Nashville Newcomers: Nuvo Burrito

When we did our Battle of the Burritos a few months ago, we had no idea that another contender was set to enter the market, and in a space painfully devoid of burritos at that. Enter Nuvo Burrito, tucked into the old Z’s Deli space in East Nashville’s Five Points, and now soft-opened to the public.

We dropped in last night to see if Nuvo is the answer to East Nashville’s burrito needs. When we marched in 20 minutes before they were set to close for the evening, we were astonished at the amount of people inside. At least a dozen customers were ordering or seated, which gave us plenty of time to take in the overwhelming menus displayed on two large flatscreen TVs. Burritos range in price from $6.99 – $8.99, chips & salsa will ding you $2.50, and there’s no queso to be found on the menu, much to our chagrin. Nuvo Burrito also offers an impressive selection of quesadillas on the menu, though you wouldn’t guess it by their name. Both burritos and quesadillas are filled with unique, fresh ingredients – We’re talking spinach, artichoke, hearty brown grains, black beans, cilantro pesto, sweet potatoes, cajun shrimp, bacon bits, caramelized onions and more.

Despite costing over $10 for a meal (with chips and drinks), our burritos were worth the cost. Our vegetarian burrito was served in a bright green spinach tortilla and loaded to the brim with fillings, and our “Gulf Coaster” was equally as satisfying. Many of Nuvo’s burrito concepts stray so far from the traditional burrito that at times, it may be best to consider it a giant, warm gourmet wrap. Not that we’re complaining about that.

We’d petition for a salsa bar, queso dip and some fresh, warm chips if we were going to complain about something. Other than that, Nuvo Burrito has entered the East Nashville market with a bang, with neighborhood residents already pouring through their doors every day. The four owners are so excited about making creative burritos that it’s hard to imagine their concept doing poorly. We were excitedly told about plans to offer a “Guest Burrito Of The Day,” some special tomato-y offerings for their grand opening at the Tomato Art Fest, and plans for additional chain locations. Nuvo Burrito is (for now) open 11am-8pm every day, so show ‘em some love. Welcome to town, Nuvo!

UPDATE: Nuvo Burrito has launched their website, which includes a pdf of their menu for the curious. Click here to visit NuvoBurrito.com!

Photo by Nashvillest. Click here for more photos of Nuvo Burrito!