Airport Food by Choice? Yes!
Nashville Airport (BNA) Has Local Favorites
Sounds crazy but you can get legit Nashville-centric grub and brews from 20+ local proprietors.
Break the habit of the chains and go local with one of these homegrown operations that defy the bland standards of airport restaurants. You can also order a Nashville-made brew, sample some Tennessee whiskey or sip a midstate wine before boarding. Consult this terminal map for exact locations. Here’s the airport guide to dining.
A new program called BNA Passport allows non-traveling visitors access to airport restaurants.Plans must be made in advance and there’s a limit to the number of passports allowed each day. The link above provides registration info.
TIP: there are vending machines under the escalator on the ground floor where you can buy Gatorade, sodas, and snacks for a little less than what merchants in the concourses charge.
A/B Rotunda
Bar-B-Cutie SmokeHouse A scaled-down version of their restaurant, originally opened in 1950. Pulled pork served a variety of different ways along with hand-cut fries.
Chick-Fil-A but not on Sunday. 🙂
Hissho Sushi Nashville is not noted for sushi rolls but hey, if you’ve got the urge, give this chain a try. Short breakfast menu too.
Pharmacy Burger Parlor This East Nashville mainstay is known for its German wurst as well as designer burgers.
Starbucks You’ve probably heard of them.
Tennessee Brew Works We tried several of their brews and give them a thumbs up. Also recommended, their base just south of SoBro. Nice selection of beers packaged in six-packs to become souvenirs.
Concourse A
Arrington Wine Bar and Grill Country artist Kix Brooks and his associates have a vineyard in Arrington, south of Nashville. They’ve sent some of their finest to the airport to pair with a chef-inspired menu.
Fugitives Public House The fugitives in question are the literary brat pack at Vanderbilt University in the 1920s–Robert Penn Warren, John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate and others. No book signings here–just a farm-to-table concept with an emphasis on local sourcing.
Kijiji Coffee Kijiji is Swahili for “community.” Nashville’s first African-American-owned coffee shop, its original location opened in 1997 on Jefferson Street as a gathering place for the historically black neighborhood. They take pride in roasting their own African-derived beans in small batches.
Concourse B
Credit: KijijiCoffeehouse.com
Kijiji Coffee Yep, there’s one here too.
Little Harpeth Brewing Enjoy a good German lager? Here’s a flavorful way to wait out your delayed flight.
Pig Star by Peg Leg Porker. Pitmaster Carey Bringle has a solid reputation around Nashville for Memphis-style barbecue. A savory stop of southern eatin’ with a more concise menu than their original location.
Airlines served by
Concourse A and B:
- Allegiant,
- Air Canada,
- Avelo,
- Breeze,
- British Airways,
- Cape Air,
- Contour,
- Delta,
- Flair,
- Frontier,
- JetBlue,
- Spirit,
- Sun Country,
- Swoop,
- United,
- Vacation Express,
- Viva Aerobus,
- WestJet
