(light music) - Here in Nashville, Nolansville Road is sometimes referred to as Immigrant Corridor.

From ramen noodles to empanadas, it is, in fact, a narrow passageway into a vast world of global flavors.

And for the past decade, Subculture Cafe has embodied the best of what this eclectic food scene has to offer.

So how has being on Nolansville Road, which is so diverse, impacted your community here at Subculture?

- We're from Chile, we grew up out here, and this is a very diverse community so we have all types of friends, different ethnicities, nationalities, and that does play into our menu a little bit.

- When we decided to, like, even name it what we named it, you know, it was the same thing as like, okay, we're Chileans, we grew up here.

We are a subculture of a culture.

Right?

So like with that, you know, like that's kind of, we're like, okay, you know, like, we make this dish, you know, based on this type of people's group, and then how can we, like, make that menu, you know?

But also, like, have our influence to it, you know?

So it was a lot, a lot of, like, thinking and thought process went with that.

- Yeah, have you had to adapt or explain the menu for folks that just want kind of a classic burger and you've got a twist and you had to explain things?

Is there any learning curve with your menu?

- Absolutely.

Like, you know, some things in our menu, like even our Cuban sandwich, you know, like, it's not called Cuban sandwich, but it's called Cubano.

And the reason why is 'cause it's our take on a Cuban sandwich.

Like we don't panini press, we make, you know, our own mustard and then instead of using deli meats, you know, we use, like, you know, whole pieces of pork that we braise and we do all that stuff.

So like, yeah, like, you know, there's a lot of times that people come in and say, "Oh, you know, I just want a plain burger with ketchup."

Right?

And we're like, "Well, this is not really the place for that."

Like, the whole idea of this is that, you know, you're having, like, you know, high end food with, like, the low prices.

Like, you know, we are not charging you for the square footage of a place or having a chandelier here, it's like we are focusing on the food.

100% of our time, you know, goes into the food.

(cheerful music) - [Host] Could you tell me a little bit about Subculture's food philosophy or just your approach?

- So our approach was, it's always been serving people what we like to eat, what we grew up eating in the area, and what we liked, putting our spin on it.

So like, you know, we try to bring the light American flavor to the American food that we grew up eating.

So like an example, right?

Like our AC burger, right?

Which consists of the aioli, the patty, right?

Then you have bacon, white cheddar, and then the pickled onions.

The pickled onions are actually what we call (speaks in foreign language) back in the South.

So like, you know, that's kind of how we bring the influences in.

You know, like, we try and, like, you know, make an American dish, right?

But then kind of give it a little, you know, (speaks in foreign language) flare to it.

- When it comes to the quality of their food, the verdict's already in.

Subculture has won numerous awards for a variety of menu items, including their burger.

But due diligence is my motto.

So I decided to sample a few items for myself.

Look at this juiciness.

Delightful.

Okay.

Down the hatch.

So we've talked a lot about the food and that's so important to having a successful restaurant, but what about what it takes to create an atmosphere where people want to come in and feel welcome?

What goes into that from your experience?

- [Javier] I think a lot has to do with, like, that family oriented, you know, environment that we have created.

- [Host] Do you see food as a way to bring people together and to bridge gaps, differences, open minds?

- Absolutely.

I think food is gateway to relationships.

When you feed the the belly, you feed the soul, right?

So like, I think for us, we take pride on that.

We have a lot of regulars.

Every week we see the same people.

Some people we see twice a week and we appreciate them very much.

- Well, thank you all so much for allowing us in your space, sharing your journey with us and letting me try your food.

It's been fun.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.