When Big Woods Brewing Co. opened at the corner of Molly’s and Honeysuckle lanes in 2009, there wasn’t anything like it in the tourist town of Nashville, Indiana.
Ten years and six more Big Woods locations later — including Big Woods Pizza Co. and Big Woods Hard Truth Hills in Nashville — the Big Woods team decided it was time to show their first location a little love and to return it to its status as unique, as original.
The result is, fittingly, The Original, an all-new restaurant and American whiskey bar, pairing regional comfort foods with premium spirits in a warm, farmhouse-inspired atmosphere.
Slated to open Monday, June 22, 2020, the new restaurant has shed the Big Woods moniker and classic American gastropub fare, taking things up a notch with elevated decor and menu offerings.
Eat
Staples of Midwestern and Southern hospitality populate the food selection, touting treats like deviled egg appetizers and half and whole fried-chicken entrees. Pan-seared Brussels sprouts cooked with a sweet-heat sauce, catfish, and shrimp are a true catch.
Or, guests can go straight to the heart of the Midwest and try Big Woods Vice President of Operations Chris Curtin’s favorite: The braised short rib meatloaf.
As he puts it, “It’s not just meatloaf. It’s what meatloaf wished it could be all the time.”
And, in keeping with the notion of home-style hospitality, dishes at The Original are crafted with sharing in mind, giving guests the opportunity connect with their friends and family over the foods they experience.
Drink
Accompanying these delicious morsels is a drink menu that features an incredible collection of rarity bourbons along with a bevy of craft cocktails designed to complement the food at hand, a selection of wines, and Brown County-crafted beer from Quaff ON! Brewing Co.
Locally made craft spirits from sister brand Hard Truth Distilling Co. anchor the cocktail menu.
And, in addition to classics like the Bloody Mary and Old Fashioned, drinks emulating classic banana pudding, sweet tea, and Southern vegetation add intrigue and an exciting collection of flavors to explore.
“This drink menu was me trying to bring out all of the cooking techniques and styles that my grandfather from Louisiana taught me growing up,” said Taylor Jacks, the Big Woods Corporate Mixologist and drink menu designer.
“I think this elevated concept is something truly special that will become the new crown jewel in Nashville.”
Be Merry
Jacks, along with the rest of the team behind developing The Original, are excited to share this new concept with the world.
Christopher Underwood, the Big Woods Director of Training, who describes The Original as “relaxed, refined, and comforting,” tapped into the heart of this enthusiasm saying, “Food and drink are the universal connection points for all of humanity and providing experiences that stay with people for their entire lives is extremely gratifying.”
If you’d like to celebrate this new adventure with the BWQOHT family, the Original will open its doors to the public Monday, June 22 at 4 p.m.
Guests are invited to join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Brown County Chamber of Commerce at opening and dine in our re-imagined restaurant until 10 p.m.
From June 22, regular hours will be Monday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m., and Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Original is a 21-and-older venue; please be prepared to show staff a valid identification with birth date upon entering.
No smoking is permitted inside the building or within eight feet the outdoor seating areas.
Only service animals are permitted on the property.
To view the complete menu, click HERE.
60 Molly’s Lane: A Brief(ish) History
Big Woods Brewing Co., the first Big Woods restaurant and the beginning of what would become the Big Woods, Quaff ON!, and Hard Truth family, opened its doors on November 11, 2009. 
Tucked away off the main streets in the tourist town of Nashville, Indiana, the space was small — tiny, even — by many restaurant standards.
The building itself, a former garage, had been operated off and on as a restaurant over the years prior, so the idea of having a restaurant there wasn’t new, but the place that blossomed there in the hands of owners Jeff McCabe, Edward Ryan, and Tim O’Bryan definitely was.
Over the summer of 2009, work crews expanded the building, doubling the size of the indoor dining space, overhauling the back rooms that would serve as the kitchen and brewery, and covering the porch with an iconic timber-frame arch that folks recognize to this day.
When Big Woods opened that November, the beer sold out before the weekend was over and diners were already picking out their favorite dishes.
And, despite the seasonal ebb and flow of its tourist-town home, Big Woods Brewing Co. thrived.
Over the next ten years, it grew up, and more Big Woods restaurants — crafted in the spirit of that first restaurant — opened throughout Central Indiana.
When Quaff ON! took over brewing operations in 2012, that first location picked up a new name: Big Woods the Original.
With more and more Big Woods restaurants flourishing around it, the Big Woods The Original remained steadfast as a locally focused, intimate space.
Surrounded by all this growth, however, the folks at what had grown into Big Woods Restaurant Group knew that that first space had more to offer.
Wanting to remain true to the building’s local, authentic roots, the ownership and management teams decided to re-imagine and reinvigorate the space with an all-new concept, something as-yet unseen within the Big Woods family — something original.
And here we are, ten years after those doors first opened and six months after the windows went dark while crews remodeled and teams reinvented, ready to open those doors once more.
We’re looking forward to seeing you soon at The Original.
