10 Great Dining Spots In Nashville, Tennessee

Who can pass on a stack of freshly made, perfectly cooked buttermilk pancakes? The Pancake Pantry is a family-owned and operated restaurant in Nashville, which offers over 20 different varieties of pancakes. Using specialty flour from East Tennessee, The Pancake Pantry’s kitchen produces a daily batch of fresh batter and syrup. The dedication has paid off, as is made evident by the crowds that queue up for half an hour or more for pancakes.

Address: 1796 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37212.

Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is another of Nashville’s venerable family-owned dining institutions. The Prince family is, according to local food lore, the originator of Nashville’s signature hot chicken, a buttermilk-marinated fried chicken with a twist: a devilishly spicy paste made up of a healthy dose of lard mixed together with cayenne pepper. At Prince’s, the heat is cranked up so that only the intrepid can stomach the spice and even then, with tears rolling down with each deliciously burning bite.

Address: 123 Ewing Dr #3, Nashville, TN 37207.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams set up shop in East Nashville in 2011, drawing the envy of ice cream lovers across the country. Foodies from some of the country’s hippest dining spots, yearn for the day that Jeni’s opens a scoop shop in their city. So far, Nashville boasts of not one, but two Jeni’s Scoop Shops. One of Jeni’s must-try seasonal flavors is the Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries. Each store carries an overwhelming array of flavours so go with an open mind.

Address: 1892 Eastland Ave, Nashville, TN 37206; 2312 12th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37204.

Loveless Café, located just off of Highway 100, has become an icon of Nashville and a requisite pit stop for foodies. Opened in 1951, the Café has served fried chicken and biscuits to countless hungry travelers who seek refuge here after a long day on the road. Now, the Loveless Café has become an institution of its own, renowned for its homemade preserves and made-from-scratch biscuits.

Address: 8400 Hwy 100 Nashville, TN 37221.

The Grilled Cheeserie Truck is comfort food on the move, created by an adventurous pair of food & music-loving Californians. Specialty sandwich melts are seasonal and change regularly. The Grilled Cheeserie also offers a ‘Make Your Own’ option wherein diners can create their own combinations of bread, cheese and toppings. Alongside its house made ketchup and tomato jam and perfectly textured tater tots, the Grilled Cheeserie is a welcome lunchtime addition to Nashville’s food scene.

Address: Follow the Grilled Cheeserie Truck on Twitter for its latest location updates.

Monell’s Dining and Catering anchors the dining scene in north Nashville’s Germantown district bringing together generations of Nashville natives over family-style Southern comfort food. Housed in a historical Victorian building from the late 19th century, the space is reminiscent of a traditional Southern boarding house. Food is a shared experience at Monell’s, where diners gather ten to a table to partake in a feast of Monell’s signature fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, meatloaf and more.

Address: 1235 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208.

Rolf & Daughters in Nashville’s Germantown is in a historical 100-year-old factory building in the up-and-coming Germantown neighbourhood of Nashville. Rolf & Daughters integrates locally sourced Southern ingredients with Northern Italian and Mediterranean flavors. Superb attention to detail and quality means that every dish is made with the freshest seasonal ingredients and adheres to a farm-to-table concept wherein meats come from local vendors.

Address: 700 Taylor St, Nashville, Tennessee 37208.

City House is another Germantown restaurant that is making a name for itself in this up-and-coming neighbourhood. Chef Tandy Wilson worked in Italian kitchens from Napa Valley to Italy where he absorbed the rich variety of Italy’s regional flavours. Bringing this experience to Nashville, Chef Wilson creates dishes that meld Italian culinary heritage with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from the South.

Address: 1222 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208.

Crema Coffee, a ‘coffee brewtique’ in the heart of Nashville, introduces craft coffee at its best to the Music City. Unlike many American establishments, Crema is dedicated to serving single origin beans sourced from the coffee meccas of the world: Ethiopia, Kenya and Central and Latin America. In addition, Crema roasts its own beans to ensure consistency and quality; at the CREMA {Slow Bar}, coffee lovers can join cupping sessions and learn about different brew methods, including pour-over, siphon and press.

Address: 15 Hermitage Ave., Nashville, TN 37204.

Nashville Farmers’ Market offers both fresh produce and prepared foods every day of the week in Downtown Nashville. With a history dating back to the 1800s, the Nashville Farmers’ Market is the place to see the best of Nashville’s thriving community of farmers, artisans and locally-owned vendors. Find fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as cheeses, artisanal breads, seafood, meats from local butchers as well as a variety of local restaurants and shops.

Address: 900 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208.