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The newest buzz from East Nashville’s restaurant scene is Lockeland Table, and the buzz is worthy. Neighbors and non-neighbors alike are embracing this community gathering spot recently opened by executive chef and owner, Hal M. Holden-Bache. A Nashvillian for over 10 years now, Chef Hal is most recently known for his 5-year stint as executive chef of Eastland Café. Located on Woodland Street, plunked down in the middle of a row of houses just a few blocks beyond 5 Points, Lockeland Table reminded us of Denver, where the best restaurants are commonly found on the same sidewalks as neighborhood homes.
Elizabeth and yours truly at the front door to Lockeland House. And, that’s Betsy (who sends all of our SB Deal reminders) taking the photo reflected in the glass!
The dining area with pizza bar and kitchen at the far end.
Talking to Chef Hal, you immediately sense what a labor of love Lockland Table is. This is a chef who loves being behind the stove, so expect the consistency of a restaurant open much longer than a just few weeks. I loved hearing him describe building out the space. The contractor would leave at 5 PM and Hal, along with his wife, family and friends, would go to work until 10 PM or later. He can point out areas of the restaurant where his band of craftsman built focal points during the late night hours. Why do I tell you this? Because it lets you know that the people working here are proud of this restaurant and are excited to have you visit and share some honest, solid, flavorful food–simple food, straight from the farm, expertly prepared.
If dinner is not an option, or you just want to get out early, Happy Hour is a nice way to avoid crowds and enjoy quality time with the friendly bartenders. And, it’s deal time, as well. All cocktails and appetizers on the Happy Hour menu are $6. Draft beer is just $3. Happy Hour lasts from 4-6:30 Monday-Thursday and 4-6 Friday and Saturday. The bar opens at 4 and you can have table service as early as 5. You can circle back for the same savings every late night for the last hour of business, too.
The bar during a Saturday Happy Hour.
Check out this beautiful table, flanked by wide benches on two sides, in the bar area.
Lockeland Table has partnered with various local purveyors for produce and meat, and each is given credit on their menu. The produce is so fresh that the staff has no idea what the vegetable of the day is until it arrives, freshly picked, from the 10 acre farm down the road which is owned by their go-to gardener, Kevin. Hal uses the fresh produce for daily dishes and future dishes by canning some of today’s seasonal goodies.
The fruits of labor: canning of local produce now preps you for winter and adds flavor to today’s offerings, as well. Smoked peaches from last year are in use now, and Chef Hal is getting ready to can some more this week for use next year.
The canning is displayed on this open wall that separates the dining area from the bar area.
Unlike many of the farm-to-table restaurants we’ve seen, Lockeland Table’s desire for a low-carbon footprint extends to the bar, as well. For example, there is no Grey Goose vodka, but there are multiple examples of American vodkas. Obviously the whiskey and bourbon are local. Scotch isn’t made in America, so there are exceptions, even with some international wines. The beer is all local and excellent. The quality and flavor of the drinks offered may have you embracing other local selections regularly, as well.
Cocktails: a big thumbs up. Not too sweet with lots of depth. And, that bar top? Repurposed from the bowling lanes at the former Melrose Lanes. Featured drinks starting on the left: House Made Punch (It changes daily and you can get a pitcher for just $20); Stormy: rum, ginger beer and lime with a splash of bitters served on the rocks; and, Gin and Juice: gin, hibiscus tea and grapefruit juice on the rocks.
Whipped Goat Cheese with Grilled Pita: honey, toasted almonds and grilled leeks.
Korean Short Rib Tacos: cucumber, cilantro, pickled red onion and radish.
Picadillo Empanadas with Chimichurri. We’d already eaten one before I could snap a photo!
Roasted Garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano Flat Bread: with arugula and lemon oil.
There are several options for seating: at the bar, at the pizza bar, in cozy booths, at dining tables in the main restaurant or bar area, or on the patio. Their spacious patio is explained by the photos on the wall of the different incarnations of the building, along with good narrative by the staff. Many moons ago, the building housed an H.G. Hills grocery store, where produce was sold street side. Next, the building was home to Archie’s, a local provisions shop with a soda counter. Then, it was reinvented into a hair salon, which is where the building’s foot print changed. In 1980, an employee of the hair salon was going through a divorce and her soon-to-be-ex was a bit disgruntled, so he plowed his car into the front of the building, causing the front to crumble down. So, they removed the debris and decided to just shore up what was left, leaving about 20 new feet of sidewalk in front of the building! This space then became a photography studio before finding its potential longtime tenant: Lockeland Table.
A view from the bar
A nod to the past still exists on the side of the building, which is still affectionately referred to as the Boutique Coiffures building.
Four of us went for Happy Hour. We all want to return for dinner. Reservations are accepted and recommended — and they do have a children’s menu!
You will feel the love of food and people at Lockeland Table. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Four gardens out back grow arugula and herbs for daily picking.
In the end, our bill for 4 cocktails and 4 appetizers was just over $50, including tax. I think I need to hit Happy Hours more often.
Pretty good way to feed four people with mixed drinks and fresh, fabulous food.
For more on Lockeland Table:
www.facebook.com/lockelandtable
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8 Responses to “Happy Hour at Lockeland Table”
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Thank you for this review! I can’t wait to try it out, and I love that they’re committed to serving not only good food, but local food! I also love the repurposed inside decor… bowling lane bar top… what a great idea!
Just added it to my list. Thanks!!
I just went to Lockeland last night with my mom after reading this review and was really disappointed. First of all, all the food you mention isn’t available on the dinner menu, even in the appetizers section. Second, there specialty is pizza but we both only thought there’s was fine. City House or even Bella Napoli have much better pizzas in that style. My entree also wasn’t stellar and pretty expensive. Not to mention that our entrees took almost 40 minutes to arrive. While the patio is nice, everyone should be warned that smoking is allowed and that there is a bench near the restaurant entrance where lots of people (even people not coming to Lockeland) like to sit and smoke. I guess this wouldn’t bother most people but I have asthma and it’s a real problem for me.
I might consider coming back for the happy hour you talked about just because your bill was so much cheaper and I think the food you had looked more appetizing than most things I saw on the dinner menu, but I don’t think I would go back for dinner again. It was overpriced and underwhelming.
Kelly,
I’m sorry your experience was not ours, but ours was perfectly delightful and wonderful. We did the post on Happy Hour and never implied that what we ate was anything other than available on the Happy Hour menu. I am really excited to go back for dinner. It’s illegal in TN to smoke inside a restaurant that offers seating to people under 21, but no one was smoking on the bench near the restaurant when I was there! I don’t think Lockeland can help out in that circumstance as it’s a public sidewalk. I hope you have a weekend than you are had last night,
So much going on in the restaurant world that I’m taking them in the order of opening! Lockeland Table is tonight,then Silo and then Etch. When I was reviewing for the Scene, I never dined professionally until a restaurant was open at least 6 weeks (though I would sometimes sneak a peak!). Restaurants are so unique with so many moving parts and so reliant on a large cast that it’s really not fair to judge them in their first couple weeks of business. I always check the menus out on the website first, and Lockeland does let diners know there is a Happy Hour/Late Night menu and Dinner menu which are different (and darling children’s menu!) With the team that is running this restaurant I’m confident it’s going to be wonderful. Kelly, I hope you’ll give Lockeland another try in a couple weeks. I hope they don’t run out of bone marrow before I get there tonight!
Thanks Kay! I had even mentioned to Chef Hal (after we had been) that I was so uncomfortable reviewing Lockeland Table b/c I like to give restaurants at least 3 months. He was funny, as he immediately responded something along the lines of “Well, I’ll still be cooking. I’m not the chef that just wants to get the restaurant up, get good reviews and then disappear! I’ve seen that written that chefs do this and believe me, besides a vacation here and there, you will find me at the stove cooking.” I just loved that.
We had two posts fall through for that one day on more established restaurants, which is why we decided the angle of Happy Hour would be a more fair one for Lockeland Table than a full out dining review of dinner, and fun for our readers. And, it was so fun for us being in a new place full of energy and excitement! There is no doubt that this passion and experience is going to translate into a FABULOUS place. I’m just tickled pink to have been and to go back!
I’m delighted you reviewed Lockeland Table. We are friends with Cara Graham, the general manager, and I have even been nervous for them at how massive their crowds have been — they’ve only been open a month!
We had dinner there Saturday night and were VERY pleased. We will be back — not just for friendship, but for the wonderful experience.
Our whole family ate (for the first time) at Lockeland Table this past week. What a great and different menu. So far from the typical meat and potatoes menus found elsewhere. The “starters” were so unique and delicious. The dinners were simply mouthwatering. Where else can you get roasted Chicken over cheesy grits. Everything so fresh too. My steak was to perfection, could cut it with a fork. Nobody minds paying a few dollars more for a fabulous experience.