Locust Announces the End of Its Formal Dinner Service

Lunch is apparently the new dinner — especially at Locust. The 12 South restaurant took to Instagram to announce that it would only offer its full seafood-focused a la carte menu from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (You’ll still have to fight for that reservation online, though. Sorry.)

What’s in store for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights? A new bar concept that’s heavy on drinks and baskets of steamed dumplings. The good news: it’s first come, first served. No reservations are necessary for this one.

This Sunday, guests will be treated to live Irish traditional music during their visit to the bar. See the post here.

Atlanta’s Upbeet is now open in the Gulch

Upbeet, a fast-casual space doling out build-your-own bowls, is now open in the Gulch at 341 11th Avenue South, next to the Thompson Hotel. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant — which channels a “California casual” design aesthetic with oak paneling, white brick, and tropical plants courtesy of Nashville’s Dryden Studio — has another outpost in Atlanta.

The gluten-free menu offers a selection of made-to-order salads, grain bowls, poke bowls, and protein plates that lean heavily into organic produce, pasture-raised chicken, grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, and several vegan options. Customers can go with one of the pre-set dishes or concoct one of their own with a blend of ingredients.

To wash down your bowl: organic smoothies and signature housemade lemonades, all of which can be enjoyed on an outdoor patio that will open later in the spring. The new location is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Upbeet

Upbeet

And in other opening news: SusieCakes finds a home in Green Hills

SusieCakes opened a 3,000-square-foot space on the exterior of Green Hills Mall last week. The female-owned and operated bakery, which has 25 locations on the West Coast and in Texas, is known for classic desserts made on-site daily.

The new Nashville location features a lounge and seating area where guests can observe the open kitchen where they can watch the bakery team making staple menu items like Southern red velvet cake, peanut butter cookie sandwiches, and cupcakes, as well as various flourless and gluten-free options. Guests with pets will also find complimentary fido-friendly treats inside the shop.

The shop is also stocked with celebratory accessories and merchandise like candles, confetti, balloons, and cake servers. SusieCakes is open seven days a week starting at 11 a.m.

SusieCakes

When one door closes, a new vegan food delivery service opens

Ryan Toll, one of the owners of the now-shuttered vegan restaurant Wild Cow, has quickly pivoted to a vegan meal service with prepared and quick-to-assemble options you can order weekly.

Toll’s Season Nashville is churning out plant-based, seasonal, and locally-focused breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that shift weekly — the current menu’s lineup includes maple cranberry pecan oats, tofu banh mi sandwiches, and roasted veggie masala bowls.

New menus are released on Thursdays via the service’s Instagram account with delivery scheduled for Tuesdays. Email [email protected] to claim your spot in the ordering queue (only 30 orders are currently accepted per week).

All-day breakfast is now a thing at Brown’s Diner

Nashville’s oldest diner and dive bar recently announced the launch of its new all-day breakfast menu. Originally opened in 1927, breakfast was once a staple at Brown’s Diner, but hasn’t been offered at the restaurant for decades. Chef and owner Bret Tuck, who acquired Brown’s in 2021, has relaunched the menu, which will be offered seven days a week. Items include breakfast biscuits stuffed with fried chicken, turkey burgers, or bologna; buttermilk pancakes; chicken and cake (fried chicken and pancakes); and breakfast burritos.

Brown’s Diner is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Brown’s Diner