Culinary Dropout today opened its first Tennessee location in Franklin’s McEwen Northside shopping center. The modern restaurant brand known for crowd-pleasing food, expertly crafted cocktails and a passion for live music, Created by Arizona-based Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC) and nationally acclaimed restaurateur Sam Fox. Culinary Dropout is a growing brand that prioritizes scratch-made recipes and fresh ingredients produced in-house daily.
The new restaurant adds to Fox’s list of established concepts including The Twelve Thirty Club, Pushing Daisies, Flower Child, The Henry, Doughbird, and Blanco Cocina + Cantina, highlighting the hospitality group’s continued investment and growth in the area. Culinary Dropout Franklin is located 20 minutes from Downtown Nashville at 4020 Aspen Grove Drive. It is situated near the heart of Cool Springs in the vibrant McEwen Northside community.
“We were overwhelmed by the warm welcome we received from the Franklin community when we opened Flower Child earlier this summer, and we are so excited to introduce another new neighborhood staple to the area,” said Sam Fox, founder of FRC. “Culinary Dropout is known for its laidback atmosphere and commitment to hospitality and is another perfect fit for Franklin.”
The heart of the brand is a passion for classic comfort food done right, with signature menu items including shareable appetizers like the Soft Pretzels and Provolone Fondue, BBQ Pork Belly Nachos, and a hearty antipasti board known as “The Slicer” (a play on the 163rd episode of Seinfeld). Must-try entrées include the very limited Korean Style Ribeye Cap; Mongolian Short Rib served with a soft egg on a bed of crispy rice, topped with Thai chili; and their famous slow braised 36-hour pork ribs, in addition to a variety of craveable salads and sandwiches like the Crispy Chicken Katsu sandwich, piled high with napa slaw and a spicy miso aioli.
Culinary Dropout’s beverage program is anything but ordinary, offering a bold lineup of handcrafted cocktails, curated wines, and local beer. Elevate your dining experience with signature cocktails, like the Giddy Up Espresso Martini with vodka, Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, Spanish vanilla, and a cinnamon spiced cold brew; the Abandoned Cadillac with Patrón Tequila, Grand Marnier, pomegranate redux, and tart lime; and the Full Moon Party with lemongrass-soaked Tanqueray, Velvet Falernum, Thai basil leaf and English cucumber.
To celebrate its grand opening, Culinary Dropout will offer live music all day on Wednesday, September 10, continuing through the weekend and culminating in a headlining performance by country-pop singer-songwriter, Levi Hummon on Saturday, September 13. Hummon, who has written songs for Tim McGraw and Steven Tyler and is best known for his hit single “Paying for It” with Walker Hayes, will perform a 90-minute set at Culinary Dropout on Sept. 13 from 8:00 – 9:30PM, followed by an exclusive meet-and-greet. Live music will be a staple of Culinary Dropout Franklin, with regular music programming happening every Thursday – Sunday.
Reservations are now available via OpenTable. Culinary Dropout is open for lunch, happy hour, and dinner daily, as well as weekend brunch service.
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