Locust
Michelin Star
James Beard Recognized
Trevor Moran
Locust is a Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in 12 South helmed by chef Trevor Moran — Japanese, Irish, and British influences, wood-fired technique, a menu that changes constantly, and some of the most emotionally resonant cooking in Nashville.
Review
About
Locust is one of the most genuinely original restaurants to open in Nashville in recent years, and chef Trevor Moran — who previously ran the kitchen at The Catbird Seat — has built something that resists easy categorization, which is precisely what makes it so good. The menu draws on Japanese, Irish, and British influences and moves through fermented flavors, smoked elements, and unexpected combinations with the confidence of a kitchen developing its own language rather than referencing someone else's.
Every visit offers something that couldn't have been predicted going in. Dishes that seem simple reveal themselves to be structurally complex. Dishes that seem complex arrive at something emotionally satisfying. The beverage program matches the food's adventurousness without being alienating.
The service team is clearly passionate about what's happening in the kitchen, and that energy translates into one of the most genuinely engaging dining room experiences in Nashville. This is not performance hospitality — it's people who are excited about the work.
Locust earned one Michelin star in the inaugural American South Guide. It is the restaurant Nashville needed to prove this city can compete at the highest level of American fine dining.
Every visit offers something that couldn't have been predicted going in. Dishes that seem simple reveal themselves to be structurally complex. Dishes that seem complex arrive at something emotionally satisfying. The beverage program matches the food's adventurousness without being alienating.
The service team is clearly passionate about what's happening in the kitchen, and that energy translates into one of the most genuinely engaging dining room experiences in Nashville. This is not performance hospitality — it's people who are excited about the work.
Locust earned one Michelin star in the inaugural American South Guide. It is the restaurant Nashville needed to prove this city can compete at the highest level of American fine dining.
One of the best restaurants in Nashville and one of its three Michelin stars — a wood-fired tasting menu from the former head chef of The Catbird Seat that consistently surprises without losing sight of what food is for.
Locust is chef Trevor Moran's restaurant, and Moran previously ran the kitchen at The Catbird Seat — which tells you something about the level of ambition here. The menu draws on Japanese, Irish, and British culinary traditions, filtered through wood-fired technique and a rigorous ingredient focus. Michelin called it 'simply elegant.' That's accurate as far as it goes, but undersells how much is actually happening in each dish.
The format is tasting menu, reservation only. Lunch runs Friday through Sunday, dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations open on the first of the month at 10am CST for the following month on OpenTable. Patio walk-ins are available when weather permits.
The dining room is compact and intimate — designed to keep attention on the plate. The service team is genuinely passionate about the food. The beverage program matches the food's adventurousness.
Locust received one Michelin star in the inaugural American South Guide. It is one of three Nashville restaurants to do so.
The format is tasting menu, reservation only. Lunch runs Friday through Sunday, dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations open on the first of the month at 10am CST for the following month on OpenTable. Patio walk-ins are available when weather permits.
The dining room is compact and intimate — designed to keep attention on the plate. The service team is genuinely passionate about the food. The beverage program matches the food's adventurousness.
Locust received one Michelin star in the inaugural American South Guide. It is one of three Nashville restaurants to do so.
