Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.

Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.
Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

1805 21st Ave S
Nashville, Tennessee, 37212-3705
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
0
Beers:
0
Ratings:
0
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.83
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
37
pDev:
13.84%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
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Ratings by edmedina:
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Reviewed by edmedina from Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I was in town and was seriously wanting to try some local brew. Naturally I did a look up on Beerfly and found this place. When I got their with my kids I was concerned that it was more of a college joint than anything else. That turned out to be wrong. My three kids all found the place to be enjoyable and enjoyed their food. I had the Bosco Burger and garlic parmesan cheese fries. The beer selection was very good. They offer a wide selection of beer as well as cask condition of one of the beers (it changes each week) and a small selection of bottle conditioned beers. I only tried the Isle of Sky Scottish Ale and the bottle conditions Bosco Bombay IPA. I really did enjoy both them. Unfortunately they don't sell the bottle condition to go but I was told that they are working on doing distribution of their beers. If you are in Nashville give the place a try, you'll find it to be an enjoyable experience in a state of crazy beer laws.
Aug 23, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.4 by CraigTravor from California

Sep 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.48 by fastestmanalive from Florida

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by rajreddy from Tennessee

Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by nickfl from Florida

Jun 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by NashvilleBeerAdvisor from Tennessee

Dec 20, 2013
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Reviewed by battarup from Tennessee

4.16/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
For the best beer and food combination Boscos is the place in Nashville. They do an excellent job for brewery food and their beers are better than most micro breweries in Nashville. Serves one of the only fresh hopped beer in the area. Should be a standard for any beer aficionado Well done Boscos... well done.
Jul 09, 2013
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Reviewed by ryrad23 from Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
Craft microbrewery, so a bit more pricey than some other options; however, you get what you pay for. Great beer, great service, and their food flies under the radar. Convenient Hillsboro (Nashville) location. Cozy setting, big tables near the rear for mid- to large-sized dining groups, smaller tables up near the bar.
Jan 21, 2013
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Reviewed by akinsja from Tennessee

3.18/5  rDev -17%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
This place is a chain (the other locations are in Little Rock, Memphis, and another somewhere near Nashville, I think), and as such doesn't have much of a character of its own, in my opinion. The food is the real draw, if any, as there are some relatively tasty options on the menu (though, at the same time, there are some overpriced and otherwise disappointing options, too -- I'm looking at you, fish sandwich).

The service might be the low point. My experience at the bar showed a clear divide -- there are regulars, and then there's everyone else. The bartender didn't have any beer knowledge anyway (described the flaming stone beer as "sorta like an IPA"), but it still would have been nice to be able to get a beer between his long conversations with some of the other patrons.

As for the beers, nothing is going to blow you away, IMO.
Nov 28, 2011
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Reviewed by JoEBoBpr from Missouri

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
A - Its nice rectangular shaped room with a bar as you walk in on the right with a small bar-seating area. The rest of the brew-pub is seating for dinning. Decor is nice but very forced. You can see the brewery on the far side of the establishment through a small window. Not my favorite place but went mostly for the company.

Q - Pretty average. Limited numbers of brews that were pretty standard, APA, IPA, Pilsner, etc.

S - Our waiter knew very little about the brews and seemed either to be new or tiered of serving patrons. This might have been because we came in after the lunch rush, but still.

F - Food was a bit better. I had a very good Pollo Diablo pizza that was tasty and spicy.

Overall the place is a chain and offers something different to Macros but not the best.
Jan 03, 2010
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Reviewed by BeerNuggets from Ohio

3.26/5  rDev -14.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
A very clean and nice interior, but still a chain brewpub.

It wasn't really packed on a saturday, so we had a chance to check everything out. They had plenty of beers on the sampler, but there wasn't anything that really stuck out. It seemed like they had found their recipes and were sticking with them.

The service was average. They didn't pay too much attention to us even though there weren't that many people in bar area.

The parking was pretty tight in the back of the building and we felt that there were better brewpubs to give our money.
Aug 21, 2009
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Reviewed by lpb1970 from North Carolina

2.38/5  rDev -37.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1.5 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I was on a business trip to Nashville from NC, read some good BA reviews for this place. It was close to my hotel so I checked it out for dinner. Good news first (such as there is). I like the decor and atmosphere of the place and the food was fine (had the shrimp n grits). Now to the most important part, the beer. Oh man. Where do I start. I ordered the IPA. What was delivered to me was a beer with no head whatsoever (looked like a glass of iced tea). Obvious carbonation issues. The waitress said the bartender was having problems getting my friends beer to pour but that there was nothing wrong with my beer. Hmmmm. I tasted it. It was completely uncarbonated (no it wasn't the Cask beer that night). I told the waitress there was something wrong with my beer. She said no it was fine. Didn't offer to replace it. I choked it down. I asked another waiter if near zero carbonation was the indended brewing style of the brewer, he had no idea. I don't think he knew what carbonation was. The hops and malt used in this beer tasted disgusting. No refreshing hop aroma, no citrusy, piney taste, nothing but a vague bitterness and regret for ordering it. My friends said their beers (The Pilsner & Porter) were unimpressive but not vomit inducing like the IPA. I don't know what you BA's have been drinking but if you give this toilet water beer high ratings you need to get to the store asap, get yourself a sixer of Bells Two Hearted and LEARN!!!
Oct 16, 2008
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Reviewed by MMAJYK from Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I am reviewing this place as a visit later in the night after the Music City Brew-Off, not while I spent the day here for the Brew-Off.

The atmosphere was somewhat cold to me and "chain-like". Lots of wood and open areas with a semi-open kitchen. It seemed kind of a run of the mill brewpub to me.

Their beers were nothing really to write home about and were just a little bit above average. We tried the sampler and nothing really jumped out in my face and to my liking.

The serve staff was very helpful and willing to let you try any of the beer they had on hand before ordering a full pint.

They had the typical selection of beers, but had a great food menu. I had the fried grouper sandwich and it was very good.

Nice place but it just lacked something to me. Maybe its because it didn't have a warm feeling to it that I feel brewpubs need to have.
Sep 30, 2008
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Reviewed by beer2day from North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Good location, good beer, good food. Parking can be a bit thorny at lunch and in the evenings, especially if you have a truck or van. Had the TN Cream Ale and the Bombay IPA. Cream Ale is not my favorite style, but this was pretty good. The IPA is excellent. Blackened Grouper sandwich was cooked perfectly. The place can get packed at happy hour and late in the evenings and service can be slow at those times. Lunch service has never been bad for us, nor has dinner service. They almost always have a firkin at happy hour, so 5 is a good time to stop in for a quick one.
Jul 10, 2008
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Reviewed by Loki from North Carolina

3.89/5  rDev +1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
Visited on a work trip on 4/28/08

I only had one beer due to how I was feeling and the fact that the service I got was a bit slow.

I went for the cask beer and wasn't disappointed. They had a very good IPA on cask. And any place that serves cask beer, especially a good cask beer gets two thumbs up in my book.

I would like to go back when I feel better and give the service another shot.

I didn't have any of the food but there was a ton of people in there and a bunch of regulars, so I would guess the food is good.

Parking in the back was a bit of an issue, but that could have been due to the happy hour crowd.
May 08, 2008
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Reviewed by boston2bburg from Virginia

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I first heard about this place in an airline magazine listing the supposed best brewpubs in various states, so decided to check it out as I visit Nashville a few times per year. We went on a Saturday afternoon after lunch hour. The bar was small, tucked in a corner, and filled up so we grabbed a booth. The greeter appeared kind of quiet and sullen and made me wonder if I should worn something better than shorts and sandals into this place. The server was more upbeat and attentive at first, but less so after we were served.

A friend and I had the 8 beer for $8 sampler, which was hit or miss. In particular, the "stone" beer tastes little better than a Budweiser, the IPA was a corn sugary disappointment (for me, my friend liked it better) and some of the others were unremarkable. The dunkelweizen was my favorite so I ordered a pint of that, although the Irish red was the epitome of a session fightin' ale and would have been great if we decided to spend the rest of the evening here.

We also ordered a spinach and artichoke dip that was good and ample for the four of us. Beers were $4.50 a piece. The restaurant was spacious, with paintings on the walls, half of pears, half other things. I got some snobby vibes but it could have been a lot worse. Not a bad visit, probably good for a date, but not necessarily a place I'll seek out again.
Apr 25, 2008
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Reviewed by ckeegan04 from Texas

3.83/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went this past weekend with my wife and sister-in-law. We were there a little after 9:00 and the restaurant was about half full but the bar was still prety crowded. We were seated promptly but nothing else was real prompt after that. Service definitely wasnt terrible, but it could have been quite a bit better.

They have an open view into their brew room but it is back in the back of the place and not very prominent. They offer a nice selection of beers (5 standard and 5 seasonal, I believe) and they give you recommendations on what food to pair it with. I had two seasonals, the HopGod IPA and the Baltic Porter. Both were very good and I have also been pleased in the past with the beers. I am a big fan of the Bombay IPA and their Flaming Stone is a unique beer you should try at least once.

The food is pretty good. It is an eclectic menu of pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, and pasta. I had the Palermo pizza this time and it was tasty. Food is a little more expensive than I am used to, but that seems to be the norm in Nashville.

Overall a good place to check out if you are in Nashville. I feel the beers are a little better over at Blackstone but the food is hands down better at Boscos, and the beer aint bad.
Mar 10, 2008
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Reviewed by tiger88 from Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
My wife and I went this past Saturday(2/16). This was our fist time and we went on the recommendation of my friends in Free the Hops. The food was very good. We had the Spincah and Artichoke dip for appetizer. It was fresh and hot. I ate the Pollo Diablo Pizza. It had just the right amount of spice and my wife had the Palermo which was a bit too saucy for me considering the pizzas have an extremely thin crust. We split the sampler of house brews. My wife favored the Isle of Sky and the 90 Schilling. I was a fan of the Bombay IPA and the Porter. I ordered the HopGod bottle conditioned ale which paired wonderfully with the spicy pizza. Would I go again? Yes, after I give Blackstone Brewpub a chance. I need something to compare it to in Nashville. The proximity to Vanderbilt University and Belmont make it a haven for college folks, which were absent due to the Florida Gators basketball game being in town.
Feb 18, 2008
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Reviewed by lekeiner from South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
A colleague and I stopped in here on a business trip to Nashville. Overall, I was very pleased with Boscos - it was good enough to warrant a return visit a couple days later at the end of the trip. It is located south of the medical center by Vanderbilt - it was a bit farther then it looked on the map, but the walk back the hotel (at the north end of the University) was safe, if cold.

We sat in the bar both times, so I can't really speak to the quality of the dining room service - the bartender/waiter both times that we were there was friendly and knowledgeable. I first went there for the Cask-conditioned Ale; they were serving an IPA that week. I enjoyed it, and would have had another had I not wanted to try the other beers on the menu. Remember that the cask-conditioned selection is only tapped on weekdays!

The brews that they had available when we were there included a normal IPA, an Alt, A Scottish Ale, a Roggenbier, a Stock Ale and a Porter. Between the two of us we tried them all. I found them to be good representations of the styles, though my companion was complaining about the American brewers' tendency to aggressively hop everything - she felt that especially the German Alt was way too hoppy to be an authentic representation.

We ordered from the bar menu the second time we went - the food was good, but we weren't ordering anything spectacular.

So, overall - yeah, I'd go back there. I'd call a cab next time, though.
Nov 25, 2007
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Man, did I want come to this place! I was a little misled by their address, though, and decided to cab it over only to discover that it was only about a mile from West End Avenue. Whoops!

They had a wide, windowed front with their logo on both sides of the building on the second floor. They had a zigzag entryway that took me right then left and finally presented me at the m.d.s. with the horseshoe-shaped, laminated blonde wood bar to the extreme right. The bar was extremely packed on a Friday night in late December 2006, but I was able to squeeze in next to a couple of Mug Club members who were very helpful in directing me around during my visit. Besides the couple mentioned earlier, we were joined by an outgoing woman in her late-20s who was quite vociferous and even made a notation in my notebook.

The dining room extended the full length of the space on either side with the exception of the bar area on the right. The kitchen was about three-quarters of the way aft on the left with the washrooms opposite on the right under the "Exit" sign. I liked the copper cones that were inverted and which doubled as overhead lighting. Speaking of copper, the copper-jacketed brewhouse sat in the second floor, visible behind glass.

My big draw was the Flaming Stone Beer and I will post a review of that separately. Sadly, no growlers at this location, but Little Rock came through like a champ. I liked most of their beers, but I just kept coming back to the Flaming Stone, much to the amusement of the Mug Club members.
Oct 24, 2007
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Reviewed by IPAcraig from Tennessee

2.53/5  rDev -33.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5
I was expecting a great experience from this place before I went. However it greatly disappointed. The service was not good at all. We waited for a long time for even a server to ask what we wanted. After not getting what we ordered the server came back 10 minutes later and asked if we wanted anything. I mentioned that I ordered some beers a while ago. She eventually got them but left quickly not allowing my friend to order. Our waitress gave out tickets for the daily cellarman drawing to the entire bar, except for my party and a few others.

The atmosphere was ok but nothing special. They had some nice beers, (the flaming stone, was light, but very flavorful). However, their IPA has nicely hoppy, but way too harsh(centennial hops were the likely culprit).

I think we would have had a nice time but for the service. If that was better the place would have been tolerable, bordering on enjoyable.
Aug 22, 2007
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Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This Boscos is just outside of the downtown Nashville area past Vanderbilt University with other shops, restaurants, and stores associated off beat neighborhood. Seems to be far enough from the Broadway tourist district to be comprised mostly of locals, at least that's how it seemed near happy hour. The shiny brewhouse is up on the second floor and the whole place is well decorated, and most importantly today, the air conditioning is very cool in the Southern heat.

Most of the beers were very good with one a couple of klunkers. The Bombay IPA was a clear favorite of mine, a very well done American IPA, and evidently a local favorite since many people were ordering pints of the same. The Stout and Isle of Skye were close behind. Both wheat beers I tried were under par but servicable. The Bombay was going on cask at 5:30 and all the regulars were there for a pint (cask rotates--one a night when offered), but I wasn't able to handle another pint before heading to other pubs yet that evening.

At least 5 veggie options on the menu, including a bean and goat cheese tamale which I was talked out of by the bartender for a thin crust California pizza, which was very good.

Overall, a great stop, friendly with lots of personality for a place that's a mini-chain. The wait staff seemed more interested in talking to each than the customers on occasion, but not bad. Boscos is well worth the stop.
Aug 17, 2007
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Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4
A short drive from the downtown area of Nashville, Boscos is easy to find off a small town type of main street area that is dotted with small shops and coffee houses. Vanderbilt is also here so there is a younger vibe to the area. The brewpub was hopping as a lot of the tables were filled but there were a few bar stools available. Big modern warehouse restuarant feel that was warm and inviting. The bar was not too big for a place this size, as only about 15 stools were there.

There were 8 beers available. A Scottish Ale, Hefe, their Famous Flaming Stone Beer, Amber, Milk Stout, Boscos de Mayo, IPA, and American Wheat. The beers we had were fresh and of good quality. I can say these were some of the best beers I had during my trip to Nashville.

The bartender was friendly and very knowledgable. He was quick to discuss beer styles and engage in a friendly conversation. Orders were repsonded to quickly and professionally.

I can say if you have to pick one brewpub to hit in the Nashville area it would be Boscos.
Jun 21, 2007
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Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +18.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I've been to Nashville a couple of times and have had the opportunity to visit all the brewpubs. To date, I've been to almost 200 brewpubs in north america. Boscos is your best bet in Nashville with Blackstone being a close second. They're on the same side of town so you could do both. This was my third overall trip to Boscos (2 in Nashville and 1 in Memphis). Their offerings and attention to printed details about the beer is impressive. We sampled a couple of their beers - mostly of the bitter variety. While not overwhelming, they were solid representations of the style. They also had a couple of styles on tap that I was not aware of. We had the crawfish cakes, ahi tuna tacos, and a wood fired pizza. Definetely reccomend this as a brewpub to eat at if you like to experement with innovative food. The only drawback for me was they only serve cask beer on weekdays. The good part of that is they tap a cask each evening and finish it that night. The service was exceptionally knowledgable - not sure if you get a waited this good each time.
Dec 08, 2006
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Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +17.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Spent the day here durring the Music City Brew Off. The ownership is very accomodating to the community's homebrewers. The setting is in a libral / yuppie community that services the Vanderbilt University and the Downtown arts and culture crowds. The building, inside and out, harks back to Art Decco architectrure with a slight whimsical decor mixed with sheek urban attitude. I enjoyed many of Boscos brews and found them all very high quality without feeling the need to go 'high-gravity' to acheive greatness. For lunch I had a gorgonzolla / grilled chicken and pasta dish that was very good. Later I had the calzone that also rocked. Brewery-wise, the place seemed a bit exclusive and may deter the more bohemian beer enthusiests. The food is gormet and the attitude is quite dressed up, but the crowd seemed to be mixed. Undoubtedly, one of the best brewpubs that I have been to even if I found it a touch pretentious.
Oct 23, 2006
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Reviewed by Cresant from Kentucky

3.23/5  rDev -15.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3
I visited 10/21/06, Tuesday in the late afternoon/early evening. The location is nice, near Vanderbuilt in a renovated brick building. The space is inviting and pretty large, lots of tables, booths on the right wall. It seemed the decor was chosen in the 80's (teal/green/black). It was clean and pretty comfortable.

I had viewed their website before my visit and was looking forward to ordering a cask conditioned Zwickel beer. The site lists which cask conditioned ale is available every day of the week (for the current and next week).

When I asked the server about Zwickel he said they didn't have it and that the website is often wrong. I asked what cask conditioned beer they did have and he replied that they didn't have any available due to the brewmaster's dinner tonight. He said, "there will be white tableclothes everywhere". I was pretty disappointed.

The food was fresh but nothing out of the ordinary. Salads, pizza, sandwiches.

The copper brew-works were visible throught the glass wall on the second floor.

I ordered a Bombay IPA. The server did not know which hops varieties were used when I asked but he offered to find out. He returned to say the manager told him the IPA contained "Cascade and some other" variety. I later ordered the Oktoberfest, both were enjoyable.

Overall I am hopeful that my less than stellar experience was due to the time of my visit. However, I think it should not matter because if an establishment is open they should provide consistent products even in the early evening on a Tuesday. I would return, but only after exploring other brewpubs in the city.
Oct 23, 2006
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Reviewed by veech from Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I had heard of Bosco's several times over the years, but never gotten over to Hillsboro village to sample their wares. On a recent business trip I did so twice and was twice impressed. This brewpub is situated between two colleges(Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities) in a small artsy section of boutiques and indy restaurants. It is housed in a small brick building. It is dominated in decor as many brewpubs are by wood, brick and brass. The service was excellent at the bar and table alike. Knowledgable, friendly and prompt waitstaff who seemed to know their beer. The food was very good and the beers of a very high quality. I was impressed with this small chain brewpub and will make it a staple when in Nashville.
Aug 28, 2006
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Reviewed by hopsaplenty from District of Columbia

4.45/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Tucked into the Vanderbilt / Sewanee College (Hillsboro Village) corner of town, filled with coffee shops and funky stores, Boscos sits on a corner with an unmistakable yellow and white harlequin pattern on the exterior as well as a striped awning.

The space is a large, open floored box that slopes to the back. The colors are golds, coppers, greens, blues and there is a feeling of ‘70’s wallpaper meets acid wash. Original art hangs on the ample wall space while the original tin ceiling highlights the exposed ductwork.

The bar area is tucked up front on the right while tables and booths are interspersed throughout. On Sundays, the bar area is where you’ll find the jazz trio, quartet, quintet, or whatever configuration has been booked to perform during the jazz brunch. Copper-clad kettles are visible through a second floor window. The kitchen area is open to the restaurant on the back left.

If there is one downside to the atmosphere, it is that it is loud. There is a constant din which can sometimes make conversation difficult. Even when it is not crowded, it seems as though the sound just keeps rumbling around inside. Jazz brunch was great and the music was solid, but it just seemed too loud and we were sitting towards the back. Although, I have to admit that when our two girls got wound up and started to wail, nobody batted an eyelash because I doubt they could them over the rest of the noise.

The menu runs the gamut: soups, salads, sandwiches, wood oven pizzas, and more substantial entrees such as planked salmon and shrimp carbonara. Quality ingredients are used throughout and the portions are big but not huge. There is plenty of room to enjoy a few of their freshly brewed beers. The garlic parmesan fries are not to be missed. Their beer regulars include their famous flaming stone beer, Bombay IPA, Germantown Alt, London Porter, and Isle of Skye Scottish Ale. There are also some special drafts available. On our visit they had a Hop Goddess, Malt Tonic, and their Olde Fool, an English strong Ale, as well as a variety of bottle conditioned beers. On top of that, each M-F they tap a different cask, and if you're lucky you could become a Cellarman. Check their website for current selections as they do a great job keeping it current.

We had fantastic service, and our waitress was not fazed by the request for two highchairs. She was quick with drinks and the kids meals, and attentive without being intrusive. Prices didn't seem too far out of line for the area.

Nashville has plenty of places to hang out, and Boscos should be towards the top of your list. Come for the food and stay for the beer.
Apr 26, 2006
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Reviewed by abcsofbeer from Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I was in town for a convention at the Gaylord and had to get the hell out for a while. This part of Nashville is near Vanderbilt U and normally would be rockin, but, it was a Monday night, which was actually better for us as we were able to get a table right away. The bar is first thing on the right inside the door with ample space and many tables with a nice window view of the street.

We were seated at a table as we were there for food as well as the tasty beers. The menus come bound in thick leather with a fairly decent description of each beer on tap. They offer cask conditioned and seasonals and the names of each are pretty catchy. The food menu pairs each dish with the appropriate beer whether the food is pizza or steak.

There are leftover kettles for chandeliers, which I thought pretty cool. The brew area is in a loft with a glass enclosure, which all added to the atmosphere. The service was fair, but, I would have liked to have gotten a waiter is was more knowledgeable about the beer. I would definitely return as the beer was very good and the food was too. We sampled the pizza, the burgers and the shrimp and grits, and all were reported to be very good.
Mar 16, 2006
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Reviewed by Brent from Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Visited Boscos for the first time before going to a Nashville Predators hockey game - quite a nice way to start the outing. Interesting layout, in that the restaurant is longer than wide, but you can see the brewing operation through a glass wall up above an enclosed back area. Part of the kitchen is open at the back, and a large, chunky bar is located near the front. We were there on a Sunday, and a female jazz singer and band were playing in a makeshift area up front where some tables had been cleared away.

It was a "the girls will catch up with us later" situation, so the three of us immediately took up station at the bar. Our server quickly set us up with a sampler of the regular offerings and three seasonals. They also offer a cask beer, but not on weekends. Service was very attentive and friendly. None of the beers were outstanding, but all were solid offerings - enough depth to please the beer geek, but moderate enough not to scare off the average macro drinker. The selection was nicely varied, and offered one example of the most common styles - an IPA, stone beer, Scottish ale, porter and seasonal Hefeweizen, Irish red and a mild brown.

When we arrive, they were still serving from the brunch menu, so the offerings were a bit limited. We all opted for the cheeseburger, as we were starving and needed to take on ballast. The burgers were your basic fare, but well prepared and tasty. A word of warning - we opted for the garlic fries, which were very good, but very, very garlicy. Everyone in your party must order them if one person does. Later we moved to a table when our wives arrived, and they had the blackened grouper sandwich and a pizza margarita - alll quite tasty.

The most memorable moment of the visit was when I ordered a pint of the hefeweizen. When the bartender filled the glass, the beer was so laden with yeast that it looked like a milkshake. She called someone to change the keg. As she stood there with the glass of veritable yeast starter, she gave us a sly glance and then took a big drink. Then she commented "well, that was certainly unfiltered."
Sep 26, 2005
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Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Centrally located right on 21st street, which was easy to get to off of the 440 belt that goes around the city. Located in the middle of what appears to be a trendy part of town, complete with fancy restaurants and a paint-your-own clay joint. The first look of the bar is your typical corporate, overly clean place—loads of light wood, very stoic, with a few awards tacked around. That is, until you look back to the rest of the place. Faux stone walls, covered with mirrors that look like windows. Very high purple painted ceilings, accented with big old aluminum chandeliers. Brewing area overlooks the restaurant like a throned king. See through glass allows you to check out the action in the immaculately clean kettles. Bathrooms were clean and heavily tiled. A dozen or two parking places were around back and most of the streets appeared to have 2-hour parking.

“The restaurant for beer lovers,” had eight of their own brews on tap including a cask vanilla. Nothing apparently in bottle, though they had several awards up for bottle conditioned brews. They had an interesting German and British mix, with wits sharing time with porters, cask conditioned vanilla, and a supposedly old German stone brew. I decided to go with something malty and then something hoppy—I did have to drive off to the airport. I went with the Stone brew and then had an IPA. Both were average to slightly above average.

Food consists of apps, pizzas, sandwhiches, and some well done entrees. I’ve had the pizza and some of the apps. The calamari was delicious, and perfectly cooked tender, not rubber band like. The pizza is thin crust and personal size. Light and airy, it is the perfect compliment to their brews.

Service was fast, friendly, and well-informed. Bartender took the time to walk me through their beers, their history, their flavor, and what I should check out. He also did such with a half dozen other customers vying for attention and his lunch getting cold on another table. Definitely good to great.

So far, this combination of good food and good beer makes this a definite stop whilst in Nashville.
Jun 29, 2005
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Reviewed by BamaScholar from Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Boscos is in my favorite part of town, and everything about it fits the bill of Hillsboro Village. The beer selection doesn't match that of somewhere like that of The Flying Saucer, but your chances of getting a table are better and the beers are hand-crafted here whereas the Saucer just ships many many brews in.

It gets pricey with multiple drafts if you don't go during happy hour, but the quality of unique creations makes up for it. After all, $4 for a pint of anything other than basic domestic is pretty standard these days.

The food selections are somewhat unique as well, with entrees approaching the $15-20 range but pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, etc. affordable below 10.
Jun 29, 2005
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Reviewed by fromage from Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Bosco's is my favorite beer establishment in Nashville. Even my girlfriend likes going there and loves their Flaming Stone ale!

First off, it's in a great location and a great building. Huge, open air; it was a little smokey towards the bar, but usually we get a seat towards the back. The kitchen (or at least the fires) are open so you can watch the guys making pizzas etc. Parking can be a bit of a hassle in Hilsboro Village, since it's a hip spot, but if you know where to park, there's no problem. There are something like 8 spots out back specifically for the restaurant, but that's not nearly enough. You can park along 21st right after 6:00, next to the Belcourt, or down by the post office. It's a nice area to walk around anyway.

I've had no complaints about the quality of any of the beers / food. Clearly they've been doing this a long time and they're not just part of the plan to take advantage of the craft beer "fad" like all those fake Irish pubs, etc.

Service has been pretty good every time. I haven't found the servers particularly knowledgeable, but I've gone in knowing exactly what I want, and if I have a question, it's usually very specific. The bartenders usually know a lot. The waiters don't even have to know much because most of the beers are paired with food, split up in "Cellar" categories. So Cellar 1 beers go with chicken or whatever. Sometimes the special beers aren't categorized. Everything has been appropriately (I think) served in pint glasses. We'll see what they do with their summer beers.

The thing I like most about Bosco's is their atypical beer selection. You know what most brewpubs are like. How many make a crazy ale like Flaming Stone (carmelized wort by hot stones)? An Alt? A scottish ale? And those are just their regular beers. Their IPA is probably the best IPA in Nashville (Yazoo's is #2), since most IPA's just straddle that 6% border between beer store and liquor store and don't end up at either. They just came out with a seasonal 2xIPA and a strange (French?) beer. It had a French name but didn't taste like anything I know of from that region. Every day of the week (not weekends) they have something on cask, and you can be part of a lottery to tap the cask at 5:45 (usually gone by 8ish). Check the website to see what they have planned on cask. Wits and Wheats are coming soon.

Food is great and reasonably priced. My partner and I usually get burgers or pizzas for 9$. They have steaks, etc., but I must say we haven't gotten enough of the more expensive stuff. We're planning on blowing some money soon. No wings on the menu, but you can get the parmesan fries at the bar if you ask nicely. (They're not on the menu).
May 29, 2005
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Reviewed by BeerandBlues2 from Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
The location for this establishment is great walking community with ample parking around in assorted lots. The restaurant is very open with huge ceilings and a view of the brewing works. Slightly upscale atmosphere with a casual feel to it. They had eight differnt brews on tap when I visited, all of them Boscos', and they were delightful. The selection changes every two months or so for three to four of the brews and you can also purchase bottle conditioned ales. If the waitress is nice she will let you take them home to enjoy later despite the restaurant saying you cannot. The food is great with a well rounded selection. A must stop when in Nashville. This location is much better than the Memphis location; it is too cramped.
May 26, 2005
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Reviewed by clvand0 from Kentucky

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This place was the host for a homebrew competition that I judged at recently.

Boscos is a fairly large brewpub in downtown Nashville. They have a small parking lot that fills up quickly, but I was still always able to find a spot. It's in a main strip, and slightly hard to see until you're right in front of it. We had some Bosco's beers at the head brewer's house the night before (German guy named Fred) and more beers there the next day. The headbrewer is a really nice guy and extremely knowlegeable about any aspect we could ask about.

The bar is large and holds around 20 people and there are a lot of tables throughout. This is a rather large brewpub. They had about seven beers on tap and then they had an IPA on cask. I tried several of their beers and all were very good. The food was quite good as well. The servers and bartenders knew a lot about the beers. I'm really glad that Bosco's hosted our event and they were extremely courteous.
Nov 01, 2004
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Reviewed by CRJMellor from Arkansas

4/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Loacted right in the heart of awaht seemed like a busy entertainment section of Nashville, Bosco's had a nice open floor and nice big bar. Got my usual seat in the corner and preceded to sample all the local brews and enjoyed a nice dinner. Pizza was vey food and other entrees looked excellent. The place had a great variety of people and was not dominated by all of the university folks around. Bartender was very alert, friendly and steered me to the better beers. We had a relatively lengthy discussion about the Stone beer process. Really a nice place, would have enjoyed even more when it was less crowded. Bosco's is a big supporter of local homebrewers and really caters to the beer lover. Most of the brews are on the lighter side but all seemed pretty solid.
Dec 23, 2003
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Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Located in downtown Nashville, Boscos bills itself as "The Restaurant for Beer Lovers". Parking was pretty much street or nothing.

The atmosphere is very dim and trendy. The brewing works are upstairs and can be seen from just about anywhere in the bar. There are big hanging metallic light fixtures that do not allow much light to escape, as well as track lighting. The interior is all brick and mirrors.

The bar is pretty long and there are around 15 taps, all house draughts from the looks of it. The bartender was friendly but kind of rolled her eyes when my wife told her about my hobby. She actually tried to talk us out of getting a sampler and said she would let us taste any beers to find out what we liked. The sampler is not set, but each sample is $1 ($8 in our case). The beers were diverse, and it was actually nice not to contend with the typical "light lager" and "bland stout" found at many brewpubs. They even had a homebrew competition winner's beer in rotation.

Boscos is known for their "Flaming Stone Beer", or America's "Original Steinbier". This beer is brewed using a traditional German technique of lowering heated stones into the beer during the brewing process. The menu alludes to a "Three Star" rating for this beer from "the world's leading beer critic". I wasn't overly impressed myself, but it is unique.

We did not try the food as we had just eaten at Blackstone so I cannot comment on it. The food that was carried by looked pretty tasty though.
May 27, 2003
Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co. in Nashville, TN
Place rating: 0 out of 5 with 37 ratings