Cork & Cow

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Steakhouse Built on Craft and Conviction

Chef Jason McConnell opened Cork & Cow in 2011 on Main Street in Historic Franklin, Tennessee, with a clear purpose: deliver a high-end steakhouse experience that never feels stiff. More than a decade on, that balance between ambition and approachability still defines every plate and every pour. The restaurant's wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a recognition that reflects the genuine depth of a list spanning over 100 bottles alongside an equally serious by-the-glass selection ranging from Champagne Lallier Brut to a Chateau Lascombes Chevalier Margaux.

The Menu: Seasonal, Local, and Unapologetically Bold

The kitchen changes its menu up to eight times a year, sourcing locally whenever possible. At the center of it all is the hickory and oak wood-fired grill, where cuts like the 45-day dry-aged ribeye, bone-in ribeye, Prime NY Strip, and the market-priced Tomahawk are finished with lemon butter and sea salt and served with house potatoes. Accompaniments — Maine lobster tail, garlic shrimp, black truffle butter, classic béarnaise — let guests build the plate they want.

Beyond the steakhouse staples, the Southern American spirit of the menu shows through in starters like Blackened Pork Belly with black-eye peas and bacon vinaigrette, Fried Green Tomato Stracciatella with Benton's Bacon, and a Bullbourne Bison Tongue with Dr. Pepper onions and black garlic. Entrées push further: sablefish in tom kha broth, elk meatballs with gnudi and pesto genovese, and a Bullbourne Bison Denver over truffled grits with demi. The house burger — ground tenderloin, Benton's Bacon, Sweetwater Cheddar, truffle aioli — earns its place on the same menu as the Tomahawk without apology.

Cocktails, Wine, and the Bar Culture

The bar opens daily at 4 p.m., and the cocktail program is as considered as the food. The Cork & Cow Old Fashioned rotates through a seasonal selection of whiskies; the Brushfire pairs Gran Centenario Blanco with serrano pepper and lemongrass; the Mr. Charlie leans on Belle Meade Bourbon with Italian bergamot liqueur. Local Nashville breweries share the beer list with Belgian and German imports.

Private Dining and the Bigger Picture

Cork & Cow accommodates large parties and private events with a dedicated coordinator and a seasonal large-party menu — a natural fit for a restaurant that has become a cornerstone of Franklin's dining scene. The Southern American steakhouse format here is not a formula; it is a living menu shaped by what's in season, what's local, and what the kitchen finds worth cooking right now.