Two acclaimed restaurants coming to Gallatin this year

JANET SCOTT Main Street Media

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Two critically acclaimed restaurants are preparing to open new locations in Gallatin this year.

M. L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers and Edley’s Bar-B-Que will be located almost side-by-side in the 2100 block of Nashville Pike, next door to Gallatin Honda. Both restaurants are expected to open their doors this year.

M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers

Austin Ray, M.L. Rose founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) announced the new Gallatin location in a press release in early December but noted that local buzz had preceded the announcement by months.

The M.L. Rose franchise, which opened its first restaurant in the Melrose area of Nashville in 2008, will be expanding into three new locations this year—in Franklin, Inglewood, and Gallatin. By the end of the year, the CEO expects to have seven locations in Middle Tennessee. The expansion into the three new locations is a celebration of the franchise’s 15th anniversary.

According to the press release, the first M.L. Rose restaurant opened when the Melrose neighborhood in Nashville was on the verge of revival—but Ray noticed that it didn’t have a neighborhood bar. He thought it would make a good place for a restaurant where studio musicians, hospitality workers, and celebrities could mingle with residents.

Ray also wanted to share a passion for craft beer and created a menu offering more than 36 local craft beers on tap. The restaurant opening coincided with an exploding craft beer market, which sparked fast growth for his restaurant.

Today there are four Nashville locations serving neighborhoods in Melrose, Sylvan Park, Capital View, and Mt. Juliet. Each restaurant highlights a section on the menu entitled “Neighborhood Favorites,” which features craft beers favored by residents.

Each M.L. Rose restaurant features a covered, heated patio for dining, a two-sided outdoor fireplace, and an indoor/outdoor turf area with space for watching sports, as well as enough room for kids to play.

The menu offers a variety of burgers and waffle fries, as well as pub favorites such as nachos, wings, sandwiches, and salads.

Ray approaches expansion with an eye for neighborhoods. “We’ve taken time to build partnerships that bring the best possible food and craft beer to our guests,” he said.  “The three new locations are all in places where we can be great neighbors.”

Edley’s Bar-B-Que

The second highly popular restaurant coming to Gallatin is Edley’s Bar-B-Que, which will be located only a couple of doors down from M.L. Rose. Edley’s is locally famous for its Nashville and Memphis-style barbeque and already touts nine locations, having opened a new branch in Franklin last year as part of the Berry Farms mixed-use community.

Edley’s won “Best Bar-b-que” in the Nashville Scene Reader’s Poll in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, and 2023. The menu describes the meats as “smoked low and slow,” using Southern white oak, and the website claims, “We treat every person who walks through the door like an old family friend.”

Dedicated to a presentation of southern style in every way, the owners even offer their fans a Spotify playlist, inspired by Nashville, Memphis, and Muscle Shoals rhythm and blues.

The Edley’s owners demonstrated their commitment to the Gallatin and Hendersonville communities by passing out free food the day after the Dec. 9 tornado, posting on Facebook:

“Good morning, Gallatin neighborhood. We will be on-site at 2145 Nashville Pike today and tomorrow from 10 AM-4 PM with free pork sandwiches, chips & water to anyone in the neighborhood affected by last weekend’s storms and all first responders. If you or someone you know is in need of a warm meal, please don’t hesitate to head our way.”

Based on the level of social media anticipation about both M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers and Edley’s Bar-B-Que coming to Gallatin, it seems safe to predict that hordes of hungry patrons will be doing just that: coming their way as soon as the doors open.

Specifics on the opening dates on both restaurants will be forthcoming.

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