The west side of Nashville, stretching from Belle Meade into Bellevue and beyond, is pretty much a desolate abyss in terms of quality restaurants.
It’s a God-forsaken land of Chili’s and Sonic and Arby’s and every chain restaurant you could ever name. Highway 70 in Bellevue is like the Vegas strip of chain restaurants.
The new Bellevue One development is bringing some variety to the scene–in terms of smaller chains like Bar Louie and Eastern Peak. However, the area is still lacking when it comes to culinary diversity.
That said, there’s one little gastropub in the heart of Bellevue–stationed in the Highway 70 Kroger shopping plaza–that’s been bringing unique, high-level bar food to the area for several years now. Say hello my ninth favorite restaurant in Nashville: Publicity.
Publicity is a perfect restaurant for the area in which its located. It’s perfect for families with young kids. It’s unpretentious. And, though it offers more than your typical bar menu, it doesn’t try to be too fluffy and cute.
You’ll find a great selection of burgers (don’t miss the Truffle Burger, $15) and sandwiches, while the main appetizers and entrees vary between classics like perfectly cooked fish and chips ($15) and fantastic house-made meatloaf ($16), made from hereford veal and served with yukon and parsnip puree and fried brussels.
Other standards include gulf shrimp and grits ($17), coq au vin ($18), and a hearty 12 ounce hereford New York strip ($24). On the appetizer side, don’t miss the BBQ pork rinds ($6) served with smoked local honey and their incredible smoked chicken wings ($12) that might be large enough to feed your entire family. The menu changes seasonally, but most of the above stay on the rotation year round.
One thing that does change monthly is Publicity’s featured burger, which in the last year has included a kangaroo, elk, emu, and camel burger. Yes, you read that correctly. And these unique menu items sell quickly from what I’m told.
As I wrap up this post, I haven’t even talked about their craft beer selection that, while limited to 10 or so on tap, is always seasonal and well-selected. As of this publish date, they feature several great beers from Founder’s–including their famous Kentucky Breakfast Stout. Be sure to visit on their 2-for-1 draft Tuesdays.
Part of the reason Publicity made my top 10 is just proximity. It’s just a few miles from our house so, naturally, we find ourselves there often. I’m not sure if I lived on the Eastside that I would be here that often, but it would be worth the trip. That’s because the food is the real deal. I don’t care if a restaurant is next door to my house–if the food sucks I won’t be visiting.
Final thoughts: What I love about Publicity is it’s a neighborhood spot where my wife and I can bring the kids, have a good beer, and eat high-quality, thoughtful food. Those things need not be exclusive, and Publicity realizes that.
That’s why they are #9 on my top 10 restaurants in Nashville!
nashvillefooddude.com 
And they serve Bucksnort Trout Ranch rainbow trout!
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