October means we’ve officially lived in Nashville for one year! I’m certainly still new here, but definitely have our favorite spots to eat, drink and explore around Nashville. I get asked about my go-to spots, so wanted to finally compile into one blog post for you! I did share a Nashville guide a few years ago (when we were visiting for work all the time) but this is an updated, more local-ish guide to Nashville. We are prettttty obsessed with our own neighborhood of East Nashville and spend a majority of our time here, which is reflected in my recommendations below. I’m probably a little biased, but I think it’s overall the best neighborhood for doing just about everything. ✨
Here’s a list of our favorite places to eat and drink, things to do, and our go-to kid-friendly spots! 💛
Casual Food:
- Mitchell’s Deli – great spot for sandwiches!
- Redheaded Stranger – new taco spot! I looove their egg breakfast taco and of course, the queso 🧀
- 51st Kitchen and Deli – order-at-the-counter deli/convenience store. We love their breakfast burrito
- Five Points Pizza – my favorite pizza in Nashville! at east nashville location, you can order slices to go or sit in at restaurant
- Mas Tacos – great taco spot in EN 🌮
- Burger Up – casual burger + fries joint located in The Gulch + East Nashville. I love their fried pickles and fry trio 🍟
- Proper Bagel – my favorite spot for bagels in Nashville. go early on weekends – it gets busy!
- Hattie B’s – I don’t eat meat, but when in Nashville, you have to get hot chicken! This place is everyone’s favorite
- Edleys – BBQ spot with surprisingly a lot of vegetarian options (hello mac + cheese!)
- bartaco – hip, sort of scene-y but cute taco spot — a lot of times you can see TV celebs like Bachelorette candidates here if that’s your thing (LOL)
- The Wild Cow – local, vegetarian spot
- Las Paletas – homemade popsicle spot…I love the fruit ones!
- Otaku Ramen – hip ramen spot
- Graze – vegan, plant-based spot and everything is SO good
Fancy-ish/Nicer Food:
- Lockeland Table – our go-to neighborhood spot. Everything is so good on the menu and their ‘community hour’ has great prices for food + drinks, plus is super kid friendly!
- Pinewood Social – you’ve probably seen the photos on Instagram 🎳. you can rent a bowling lane, play lawn games outside or just enjoy all-day dining. definitely worth swinging by!
- Two Ten Jack – super yummy ramen/Japanese spot in East Nashville
- Rolf & Daughters – delicious pasta in Germantown
- Butcher & Bee – love love love this place. We usually order all of the small plates (a lot of veggies, hummus, feta dip) and the avocado fried rice. Delish!
- Folk – upscale pizza spot
- Husk – upscale Southern food – so good!
- 5th & Taylor – American cuisine with gorgeous patio and interior
- Lyra – newish Mediterranean spot with a nice outdoor patio
- Adele’s – New American spot; only been once but it was soo good!
- Henrietta Red – trendy seafood spot. I’ve heard amazing things about their brunch, too!
Breakfast/Coffee:
- Slowhand Coffee – cute spot for coffee, pastries and biscuit breakfast sandwiches
- Five Daughters – super yummy donuts + pastries! 🥐
- Cafe Rose – cute and Instagrammable spot for healthy breakfast
- Dozen – my favorite place to pick up bread! They also have great breakfast/lunch options.
- Pancake Pantry – touristy but yummy! They have every type of pancake imaginable. gets busy so make sure to go early! 🥞
- Monell’s – a Nashville institution! Family-style Southern dining in a big old historic house.
- Pucketts – all-day Southern dining but I usually go for brunch! They often have live music, too.
- Dose – coffee shop/all day dining. Almost everything on their menu I love!
- Sweet 16th – the BEST breakfast sandwich in Nashville for ~$3.
- Marche – one of my favorite breakfast places! get the bread basket🥖
- Frothy Monkey – a few locations (The Nations, downtown, The Gulch)
- Stay Golden – v cute, Instagrammable all day dining spot
- Barista Parlor – probably the most popular coffee spot in town with multiple locations (although it’s a bit too strong for my personal taste ☕️)
Drinks:
- Dino’s – amazing dive bar with cheap beer and a great grilled cheese
- Vinyl Tap – record store slash bar with great beer selection!
- Pearl Diver – cocktail tiki bar with really nice back patio
- Urban Cowboy – v trendy, great spot for a pre-dinner drink
- The Filling Station – great beer options (and they also have kombucha!). The 12 south one has outside seating which I love!
- Patterson House – fancy spot for cocktails in Midtown
- Santa’s Pub – divey, Christmas-themed bar/trailer. Hilarious and they also do karaoke!
- Noelle – go to the hotel’s rooftop bar for a drink downtown! It’s cute (and a bit busy but still worth it)
Breweries: E and I love beer and breweries are our go-to on most weekends (well, less so now that I’m pregnant!). They are also a great family-friendly option and we’ve brought Lucy and Jack to all of the places below. All of the breweries below have patios so dogs are welcome, too! 🐾
- Jackalope (The Gulch)
- Southern Grist (I prefer the one in East Nashville over The Nations location)
- Fat Bottom (The Nations)
- East Nashville Beer Works (East Nashville)
- Bearded Iris (Germantown) — one of my favorite beers ever is the Homestyle IPA!
- Smith & Lentz (East Nashville)
- Diskin Cider (Wedgewood-Houston)
Broadway Spots: Nashville is known for live music and most people visiting want to experience Broadway at least once. It’s very touristy, but still fun. I don’t go down there often (and when I do it’s always during day/afternoon NEVER nighttime!), but when I do, my go-to spots are Tootsies, Roberts, Laylas, and Acme.
Outdoors-y Things/Parks: Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, Shelby Park, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center/Trails, Centennial Park (walk around the lake to feed ducks + great playground), Bicentennial Mall (outdoor), Percy Warner Park, Harpeth River State Park, Eastland Church Playground (shaded + fenced – we love it!)
Kid-Friendly: all of the breweries + parks shared above, plus Nashville Farmers Market, Nashville Zoo, The Getalong for Sunday story time + different workshops, Little Art House for art classes, downtown public library for weekday story time, The Frist art museum (amazing interactive kids area), Nashville Farmer’s Market. Here’s a shared Google Map (not my own) of kid-friendly Nashville spots!
Dog-Friendly: Nashville definitely isn’t as dog-friendly as SF, but it’s better than most cities! Most patios allow dogs, but they aren’t allowed inside anywhere, including breweries. *Most* parks allow dogs on a leash (and we don’t go to the ones that don’t allow dogs, period 🙀). Dog park wise, Two Rivers Dog Park and Centennial Park are the two best dog parks in my opinion. East Nashville Beer Works has the best dog-friendly outdoor/patio space out of the breweries I shared, but Jackalope has a nice area, too. Oh, and the Nashville Farmers Market allows dogs inside! 🤗Other places with good, dog-friendly patios are:
- Urban Cowboy (for drinks)
- Dozen, Stay Golden, and Five Daughters (for coffee/breakfast)
- Mitchell’s Deli, Redheaded Stranger, 51st Kitchen and Deli, Burger Up, Proper Bagel, Edleys, bartaco, Las Paletas (for casual food)
- Lockeland Table, Two Ten Jack, Lyra (for fancier food)
NEIGHBORHOOD BREAKDOWN
East Nashville: Mitchell’s Deli, Redheaded Stranger, Five Points Pizza* , Mas Tacos, Burger Up*, Edleys*, Wild Cow, Graze, Lockeland Table, Two Ten Jack, Butcher & Bee, Folk, Slowhand Coffee, Dose*, Sweet 16th, Marche, Stay Golden, Barista Parlor*, Dino’s, Pearl Diver, Urban Cowboy, Southern Grist*, East Nashville Beer Works, Smith & Lentz, Cafe Rose, Vinyl Tap
Germantown: Rolf & Daughters, 5th & Taylor, Henrietta Red, Monell’s, Barista Parlor*, Bearded Iris
Midtown: Hattie B’s*, Patterson House
Belmont: Proper Bagel
12 South: Las Paletas, Five Daughters*, Burger Up*, Edleys*, Frothy Monkey*, The Filling Station*
Hillsboro Village: Pancake Pantry
The Gulch: Jackalope, Otaku Ramen, Adele’s
The Nations: 51st Kitchen and Deli, Frothy Monkey*, Fat Bottom
Wedgewood-Houston: Dozen, Diskin Cider, Santa’s Pub
Downtown/Broadway: Noelle, Pucketts, Tootsies, Roberts, Laylas, and Acme
Rutledge Hill: Pinewood Social, Husk
*indicates multiple locations
