Butcher and Bee

Maybe it was an off night but…
The hype far exceeded the delivery. I sat at the bar and ordered a burger medium rare (per the bartender «the way it is normally cooked» and the fries. The burger arrived quickly. I was a 5 or 6 oz well done lump of beef with a little cheese and some onion garnish. The fries were cold a greasy. I should have known better, but I tried the white chocolate dessert. Again a huge disappointment. A frozen tasteless white object served with some great tasting lemon topping covered by a large amount of canned ground spice (I think bay leaf?).
If you are going, I would stick to their specialties. McDonnalds would be a better choice for the burger and fries.

Great new option in East Nashville with delicious, inventive food in a pretty casual atmosphere. Definitely get a reservation (they’re on open table) because the place is bumping, even on, say, a Tuesday night. The pulled squash sandwich is a shockingly good vegetarian option. Definitely hit the mezze– awesome babaganoush and beet salad. Great beer and cocktail selection and the kind of perfect service that’s friendly but unobtrusive. It’s winter, so they could really stand to set up a temporary vestibule. My last there meal was brrrrrr.

Butcher and Bee is an incredible, incredible new addition that reflects Nashville’s ascent as a culinary destination.
Love:
(+) The food selection. It’s creative, and blends tastes that you wouldn’t have imagined possible, but totally, totally work. Exhibit A: the squash BBQ sandwich. It’s also made for sharing, with a lot of finger food options and delectable sides.
(+) The décor. It’s trendy as hell, something you’d expect to encounter in midtown NYC or the Loop area of Chicago. Mood lighting and industrial-​meets-​upscale design, my favorite. If you’re dining as a duo, ask to be seated at the kitchen counter. It’s not only an exciting ‘sneak preview’ of the menu, but it’s quite impressive to watch the kitchen staff elevate plating and aesthetic presentation to an art form.
(+) The drink menu. Even if you’re not up for a whole meal, B&B’s a solid option to share small plates over cocktails. The beer selection features a lot of new finds, and the house cocktails have some really unique options.
Don’t love:
(-) The wait. Since it’s so new, you’ll either need to make a reservation or arrive early to nab the bar seating. This gets a little awkward though, since people start crowding the bar area to jostle for a seat.
(-) The prices. Not really feeling $ 7 – 10 for a beer or $ 6 for a side of fries. but if you’re going to splurge somewhere, this is as good a place as anywhere in Nashville to do it.
(-) The menu layout. I love that Butcher and Bee offers a good mix of small plates, samplers, and entrees; I’d love more if it was made clearer which dishes fit each category.
(-) The parking. You can either spend forever navigating the tiny parking lot and narrow back-​alley spots. or park a few blocks away and walk. I wish I’d figured that out 15 minutes earlier. But now you know.
Bottom line: Butcher and Bee rocks. For a wonderful dinner or an awesome start to your night over drinks and hors d’oeuvres, check it out!

Best lunch meal I have had in months! The squash soup was more like custard with pomegranates. It was warm and had delicious flavor. The Brussels sprouts and leeks rank 10 out of 10 in my book.
My guests had burgers and beets and both looked fabulous. You could easily go healthy here or splurge. I will be back for dinner soon and would like to sit on the back patio.
Kudos to our server Rachel for being attentive, thorough and sweet.
I love this place.

Adventurous fair. Tasty Brussels with some lime and good but unknown spices. Also had the lamb and I don’t necessarily like the flavor of lamb usually but this was a good choice! Kinda pricey though. Great service nice folks. Again kinda pricey for my taste.

We visited Butcher & Bee on Thursday 01.28.16 around 5:45 pm Central. We sat at the chef’s table (in front of the open kitchen).
Eats & Drinks — 4 out of 5 stars
To start, we ordered the Blackeberry Beret (Blackberry Brandy, lemon, sage, bubbles). The drink was sweet and refreshing. It is, however, in our opinion or ‘summer-​time’ drink and doesn’t fit well on a seasonal winter menu.
For food, we started with the roasted beets. They were served in lime yogurt and fermented honey. We were a little disappointed as we were expecting the beets to be served warm (considering it’s January and the menu mentioned ‘roasted’), however, this is a cold dish. Nonetheless, the flavors were well balanced.
Next we tried the hummus. The pita bread was great — soft, warm, and just the right consistency.
Out came the «tiger» brussel sprouts in a fish sauce. Fresh, large brussels lightly coated in a dipping sauce with a surprising and delightful burst of fresh mint and cilantro. We requested some coarse sea salt, which the chef graciously provided, and voila! all the flavors came to life.
The main course was the lamb and grits. Be prepared for a very rich, but excellent dish. The soft, delicate lamb was perfectly garnished with fresh chives.
To finish, we ordered the banana pudding pie with freshly torched meringue. This was one of the highlights of all the courses and was a perfect sweet ending to the meal.
Service — 3 out of 5 stars
The chefs and cooking staff seemed at ease and not stressed. We assumed this was likely due to it being earlier in the night on a Thursday and the restaurant not being too busy.
The host and wait staff were polite and helpful. While this was the case, we also didn’t get the feeling that they were overly friendly either.
Value — 3 out of 5 stars
As the waitress had mentioned, the courses are meant to share. However, the portion sizes are smaller and for the amount of food you receive, the price is a bit steep.
Atmosphere — 4 out of 5 stars
The restaurant is larger than we imagined and we appreciate the choices for selecting a seat — chef’s high top table, bar, private tables, booths, etc. We would classify the space exhibiting a modern casual vibe.
Miscellaneous
The restaurant is located on the cusp of East Nashville, a few minutes away from the Five Points area. We were lucky to find a parking spot in the lot close to the restaurant, however, are unaware of other parking options.

Everything is very fresh and thoughtfully made. The Roast Beef sandwich is a very solid choice. Came here for lunch and it was a little awkward from an overall experience level. Perhaps its more of a casual/​trendy dinner place.

Not a fan of this place. First off, the restaurant is too dark. We had to use my cell phone light to see what we were eating, to read the menu, and see our bill. This was to a point were it was actually very annoying. The menu stated that their items were family style but in actuality the portions are very small. I got the steak which was rather chewy and tough. The meatball was not bad. Bottom line, I cannot justify paying the price for small unexciting dishes in a uncomfortably dark setting. With so many other options, we will not be returning.

When I finally figured out where the entrance was (I never saw a sign), I appreciated the ambiance and set up of the restaurant. Visited for cocktails and appetizers. I really enjoyed all of the fare. Our server was kind and helpful.

So so disappointing. Went there twice and each time I said I’d never go there again. BUT I gave them a second chance. And I’ll never go there again. Only decent food. Except the Brussels sprouts. They are delicious. And the cocktails. Had a fabulous blackberry bourbon + bubbly drink that was fabulous. But everything else is mediocre. I’ve tried the meatballs, burger, Korean fried chicken sandwich, butternut squash bbq sandwich (seriously gross), and the pimento cheese broccoli sandwich. I really tried. And tasted. And tried again. And I won’t go back. Just not worth it for the money.

Came to Butcher & Bee today for lunch with a friend and loved it! From the décor (it’s spacious yet cozy with high walled booths), to the service (our server Chelsea didn’t rush us to order when she saw we were catching up), and AMAZING food (we split the Banh Mi sandwich, Brussels Sprouts and Root Vegetable salad — the layers of flavors in all of the items was unreal) — everything about the experience was top notch!
The feel of the restaurant lends itself to being perfect to dress up or down depending on your occasion! No pretenses here.
Can’t wait to come back here soon to enjoy a dinner date with cocktails!

The food was fantastic! We had a party of three and shared multiple dishes (served family style) including Pork Belly Gnocchi which was phenomenal and the Lamb and Grits, also delicious. Drink selection was solid including beer, wine, and after dinner drinks.
The only drawback was that the service was a little slow. I won’t hold that against them given it’s a new restaurant and I was catching up with friends, so there was no rush. It’s also worth noting that you may be sat with another party in a large booth, but that experience is what you make of it, so be friendly!

FOOD: + + +
LOVED the Whipped Feta, Roasted Carrots, & Outsider cocktail, but the Tiger-​Style Brussels and Burger were just OK.
VALUE: $ $ $
4 shared small plates + ½ burger & brussels + cocktail = $ 30+
(Pst! If you want extra pita for your Mezze that’ll cost you $ 3.)
SERVICE: + + +
Staff were pleasant, but we did have a hard time getting checks split.
VIBE: Fun, young, hip. Lighting was dim so it was hard to read the menu.
TIPS: B&B is located right next to Fat Bottom Brewing. (You might miss it since there isn’t a prevalent street sign.)

More upscale than I was expecting. I had the impression that this was a sandwich shop, but at dinnertime it transforms into a quite nice restaurant. We started with Meza appetizers. I highly recommend the feta dip and the carrots. Of the entrées at the table, the gnocchi was hands-​down the best. It was wonderful. The never nude cocktail with spiced rum and banana liquor was incredible. I could drink about 10 of those. And the banana cream pie dessert was also a delight.

When I walked in I was amazed by the interior. I loved the setting and everything.
Food was awesome — I’ve never seen pomegranate in a soup before, but it blended so nicely with the soup, very creative! We had the octopus and hanger steak, both were very delicious.
My only issue were the host/​hostess. We were ignored for like 5 – 10 minutes waiting at the door, and then they finally acknowledged us when other people started walking in. A simple ‘We’ll be with you in a second’ would of sufficed.
Other than that though — server/​food runner excellent! Must try the white chocolate with lemon dessert.

I enjoyed the newness on vibe of this spot in Germantown. The wife and I sat at the bar during her lunch hour and enjoyed a quick sandwich. I had the lamb and the wife had some sort of chicken without bread due to the gluten free thing. The bartender was great and very insightful on the location recent opening. The location has a retail butcher counter where I purchased some sausage and homemade mustard.

Over the holiday I double dated it here with some friends one evening for dinner. We were seated at a booth for 8 and told that we might have other diners joining us later. That was a new one for a booth atmosphere, but whatevs.
We had beer and wine to drink (fine) and ordered the burrata as an appetizer because, you just have to order burrata when it’s on a menu cause it is a guaranteed good choice. B&B’s didn’t disappoint. It was very unique with fennel (which I usually despise but liked in this case), peanuts, and I think it was grapefruit. It was so good and probably my favorite part of the whole meal. I ordered light and had the kale salad. It wasn’t the best kale salad that I’ve had; probably wouldn’t order it again. My BF had the burger and it was good, but nothing stand out. The other couple liked their food, but no one was raving.
I broke the hesitancy and ordered dessert (you’re welcome!) and that was a good choice. We had the peanut butter and banana whoopee pie and a panna cotta. We each had a cappuccino as well. Our coffees were delicious and the desserts were very good. The highlights of the meal were definitely the dessert and appetizer, with our main courses leaving us «OK’ed».
The entire menu looks great so I am very happy to head back and give them another shot. Since they are new I am sure some of this might have fallen in the pitfall of new restaurant growing pains. I love the location, space, and there as enough good to excite me to come back on another night!

Impressed at how pulled together everything was, considering they’d been open less than a month when I went. Brussels and Oxtail grilled cheese were EXCELLENT. Octopus was also good but not AS delicious. Was too full for the gnocchi with egg, but that looked great on the next table over. Cocktails were also tasty.
Nice atmosphere and looks like they have a small patio for warmer weather.
Would definitely go back for more.

My husband and I had a NYE dinner here on a whim and were not disappointed! Upon arrival, I noticed the lovely U-​shaped booths that would be perfect for larger parties. The hostess asked if we would be interested in sitting at the kitchen counter, which gave us a full visual of the goings-​on in the kitchen. Lots of prep work was going on: vegetables being sliced on a mandolin, oysters being shucked, burgers and trout sizzling on grills. Our waitress was pleasant enough, though a bit soft-​spoken, so she was hard to hear over the sounds of the kitchen. The dinner menu is limited and tailored to folks with a more adventurous palate; luckily for us that wasn’t a problem! The names of menu items are a little cheesy, but I understand wanting to stand out. I ordered the «Mmm, That’s A Tasty Burger» with fries, and my husband had the oxtail grilled cheese (can’t recall the menu name). We also ordered a side of the kale slaw. Our waitress didn’t check on us much, but thankfully we are pretty low-​maintenance!
We spoke with several of the employees in the kitchen and learned that, since Fat Bottom (next door) is moving out into a bigger space soon, B&B will be gaining its beautiful patio! Making it a must for the warmer months.
The best part of the experience was getting to watch the kitchen staff prepare our dinner!
The burger lived up to its name — it was certainly tasty. While simply dressed, the beef was juicy and cooked to a perfect medium well. The fries were not particularly remarkable, but good. However, the kale slaw was spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that I added some to my burger… Giving it some tang that it had previously been missing.
The oxtail grilled cheese had a unique flavor that I couldn’t pinpoint through the small sampling offered by my husband, but he was pleased overall.
We did finish our meal with the chocolate bread pudding for dessert. With a texture similar to a brownie, it was delightfully chewy, and served over a bittersweet chocolate sauce. It was covered with a cream cheese topping that didn’t offer the prominent cream cheese contrast I expected, but was pleasant nonetheless.
Overall, our experience was good! The prices were reasonable, food was well prepared, and the ambience is lovely. Butcher & Bee is worth a stop in!

Hmm. How to rate Butcher and Bee? As a Brooklyn resident from Nashville, I am so proud that places like this exist in my hometown. It has a perfect Brooklyn industrial flavor, an excellent craft beer list and lots of locally grown food. It would make any hipster proud. And I personally enjoyed it. My Kentucky Bourbon beer was unique and special, and the entire beer list represented this region well.
There were so many great food items when considered individually. The burger won my award for one of my two best burgers of 2015, and I’ve had a LOT all over the country. The combination of meats in the burger, the juiciness, the bun, the spicy pepper — I’m still thinking about it and want another. The hummus was outstanding. Our entire table agreed that our favorite item was the brussel sprouts. Our server was sweet, passionate and attentive.
But there’s a problem that is going to harm Butcher and Bee if they don’t correct it soon, and that’s it’s trying too hard to be all things to all people. When each item is considered individually, it’s hard to improve. But when considered as a whole, there is no obvious theme or genre of cuisine that inspires this menu. A little Middle Eastern. A little American. A little southern. For that reason, there is going to be a branding problem because no one is ever going to be sitting at home and think, «I want _​_​_​food … so let’s go to Butcher and Bee.» There is a need for coherence and clarity.
A couple of items that came to our table were less than impressive, and one should not be on the menu. The Bahn Mi sandwich will be unfamiliar to many diners in Nashville. For those who do know it, as I do from experiences elsewhere, this is not a very good one. My friend had the lamb and grits — nothing wrong with the cheese grits, but the pieces of lamb were so small that I swear I never saw a piece of lamb in it. One expect much larger bites or racks of lamb when ordering a dish that advertises itself as lamb. This was like gravy on rice at best.
There is a lot of potential here, and I have a feeling Butcher and Bee is going to be a success. With some focus to the menu, and a few changes to the menu, it will be a special place that is perfect for its neighborhood and the evolving Nashville restaurant scene.

I went the first Friday that they were open with my husband, my mom, and a friend. There were some high highs and a few lows.
For the table, we started with 4 of the small plates for $ 16– the hummus, the hot potatoes, the olives, and the pickles. The hummus was incredible and a really large portion. The hot potatoes had great flavor but were served in a tiny bowl– each of us was able to only have one small bite. The olives were served warm and were quite tasty. The pickles were a-​okay, but I probably would not reorder these.
For our mains, my mom and I split the trout, my husband had the roast beef sandwich, and our friend had the burger. The trout, in my opinion, was overly charred and lacked seasoning. Also, it was a whole trout, which, to be fair, is stated on the menu, but I do wish that the server or waitress would have explained a better way to debone the fish or offer to do it for us. We ended up with a weird pile of fish after we butchered it. The highlight of the trout was the potato gnocchi salad served on the side. OMG it was INCREDIBLE. I would order the subpar trout again in order to get this gnocchi side.
My husband did not like his roast beef sandwich. I think he was expecting more of a French Dip, and this was more of a cold cut sandwich. The tomato on it was mealy, and he found the onion jam to be a bit too sweet. After a few bites, he gave up and focused on his side of kale slaw, which was very tasty. (The manager did take this off the bill).
The friend had rave reviews on his burger and fries so those are a big thumbs up.
The manager came around to check on our meal, and we gave him his honest feedback. He seemed appreciative and brought out two desserts– the brown sugar panna cotta and the peanut butter banana whoopie pies– on the house. These desserts were definitely highlights so I would recommend saving room for the sweets at the end.
Service overall was fine for the first week. Some low points were that my drink (the Outsider) took 45 minutes to get to me and tasted strongly of lemon. Our waitress also took away our apps before they were finished– this is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially because the olives, pickles, and hummus could have been used to jazz up the flavor of the trout.
Overall, I’ll definitely be back and look forward to them working out their opening week kinks.

This place is the bee’s knees! Such a cool space and fantastic, flavorful, unique food to set them apart in the Nashville food scene.
My fiancée and I had been to the Charleston Butcher & Bee and were expecting something much the same, which would have been great. This location presents quite a variation on the theme. They keep the fun, hip, and serious-​about-​their-​food feel as the Charleston location while incorporating entirely new flavors, serving styles, and local flare.
The space of Butcher and Bee immediately impresses. It’s a pretty large and quite dark restaurant with an open kitchen and fairly long bar. They’re playing loud but not overbearing music and setting the expectation with all of their decorations that you can be relaxed and impressed by what’s about to be presented.
We split multiple dishes tonight, their first Friday open. The restaurant was super busy but we were able to get in fairly quickly. Service was very good, attentive, and quick. We split the Kale Slaw, Israeli Salad, Olives, and Turnips as part of the «Pick 4» of the Mezzo small dishes. We also split the «Mmm. That is a Tasty Burger!» burger which more than lived up to its name. More places need green chiles on their burger. Our highlights were the kale slaw, israeli salad, and burger.
Pros:
Food and Atmosphere. SOOOO Cool!
Cons:
Not many. I think they’ve nailed it based off my first visit. It is a little dark in the dining area but the open kitchen bar area is well lit.
Overall:
It’s really neat to see a restaurant which could have copped out and done what’s been done before take a theme and shift it in such a way that it surprises their patrons with flavors, presentation, and innovation. That’s what Butcher and Bee does. It’s incredible.
PS
Try their «Slumber Queen» take on the Old Fashioned made with Cheerwine Syrup. It’s a great old fashioned.