only be able to heat food, such as nachos and hot dogs (several unconfirmed rumors have pegged tamales as a potential menu staple).

Mason’s planned revamp is the latest addition to the quickly evolving McFerrin Park neighborhood, with chef Philip Krajeck (Rolf and Daughters) and chef Bryan Lee Weaver (Butcher & Bee) planning to open restaurants Folk and Red Headed Stranger, respectively, on the same block later this year.

Eater Nashville has reached out to Mason, so be sure to check back for more details. And as always, send any crucial intel on to the tipline.

[UPDATE: Teresa Mason has let Eater Nashville know that, unfortunately, tamales will in fact not be on the menu.]

• Teresa Mason to Open New Bar in Wilburn Street Tavern Space [Nashville Scene]
• A Guide to 12 Essential Nashville Dive Bars [ENASH]