The Family Wash/Garage Coffee in East Nashville

The Family Wash Garage Coffee in East Nashville on Main.

The Family Wash/Garage Coffee ought to be on everyone’s bucket list when they visit Nashville. If you live here, what’s stopping you?

You can go for the live music. You can go for the food, which is fantastic and nuanced with a variety of flavors, creativity and spunk.

The Family Wash’s original location opened in 2002 on Greenwood Avenue and picture of that iconic spot hangs on the wall, since the move to expand to Main Street.

This venture is shared by Family Wash owner, Jamie Rubin, Garage Coffee’s Robert Camardo, and artist manager, Mitchell Fox. Chef John Stevenson, formerly of Fido’s is at the helm in the kitchen. It’s hard not to think of John without thinking of a great burger and they do have one.

So far, the joint venture has paid off. The place is bigger. The staples like Shepherd Pie remains on the menu and new items have been added.

A new chef, coffee, a larger venue have taken the Family Wash Garage Coffee from good to great!

There are two creative dishes at the Family Wash worth driving across the city to get. The grilled napa cabbage salad and the chicken skins are must tries. There is a lot going on in these dishes, yet balanced and nuanced with flavor, texture and eye appeal.

One of the best surprises of the grilled napa cabbage accompanied by roasted walnuts, smoked gouda and buttermilk dressing is the sprinkle of roasted carrots on top. Every bite is savory, crunchy, and surprising.

Some places have chips and salsa and some places have crispy chicken skins with Drunken Blackberry-Ancho BBQ Sauce, Poblano, Gruyere, and Swiss Chard. If it’s available, get it, share it, enjoy it.

The special of the day was hot, spicy, hearty pork dish, a demonstration of food that is not the same old thing.

If you want a traditional non-traditional brunch item, try theJalapeno Biscuit Pancake with Wilted Spinach, a Sunny Side up Egg.

Although this was a blogger brunch, we hosted ourselves just for the fun of it.

From Far right clockwise,  Caitlyn from Grass Fed Girl (who is way prettier than this picture shows), friend Billy, Phillip from Southern Fatty, Jesse from The Food Sheriff, Tabitha from Ala Mode Media , Beth from Eat.Drink.Smile and me your Spinach Tiger.

We ordered enough food for a hearty brunch, and tasted everything in between photos. This is just part of the food.

Live Music will be scheduled at various times, so check their website and make this a true Nashville experience.

The vibe of the stage is pretty cool.

Garage Coffee opened in the Marathon Village and is now featured at Family Wash.  My favorite is the slingshot made with  made with their house Road Rage espresso and includes dashes of caramel and smoke bourbon salts. It’s as good as it sounds.

The Family Wash Garage Coffee strikes that perfect balance of a casual place to meet up with friends and have really good food, drinks, and coffee with food that will entice you to come back and try everything.

I’m going back to get that shepherd’s pie and I can’t wait.