1 of 2
Nathan Zucker
2 of 2
Nathan Zucker
What happens when two of the city’s most talented rising star chefs decide to combine forces? No, it’s not a hot spot with hard-to-get reservations. It’s take-out chicken.
Bokbox debuted in late October—a take-out service that operates out of the Otaku To-Go space in East Nashville weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The options are straightforward: roasted half chicken served with a choice of side, a sauce, rice, and a soft roll, all packaged up in a sturdy little box. On Tuesdays they offer a fried chicken sandwich with fries, and fried wings on Wednesdays. And that’s pretty much it.
Bokbox is the brainchild of Dauer Ellis and Tom Bayless, who both launched their Nashville careers at The Catbird Seat. Ellis went on to become co-sous chef at Rolf and Daughters and Folk; Bayless helped open Bastion before taking the helm at Urban Cowboy. Both stepped away from their positions in fall 2018, and after an inspirational trip to London, started brainstorming an idea for a fast-casual concept that was also healthy.
“Like a lot of cooks and chefs, you kind of obsess over the simple things,” Bayless says. He’d been perfecting a really good roasted chicken method at the Cowboy.
Nathan Zucker
“I saw how he was doing it and thought, dang, you could make a restaurant on that,” Ellis says. “We put our heads together over many beers at many bars, and kind of refined the process a little bit.”
A long-time friendship with Sarah Gavigan, owner of the Otaku brand and to-go window, landed them a daytime residency inside the commercial kitchen space. (Otaku dishes out its to-go ramen at night.)
The process is intensive, involving a brine, several days of drying, flipping and turning the chickens in a walk-in fridge (which helps crisp up the skin), roasting them with coal in a convection oven, and, finally, a quick turn on a charcoal grill right before it’s served. Each box (which has a perforated lid that can act as a plate) comes packed with a half chicken broken down into several handheld, on-the-bone pieces. And each bite is a wonder, with crisp, bronzed skin that stays taut and juicy, well-seasoned meat that gets just a hint of smoke. It’s the type of chicken you want to savor but will more likely end up devouring before you ever leave the parking lot. (Guilty.)
1 of 3
Nathan Zucker
2 of 3
Nathan Zucker
3 of 3
Nathan Zucker
Boxes also include either a soft roll or lettuce cups (both smart chicken-wrapping vessels) and a side. The selections, most of which are vegetarian or vegan, change often but might include tender harukai turnips slathered in salsa verde, fingerling sweet potatoes rolled in hot honey, or cucumbers smashed and tousled with feta and dill. While Bayless is in charge of the chicken, the sides and sauces are Ellis’s domain and he works closely with the farmers at Rocky Glade to source fresh, seasonal produce. The sides shine with bright acidity and balance, but it’s the sauces you’ll want to lap up. Go for the addictive aji verde, a bracingly bright Peruvian-style cilantro-based sauce, or the soy-based Bok Man Gai.
A full box with no additions is $16, while sandwiches and wings range from $5 to $10. You can also add on extra sides, sauces, and beverages. Order online and pick up at the window (grab a seat at the picnic table if you don't want to travel) or go through PostMates and have it brought to you directly.
However you do it, be prepared for a meal you’ll crave again and again—and one that’s easily accessible without a reservation.
Bokbox, 604 Gallatin Ave., #203; bokboxnashville.com