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Nashville is now home to the largest food hall in the country — the 100,000-square-foot Assembly Food Hall at mixed-use development Fifth + Broadway is finally open after several years of anticipation.
The sprawling, multi-story restaurant wonderland changes the game for Broadway visitors and downtown residents, with over 30 new dining and drinking options featuring familiar Nashville names and new imports from other cities ranging from fast-casual Mediterranean to crepes, pizza, and cocktail dens. Over 20 restaurants, 10 bars, a full-service restaurant, and an expansive rooftop live music venue overlooking Broadway fill the food hall’s massive 100,000-square-feet of space.
Assembly Food Hall will open in two phases in March and May. In the first phase of opening at Assembly Food Hall, only the North Hall Eateries (located in 501 Commerce office lobby) are open.
Assembly Food Hall is accessible through the Fifth Avenue entrance of the Fifth + Broadway development, across from the Ryman Auditorium. Guests are required to follow Nashville’s mask mandate and practice social distancing. Follow the elevators up.
The Food Hall opens daily at 9 a.m., with live music beginning at 4 p.m.
Pro tips:
- Bring a credit/debit card. Vendors at Legacy Hall are operating on a cashless basis, which makes the process of ordering and checking out go pretty quickly.
- There is a paid parking garage. Visiting Fifth + Broadway will be easy, its parking garages can hold 2,145 cars. Parking prices are comparable to elsewhere downtown.
In the North Hall (open now):
Cotton & Snow: Made with real fruit purees, 100% cane sugar, and water that’s been filtrated using reverse osmosis, Cotton & Snow offers smooth Hawaiian shaved ice, both boozy and nonalcoholic, alongside cotton candy.
DeSano Pizzeria: The piemakers at DeSano Pizzeria follow the strict guidelines of Naples-founded True Neapolitan Pizza Association (VPN) to offer true Italian pies with fresh ingredients, homemade sauces, and a variety of toppings and flavor options, plus otjer offerings like calzones, fresh salads, and dessert pizza.
Donut Distillery: The bakery, originally founded as a mobile food truck, offers mini-doughnuts in flavors like “whiskey-glazed”, “frosted fruity, and death by chocolate. They also serve boozy doughnut shakes.
NoBaked Cookie Dough: NoBaked is a cookie dough scoop shop that includes fan favorites like chocolate chip, brownie batter Chip, and confetti sugar, and more. (Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.)
Oke Poké: Create-your-own Hawaiian poké bowls with choice of sushi-grade fish, whole grains, and vegetables.
Smokin Chikin: Nashville-based rotisserie chicken-centric restaurant with flavors ranging from Caribbean BBQ and Buffalo to Swahili Peri Peri, Tandoori chicken, or the non-fussy original.
Thai Esane: Nina Singto’s third location continues to incorporate the best flavors and textures of her Southeastern Asian roots. Crowd favorites include Kaho Soi noodle soup, curries, Malaysian noodles, and the iconic Pad Thai.
Whisk Crêpes Café: Chef Julian Eelsen brings this classic French favorite from Dallas to Music City. Look for crepes and breakfast sandwiches on the menu.
The Phase 1 dining options are complemented by two bars: a wine bar offering over 40 wine choices and a full-service bar serving more than 32 draft beers, both locally brewed and nationally recognized brands.
South Hall’s Phase 2 eateries (coming in May 2021):
Coco’s Café & Dulce: traditional Italian coffee and desserts
Coco’s Fresh Italian: Nashville-based Italian spot joins the lineup downtown plenty of saucy pastas
Hattie Jane’s Creamery: Nashville-based scratch custard ice cream shop features classics and creative takes using local ingredients.
Hōru Sushi Kitchen: With more than 20 years of experience in the art of sushi making, Chef Chin “Steve” Liang introduces a new sushi standard to the Nashville scene. Working with premium sushi-grade fish imported directly from Japan and Hawaii, Chef Liang’s Japanese-inspired fare will include the freshest-possible sashimi daily and made-to-order rolls.
Istanbul Shawarma: From the owners of Edessa
Pharmacy Burger: The Nashville-based cult favorite burger joint uses hand-smashed regionally-sourced beef patties — shaped flat and ready to pile on the toppings.
Pharmacy Wurst: The sister shop of Pharmacy Burger, The Pharmacy Wurst offers a roster of house-made kielbasa, bratwurst, ginger-tinged jagerwurst, garlic-infused bauernwurst, and dark beer-stained bockwurst. The German-inspired sausages can be eaten alone or piled high with toppings.
Philly Special
Prince’s Hot Chicken: Crafted over 100 years ago from Thornton Prince’s scorned lover, Prince’s Hot Chicken was originally concocted as revenge for Mr. Prince’s reputation as a well-known ladies’ man. Instead of teaching him a lesson, however, she created a dish that had Mr. Prince begging for seconds – and behold, the infamous hot chicken was born. Bursting with heat and flavor, there’s nothing better than the original Nashville hot chicken.
Saffron Kitchen: At Saffron Kitchen, the flavors of India and Pakistan come together for authentic eats crafted from scratch by Chef Ravi Shetkar and his culinary team. Cooked in a traditional clay oven and marinated with yogurt and spices, the Kitchen’s signature Tandoori chicken dish is a fan favorite. Mix your favorite roasted meats with fresh, seasoned vegetables for kebabs that are bursting with rich, herbal aromas.
Steam Boys: The Nashville-based bao, noodle soup, and dumpling spot has locations in Germantown, Hermitage, and Nolensville already — and now adds the food hall to its quickly growing Chinese comfort food repertoire.
The Liege Waffle Co.: The Liege Waffe Co. makes their creations and build-your-own waffle wonders with a brioche-style dough and imported Belgian pearl sugar. Each waffle is baked to perfection in an imported Belgian cast iron waffle press,
Scheduled to open in May 2021, Phase 2 will offer more themed bars, a full-service restaurant from Front Burner Society, live music stages, and a large rooftop concert venue overlooking Broadway, the Ryman and Bridgestone Arena.
Below the food hall, the Fifth+Broadway development also welcomes dining options from Nashville names alongside national chains.
Nashville names at Fifth+Broadway:
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken: The nationally known hot chicken chain is based in Nashville, but this is its first debut right downtown. Opening Saturday, March 6.
Slim & Husky’s: The first black-owned restaurant ever to open on Broadway, hip-hop-inspired
Other dining options at Fifth+Broadway:
Boqueria: A lively Barcelona-style tapas bar with other locations in NYC, DC, and Chicago.
Le Macaron: Real, GF French macarons made with no preservatives. Beyond the signature macarons, our menu includes gourmet chocolates, French gelato, classic French pastries, European-style beverages, and homemade candies.
Ample new retail options await too, including boot shops Ariat and Tecovas plus Nash Collection, Molly Green, and Free People. The Food Hall Co. is an anchor tenant that creates entertainment destinations which offer a platform for aspiring chefs, restauranteurs, mixologists, brewers and entertainers to bring their craft to an engaged local community, all under one roof. The Food Hall Co. is the parent company of Assembly Food Hall in Nashville.