Eat and Drink in Nashville
Last month, my family and I flew down to Tennessee to spend a few days in Nashville. In between taking in live music and trying to stay cool, we managed to do a lot of eating and drinking.
Scroll down to see a map of all mentioned places!
Restaurants in Nashville
Martin’s BBQ
There’s a lot of competition when it comes to BBQ in Nashville and, in fact, most people say the best BBQ is in Memphis (TBD when I visit there in September). On our first day we shared a few items at Martin’s BBQ and then went to Edley’s right after (see below) to share a few more dishes and compare. At Martin’s we ate brisket (delicious), smoked turkey (fine, but wouldn’t get again), slaw, mac and cheese, potato salad, and cornbread hoecake, all washed down with some local beers. All the sides were good, but the consensus was we prefer thick cornbread to a hoecake. Martin’s BBQ comes with slices of white bread, which I don’t care for but for some people it’s a must.
The space is huge, and we got there right when it opened to no line, but by the time we left the lunch line had grown pretty long. Martin’s has several locations throughout the south, including three in Nashville.
Edley’s Bar-B-Que
After Martin’s we wandered through the residential Belmont neighborhood to 12 Ave South, a busy shopping street in the neighborhood of 12 South, to work off our first lunch. Along the way we stopped at Whites Mercantile and spotted Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James store. Then we stepped into Edley’s for more BBQ and another round of beers. Here we ordered the pulled pork and brisket (both great), slaw, cornbread, baked beans, and mac and cheese (all good).
Like Martin’s, Edley’s also has several locations in the south, including a couple in Nashville.
Dino’s
I came to Dino’s on a visit to Nashville a few years ago and knew I wanted to come back. They’re known for being “the oldest dive bar in East Nashville” and for their burger. They definitely live up to the dive bar name; there’s nothing fancy about this place, a one-level brick building with neon beer signs in the window, a hand-written menu taped to the wall, little natural light, loud music, plastic red and yellow ketchup and mustard bottles on the tables, and furniture that probably hasn’t been updated since they opened. All that’s missing is the swirl of cigarette smoke, if smoking indoors was still allowed. It feels like the spot where locals go (if you know, you know). We ordered a bunch of burgers ($6), fries ($3), and cold beers at the counter and grabbed a table inside for 6 (there’s also a back patio). It was pretty busy with a small staff, and at one point they made an announcement giving customers a heads up that the food might take longer than expected. You can’t eat here if you’re high-maintenance.
When the food came out in their red plastic baskets it was all delicious. If I lived here I would definitely come by with friends for a chill and inexpensive meal.
Von Elrod’s Beer Garden & Sausage House
We came to Von Elrod’s after a walk through the nearby Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, ready for a cold beer on another hot day in Nashville. The space is huge, with sprawling indoor and outdoor options lined with picnic tables. With games like cornhole and ring toss, dozens of beer options, and a large food menu of sausages, BBQ, and more, there’s something for everyone.
Party Fowl
We knew we had to have hot chicken while in Nashville and, like BBQ, everyone has their opinions on who serves it best. We ended up ordering takeout from Party Fowl for dinner on the 4th of July and eating it at our Airbnb before watching the fireworks from our rooftop. We ordered a few chicken tenders at different spice levels (they go all the way up to “poultrygeist” but we passed on that), piggy chips (bacon-fried potatoes), mac and cheese, slaw, collard greens, and plenty of white BBQ sauce. It was all delicious and seemed to be a popular spot based on the wait just to get a table.
Acme Feed and Seed
Acme Feed and Seed is a spot on Broadway but it’s not as honky tonk as some of the other places. It’s multi-level with a rooftop bar, live music, and good food and drinks. We came around 4 or 5PM one day and ordered some delicious appetizers (hot chicken, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato fries, and elote) from the counter on the first floor and went up to the rooftop for views and drinks; you can’t order food from up there.
A little before 7, when the live music was starting, we went back to the first floor to find it packed! We managed to snag some seats at a communal table as a group was leaving and we ate dinner (also delicious) while watching the band.
Barista Parlor
I didn’t eat at Barista Parlor this time around, but my sister did. They have a few locations and are what we would call hipster in Brooklyn, with specialty coffee and plenty of Insta-worthy photo ops. They have a small food menu that includes some delicious biscuit and egg sandwiches.
Biscuit Love
Expect to wait in line for your biscuits at Biscuit Love! Maybe not if you arrive when they open at 7, but we got there around 9 and probably waited 45 minutes or so. Take the time in line to peruse the menu so you’re prepared. Once inside you order at the counter and step aside while waiting for a table, hoping your food doesn’t come out before you have a seat! We each ordered biscuits and eggs in some form and shared a plate of bonuts, which are balls of fried biscuit dough tossed in sugar and served with lemon mascarpone and blueberry compote - so good!
Restaurants we didn’t get to
Mas Tacos - I’ve been before and highly recommend! You can’t go wrong with the tacos, pazole, or horchata.
Best BBQ in Nashville according to Thrillist
Sweets in Nashville
Jeni’s Ice Cream
Unfortunately there are no Jeni’s scoop shops in NYC, but they have several locations in the south, including some in Nashville, and also in LA and Ohio (where they started), and you can buy pints in many states. They use all-natural ingredients and pride themselves on the fact that 95% of what is consumed in the store is reusable, recyclable, or compostable. They encourage sampling, let you order split scoops, and make homemade waffle cones! They’ve won me over. We went twice in three days, which probably wasn’t enough.
Five Daughters Bakery
One morning my sister and I woke up and hopped over to Five Daughters (they have a couple Nashville locations) to pick up doughnuts for everyone. We pulled up to a little white and teal house with seating out front and stepped inside to an adorable space that felt like being in someone’s home. It took us a long time to decide because everything looked delicious. Once we finally made our choices, we agreed the doughnuts taste as good as they look.
Bars in Nashville
Jackalope Brewing
One rainy afternoon we stopped at Jackalope Brewing, one of the local Nashville brewing companies. We had tried their beers around town but it’s always nice to go to the source. We ordered some beers at the counter and sat and played cards. The IPAs were a favorite among most of the family, and my sister and I enjoyed Lovebird, a seasonal strawberry raspberry wheat beer, which wasn’t too sweet.
Noble’s Kitchen and Beer Hall
We stopped at Noble’s for a drink before dinner at Dino’s. Like a lot of the bars we visited, their beer menu is extensive, They have a food menu but we just sat upstairs on their deck for a round of beers.
Von Elrod’s Beer Garden & Sausage House
We ate lunch (and drank) at Von Elrod’s, but you could easily come here just for drinks. It’s great for groups because of all the large picnic tables, and they have games like cornhole and ring toss.
Tootsies Orchid Lounge
We went to a bunch of bars on Broadway, and Tootsies was one of our favorites and one of the more honky tonk ones. The ground floor is tiny and packed, but the bartender is quick to take your order through the crowd when you walk in. If you can, grab a seat facing the door where there’s a tiny corner stage that managed to fit 5 band members, including the charming lead singer in a cowboy hat (see above photo) who had the crowd enthralled. There are two more floors upstairs, including a rooftop deck, with a lot more space, but, at least the night we were there, the ground floor had the best band.
Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row
Dierks was another favorite on Broadway. The ground floor is pretty big and there are a couple more floors we didn’t go up to. The band was really fun and there was room for people to dance.
Acme Feed and Seed
We ate appetizers and dinner at Acme, but you could easily come here just for drinks and enjoy the views and DJ on the rooftop or the live music on the first floor.
Broadway bars
I can’t even remember the names of all the other bars we went in on Broadway, but they all have live music and in the warm weather the windows and doors are thrown open, so just a walk down Broadway lets you listen to the options before stopping in. It’s fun to hop around and hear different bands, and there are no cover charges, just remember to tip the band.
Bars we didn’t get to
To Do in Nashville
Nashville Farmer’s Market
The couple of times we came through the Nashville Farmer’s Market, there weren’t a ton of produce vendors set up, but inside the covered market there are some permanent vendors worth checking out including Jeni’s, a winery serving wine slushies, and a cute gift shop. You’ll also find a big “I <3 NASH” sign for a cute photo op.
Musicians Hall of Fame
Musicians Hall of Fame is a really fascinating museum worth a visit that dives deep into the history of musicians of all genres and instruments. It starts with an informative video and even includes some recording booths where you can learn about the process and try it yourself. We got lucky and found a Groupon.
Neighborhoods
Five Points, 12th Ave, The Gulch, and Broadway are all neighborhoods above places are located and are good for just walking around and exploring.