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Credit: Daniel Brown - Bad Idea, Nashville, TN
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Bad Idea

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Visa Dining Collection

$50 and over
Wine Bar
1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Make a booking

2 people
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
7:00 pm
Booked 28 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
  • 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 5:00 pm–12:45 am
  • 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

Experiences

  • JPF 90/90 Dinner at Bad Idea

    USD 150.00 per person

    Prepaid

    13 May 2025 only
    Bad Idea is proud to support the Jacques Pépin Foundation by donating a portion of the proceeds from tonight’s dinner to help empower individuals through culinary education. Enjoy a meal that makes a difference! Proceeds from the event help transform lives through culinary education, and we deeply appreciate your generous support. All tickets are final sale, non-refundable & non-transferable. Final price is inclusive of food, beverage, tax, service & donation.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 79 people are saying

Bad Idea reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.2Value

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 a unique dining experience with "phenomenal food" and a "dynamic menu." The restaurant boasts an "extensive wine list" and "friendly, knowledgeable staff." While some dishes may be hit or miss, the atmosphere and innovative cuisine make it a "must-try" spot for adventurous diners.
79 Reviews

  1. Penny

    San Francisco2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The famous bolona sandwich was mine blowing. The dumpling appetizer was really great. The pork shrimp terrane was not that great. It’s because some of the dishes were too salty. However the wine options were amazing. The smaller on staff was really knowledgeable and clearly has done their homework. The ambience and the decor are unique special and definitely worth going.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jason

    New York City2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Server was very nice and helpful. Coursing the order was not good. Our only entree, a steak was served simultaneously with 3 other appetizers. Wine list was great.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Alana VIP

    Nashville13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 4 April 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I can’t say enough good things about Bad Idea. The space is warm and inviting with big, beautiful windows that make it feel light and open. The service was prompt without being overbearing and everyone was very friendly and professional. Every dish was delicious - including the controversial Velveeta ice cream!! Personally, I would eat their ricotta dumpling in mushroom brown butter everyday for the rest of my life. Instead I will settle for going back often to try all the other creations coming out of their kitchen. What a special experience!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Ash VIP

    Memphis/West TN23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 4 April 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Phenomenal food, very unique dishes that were well executed ! We even met the Chef - will definitely return !

    Is this helpful?

  5. Ruben

    Nashville2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 April 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Dynamic menu, which is a huge plus. Because the quality and attention chef gives to all dishes, definitely try something outside of your comfort zone, and you will not be disappointed.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Jacob

    Chicago22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 April 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A fantastic meal! Food and service were excellent!! The entire team were so hospitable. 10/10!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Amybeth VIP

    Nashville18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 31 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Second time here did not disappoint. Absolutely incredible. Our server Greg was phenomenal and the sommelier did not steer us wrong

    Is this helpful?

  8. David

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 28 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was amazing but the cod “fish sticks” were a real disappointment

    Is this helpful?

  9. Jim VIP

    Louisville1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 26 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This hit on all levels. Great dining experience, totally unique. Wine list was extensive with some great values.

    Is this helpful?

  10. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Dallas7 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 25 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    First and foremost. The food was the highlight (as it should be)and we will be returning. We did 2 small plates and a main. The Flavors were everything and more that I was expecting. The combination of Lao and southern was a beautiful and interesting pairing.. Now for the negative. We did the steak for our main. We were told the cook temp was medium however What was brought out was a bloody medium rare to rare plus at best but no complaints from us I think it was better this way. This will bother some though. My complaints lie in the tight seating and the lack of attention to detail from the servers. They were very helpful but our table was not cleaned between courses and dirty dishes were left far too long. It seemed the only thing this restaurant is lacking is a topnotch dining room manager. Everyone was super knowledgeable and friendly but small things were missed. And last and least.....cloth napkins need to happen yesterday.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

Bad Idea is rated 4.5 stars by 79 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

Booked 28 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Bad Idea

1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Additional information

  • Area
    East Nashville
  • Hours of Operation
    Daily 5:00 pm–12:45 am
  • 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
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