From Hattie B's to Tootsie's, here are the 10 best places to eat in the Nashville airport

BNA has created a mini-Nashville restaurant scene by packing in 38 outlets of some of the city's most well-known restaurants — but which are the best?

Brad Schmitt Keith Sharon

Nashville Tennessean

For most of us, eating at the airport has been an afterthought, a way to kill time before takeoff. And Lord knows we don't wanna be hungry on a long flight.

In the last few years, though, Nashville International Airport has built a dynamic dining vibe, re-creating Nashville's restaurant scene in miniature by packing terminals with outposts of well-known honky-tonks, barbecue joints, hot chicken shacks and more.

Yep, now you can get Hattie B's hot chicken, Slim & Husky's pizza or Tootsie's live music, beers and burgers at BNA. Believe it or not, there are now 38 locally-owned food spots at the airport. (That's a way higher number than we found at similar-sized airports, which typically are filled with national chain restaurant outposts.)

The Nashville airport dining scene has even more relevance now that the airport is issuing get-past-security day passes for those who aren't flying.

The BNA Passports have proven popular — the airport has hit its 75-pass daily limit each day since the program launched July 1. (We both went through the process with ease. Our only hesitation is that you don't find out if you've been approved until early in the morning on the day for which you've applied.)

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Most folks so far have been using the BNA Passports to get through security to greet incoming elderly friends or relatives at the gate. You also, of course, can use those day passes to watch planes or to catch up with friends with longer layovers in Nashville.

So, with all those food choices, where should you eat? Warning: the food served at the airport can be different, a lot different, than what you'll find at the original restaurants in the wild. We ate some soggy, room-temp chicken fingers at one spot and — gross — a nuclear-hot, chewy microwaved bagel sandwich at another.

But that's what we're here for, folks! We visited all the local airport spots so you can avoid the misses. Here is our completely subjective list of the top 10 locally-owned airport eateries.

10. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

Concourse C

Vibe wins the day. Nashville's most iconic honky-tonk did a great job recreating Lower Broadway in the airport. You can see old pics of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Hank Williams inside those lavendar brick walls, and the live music is at the perfect volume. Tables are nicely distanced. The food might've been hit or miss, the singers, service and suds more than make up for that.

9. Tailgate Brewery

Concourse C

Sure, there's terrific Tennessee-brewed beers here. And folks who visit Tailgate Brewery's other locations already know that the pizza is surprisingly good. At the airport, you can expect the same. The long, curved bar is a popular hangout in a high-traffic area in the concourse.

8. Acme Feed and Seed

Central Marketplace

The incredibly juicy, tasty Acme burger should pull you right out of the security line and into the bright open air marketplace even before you start to head toward your gate. Only The Pharmacy Burger Parlor could rival the cheeseburger we had. Service was, well, delightful! The menu is more creative than we expected and it includes a "Redneck Lo Mein," a dish that drew a split vote at our table.

7. 8th and Roast

Concourse C

Not much seating here, and it's on a particularly busy part of the Concourse C thoroughfare. But duck into the cozy bakery for some gingerbread loaf and other freshly baked goods and some of the best coffee in the airport.

6. Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Concourse C

Big hearty chunks of tender chicken with a crispy, crunchy bite and just the right amount on the back end: This is what Nashville hot chicken tenders should be. Service was fast and the restaurant was sleek and clean. You can tell us to shut the cluck up, but this is the best hot chicken at the airport.

5. Smashville

Concourse C

You know how you always walk right past this Nashville Predators-themed spot at the top of Concourse C? You shouldn't. Forget food and drink for a second — the seats at the bar are, well, downright pillowy. Like actually comfortable. And it's quiet in here, believe it or not. In the airport, even the bathrooms are noisy.

Among the $12-$17 choices, go for birria tacos, which we loved, even after eating at 14 other restaurants beforehand.

4. Three Casks

Concourse C

It’s tucked all the way in the back of Concourse C, but Three Casks is worth the walk.

What a vibe: Whiskey barrel heads on the wall, friendly, engaged servers and bartenders. It's as if you've disappeared from the airport and rematerialized on the Whiskey Trail.

They’ve got a wide list of whiskey and beers (you can even meet a distiller if your flight time cooperates), but the barbecue is also impressive. Try the sliced turkey with apple pie barbecue sauce (you read that right). The roast corn with queso is a fine second fiddle.

3. Slim & Husky's

Concourse C

Great food with a beat, Slim & Husky's pizza is almost as awesome here as it is at the original North Nashville location. It's fun to watch passengers bop their heads to the hip-hop and R&B songs as they walk by. One small hesitation: it's hot in the actual restaurant space. You might want to get your pizza and eat it elsewhere. PS: The Smokin' Herb white sauce pizza is our fave.

2. Puckett's Restaurant

Concourse D

First of all, we love the big open seating, high-ceiling vibes and the live music. And they do traditional Southern food as well as anyone in town. The brisket, super tender, was a little salty, as were the greens. But the mac and cheese and sweet potato fries were solid. And the superstar of the show, bar none, is the peach cobbler. In fact, if you're getting one thing, get that.

1. The Pharmacy Burger Parlor

Concourse A/B Rotunda

Oh wow, this comes really close to the original restaurant in East Nashville — super juicy, delicious burgers and nearly perfect tots, salty, brown and crunchy on the outside and tender inside. The servers all were incredibly friendly, and the food is cooked fresh, unlike some other airport outlets. Still, we got our burgers in under 10 minutes.

What's your favorite place to eat at BNA? Let us know, please. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or Keith at ksharon@tennessean.com.