Nashville's McCabe Pub, comfort food mainstay in Sylvan Park, to shutter in January
The owners of McCabe Pub, a comfort food mainstay in the heart of Nashville's Sylvan Park, announced Tuesday that the pub will close in January after 41 years in business.
John and Jo Dean, both native Nashvillians, opened the pub in 1982 at 4410 Murphy Road, where it cemented itself as a place for authentic, affordable food and friendly service.
“We are closing still believing in McCabe Pub and what we built over the decades,” Jo Dean said in a news release. “For more than 40 years, we’ve welcomed multiple generations of customers through our doors offering great food, a fun environment and a tight-knit community. We couldn’t be more thankful for the time and memories made on the corner of Murphy Road and 45th Avenue North.”
The couple's daughters Katie Dean Egbert and Stefanie Dean Brown, also co-owners of McCabe Pub, said it has been an honor to work alongside family in managing the business for the last 22 years.
“Our parents started a legacy of incredible service, made-from-scratch recipes, ice cold beer, and an atmosphere that feels like home. We are proud to be referred to as the ‘Cheers’ of Nashville and hope our beloved spot will always be remembered," the sisters said in the news release. "But as we move on, we are confident we are leaving our customer base in good hands.”
McCabe Pub has consistently been among The Tennessean's food writers best places for affordable food in the city, and it has been recognized over the years as the city's favorite neighborhood bar and having the best burger and best dessert, according to the news release.
When the Deans opened the pub across from the McCabe Golf Course from which it takes its name, they envisioned a wholesome environment where friends and neighbors could enjoy a few drinks, watch a game and have a little home-cooked food.
“The emphasis was on pub, rather than food," Tennessean writer Joan Dew wrote in a review of McCabe Pub in 1988, "but the latter was so good that people began coming there to eat who didn’t know a knuckle ball from a slam dunk."
As well as serving food to thousands of locals over the years, the McCabe Pub Crawfish Boil helped spread awareness of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a rare lung disease, and raised thousands of dollars for the LAM Foundation, according to the news release.
John Dean died in 2012, the year the restaurant celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The lot where McCabe Pub is located will remain a "hospitality concept" after its closing, the news release said.
McCabe Pub is open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and closed on Sundays. The owners ask that those interested in dining at the restaurant during its final days of business visit its website or follow its Instagram for more timely updates.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: McCabe Pub in Nashville's Sylvan Park to close in January
