Eat well in Nashville. Stay out late.
Hot chicken gets the headlines, but Nashville's food and bar scene runs much deeper. Here's the version of the city you'll want to eat your way through.
The Nashville food and nightlife landscape
Hot chicken
Hattie B's gets the lines, Prince's gets the credit, Bolton's gets the locals. Start at medium and respect it.
BBQ
Edley's, Martin's and Peg Leg Porker each have their loyalists. Brisket and pulled pork travel well to the river.
Meat-and-three restaurants
Arnold's Country Kitchen and the Loveless Cafe still cook the food Nashville built itself on. Lunch only at the best ones.
Southern brunch
Biscuits, sausage gravy, country ham. Loveless Cafe, Biscuit Love and Husk all do it well in very different ways.
Rooftop bars
L.A. Jackson, White Limozeen and Bobby Hotel rooftop give you skyline views without the Broadway noise.
Honky tonks
Tootsie's, Robert's Western World and Layla's are the trio every first-time visitor walks. Best mid-afternoon.
Cocktail bars
Attaboy, The Patterson House and Pinewood Social make serious drinks in serious rooms. Reservations help.
Breweries
Tennessee Brew Works, Yazoo and Bearded Iron handle the local craft scene. Most are walkable from downtown.
Distilleries
Nelson's Green Brier and Corsair both run tours and tastings inside the city. Half-day tours add Jack Daniel's in Lynchburg.
Coffee shops
Barista Parlor in East Nashville and Crema in SoBro pull the city's best espresso. Slow mornings, free Wi-Fi, no laptops on the bar.
Late-night food
Pancake Pantry isn't it. Hit Hattie B's late, or the late-night menu at Acme Feed & Seed.
Best areas for food
Germantown for dinner, East Nashville for casual, 12 South for daytime, downtown for convenience.
Best areas for nightlife
Broadway for honky tonks, The Gulch for rooftops, East Nashville for dive bars.
Start with one guided food or nightlife plan, then build the rest of your Nashville night around it.
Nashville is easy to wander, but the best food and bar stops are not always the loudest ones on Broadway. A good food tour, distillery stop or night-out experience can give you a better first read on the city, especially if you only have a weekend.
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Check pickup details, group size, tasting stops and timing before you commit. Food and nightlife plans are easiest when they fit naturally around dinner, live music and the rest of your evening.