Bad Idea

Review Highlights

Bad Idea is a wine bar in East Nashville, housed inside a converted church, specialising in Lao-inflected cooking with strong Southeast Asian and Appalachian crossover influences. It was included in the New York Times' 50 Best Restaurants in America list for 2024, reviewed by Brett Anderson.

• ·Lao-influenced small plates — the menu is rooted in the heritage of executive chef Colby Rasavong, who grew up working in his Laotian family's Thai restaurant and later trained under Sean Brock; dishes stretch the boundaries of Southeast Asian cooking toward the edge of Appalachia

The New York Times' verdict: a concept that coheres — the name turned out to be a self-aware joke rather than a self-own. Reviewer Brett Anderson singled out the wine list as wise beyond the restaurant's years, balancing obscure finds, affordable crowd-pleasers, and connoisseur selections rarely poured by the glass. Selected for the NYT 50 Best Restaurants in America, 2024.

About

Bad Idea is a wine bar and restaurant in East Nashville, set inside a converted church. Owner Alex Burch, a seasoned sommelier, teamed up with executive chef Colby Rasavong — a former Sean Brock lieutenant with Laotian roots — to create a menu that pushes Southeast Asian cooking toward Appalachian territory. The wine list is a particular draw, mixing obscurities, crowd-pleasers, and rare by-the-glass pours.