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Credit: Daniel Brown - Bad Idea, Nashville, TN

Bad Idea

4.8
4.8
14 Reviews
$50 and over
Wine Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 30 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Innovative
  • Great for fine wines
  • Good for groups
From the New York Times: 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. The concept coheres in the hands of the owner, Alex Burch, a seasoned sommelier and first-time restaurateur. He had the good sense to bring on Colby Rasavong as executive chef. He 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. BRETT ANDERSON

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
  • Neighborhood
    East Nashville
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Curry Boys BBQ x Bad Idea Collab

    $10.00 per person

    Jan 14, 2025 only
    Coming to Riverside Village, Curry Boys BBQ is an Asian BBQ restaurant specializing in the unique combination of Southeast Asian Curry and Classic Texas BBQ.

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 14 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Nashville

    Best Service

  • Nashville

    Best Ambiance

  • Nashville

    Innovative

  • Nashville

    Great for fine wines

  • Nashville

    Best Service

  • Nashville

    Best Ambiance

  • Nashville

    Innovative

  • Nashville

    Great for fine wines

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Bad Idea offers an outstanding dining experience with "amazing food" and an "excellent wine list." Guests appreciate the "caring and intelligent staff" and the "gorgeous space." Despite occasional noise, the overall atmosphere is sophisticated yet welcoming. With reasonable prices and memorable service, it's a must-visit culinary gem.

14 Reviews

  1. Raj

    St. Louis

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really cool vibe. Original and innovative food. A bit pricey

    Is this helpful?

  2. Betsy

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food, wine, and service all just fabulous! Not to mention in a beautiful space!

    Is this helpful?

  3. aMY

    VIP

    Memphis/West TN

    17 reviews

    2.0

    17 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Spencer was cool; server was fantastic. Food was forgettable.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Austin

    Nashville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The name is great because eating here was anything but a Bad Idea. The food was phenomenal and the service was next level. I don’t remember how I heard about it but I’m thrilled that I did! I can’t recommend it enough. The space was beautiful as well. Can’t wait to go back!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lisa

    Nashville

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Interesting and delicious food. Wine list is intriguing and sommelier is knowledgeable. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Michelle

    VIP

    New York City

    27 reviews

    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant always knocks it out of the park. Love their food.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Bevan

    VIP

    Jacksonville

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on December 31, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding as always! Creative food and the best wine selection around, the by-the-glass wine menu is the best around.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Katya

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic experience. The food is delicious and the wine list is excellent. The restaurant is simultaneously sophisticated and welcoming. Can’t wait to go back.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Jon

    Charlotte

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Really enjoyed the experience once again. Food is excellent and service is friendly/top notch. We took a friend for her first visit and loved it, too. Excellent wine list and we certainly don’t expect it, but this is the type of place that remembers you after you’ve been and that says something about extra effort. Prices are also quite reasonable for the quality. We’ll keep returning!

    1 person found this helpful

  10. James

    VIP

    Nashville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 21, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food. Lovely people. Gorgeous space. Highly recommend.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

Bad Idea is rated 4.8 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 30 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Bad Idea

1021 Russell St, Nashville, TN 37206

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    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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