Food and music create a slice of Nashville

A relaxed atmosphere, an emphasis on live country music and home-style cooking make The Back Porch Grill & Tavern in historic downtown Grapevine a go-to place.

Co-owner Kim Newton, after spending a couple of years in Nashville on the singer-songwriter scene, came back to the area and decided Grapevine needed its own slice of Nashville.

"My [business] partner [Rachel McGallian] and I were having lunch down on South Main [Street], and I commented to her that the building reminded me of the places in Nashville, and that it would be really cool to open a place like that, only more Texas-style," Newton said.

In 2004 The Back Porch Grill & Tavern opened, and the restaurant has since become a hub for both the tourist crowd and regulars alike, Newton said.

"I've always been a musician, from the time I was very young," she said. "I'm a songwriter and a performer, and that's kind of what we wanted to build The Back Porch on. It's about family—it's a home away from home for a lot of people. We are known for having the live music—that keeps people coming in—and then there's the food, of course."

The restaurant serves a variety of home-style foods—both traditional favorites such as a seasoned ribeye and nontraditional favorites such as honey chipotle fish tacos. Many of the recipes are from family members.

"I've got recipes that come from my aunt—the squash casserole, the fried cabbage—those are things that I grew up eating at home," Newton said. "People love them; they just go nuts over them."

The Back Porch Grill & Tavern does not serve any frozen foods, she said.

"Things like our chicken-fried steak, it's a fresh cut of meat—we tenderize it here and cook it to order," she said. "We smoke our own brisket here—that's a huge hit."

Brisket variety

"We smoke that [brisket] here fresh and I've got my own secret recipe for barbecue sauce," Kim Newton said.

• Back Porch Nachos—brisket nachos come with queso, sour cream, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos ($8.99)
• Smoked brisket plate—served with homemade barbecue sauce ($9.99)
• Taste of Texas Spud—baked potato stuffed with brisket, barbecue sauce, cheese and onions ($7.99)
• Brisket sandwich with sliced or chopped beef ($7.99)

The Back Porch Grill & Tavern

210 N. Main St., Grapevine, 817-251-8434, www.backporchtavern.com

Hours: Mon. 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Tue.–Thu. 11 a.m.–midnight, Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–2 a.m., Sun. noon–10 p.m.