Savor the Flavors of Nashville at These 10 Must-Try Restaurants

If you’re a foodie visiting Nashville, then you’ve hit the jackpot! If you like your fried chicken hot and your bourbon free-flowing, then you’ll love Nashville’s food scene. Here are the top restaurants you need to try in Nashville, Tennessee.

From beloved barbecue joints to the flavors of Latin America, the Music City has something for everyone. And the bar scene is hopping, both on and off Broadway. There’s no shortage of great bars with the best live music in this honkey-tonk town.

Get your appetite ready as to explore some of the best restaurants in Nashville!

Great Restaurants and Bars in Nashville

1. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint

Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint specializes in what’s called “West-Tennessee style whole hog BBQ,” smoking 200 pound pigs and masterfully crafting tender pulled pork sandwiches. There are four Nashville locations where you can get this top-rated BBQ.

Their downtown location has 4 whole hog pits and plenty of seating. So even when the restaurant’s line is out the door, which it is even on a slow day, the wait isn’t as long as you may think. It’s also very much worth the wait, if you were wondering!

Downtown: 410 4th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37201

Midtown: 2400 Elliston Pl, Nashville, TN 37203

Belmont: 3108 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN 37212

Nissan Stadium: North End Zone, Adjacent to Gate 2 1 Titans Way, Nashville, TN 37213

2. 12 South Taproom and Grill

Located in the popular 12 South neighborhood, the 12 South Taproom and Grill started in 2006 as a low-key neighborhood watering hole.

Their drink menu offers dozens of craft beers, local ciders, and craft cocktails. On the food menu, you’ll find lots of pub grub favorites from burgers to tacos.

2318 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

3. Party Fowl

At Party Fowl, you can have your Nashville Hot Chicken with a boozy slushie to wash it down. They have two Nashville locations to choose from.

Party Fowl has its own unique take on Music City’s favorite food, creating dishes that you won’t find anywhere else, like Hot Chicken Poutine and the Hot Chicken Cuban.

Downtown: 719 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Donelson: 2620 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214

4. Edley’s Bar-B-Que

If you want another slow-smoked BBQ joint, then Edley’s Bar-B-Que is a great choice. There are five locations all around Nashville, so you’re never too far from some good BBQ. Their first location in 12 South was opened in 2011, and they’ve been voted “Best Bar-B-Que in Nashville” four times.

Edley’s Southern-style BBQ is slow -smoked using Southern white oak. Their traditional Southern sides are made from scratch daily. The menu is filled with BBQ favorites like brisket, pork, chicken, wings, cole slaw, baked beans, and grits casserole. At the bar, you can get their famous Bushwacker and craft beers on tap.

12 South: 2706 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

East Nashville: 1004 Woodland St, Nashville, TN 37206

Sylvan Park: 4500 Murphy Rd, Nashville, TN 37209

Donelson: 2719 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37214

Nolensville: 6025 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

5. The Mockingbird

The Mockingbird is a popular brunch spot in a chic Art Deco diner space. Like its namesake mockingbird, the restaurant mimics its surroundings and offers the Southern comfort food with international inspiration you’d expect to find in Nashville.

For brunch, you’ll find giant servings of French Toast, Hot Brown, tacos, and breakfast sandwiches. The Bubbles In A Bag is the go-to brunch cocktail made with sparkling wine and a house fruit punch, served in a sturdy plastic pouch and a bendy straw.

121 12th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203

6. Biscuit Love

Biscuit Love is another great breakfast/brunch/lunch spot. They specialize in, what else, biscuits. They started in 2012 with a food truck and have grown from there. And if you love biscuits, you’re in luck because there are two Nashville locations.

They serve unique twists on the Southern favorite — a fluffy buttermilk biscuit. From the classic biscuit and gravy to a biscuit French Toast to a biscuit topped with Nashville Hot Chicken to a cinnamon roll made with biscuit batter, there’s something for everyone. There are even non-biscuit options.

Hillsboro Village: 2001 Belcourt Ave, Nashville, TN 37212

The Gulch: 316 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

7. Wild Wasabi

The popular reason to go to Wild Wasabi is for their weekday lunch buffet, but even on the weekends this casual Japanese restaurant is serving up some tasty sushi.

Enjoy the flavors of Japan and appease your sushi cravings at this top spot near The Gulch.

209 10th Ave S # 215, Nashville, TN 37203

8. Lucky Bastard Saloon

The Lucky Bastard Saloon on Broadway puts you right in the middle of Nashville’s Honkey-Tonk Highway with a two-level honkey-tonk bar full of fun, music, hot chicken, and booze.

I love a rooftop bar, so we headed right up to the Lucky Bastard’s rooftop bar overlooking Broadway for some drinks and live music. Up on the rooftop, they also serve Nashville Hot Chicken in a range of dishes like wings, tenders, and sandwiches.

408 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

9. Burger Republic

TripAdvisor has ranked Burger Republic as having not only the best burger in Tennessee but one of the top ten burgers in the US based on analysis of the travel website’s customer reviews. This popular burger joint has two Nashville locations to choose from.

And if having top-ranked burgers doesn’t do it for you, they also have spiked milkshakes. If that doesn’t sway you, then I don’t know what will.

The Gulch: 420 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Lenox: 6900 Lenox Village Dr #22, Nashville, TN 37211

10. Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole

Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole is the world’s first animatronic karaoke bar. It opened in 2020 in the Graduate Nashville hotel, which itself is a lavishly decorated work of art. The “Cross-Eyed Critters” refers to the backup band of an animatronic bear, pig, and fox that help you sing your heart out at karaoke.

The name “Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole” evokes visions of a dive-bar, but the bar actually felt pretty classy.

There’s an entrance to the bar on West End Avenue, which was closed when we went; instead, we entered through the hotel lobby where there is little to no signage and down a long back hallway, giving the bar a speakeasy feel. Inside, the bar’s dark walls are lined with paintings of country western stars and string lights.

101 20th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203

Nashville Restaurants Map

Ready to explore Nashville’s top bars and restaurants? Use the map below to help plan out your time eating your way around Nashville, Tennessee.

I hope you enjoy every meal in Nashville!

More Things to Do in Nashville, Tennessee

Make the most out of your vacation to Nashville, Tennessee! Check out these other Nashville travel guides to plan your perfect trip:

• 12 Things To See and Do in Nashville, Tennessee

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Ready to visit Nashville, Tennessee? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Nashville using Hotels.com.
• Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
• Explore Nashville in a New Way: Enjoy a Mystery Picnic in Nashville to discover more of the city.

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Cheers!

Paige

What are your favorite restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee? Leave your suggestions for places to eat in Nashville below!