Popular Nashville restaurant coming to former Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Bottletree location in Avondale

Joyland—a popular Nashville fast casual concept inspired by the aesthetics and experience of early fast-food restaurants—is coming to The Magic City. Founder and James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock has teamed up with the owners of Pihakis Restaurant Group (PRG) and Franklin, TN’s Southall Farm and Inn to bring Joyland to Birmingham this spring.

Read on to learn more about Joyland and what it’ll bring to The Magic City.

Joyland, home to the original Crustburger

According to a press release, Chef Sean Brock founded Joyland in 2020 after being inspired by the original fast-food restaurants of yesteryear. The James Beard Award-winning chef has been featured on popular TV shows like Top Chef and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and currently operates four Nashville-area restaurants:

• Audrey
• June
• Joyland
• Bar Continental

Chef Brock’s latest concept, Joyland, combines quick service and indulgence with the the innovation and exploration he has experienced in some of the world’s best restaurants. The restaurant’s menu is full of mouthwatering dishes, such as:

• The Crustburger, with onion, American cheese and side Fancy Sauce
• Fried Chicken Sandwich with Joy Sauce, pickle slaw and mayonnaise
• Joyburger Deluxe, with Bear Creek Private Label Beef, Joy Sauce, pickles, onions and American cheese

Coming to Birmingham in Spring 2024

To bring Joyland to The Magic City, Chef Brock teamed up with Nick Pihakis, owner of the local Pihakis Restaurant Group. Additionally, Brock will be leaning on the financial expertise of mentor and investor Paul Mishkin, who has been involved in Brock’s other Nashville concepts. In 2022, Mishkin founded the luxury farm resort Southall Farm and Inn in Franklin, TN.

Joyland’s Birmingham location will be located at 3719 Third Ave. South in Avondale, a building that was previously home to Rodney Scott’s BBQ, which merged with its sister location in Homewood in late 2023. Before that, the space was home to popular bar, restaurant, nightclub and community arts center Bottletree.

Joyland is the latest in a slew of new restaurant announcements in The Magic City, including:

• Stone Age Korean BBQ now open at the Riverchase Galleria
• Spice Life of Jamaica now open in downtown Birmingham
• The Mayor + Mr. West’s Asian Chow Hall now open in Lakeview
• Glass Panda coming soon to Hoover
• Phil Sandoval opening 3rd location soon in Hoover
• PURE Taqueria opening a new location in the former MELT space in Avondale
• Washington-based Wooden City coming to Morris Avenue later this year
• Homewood favorite Lag’s Eatery coming to Avondale after 15-year hiatus

Excited to see Joyland come to The Magic City? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know your thoughts!