404 Kitchen - Not Worth the Wait

What Even Happened Here?

Rabbit Dish

Burnt, Yet Uncooked Cornbread

404 Kitchen had been on my list for years, as it came to fruition as a hotel restaurant but somehow became so popular that it moved across the street to become it's own brick and mortar. Am I being punk'd about that? I convinced a group of girls to go here because a) it's in The Gulch, a swankier neighborhood and b) it's rumored to be delicious.

We met up at 5:30. The bar is downstairs and the restaurant is upstairs. I was made to feel a little silly when I was stopped while trying to acquire a table at 5:20. I was essentially told to sit down and wait. Oh. Sorry? My table was the first of the evening; not weird as someone has to do it. Others weren't far behind. I bring this up as it contributes to the review of the food.

While dining in Nashville proper, it's not uncommon to be waited on by an attractive younger person as they are waiting tables to supplement their songwriting/singing/get famous main career. We weren't let down when a Noah Centineo looking gentleman greeted us at the table. He made flirty small talk and we fell for it, getting an appetizer and drinks.

The appetizer that we went for was the cornbread. It is served to the table in a small cast iron skillet. We dig into it, because surely this will be fantastic. The first bite is cold. Upon cutting into the middle, the cornbread is not fully cooked through. As I said, we were the first table, so we aren't hypercritical of it. We agree with the waiter that maybe the oven isn't fully on, blah blah blah. The second skillet is laid down and it is also not cooked through. At that point, it's not worth trying again.

We receive our entrees and hope for the best. Honestly, it wasn't disgusting but it wasn't worth the hype. The dishes weren't seasoned and had minimal things to comment on. I got the rabbit. Meh. Not worth getting a dessert.

The restaurant is aesthetically pleasing and you can see The Gulch through the window, but I'd try something else if I were a tourist. I hope the hotel staff isn't recommending it. And more like, I hope that we just didn't get the best dishes.