Rotier's, Vandyland and more: These 10 lost restaurants offer Nashville nostalgia

Cassandra Stephenson, Nashville Tennessean
·5 min read

Nashville's restaurant scene seemingly moves at warp-speed, with a steady flow of new concepts coming online as some beloved staples bow out.

But many restaurants have left lasting impressions on native Nashvillians and visitors — and some recognizable names are ripe for reboots.

Famed meat-and-three restaurant Arnold's Country Kitchen closed in September after more than 40 years serving locals, celebrities and politicians alike. Now, Co-owner Kahlil Arnold (son of Arnold's matriarch Rose Arnold) is bringing back the favorites through pop-ups and special events, with plans to ultimately open Arnold's Country Kitchen in another location.

These 10 iconic restaurants of Nashville's past offer a serving of nostalgia.

The Gerst Haus

Patrons packed the bar at The Gerst Haus in 2000. The restaurant closed in 2018 after 60 years of business.
Patrons packed the bar at The Gerst Haus in 2000. The restaurant closed in 2018 after 60 years of business.

The Gerst Haus, a hot spot for beer and bratwurst near Nissan Stadium, closed in 2018 after more than 60 years in business.

The German eatery, known for its fishbowl-sized beer mugs and classic fare, opened in its original Second Avenue location in 1955, moving across the Cumberland River in 1970. It moved again to make way for Nissan Stadium (then known as the Adelphia Coliseum) but reopened nearby in 2000.

The Family Wash

East Nashville's The Family Wash closed its original location in 2013, moving to Main Street. The restaurant closed for good in 2018.
East Nashville's The Family Wash closed its original location in 2013, moving to Main Street. The restaurant closed for good in 2018.

The Family Wash stood as a cozy restaurant and live music fixture in a converted East Nashville laundromat from 2002 to 2013.

The business set down new roots on Main Street in 2015 in partnership with Garage Coffee under the leadership of Jamie Rubin, Mitchell Fox, Robert Camardo and John Stephenson. The Family Wash closed suddenly in January 2018 for upgrades, but never reopened.

The eatery's legacy — and its famous shepherd's pie — lives on at Rubin and business partner Chark Kinsolving's '70s-styled Eastside Bowl. Tucked behind the Madison space's bowling lanes is "The Wash," a 750-person venue sporting two stages, a bar and mezzanine.

S.G. Goodman performs before Tyler Childers at Eastside Bowl in Madison , Tenn., Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
S.G. Goodman performs before Tyler Childers at Eastside Bowl in Madison , Tenn., Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar

F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar was a hot spot in Green Hills from 1994 to 2014.
F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar was a hot spot in Green Hills from 1994 to 2014.

F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar was a Green Hills staple for brunch, first dates, wedding receptions, parties — and, of course, live jazz — for 20 years.

The Green Hills space operated from 1994 to spring 2014.

Vandyland

The Anderson family and others founded the original Candyland confectionery at Seventh and Church Street in the early 1920s.

Billy Pappas opened the next iteration of the soda shop on West End in 1928, where it would serve as a popular haunt for locals for 78 years.

After Pappas' death in 1985, Mitch and Bea Givens bought the restaurant and renamed it "Vandyland" — an apt name for a spot within walking distance of Vanderbilt University.

Soda jerks, including former Tennessean publisher John Seigenthaler, served up milkshakes and fountain treats with homemade sauces alongside classic cheeseburgers and Southern staples. Vandyland closed in 2006.

Rotier's Restaurant

The famous Rotier's Restaurant on Elliston Place in Nashville on Feb. 28, 2001.
The famous Rotier's Restaurant on Elliston Place in Nashville on Feb. 28, 2001.

Rotier's served its famed award-winning cheeseburgers less than a block from Vanderbilt University's campus for 75 years.

The pine-paneled spot opened in 1945 at 2413 Elliston Place and became a generational favorite. It closed its doors permanently in 2021 after the restaurant's new landlord did not renew the lease.

Second-generation Rotier's owner Margaret Ann Rotier Crouse said the beloved family-run establishment struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic and was likely headed for closure had the lease been renewed.

Rotier's fans can still snag a classic cheeseburger, french bread bun and all, at the Rotier's burger stand at Bridgestone Arena.

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Folks walk by the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant on Second Avenue North March 6, 1993.
Folks walk by the Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant on Second Avenue North March 6, 1993.

A 40-year fixture on Nashville's historic Second Avenue, The Old Spaghetti Factory announced its closure in February 2021 following the Christmas 2020 bombing and a lease termination.

The restaurant's lease was set to run through December 2035, but the bomb blast left the 144-year-old building in danger of collapse.

"We are incredibly disappointed by the letter sent by our landlord as they are using this tragic event to terminate our lease," The Old Spaghetti Factory President Dean Griffith said in 2021. "Our restaurants and teams have endured the most challenging year, which was punctuated by the bombing. We hoped the landlord would work with us, but they are making a business decision to have us removed."

Joey's House of Pizza

Family-owned Joey's House of Pizza sold New York-style pies for nearly three decades on Elm Hill Pike.

Its owners announced the restaurant's closure in April 2022, posting a handwritten note to the business' social media accounts.

"Since 1999, you all have been a huge part of our lives. You are so special to us," the note read.

Manny's House of Pizza

Manny's House of Pizza announced its closure in August. The business operated for nearly 40 years in Downtown Nashville's Arcade.

It's the second pizzeria owned by a member of the Macca family to close since Joey's House of Pizza, owned by Joey Macca, folded in 2022.

"From my origins in Sicily, Italy to my journey through New York and eventually settling in Nashville, my family and I are immensely grateful for all of the wonderful memories and support we have received," owner Manny Macca and his family wrote in a statement.

Dandgure's Cafeteria

Dan Robinson looks around the restaurant after serving his last customer at Dandgure's Classic Southern Cooking, permanently closes Thursday, June 30, 2022.
Dan Robinson looks around the restaurant after serving his last customer at Dandgure's Classic Southern Cooking, permanently closes Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Dandgure's Cafeteria, a beloved soul food eatery on Lafayette St., served its last supper service on June 30, 2022 after 31 years in business.

Owner Dandgure Robinson said increasing rent and neighborhood costs led to his decision to close the cafeteria. He and the staff celebrated its last day in style with soul food staples: barbecue ribs, turkey dressing, sliced beef pot roast and more.

The Bound'ry Restaurant

The Bound'ry opened on 20th Ave. South in 1995, offering worldly fare in a historic setting. It closed in 2015.
The Bound'ry opened on 20th Ave. South in 1995, offering worldly fare in a historic setting. It closed in 2015.

The Bound'ry Restaurant opened in a historic 20th Ave. South building in 1995, serving craft cocktails and a worldly menu crafted by chefs including prominent Nashville names Deb Paquette (Etch) and Willy Thomas (Park Cafe and Eastland Cafe).

The restaurant closed for renovations in 2015 as competition in Midtown's restaurant scene ramped up. It never reopened its doors as an eatery, transforming instead into BOUND|RY Events and Catering in 2016. The business last posted to its social media accounts in 2019.

The 911 20th Ave. South building is now home to Love Language Restaurant and an event venue called The Caldwell.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Old Nashville restaurants: Remembering Nashville food history