Nashville doesn't exactly have a shortage of sandwiches. You can’t walk ten feet in East Nashville without tripping over a sourdough starter or a hot chicken breast. But when Mason Hereford announced he was bringing a slice of his New Orleans magic to the Music City, people lost it. Honestly, for good reason. The turkey and the wolf icehouse nashville menu isn't just a list of food; it's a fever dream of childhood nostalgia mixed with high-end culinary technique that shouldn't work on paper but absolutely kills in person.
It’s loud. It’s messy.
If you’re looking for a quiet, refined dining experience where you use a salad fork, you’re in the wrong zip code. This is the kind of place where your hands get stained by gas-station-chic snacks and your shirt probably ends up with a drop of herb mayo on it. That’s the point.
What’s Actually on the Turkey and the Wolf Icehouse Nashville Menu?
Let's get into the weeds. People show up for the Collard Green Melt. It’s the legend. It’s the sandwich that launched a thousand Instagram posts and secured Hereford a spot on basically every "best of" list in the country. Imagine slow-simmered collards, Swiss cheese, pickled cherry peppers, and Russian dressing on rye. It sounds weird. It tastes like a miracle.
The Nashville iteration of the menu keeps those NOLA heavy hitters but plays with the "Icehouse" concept.
The Fried Bologna is another heavy hitter. We aren't talking about that thin, slimy stuff from a plastic pack. This is thick-cut bologna, seared until the edges crisp up into little salty ridges, topped with hot mustard, shredded lettuce, and a mountain of potato chips. Yes, chips inside the sandwich. It provides this specific crunch that takes you back to being eight years old at a summer pool party, only with better ingredients.
Then there’s the Wedge Salad. It’s basically a pile of iceberg lettuce suffocating under a glorious blanket of blue cheese dressing, everything seasoning, and more of those chips. It’s ridiculous. It’s also exactly what you want to eat when it’s 95 degrees in Tennessee and the humidity is making your hair double in size.
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The "Icehouse" Difference
Why "Icehouse"? In Texas and parts of the South, an icehouse is traditionally a place to get cold beer and hang out in a semi-outdoor setting. The Nashville spot at 701 9th Ave S nails that vibe. It’s bigger than the original New Orleans hole-in-the-wall.
The drink menu is just as intentional as the food. You've got high-low pairings—think fancy cocktails served alongside cheap domestic tallboys. The "Electric Slide" or whatever seasonal punch they've got going usually packs a punch. It’s designed for lingering. You don’t just eat a sandwich and bolt; you sit under the neon, listen to the 90s hip-hop or indie rock blaring over the speakers, and soak in the chaos.
The Hype vs. The Reality
Is it overpriced for a sandwich? Some people say so. You might spend $16 or $18 on a sandwich. That’s a lot of money for bread and meat.
But here’s the thing about the turkey and the wolf icehouse nashville menu: the labor is invisible. Those collard greens take all day. The sauces are made from scratch. The bread is sourced with an obsessive level of detail. When you eat the Hog's Head Cheese or the deviled eggs topped with fried chicken skins, you're tasting a level of prep that most "fast-casual" spots wouldn't dream of attempting.
Mason Hereford is a genius of the "elevated trash" genre.
He isn't trying to be fancy. He’s trying to be delicious. There’s a difference. Most chefs use expensive ingredients to hide a lack of soul. Hereford uses "cheap" ingredients—or the memory of them—and treats them with the reverence usually reserved for truffles or caviar. That’s why the line often stretches out the door.
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Don't Skip the Sides and "Secret" Vibes
- The Deviled Eggs: They usually come with something crunchy on top. Sometimes it's chicken skin, sometimes it's tiny fried bits of mystery joy.
- The Soft Serve: Do not leave without it. They do weird flavors. Not "weird" like balsamic vinegar, but "weird" like breakfast cereal or burnt marshmallow. It’s the perfect palate cleanser after a salty salt-bomb of a lunch.
- The Tacos: Occasionally, they’ll run specials that lean into the New Orleans/Mexican crossover. Keep an eye on the chalkboard.
The menu is somewhat fluid. While the core "hits" stay put because people would riot otherwise, the kitchen experiments. It keeps the locals coming back even after the tourist hype dies down.
Finding Your Way to the 9th Avenue Spot
The location is in the Pie Town neighborhood, which is basically an extension of the SoBro/Gulch area. It’s accessible but tucked away enough that you feel like you’ve found something cool. Parking in Nashville is a nightmare, obviously, so expect to pay for a lot or circle the block six times while questioning your life choices.
The interior is a riot of color. It looks like a thrift store exploded in the best way possible.
You’ll see families with kids, bachelorette parties (inevitable in Nashville), and kitchen crews from other restaurants who are there on their day off. That last group is the most telling. When the people who cook for a living choose to spend their money on the turkey and the wolf icehouse nashville menu, you know the quality is legit.
Practical Tips for the Nashville Visit
If you want to avoid a forty-minute wait, don't show up at 12:15 PM on a Saturday. That’s rookie behavior.
Try a late lunch on a Tuesday. Or an early dinner. The vibe shifts as the sun goes down and the "Icehouse" part of the name really starts to shine. The lighting gets moody, the drinks flow faster, and the music gets a little louder.
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Also, bring friends. The portions are deceptive. You think you can handle a sandwich, a side of slaw, and a wedge salad by yourself. You can’t. Or you shouldn't. Sharing is the only way to navigate the menu without entering a total food coma before 3:00 PM.
Why This Matters for the Nashville Food Scene
Nashville has been through a weird transformation. It went from "Hot Chicken and Meat-and-Threes" to "Global Fusion and $200 Tasting Menus" almost overnight. Sometimes the soul gets lost in that transition.
Turkey and the Wolf feels like a middle ground.
It’s sophisticated food that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s an antidote to the "curated" perfection of the Gulch. It reminds us that food is supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be messy. It’s supposed to make you feel something other than just "full."
Actionable Next Steps
- Check the Instagram: They post daily specials and "limited run" items that aren't on the permanent menu. If they have the lamb neck sandwich or a weird taco, get it.
- Order the Collard Green Melt first: Even if you hate collard greens. Trust the process. The acidity of the peppers and the richness of the cheese transform the greens into something else entirely.
- Dress down: This isn't the place for your finest silks. Wear something you don't mind getting a little mustard on.
- Plan for the "After-Nap": If you eat the bologna sandwich and a side of fries, your productivity for the rest of the day will drop to zero. Plan accordingly.
- Validate your parking: If you're using one of the nearby lots, double-check the signs. Nashville towing companies are more aggressive than a hungry person in a sandwich line.
The menu is a love letter to the South, but a version of the South that isn't stuck in the past. It's vibrant, it's weird, and it's easily one of the best things to happen to Nashville's dining scene in years. Go hungry, leave happy, and don't forget to grab a sticker on your way out.