Rumblings that Atlanta-based restaurateur Ford Fry would be opening several restaurants in Nashville started long before the doors opened on Superica late this summer. It’s one of four concepts the serial restaurateur will drop here in the next several months.
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Christen Clemins
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Christen Clemins
The Tex-Mex concept is personal for Fry—a tribute to the casual, old-school joints he knew from growing up in Texas. He has locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Houston—each spot with similar menus and décor, but their own unique personalities.
The Nashville space, tucked away in the Gulch behind Barista Parlor, feels like a hipster vision of the Old West—there’s a lime green, pale pink, and yellow mural at the entrance as well as a lighting fixture made from bicycle seats. Inside, the industrial-chic décor is framed by concrete shelves, handwrought metal details, cow skulls, and a leather-strapped bar. It’s sprawling, with upbeat rock on the speakers, and a series of large tables that make it ideal for group and family gatherings.
The food is homestyle and comforting—sauce-laden enchiladas, crispy tacos, smoking platters of fajitas—but done with high-quality ingredients and a minimal amount of chef intervention. The kiss of a wood-fired grill sits at the heart of the menu offerings.
Kevin Maxey, the company’s VP of culinary (or “VP of Tex-Mex,” he jokes), grew up just outside of Dallas and helped create the Superica concept.
“It’s all meant to live on the plate together,” he says of the food.
The portions are stick-to-your-ribs filling, with most dishes coming piled with rice or beans alongside the main event.
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Christen Clemins
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Christen Clemins
Start with the restaurant’s classic chile con queso, a creamy and peppery cheese dip that comes with a pile of tortilla chips. Add chorizo for a spicy kick. There’s also a spicy ceviche of Gulf shrimp and snapper to start, or go bigger with the ancho chile broth-based pozole, which comes loaded with shredded pork, shrimp, and shaved cabbage, as well as a pork rind for dipping.
In Texas, one of the ways to measure an old-school Tex-Mex joint is by their enchiladas. Here, they roll up house-made corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, chicken, or vegetables and smother them in a rich sauce and melted cheese. Go for the chicken suiza: the spicy braised meat is complemented by a light green poblano and sour cream sauce. Another measure is the fajitas. Some institutions swear by a pineapple juice-based marinade but here, the kitchen lets the skirt steak and chicken shine, bearing little more than the distinct scent of wood smoke. We liked the parilla deluxe for a load of chicken, steak, and shrimp.
Another classic is the chile relleno, a large roasted poblano stuffed with bits of potatoes, corn, and mushroom and blanketed in a spicy tomato gravy and melted cheese.
At lunch, the $11.99 special nets you two selections from a mix of options, like tacos al carbon, pozole, nachos, and salad. Brunch finds a vast array of Tex-Mex platters, like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles. They’ve also got a colorful cocktail list that leans heavy on mezcal and tequila—La Parilla gets a kick of heat from serrano-infused tequila.
Coming up, Fry will open The Optimist, Le Loup, and Star Rover Sound in Germantown. Until then, you’ve got plenty of queso and enchiladas to tide you over.
Superica, 605 Overton St., 615-709-3148; superica.com