Tandy Wilson’s Mop/Broom Mess Hall Brings BBQ Chicken to Germantown

James Beard Award-winning Chef Tandy Wilson is doubling down on Germantown with his new down-home eatery Mop/Broom Mess Hall, opening later this month in the former Kuchnia & Keller location. Just a few blocks down the road from Wilson’s Nashville staple City House, the moniker Mop/Broom Mess Hall is a nod from to the building’s former life as the Southern Broom & Mop Co. A local legend, Wilson was the first Nashville chef to bring home a James Beard Award outside of the heritage awards given out to local stalwarts Arnold’s Country Kitchen and Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in years past.

According to Food & Wine, Wilson plans for Mop/Broom to fill more casual role than that of City House. He’ll serve his own family’s barbecue chicken recipe atop coleslaw and crushed potato chips. There’s also a hush puppy-battered catfish on the menu, which Wilson said reflects the type of food he grew up eating and now cooks for his family at home. Mop/Broom will offer a full bar with a focus on custom sodas, mixed drinks, beer, and an “accessible” wine list. The new restaurant will not take reservations.

The largely turnkey space features a bright, spacious dining room with an expansive bar, a chef’s counter, and an outdoor patio. The opening comes after the shocking shuttering of Kuchnia & Keller, of which Wilson was a partner, in late July after being open just 8 months. Aaron Clemins retains ownership of the Kuchnia & Keller brand, and rumors are whispered that it may eventually reopen elsewhere.

New Tandy Wilson Concept Opens This Month in Nashville [F&W]

Kuchnia & Keller Will Close After Just 8 Months [EN]

City House’s Tandy Wilson Wins Elusive James Beard Award [EN]