The 24 Most Essential Nashville Food Experiences

After a year where restaurants’ business was slowed to a drip by capacity constraints, the spigot is now wide open, and diners are excitedly returning to visit their old favorites and discover what’s new. Fortunately, Nashville has a plethora of fantastic dining options from low-down to upscale. Now that business is booming, the experience of sliding your feet under a restaurant table alongside friends and family is comforting and exhilarating at the same time. Here are some of your best choices to relive the thrill of actually dining out.

Pick your plate at an iconic “Meat & Three”

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While it’s no longer unique to Nashville, the tradition of a “meat & three” meal where diners slide cafeteria trays down a serving line and choose their protein and three vegetable side dishes from a steam table filled with a cornucopia of delicious options originated here and still is an integral part of local lunches. Fortunately in Nashville, macaroni ‘n’ cheese, jello, and stewed raisins count as “vegetables” on these sorts of menus. Arnold’s Country Kitchen is acknowledged as the archetype of meat & threes, with lines stretching out the door waiting their turn to choose from a selection of meats that changes daily. Some locals base their weekly calendar on Fried Chicken—Monday, Meatloaf; Tuesday, Pork Chop; Wednesday, etc.—memorizing the daily specials like a mantra, and now that they’ve added night and weekend service, there are even more chances to step up to the counter. In West Nashville, Wendell Smith’s has been serving perfectly fried chicken, catfish, and pork chops alongside vegetables like gramma cooked for more than six decades. Swett’s is another family-owned example of a classic meat & three that has been in operation since the middle of the past century. In addition to classic Southern and soul food fare, they feature a smokehouse that pumps out some fantastic ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. Speaking of soul food, Silver Sands Cafe is still a secret to many because of their hidden location near the Nashville Farmers’ Market, but if you know, you know. There’s no better spot in town for chitterlings, pigs feet, oxtail, neck bones, and hog maw—all the parts of a pig or a cow that you probably don’t normally think of eating, but you definitely should!
How to order: Don’t try to hold a seat at a table until you’ve gone through the line and chosen your food. The delicate calculus of a meat & three means that by the time you’re ready to sit down, a spot has almost always opened up.

Spend all day at Cafe Roze

Have a power lunch at Midtown Café

Splurge on meat and whiskey at The 404 Kitchen

Take an international tour of restaurants on Nolensville Road

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While it seems like Nashville’s restaurant scene revolves around elevated Southern farm-to-table and hot chicken, the city also has a vibrant global culinary community. You just have to go looking for it, and the best street to find it is along Nolensville Road, an extension of 4th Avenue that stretches from just outside of downtown to, well, Nolensville. Populated with fantastic small restaurants, some of which are tucked into the back of international markets, a tour of Nolensville Road exposes intrepid diners to a plethora of fascinating food. King Tut’s permanently parked their popular food truck and added a covered deck, and now foodies are flocking to try their Egyptian family recipes. Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish community in the world outside of Kurdistan, and spots like Newroz Market and House of Kabob offer Middle Eastern specialties such as shawarma, tabbouleh, flatbreads baked in a unique barrel-shaped oven, and delightful pastries for dessert. La Hacienda is a neighborhood stalwart serving regional Mexican favorites and the best huevos rancheros in town. Central America is represented by Pupuseria Reina La Bendición, a Salvadoran restaurant offering traditional pupusas, tortas and empanadas.
How to order: Don’t worry if you can’t speak the language. Part of the fun is asking for help or just pointing at the menu to receive a delicious surprise.

Take a date to City House

Germantown
Nashville’s only native-born James Beard Award-winning chef Tandy Wilson continues to set the bar for local culinary expertise with his innovative versions of rustic Italian cuisine made using primarily locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. Add in an excellent wine list and cocktail program, and you’ve got a beloved spot for date night dining. From the iconic belly ham pizza (get it with an egg on top!) to the best catfish entree in a town full of fried whiskerfish dishes, City House is a star in the local dining firmament. The addition of outdoor dining under twinkling strings of lights has been another nice development.
How to order: Call 615-736-5838 for reservations or pickup.

Eat like a tourist (but better) at these fantastic hotel restaurants

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Nashville is blessed with plenty of hotels at different price points to service the tourist trade, but many of those visitors immediately rush out the door into the fray of Lower Broad without realizing that some of the best restaurants in town are actually inside their hotel. Smart tourists or locals seeking a fine meal with great service should check out Capitol Grille at the Hermitage, Bourbon Steak at the JW Marriott, The Thompson’s Marsh House or Gray & Dudley at 21C for the best chance to actually dine where the tourists aren’t. Sean Brock’s contemporary American ode to classic elegant hotel food at The Continental is an intriguing addition to the local culinary scene.
How to order: Don’t forget that many of these restaurants also offer breakfast and lunch as an amenity for their hotel guests, and most are also fine with carryout, so you’ve got plenty of options.

Get spicy and saucy with some Nashville Hot Chicken

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The story of how Nashville hot chicken was originally invented by a spurned lover to punish a boyfriend with a wandering eye is oft told, and Thornton Prince’s girlfriend probably didn’t imagine how much he would love it or that she was creating the city’s most iconic food. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is still operating in the family and is definitely the most popular purveyor of piquant poultry. Now we’re not talking about spicy like your average Buffalo wings; Nashville hot chicken is intended to be painful with its infernally dark crust brushed with cayenne-laden lard before serving. Most importantly, you can’t have good hot chicken without starting out with great fried chicken, and you’ll find the best at old school spots like Prince’s, Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish, Slow Burn, and 400 Degrees. For a more convenient and familiar dining experience, newer restaurants like Hattie B’s and Party Fowl have multiple locations that feel more like a restaurant than a “joint” or a “shack.” There’s now even hot chicken at the Nashville airport, but we suggest you reserve that option for inbound flights, if you know what we mean...
How to order: Consider the heat levels listed on the menu to be inflated. If you normally like it hot, try medium. Even mild packs some spice at most places, so aim a little low or try a few different heat levels to take the entire ride.

Experience the seasonal menu at Rolf & Daughters

Germantown
Except for the untouchable heritage pork ragu, which has been on the menu pretty much since opening night, the rest of the offerings at this temple of Mediterranean food changes seasonally and based on the whim of the talented kitchen staff. Vegetables are frequently the star of the show, and toothsome pastas play important supporting roles. Don’t be concerned if you don’t recognize every ingredient in a menu item’s description; put your faith in the chef and make the leap!
How to order: Make reservations online or for curbside pickup, order here.

Take in the scene at Etch’s open kitchen

Experience the best in farm-to-table Southern cooking at Husk

Smoke ’em if you got ’em at these barbecue joints

Slurp chicken tortilla soup at Mas Tacos

Feel the heat at Thai Esane

Demonbreun/Music Row/Downtown/Brentwood
Most of the best Thai restaurants in town exude a grittier vibe, basically sparse dining rooms adjacent to multiple woks cooking over burners that sound like jet fighters. That’s fine and all, but Thai Esane prefers to offer a more refined dining environment to enjoy their flavorful platters of traditional Thai. New locations in Brentwood and in the Assembly Food Hall downtown have made it easier for more people to discover this fantastic food. While you can get it as hot as you can handle, this isn’t just stunt food. It’s beautifully composed and thoughtfully seasoned food that raises Thai Esane to the top of the heap.
How to order: Order online or call 615-454-5373 for carryout.

Have a beer and a burger at Brown’s Diner

Pretend you're in the South of France at Margot Café

Get fancy with a multi-course dinner at The Catbird Seat

Try some new comfort food at Josephine

Dig into the nachos at Bastion

Wedgewood-Houston
Bastion occupies a building with an industrial vibe, but the warmth of the staff and the cuisine make you forget about the warehouse exterior. Divided into two distinct spaces, the Big Bar serves unpretentious cocktails and a single food item: nachos. But they are transcendent nachos with your choice of pulled pork or vegetarian chorizo, pickled vegetables, cotija cheese, and two house hot sauces. Under the direction of chef Josh Habiger, Bastion consistently serves some of the absolute best and most interesting food in the city.
How to order: Bastion has temporarily discontinued their popular large portions feast, but they’re still welcoming parties up to four diners for set menu dinners with advance reservations. Make yours online in advance.

Discover Indian poutine at Chauhan Ale & Masala House

Try wood-fired pizza for a good cause at Lockeland Table

Grab a beer at 12 South Taproom

Make the trek for Loveless Cafe’s fried chicken

Drink margs and get inspired at Rosepepper Cantina

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