Owner
Josh Habiger
Restaurateur
- Discipline
- Owner
- Based in
- Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Venue
- Locust · Restaurant
i. Biography
A Michelin star at Bastion in Nashville in 2025 is the cleanest external read on Josh Habiger’s work as chef and co-owner, but the mark only points to the discipline underneath. The cooking favors clarity over clutter, using subtraction as a tool rather than a limitation. When Habiger says, “We’re not a starch-heavy restaurant; most of our menu is gluten-free, or at least can be,” the line lands as method: measured, deliberate, and built to hold together without excess.
The Climb
Opening restaurants asks for more than technique; it asks for the ability to help define a room before the room has a reputation. That is the early pattern in Josh Habiger’s career. As an opening team member at The Patterson House in Nashville, Tennessee, United States (from 2009), he entered a city still sharpening its modern dining identity. By the time he became opening co-chef at The Catbird Seat in Nashville, Tennessee, United States (from 2011), the work had shifted from participation to authorship, with each service helping set standards for what Nashville fine dining could be. Those first two posts established the contours of his practice: build from the ground up, keep the line tight, and make the restaurant feel specific to its moment rather than generic to a category. The through line is not spectacle. It is follow-through.
Today
Chef and co-owner at Bastion (since 2016) is the role where Josh Habiger’s menu decisions carry directly into the guest experience. The work there is defined by control of structure: what belongs, what does not, and how a restrained plate can still feel complete. The restaurant’s identity is shaped less by volume than by composition, with the absence of starch operating as a framework and the prevalence of gluten-free dishes—or dishes that can be made that way—reflecting a kitchen organized around precision. In 2023, Habiger became a partner there, adding ownership to a relationship that was already central to the restaurant’s direction. The move formalized what the work had already shown: that his contribution extends beyond the pass and into the decisions that keep the operation coherent over time. Alongside his role as culinary director of Strategic Hospitality, it places him in both the immediate and the structural parts of the business.
Recognition
Josh Habiger’s honors include Michelin star (2025), James Beard Award finalist, Best Chef: Southeast (2023), James Beard Award semifinalist, Best Chef: Southeast (2018), Food & Wine All-Star (2013), and Food & Wine Best New Chefs (2012). Read together, they map a career that was noticed early and has stayed in view, from emerging chef to an established name whose Nashville work continues to earn serious attention.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Josh
What is Josh Habiger's current role?
Josh Habiger is Chef and Co-owner.
Where did Josh Habiger work before?
Earlier in their career, Josh Habiger worked at The Patterson House and The Catbird Seat.
What recognition has Josh Habiger received?
Michelin star (2025).
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