The food was amazing and the service was also good. The restaurant is also really clean and decorated. The most amazing dessert with a contrast of textures. Flavors include passion fruit, vanilla, cream, milk shaved ice, and honey cake. Sublime! read more

Locust - Dessert: milk, egg, ice. - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Locust was an incredible experience. Each dish was its own star. The staff were incredibly helpful and made the experience even better. We can't wait to be back in Nashville to visit again. Don't miss this stop if you are in town. read more

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Locust is always re-inventing their menu and somehow constantly make it a bit better than the time before. In addition to what may be some of the best food, the energy is amazing. You may walk in and after being greeted by their amazing team (shout out Kenna, Dino, jeremy, Donna, Seth, Max, and so on) you will notice everything from death metal to a Brittney Spears. Trevor has done an amazing job creating a constantly evolving restaurant that has fun while doing it. If you can get in, go in, have fun, and def order the horseradish vodka. And all the dumplings. read more

New favorite spot! Already have a reservation to go back! The menu is constantly rotating so there's always new items, everything we tried was delicious. Great wine list. And it's a very small restaurant so all of the servers float around to help every table-it made our dinner super fun! Very quaint on the inside with a view of 12 south while you eat. All around amazing experience! read more

Amazing and rather life changing. May return to Nashville just to dine at Locust. Beautiful setting and kind, quick staff. The beef tartare hand rolls were definitely the highlight for me! read more

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Place is just awesome. Went yesterday for lunch (first time) and it's definitely busy and hard to get a rez, but you'll understand why. Its obvious that the folks working there love what they do. Everyone was so nice and just generally pumped about what they were cooking up. I got really accurate descriptions of everything before I ordered and ended up getting the steak tartare wraps, tuna crisp and dumplings. Everything was so good and I was stuffed. They asked if I was interested in desert at the end and I just didn't have room for it. The head chef / owner came over and said he would really love for me to try it, so he whipped me up one of their shaved ice desserts on the house and it was mint, mint, mint. Picture attached. Thanks chef! In general, just a cool place. Celebrity Chef / local legend Sean Brock was sitting at the table next to me crushing dumplings with his buddies. The music playlist was my kinda scene as well. Idk, just one of those magical places where you don't regret how full you are or a single penny you spent afterwards. I'll be back. read more

Locust - Dessert - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The beef tartare is what dreams are made of. 100% recommend. The flavors were just so on point with the mayo, the meat, the wasabi wrapped up in nori. I want some right now! The yellowtail and scallops were also to die for. The flavors just complemented each other perfectly. The bread was ok as was the omelette. The 2 went well together, but were meh if just on their own. Overall a pleasant dining experience. read more

Um 100%, this has easily become my favorite meal and place like...ever. So glad I stumbled upon a lunch reservation while we were in town. Staff here was lovely - helpful and friendly. They were top notch, casually conversing with us while giving mini intros on the dishes. Waters (and my delightful tea) were constantly refilled and empty dishes taken away. Given a small focused menu, we ordered mostly everything except maybe three items - while we wanted to try more, I don't think we had any room left. I loved the large open kitchen and the casual atmosphere to a rather fine dining meal. Now, to the food! Started with the ham and tuna crisp. Wow. What a fantastic start! The tuna and ham surprisingly paired perfectly together plus the truffles!? But also, that crisp itself was the perfect vehicle for those toppings. I don't normally enjoy beef tartare but found it addicting here. The diy approach made sense with the nori wrappers. I could have eaten that seasoned saucy rice all by itself! Also, the freeze dried capers...brilliant! That cup it came in was so heavy lol - nod to the serveware used here! Shrimp pocket - so tasty! Well balanced of sweet and spicy. Loved that they brought out the cucumbers with this. It really paired well. That dipping seasoned salt was divine. Dumplings - I wish I could recall all that went into these and the sauce, but they were perfect. They looked perfect and tasted so. I love and eat a lot of dumplings, and these were absolutely memorable. The more I ate that shaved ice, the more I enjoyed it, especially with that fruity filling and lovely caramel topping. Husband at first bite: "this must be what a cloud tastes like." Me when I got a bite with center filling: "this must be what a cloud with a rainbow tastes like." It truly was the perfect end to our meal. Oh, but there's more. That kumquat palette cleanser! Everything here was so thoughtful, from the timing of the dishes and the order it was brought out to the utensils used to the overall food and quality ingredients itself. I normally wouldn't notice such details, but it was apparent that they are next level here, again in a refreshing non-pretentious vibe. I'd gladly dine here over many other fine dining establishments. I'm confident that whatever they serve here is magnificent. I want to consume every new and old item here over and over again. Who knew I'd have to return to Nashville not for their hot chicken and live music, but for Locust!! read more

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One of the best meals I've had in Nashville. Since moving here, I've been pretty underwhelmed with food people swear by. If you're lucky enough to get a reservation @locustnashville , GO. Flavor profiles, technique, simplistic yet advanced, hospitality.. everything was pretty much what I look for in a restaurant. This is not your typical dining experience, so if you truly enjoy food and talking about it, the staff is there to educate you. Thank you @trevoromorain for a great experience and I can't wait to come back! read more

I have traveled the world and eating dumplings and noodles around the world including in Japan. I find a place terribly pretentious and the service is very lacking! Don't think worth the money! Very limited menu! read more

Locust - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Love the warmth of the service and the food is so fresh and delicious. My third time there and such a treat. Also, like that the ambiance is charming but you don't have to dress up, Teri D read more

A solid 3. I wanted to like this place more but the servings are tiny and the menu is small in a way that seems like they are trying too hard. The service however, impeccable and saved this review. Dumpling wrappers are impossibly thin (how I had them while living in China) but 6 for $9 is hard to swallow. Shrimp toast was on point with flavors, but being fried not something I'd order regularly. Cucumbers were good and the Szechuan peppercorn in the salt mix was a nice addition but I never want to spend $6 on a cucumber again. Cold noodles, meh. We've had the shaved ice dessert in Korea before and loved it but didn't feel like continuing the meal. I'm sure it was lovely. The outdoor seating was pleasant but the music was way too loud and didn't go with the ambiance of the rest of the space. Maybe it was an off night? Maybe I just struggle paying for a mediocre meal after hyping it up in my head. You decide. read more

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We were warmly greeted when we arrived and I had quite a friendly chat with one of the servers. The restaurant was on many lists for the best in Nashville and it's hard to get a reservation. I did get on the waiting list and as soon as I was told there was room today, I responded immediately. I want to say that Locust is Japanese fusion but that not might be completely accurate. It definitely has Japanese influence all over but it seems a bit broader than that. The seating is sparse as there are only eight tables, some four tops, some two tops. The menu is very limited but that's the point! Try everything and if you're still hungry then go back and order a dish you really liked. You can read other reviews about each of the menu items but let me simply say the tuna crisp (a thin slice of sashimi that is lightly smoked and a pinch of salt), lamb dumplings, and beef tartare roll were absolutely delicious. Make sure to top the meal off with kakigori, which is Japanese shaved ice with whipped milk on top. What I would also recommend is order the lemon Italian soda which served as a nice way to cleanse the palate before each new dish arrived. If you can get in, enjoy! We all loved it and plan to return. read more

Wife and I lucked into a lunch reservation today and dang, this place is legit good. The food was fresh, clean and light with layers of flavors mixing together in beautiful harmony. Every single bite excited the tastebuds with subtle flavors that keep you guessing. Food 100/100 The thing that makes this such a great place is the service. Everyone from the hostess to the chef is very attentive of each customer while carrying conversations that make you feel heard. It feels like you're talking with friends from a time long ago. Service 10/10 We've eaten at other top restaurants in Nashville and there is none better than Locus. read more

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Locust is a different kind of restaurant. My wife and I love the food. It's gourmet and has incredible beef tarterre. The service is impeccable and friendly. The staff seems like a big family and makes you feel like family. The desserts are also amazing! We ate there last month and are going back Friday night. We don't live in Nashville but we'd drive to eat there. It's reservations only and difficult to get seats. I'd recommend making reservations a few weeks ahead of time. read more

Friday night we visited Locust. We arrived at 820 for our 830 reservation. We were quickly rushed outside to check in by the iPad. We were then told to go stand in the dark by stacked chairs on the other side of the building. The entire area was strange. Was this storage area really for guests? At these prices??!! They took our drink order from there. At 905pm we were finally seated. No apologies for the delay. Not even when my husband asked if they happened to be short handed and that was the reason for the delay. Nothing. Completely ignored. The food was just eeeh. Except for the dessert. That was really good. The service. The lack of overall kindness. Not sure why no one who worked there could muster up a smile the whole evening. It was a real shame after all the hype for this place. It was better during the pandemic and you ordered from the window. They were much friendly. read more

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This place is the real deal. I don't know "Dane M." who has "been to some of the most badass restaurants around the country and I expect high standards", but this guy doesn't know what he's talking about. Last year I went to both Central and Maido in Lima and the year before I went to Pujol in Mexico City. This restaurant is, while maybe not better yet, definitely playing in the same league and with some playoff hopes. Service - Phenomenal. Every order we made and every dish that was served was by someone different. And the majority were served by the dudes making the food. When we asked about the dessert after not being able to hear the hostess' description, the guy said "Well I prepped it so I better know it well." It was awesome. Atmosphere - Minimalist and perfect. There is lamp made out of a fish. The kitchen all greeted us (loudly and surprisingly upon entrance), which is similar to Maido in Lima. The kitchen is completely open and within view of your table. I only wish there was a kitchen bar where we could have watched them prepare every dish. Food - There were a bunch of highs and a couple of lows, but in my experience that is typical for a chef who wants to do new and awesome things. 1. Beef Tartare (sans caviar) - A+ - Crazy good. Next time we'll get two. 2. Dessert - A+ - Shaved ice with some sort of almond merengue, egg yolk that's been infused with something, maybe passion fruit (???), and some shaved white truffles. Weird, sure. Delicious, yes. 3. Shrimp toast - B+ - My sister's favorite. It was very good. 4. Bread service - B - Naan with some sort of cod roe sauce for dipping or spreading. 5. Dumplings - C - We got 3 servings, 5 for each of us. This was a surprise for us as no one was impressed. 6. Endive & Kiwi Salad - D - Underwhelming, but our crew is not big on this type of dish. Price - TOTALLY reasonable for what you are getting. All in we paid $100 per person. Final grade - A Go get you some. read more

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Our dinner last night was culinary experience. Every dish was prepared so beautifully. The steak just melted in your mouth. The care and attention we received by the servers made us feel special. Thank you one the best culinary experience we had! read more

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Contrary to what some of the lower starred reviews say on here- our service was excellent. It's not the white glove pretentious service that you'd find at many of the upscale places around town- it's authentic friendly hospitality. And honestly, I prefer it that way. The place is well staffed, they were interactive with us and provided a great breakdown of the food and bev. We're not drinkers so I cannot say much about the alcohol offerings but the food was outstanding. I will be thinking about those lamb dumplings for weeks to come. The textural adventure of the dessert was phenomenal. In addition to the great staff and food, the ambiance is wonderful. They have large windows to let in so much natural light and plants that brighten the space even more. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked and parking was easy to find (which in this neighborhood deserves its own additional star) This was a thoughtful and lovely experience that will bring us back for another date night. read more

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Inventive takes on some Asian classics! Portions are on the smaller side, and service is somewhat slow (we ended up waiting ~20 minutes for our food after we texted them that we arrived). Shrimp Toast: 4/5 Loved how the outside was crispy and buttery while the inside was fluffy and stuffed full of shrimp. Only thing was that I thought the sweet chili sauce on the side didn't add much. Tsukemen Dipping Noodles: 4/5 I could tell that the noodles were fresh, and the ajitama (ramen egg) was cooked perfectly. The chicken broth was also packed full of umami flavor and had a decent amount of heat, which I enjoyed. Although the chicken wing was tasty, I couldn't detect much of the scallop. Another thing is that since the noodles were served cold, they stuck together in one big clump, and I had to use my hands to pull them apart. White Chocolate Kartoffelkage: 5/5 The star of the meal! Wasn't sure what to expect, but this ended up being a giant white chocolate cream puff layered with caramel and surrounded by a thin blanket of marzipan dusted in cocoa powder and sprinkled with candied fruit. All the components complemented each other to make a truly unique dessert. read more

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Amazing. At first I was intimidated to have chefs be the ones who come up to take my order but they were so passionate about the menu and talking about what each dish brings. The food was incredible. The restaurant is intimate but has good energy. Worthy place to check out and experience, great place to show off to folks coming into town. read more

My fiancé and I knew we had to try this spot after watching Somebody Feed Phil. We weren't able to snag a reservation in time but luckily someone cancelled and we walked in at the perfect time. Service was amazing. Everyone was so nice and the food was delicious. I'm still thinking about the crispy tuna, beef tartar and the passion fruit shaved iced dessert! read more

Locust - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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As a picky eater I was mostly prepared to try everything and enjoy nothing. While I wouldn't say everything was delicious, I would say that I enjoyed trying the offerings. The oysters and the potato bread stood out for me but everything we ate was of the highest quality. The service was friendly and on point. You do not get a dedicated server for your table but it seems like everyone is dedicated to making the experience enjoyable. The restaurant is small but spaciously arranged so you do not feel crammed at all. Very well thought out with an open floor plan and kitchen that is fun to see the chefs and staff work to feed the patrons. Very fun lunch date spot! read more

I got takeout but heard they are opening dining room for In-house dining soon. Dumplings are LEGIT- we got an order of 8 fried dumplings and we could have easily hammered down another order. The dumplings aren't huge but are perfectly fried with crispy outside and soft flavorful filling. I'm actually still dreaming of them and considering ordering them again tomorrow night ha! Spicy Numby noodles were so spicy my husband couldn't finish but i thought they were great. You absolutely MUST order the dessert- White chocolate something (sorry can't remember the name, it's long). It's an absolutely heavenly cream-filled light pastry dessert that we couldn't get enough of!!! But it would have been sinful to get two orders for just the two of us ;p Bottom line- get all the dumplings, and definitely save space for dessert. read more

Locust - Order of fried dumplings- perfectly crisp outside and flavorful delicious filling. Noodles to boil at home and combine with spicy sauce - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I have never been one to expand my repertoire when it comes to cuisine, but this place really pushed me out of comfort zone in all the best ways. We had everything on the menu, and couldn't get enough of the dumplings (we had multiple orders). They were so moist and perfectly complimented by the chili oil that was paired with it--and I'm not one for spice. On the other hand, the cold noodles were delicious, but too spicy for someone who is sensitive to spice. That still didn't stop me from cleaning my plate! To cool my mouth from the noodles, I used the cucumber spears dipper in their special salt. They added the perfect balance of cool and refreshing with intense flavor and a little oil to offset the noodles. I loved the shrimp pillow, and couldn't believe it when I went back for seconds (not a seafood person AT ALL). Another favorite of mine was the beef tartar, which was brought out separately from the other ingredients, allowing you to create your own beef tartar sushi roll. The beef was so rich and buttery and paired excellently with the freeze dried capers, rice, and seaweed. To top off an already perfect meal, we had both shaved ice desserts. The almond salted caramel was by far our favorite. It was an almond milk shaved ice with merengue on top and finished with a thick drizzle of salted caramel on top. It was the perfect combination of sweet, savory and salty, and it was SO light! You didn't leave feeling overly full, but rather perfectly content. While this isn't a typical restaurant, the atmosphere and experience are truly one of a kind. If you're looking for a quick, grab and go place to eat, go somewhere else. If you're looking for extremely friendly staff, who focus on creating relationships with their customers and who provide you with an experience you won't forget, go to Locust!! read more

Locust - Breakfast tea, shortbread shaved ice - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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We went to Locust on Halloween. The aesthetic was really nice. It was chilly out but they had lots of outdoor heaters to keep you warm! The staff was also incredibly nice and knowledgeable! We got the steamed dumplings, fried dumplings, noodles, and 2 chocolate salted caramel shaved ice. This place is definitely somewhere to go after you've eaten dinner or you just want a snack. The menu is basically 4 appetizers, 2 types of shaved ice, and then 4 types of drinks plus whatever special they are having that night. The steamed dumpling (which was 9 dollars) only had 6 dumplings. The prices seemed very high for the quantity of food. The noodles were 13 dollars and were not our favorite. And you don't get that many noodles. We probably won't order the noodles again if we come back. The noodles themselves were pretty good, but the sauce wasn't our favorite... In my opinion the menu was very expensive for what we got. It was 70 dollars for the 5 things we ordered!! 20% gratuity is automatically added to tab. If you come here, just get dumplings and shaved ice. The shaved ice was very good!! But be prepared to spend quite a bit and you will probably leave a little hungry. read more

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Soooooo good! Their tartare is the best!!! The staff is super friendly and the atmosphere is fun.

Best restaurant in Nashville. Honestly, best restaurant in the entire southeast. Go and order the whole menu. You'll be glad you did. read more

Locust - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Truly had one of my favorite dining experiences in Nashville at Locust. The intimate seating within sight of the kitchen and music that kept you feeling like the only table i the restaurant. All staff members greeted us like returning friends and took time to make recommendations off our tastes, even a few off menu items. I couldn't make my mind up about wine and our server was happy to allow me to continue sampling until I found just the right one. Okay, now food. The Beef Tartare is top 2 I've ever had. Perfectly spiced and salted. The Sole & Mushrooms had a buttery mushroom sauce that continued to evolve on my palette even as we left the restaurant. I've never had a dessert experience like the shaved ice, which had honeycomb, passion fruit, almond milk and a sweeter egg yolk. read more

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Best restaurant in Nashville. Hands down. The food, the ambiance, the service, the drinks, everything. I couldn't be more of a fan.

I was so excited to try this place out and it didn't disappoint! The food and service was outstanding. The fried dumplings were amazing! I appreciate that they utilize the whole pig for the filling. (FYI - The filling for the steamed and fried dumplings is the same). The noodles are also good and I'm happy that I can customize the spice level. And last, I thought the shaved ice would be good for a bite or two but I was scraping the bottom of the bowl to get more. I only hope they add a few more thing to the menu. read more

Locust - Shaved ice with chocolate, salted caramel and passion fruit - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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The dumplings are the greatest. They are both fantastic but the steamed must be ordered! If you like spice, the noodles are great! Make room for shaved ice at the end. Lives up to the hype!!!! read more

Love this place. Love the beef tartare and dumplings amd basically everything on the menu! Staff are really friendly and service is very good. read more

$360 for a dinner of "cute" presentations of six dishes. I guess that is what one is to expect in a tasting menu joint. Ambience is so loud that a conversation is impossible without yelling. The servers kneel at your table, lean forward and stick their long hair into your face to tell you why the dishes are so small and "creative." "How's the dumpling?" "What? Did you say frumpy?" Bang bang guffaw guffaw!! Yeehaw! What an uncomfortable ambience. The six courses were unoffensive, but definitely not unique or memorable. I just dined there and cannot remember any of the six dishes except the dumplings. BTW Sonobana's are far superior. I will spend my money at restaurants that focus on the tasty execution of dishes that have body and soul and that are properly seasoned. Another restaurant with a tasting menu of small dishes that fails to present a value proposition with a certain, well-defined value. read more

Best restaurant in Nashville, hands down. I recommend over ordering and trying everything! read more

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Great ambiance and excellent service. I thought the food was just OK. We ordered the beef tartare, the dumplings, bread and fish of the day. The fish was a nice light fried swordfish but not a lot of flavor. The dumplings were far from the best I have ever had. Overall, I expected more. read more

My much anticipated meal did not disappoint! These guys are making some awesome food. So skillful and technically made...that you might not notice it. It's just really good food, very well seasoned. All the way to dessert! Shrimp toast was a table favorite. Dumplings were killer. Kakigori is a Japanese dessert...if you don't know, get one. If you do know, you're obviously ordering it. Don't forget to grab a staff favorite hot sake and a little chili oil ;) Can't wait to go back! read more

Locust - Kakigori - Shaved Ice Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Everything is amazingly great, from a great service and food is super good and yummy . We ordered everything on the menu and we enjoyed everything. We would totally come back again. read more

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Y'all, I am a huge foodie and hard to impress but when I tell you this is the best restaurant I've ever been to in my life I mean it! You must get reservations ahead of time but it is 100000% worth it ! The restaurant is so cute and all of the workers are wonderful! You get to see the chefs cooking all of the dishes and it is over all just a super fun experience! I went here months ago and got basically everything on the menu with my family and I have thought about that meal at least once a day since I swear I dream about this place, GO!! (Also you must get the shaved ice egg desert! AMAZING!) read more

The most amazing meal for lunch. Tip: just order everything! Enjoyed the tuna ham crisp, beef tartare with caviar (worth the splurge), dumplings of course and definitely do the cucumbers on the side to eat with the dumplings. Finished with the strawberries & cream shaved ice. From beginning to end - perfection. Bonus: everyone is super friendly read more

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