Food halls arrived in Nashville around the same time everything else did: circa 2017-2019, when developers needed an anchor concept for new mixed-use projects and food halls were the answer working in every other American city. Nashville now has several, but Assembly Food Hall is the only one operating at a scale that warrants calling it a destination rather than a convenience.
Assembly Food Hall
Assembly sits inside Fifth + Broadway at 5055 Broadway Place, steps from the heart of tourist Nashville. At over 100,000 square feet, it ranks among the largest food halls in the country. The number that matters most for visitors is 30-plus: that’s roughly how many eateries and bars operate under one roof, spread across multiple levels with a rooftop deck called Skydeck on Broadway that claims the title of largest rooftop entertainment venue in Nashville.
The vendor list reads like a greatest hits of Nashville eating. Prince’s Hot Chicken has a counter here. Hattie B’s has a counter here. The Pharmacy Burger operates inside. Thai Esane, Horu Sushi Kitchen, and a Dolly Parton wine collaboration called Sixty Vines all have space. There are three live performance stages throughout the building. The format is European-style open seating with cashless payment throughout (kiosks convert cash to cards at the door).
Sixty Vines runs a full brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm, which gives Assembly a morning and afternoon identity beyond fast-casual eating. The Skydeck turns into a proper venue for concerts and events that would fill a mid-size club anywhere else.
The case against Assembly is that it concentrates Nashville’s best-known names into one building with a tourist price premium and a lot of foot traffic. Locals who want a more genuine version of Prince’s or Hattie B’s go to those restaurants directly. But if you have three hours in Nashville and want to hit multiple things at once, Assembly is a more honest answer than spending 45 minutes in line on Broadway for mediocre bar food.
Nashville Farmers Market
The Nashville Farmers Market at 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd (near Germantown) operates a Market House with multiple food stalls under one roof, making it Nashville’s oldest version of the food hall concept even if it predates the term. B&C Market BBQ is located inside and deserves a specific mention. The surrounding market area adds local produce, artisan products, and rotating vendors. The adjacent Bicentennial Mall provides outdoor seating year-round. Weekends bring the most activity; weekday lunch is quieter but the food is just as good.
The Rest
Nashville’s other food halls include options inside newer hotel developments and mixed-use projects across the city. Most serve their immediate neighborhoods rather than functioning as citywide destinations. If you’re staying downtown, Assembly is the food hall that justifies the trip. If you’re in Germantown or North Nashville, the Farmers Market is the better answer.
Sources
- Assembly Food Hall official website, assemblyfoodhall.com
- Nashville Farmers Market, nashvillefarmersmarket.org
- Nashville Post on Fifth + Broadway development
- Eater Nashville coverage of Assembly Food Hall opening and vendor list
- Sixty Vines Nashville brunch details via restaurant website