Big Al's Deli

Fried catfish and fried pork chops—eating at Big Al’s is like eating at grandma’s if grandma were a six-foot-tall black man with a booming baritone. It's located in an old house on a residential street in Nashville’s Salemtown neighborhood, which, you probably wouldn't be in if you weren't looking for Big Al’s. There’s no “Nashville cool” going on here, which, paradoxically, makes Big Al’s hyper hip. Al and his freinds have made most of what's in the place, and it's a work in progress. Old discarded shelves line the original walls and are stocked with random canned goods, ketchup and maple syrup. The fur-lined stools at the counter came from Al's house, the remains of a divorce. Al has been in the food business for most of his life (ever heard of Burger King?), but, until 2015 when he took a leap of faith, had never owned his own place. Big Al is grateful for everything single thing he has and every customer who walks through the door. 

The greeting from Al when you enter is as hearty as the food itself. We let him do the ordering and wound up snagging the last, unadvertised specials of the day: steak sandwiches with beans and coleslaw. We’ll be back for the meatloaf and whipped potatoes, staples of the menu. When we left, Big Al packed us some biscuits to go. They were good. Big Al can cook. 

Watch a video of Big Al's here. Produced by Andrew Yontz of Nasvhillesown.com

BIG AL’S

1828 4TH AVENUE N • NASHVILLE TN 37208
(615) 242-8118