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Bad Idea

$50 and over

Wine Bar

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2 people

26 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 16 times today

Innovative
Great for fine wines
Good for special occasions

Bad Idea is East Nashville's buzziest new restaurant from Sommelier Alex Burch and Executive Chef Colby Rasavong. It was honored as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America in 2024 by the New York Times. New York Times food writer Brett Anderson remarks “Bad Idea may well be what many seasoned diners thought when they heard there was a wine bar specializing in envelope-pushing Lao food opening inside an East Nashville church. But given the level of cooking here, the name turned out to be a self-aware joke, rather than a
self-own…[Rasavong] invests the weight of his life experience in food that stretches the boundaries of
Southeast Asian cooking to the edge of Appalachia. And the wine list is wise beyond this restaurant’s
years, mixing tantalizing obscurities, affordable crowd pleasers and connoisseur selections you’ll rarely
find poured by the glass.” Bad Idea was also named a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the 2025 James
Beard Awards.

Why they're an Icon

From the OpenTable editors: Chef Colby Rasavong leans on his Lao heritage at this one-of-a-kind East Nashville wine bar that Bon Appétit dubbed one of its most eagerly anticipated openings in 2023. Sommelier Alex Burch's exciting, global wine list, which includes selections from South Africa, Hungary, and Portugal, sets the stage for Rasavong's ever-changing menu. Expect inventive dishes like a sausage roll with Calabrian chiles and lemongrass, mushroom tartare, and pot pie and noodle soup all served in a spacious bi-level former church with arched windows overlooking the street. The New York Times named Bad Idea one of its 50 favorites around the country in 2024.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
Hours of Operation
Daily 17:00–00:45
Phone number
(629) 729-4332
Website
http://www.badideanashville.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
Enjoy a semi-private experience in our mezzanine.Overlooking our beautiful dining room, our mezzanine can be the perfect gathering place for up to 30 people!Email Events@badideanashville.com

Location
1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206
Area
East Nashville
Parking details
None
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 69 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Nashville
Innovative
Nashville
Great for fine wines
Nashville
Innovative
Nashville
Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bad Idea offers an adventurous dining experience with "amazing food," a "fantastic wine list," and "friendly/top notch" service. The ambiance is simultaneously sophisticated and welcoming. While some reviews mention inconsistent dishes, the innovative menu and attentive staff make it a "must-try" for culinary explorers.

69 Reviews

m
marla
Nashville3 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely spacious interior of a former church. We asked for a quiet table and were seated in an upstairs balcony overlooking the whole interior. Food was uniquely flavored and well presented. We ordered 2 small plates each that were filling, especially with the added gifted small plate (possibly for my birthday). An extensive wine and drink menu, though we didn’t drink. Appreciated the relaxed unhurried atmosphere and friendly efficient staff.
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H
Heather VIP
Nashville2 reviews
2.0
Dined on 14 March 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We were super excited to try this place! But while the vibes and service were amazing, the food was disappointing. We were expecting vibrant flavors and striking use of spice + acid but instead received dishes that were prominently too bitter. We weren’t sure if it was because of the wine pairing that the somm recommended or an execution mistake. The bitterness was so overwhelming that I asked for a slice of lemon to try to cleanse my palette. Also, would recommend an improvement in presentation: we got the lamb to share but the meat’s blood ran into the vermicelli noodles. The lamb was cooked well and it was delicious, but seeing the blood soaked noodles was off putting. For the pricepoint and fine dining ambience, this seemed like a lack of attention to detail.
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A
Allen
Louisville3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 14 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great wine selection and tasty bites. Perfect place for a quiet and relaxing dinner.
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P
Peace
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined on 14 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It genuinely wasn’t a bad idea at all. 10 out of 10 would recommend trying at least once in your life time.
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K
Katie VIP
Nashville13 reviews
3.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A little over rated. Good dishes. Bad dishes. Wonderful service
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s
sarah
Baltimore1 review
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really great food - having just moved from Hong Kong, appreciated the eastern Asian flavors!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Nashville2 reviews
4.0
Dined on 8 March 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Would have been great if we were in the main dining area!
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D
Debra VIP
Nashville55 reviews
5.0
Dined on 7 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was excellent! Shade, the sommelier was fantastic! Our server had great recommendations for dinner!
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C
Cuomoizatwat
Nashville2 reviews
3.0
Dined on 6 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was just eh. Service was great. Drinks were great.
1 person found this helpful
W
William VIP
Nashville22 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I can see why this place has all the hype. I just wish I had room for the lamb, but guess I need to come back! Everything I tried was excellent and I usually don't care for mushrooms, but the mushroom tartare was amazing!!
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FAQs

Bad Idea is rated 4.5 stars by 69 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

26 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 16 times today

1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Additional information

Area
East Nashville
Hours of Operation
Daily 17:00–00:45
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Wine Bar, Laotian, Farm-to-table
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.badideanashville.com/
Phone number
(629) 729-4332
Private party facilities
Enjoy a semi-private experience in our mezzanine.Overlooking our beautiful dining room, our mezzanine can be the perfect gathering place for up to 30 people!Email Events@badideanashville.com

Bad Idea

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Why they're an Icon

Additional information

Menu

What 69 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Bad Idea restaurant rated?

Is Bad Idea currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information