With new restaurants seemingly opening on a daily basis, plus a healthy mix of established dining establishments, Nashville has plenty of restaurant choices available.

1. The Top Restaurants in Nashville
With new restaurants seemingly opening on a daily basis, plus a healthy
mix of established dining establishments, Nashville has plenty of
restaurant choices available.
Here’s our favorites:

2. 1. Loveless Cafe
The Loveless Cafe was originally part of the Loveless Motel, which was
opened by Lon and Annie Loveless in 1951. Over time, the motel kind of
faded away, but the cafe became famous for its flaky biscuits, country ham,
and fried chicken. In fact, non other than Martha Stewart declared her
breakfast at the Loveless as “the best breakfast I’ve ever had.” Sadly, the
famous “Biscuit Lady,” who made the biscuits, died a few years ago, but the
biscuit recipe survives. The restaurant is good for either breakfast, lunch, or a
Sunday-dinner-type dinner. It has become very popular, but there is plenty to
do while waiting – the grounds have been updated to include a music hall,
and the old motel rooms have been turned into small shops – read more
here (Photo by Morgan Levy)

3. 2. Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles
Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles is where Nashville goes to cool off on hot
summer days. The small shop opened in the burgeoning 12 South
neighborhood about 10 years ago and became an immediate success. They
don’t sell the popsicle you had as a child – these are hand-made Mexican
popsicles made using local and seasonal ingredients. If you’ve ever had a
hankering for a prune or Creamed Corn popsicle, this is your place. For the
less adventurous, there’s also flavors like Avocado, Cantaloupe, Chocolate
Raspberry, or Creamy Lime Popsicle. The flavors at Las Paletas change with
the seasons. For an added bonus, the popsicles can be dipped in locally-made
Olive & Sinclair chocolate. Cash only – read more here (Photo by Daniel
Zemans)

4. 3. Marché Artisan Foods
Marché Artisan Foods is a casual, European-style bakery, cafe, and market
in the Five Points area of trendy East Nashville. The woman behind the place
is Margot McCormack, who attended the Culinary Institute of America and
gained restaurant experience under the tutelage of many of New York’s and
Nashville’s best chefs and restaurants owners. After many years of working
for others, she finally opened her own restaurant, Margot Cafe and Bar, in
2001. Margot is still open and is just around the corner from Marché. Most
people go to Marché to eat in the cafe, but the pastries from the bakery and
the meats and cheese from the specialty market are very good. The big event
here is the Sunday brunch – can get crowded, so expect a wait. Their dinner
is also very good and not as crowded – read more here (Photo by Monica D.)

5. 4. Monell’s Dining & Catering
Monell’s Dining & Catering serves home-cooked Southern food in a
historic home in the Germantown neighborhood just north of downtown.
Michael King opened his restaurant with a dream, faith, and credit card debt
on Thanksgiving Day, 1995, and the place has been popular ever since. The
food is served family-style , which means that diners sit at communal tables
and serve themselves from plates that are passed around the table. There’s a
large variety of food that changes according to what’s available. Come
hungry, because there’s plenty of food – read more here (Photo by Jamie)

6. 5. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken was opened in the Midtown area of Nashville in
2012 by long-time hot chicken fans Nick Bishop, Jr., and his father, Nick
Bishop, Sr. The place was an immediate hit – not only because the hot
chicken is good and spicy – Hattie’s was also the first hot chicken place to
offer beer. Most of the beer is quality craft beer from local breweries, but
cold beer is still no match for the heat of the spicy chicken. The hot chicken
comes in 3 spice levels – medium, hot, or “damn hot.” There is also a no-heat
version for the skittish. The chicken can be ordered by the piece or as tenders.
The majority of the side items are made in-house and are very good – choices
include French Fries, Southern Greens, Homemade Cole Slaw, Pimento Mac
& Cheese, Baked Beans, Red Skin Potato Salad, and Black Eyed Pea Salad
– read more here (Photo by Daniel Zemans)

7. 6. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack is world-famous for their hot chicken. If
Nashville is the capital of hot chicken, and Prince’s is generally regarded as
the originator of hot chicken. The exact recipe is a secret, but the key to hot
chicken is the buttermilk marinade followed by the application of a paste
made of lard and cayenne pepper. Every serious chef and food critic who
comes to Nashville makes a trek to the small strip-center restaurant.
Additionally, Prince’s has been featured on many food shows,
including Amazing Eats, Food Paradise, and Man v. Food Nation. The
restaurant has been declared an American Classic restaurant by the James
Beard Foundation. Expect a line and a wait, and expect pain, but also expect
moist, perfectly cooked spicy chicken. Choose from 4 spice levels ranging
from mild to extra hot – read more here (Photo by Sean Russell)

8. 7. Mas Tacos, Por Favor
Mas Tacos, Por Favor began life in a 1974 Winnebago before finding a
more permanent location in a small brick building in up-and-coming East
Nashville. What looks like a hole-in-the-wall on the outside is warm and
inviting on the inside. The menu is fresh, made-from-scratch Mexican street
food, and the rotating menu of gourmet tacos is listed on a chalkboard. Place
your order at the window and scope out a table while the food is
prepared. Travel and Leisure named Mas Tacos one of the “Best Tacos in
America.” The small place is only open for lunch hours, and it’s cash only
– read more here (Photo by David Fant)

9. 8. Pancake Pantry
Pancake Pantry – if you love great pancakes and don’t mind standing in line
for them, this is your place. Lines can wait for up to an hour on Saturday
mornings, but people wait happily because the pancakes are that good.
Besides the 23 kinds of pancakes, the omelets and other breakfast dishes are
also great. It’s been open since 1961. The lines are much shorter early in the
morning and during the week. Free coffee is available to those who wait
– read more here (Photo by Daniel Zemans)

10. 9. City House
City House restaurant is housed in a beautiful, 100 year old, brick building in
the historic Germantown neighborhood just north of downtown. City House
butchers and dresses whole hogs in-house and uses local produce to produce
rustic Italian cuisine. Chef Tandy Wilson was named “The People’s Choice
for Best New Chef: Southeast” by Food & Wine for 2011. In 2012 he was a
semi-finalist for the James Beard Best Chef: Southeast award. City House is
known for great cocktails, seasonal offerings, and artisan pizza. Make a
reservation or take your chances and grab a seat at the bar or communal table
– read more here (Photo by Arnold Gatilao)

11. 10. The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden takes pride in using quality
ingredients and making stuff from scratch – the beef for the burgers is from
Tennessee Angus cattle, the sausages are made in-house, and the old-
fashioned sodas are made to-order. The buns are made locally by Provence
Breads. Even the condiments are house-made instead of store-bought. The
wooden bar is the focal point of the indoor dining area. In agreeable weather,
outdoors is the place to be – the grassy, fenced-in hillside is full of picnic
tables made for enjoying the weather while cooling off with a stein of beer or
a fountain drink. Lights strung through the trees above provide a festive
atmosphere after the sun goes down. The beers selection ranges from obscure
German imports to local and national craft beers. There’s also root beers,
ciders, milkshakes, floats, and Mexican Coke – read more here (Photo
by Dwell Music City)

12. 11. The Catbird Seat
The Catbird Seat was a prized addition to Nashville’s culinary offerings
when it opened in 2011, and it has since gained a national reputation. Very
positive articles about have appeared in both the New York Times and was
named one of the “Best New Restaurants 2012” by Esquire. Dual
chef/owners Erik Anderson and Josh Habiger designed the restaurant with a
U-shaped chef’s table with seating for about 32 people at around the table.
Erik Anderson left the restaurant in 2013 and moved to Minnesota; Trevor
Moran is the new Executive Chef. The chef’s prepare the food at the open
kitchen area in the center. The dinner is a multicourse, prix fixe dinner that
changes weekly with drinks chosen by sommelier to accompany the
food. Eating at the Catbird Seat is pricey, but a definite food experience.
Reservations are hard to come by and can be made through the web site one
month in advance – read more here (Photo by Neil Conway)

13. 12. Arnold’s Country Kitchen
Arnold’s Country Kitchen – if there is a culinary style indicative of
Nashville, it’s the meat-and-three, and Arnold’s does it at least as well as
anyone, if not better. Everything is made from scratch – from the yeast rolls
to the barbeque sauce to the banana pudding. In 2009, the James Beard
Foundation honored Arnold’s with their American Classics Award. Save
room for dessert – read more here (Photo by Daniel Zemans)

14. 13. Rolf and Daughters
Rolf and Daughters serves rustic Italian cuisine with a New American
perspective in a retrofitted factory space in Nashville’s Germantown
neighborhood. The restaurant opened in 2013 and helped put Nashville on the
map as a foodie destination to be taken seriously. Chef Philip Krajeck grew
up in Belgium and attended culinary school in Switzerland before making his
way to America and working his way through the restaurant ranks. He made
his way to Nashville in 2012 after becoming enamored with the creative
energy of the city. A large communal table and a lively bar center the brick-
walled, airy dining room, with smaller, private tables placed along the
periphery. House-made pastas form the base for many of the dishes. Bon
Appetit named Rolf and Daughters #3 on their list of “Best New Restaurants
in America” for 2013 – read more here (Photo by Edsel Little)

15. 14. Husk
Husk is the Nashville branch of chef Sean Brock’s acclaimed Charleston
restaurant of the same name. It opened in 2013 in a beautiful late-nineteenth-
century home in the Rutledge Hill neighborhood just south of downtown. The
rooms are warm and intimate, and the service is friendly and
knowledgeable. Husk specializes in upscale Southern cuisine made using
local and seasonal ingredients. Local purveyors include produce from Delvin
Farms, bacon from Benton’s in east Tennessee, buttermilk from Knoxville’s
Cruze Dairy Farm, and trout from Sunburst Trout Farms in western North
Carolina. There’s also a garden on-site. The bar emphasizes classic cocktails
and features spirits from many local distilleries – read more here (Photo
by Daniel Zemans)

16. 15. Silly Goose
Silly Goose serves healthy, quality food in a small cafe in East Nashville.
Roderick Bailey opened the restaurant in 2009 in a simple space with a few
tools, a dream, and some very creative recipes. The place became an
immediate hotspot in hip East Nashville. Specialties include four versions of
couscous, inventive salads using local grown vegetables, and sandwiches and
wraps. The meats are organic and grass-fed – read more here (Photo
by jeffreyw)

17. 16. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint originally opened in the small town of
Nolensville south of Nashville before opening this location in Nashville,
which pleased his legion of fans who regularly made the road trip to get their
barbecue fix. Patrick Martin is the man behind the operation, and the word is
that he spends 22 hours with each batch of barbecue slowly cooking it over a
pit fire. The attention definitely pays off in the results – smoky and
succulent pulled pork, ribs, brisket, sausage, and chicken. The standout menu
item is the redneck taco, and the sides at Martin’s are not an afterthought and
are better than at most barbecue places. There’s also a good selection of craft
beers – read more here (Photo by Edsel Little)

18. 17. Margot Cafe and Bar
Margot Cafe and Bar became a trailblazer in the redevelopment of East
Nashville. Margot McCormack opened her namesake restaurant in an old
service station at the Five Points intersection. That was back in 2001. Today,
Margot’s still shines as one of Nashville’s best restaurants. The menu makes
liberal use of local and fresh ingredients and changes with the seasons. The
vibe is casual, comfortable, and rustic. The cozy, triangular bar is a fun place
have a drink – read more here (Photo by Sibel)

19. 18. Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant became when Andy Marshall bought an
old country store in the small town of Leipers Fork south of Nashville in the
mid-1990’s. In addition to being a small grocery store, Puckett’s was known
for its home-cooked meals, and it had long served as a meeting place for the
small community. Marshall bolstered the menu with barbecue and a few more
upscale dishes. In 2002 he decided to make use of all of the local songwriters
and add music with a songwriters’ night on Friday nights. Word quickly
spread about the good food, high quality songwriters’ night, and down home
feel, and Marshall expanded by opening another location in downtown
Franklin, and in 2010 he opened the Nashville location – read more
here (Photo by Dana Lane)

20. 19. Peg Leg Porker
Peg Leg Porker owner Carey Bringle grew up in west Tennessee and was
raised with appreciate for good barbecue and the culture of slowly-smoked
meats. He brought his west Tennessee barbecue to the Gulch neighborhood
with the opening of his cinder block, concrete-floored barbecue joint in 2013.
The name comes from the fact that Carey Bringle lost his right leg to bone
cancer at the age of 17 (in a humorous nod, there’s a case displaying one of
his prostheses in the restaurant). Memphis and west Tennessee have long
been the champions of barbecue in Tennessee, but, lately, Nashville has
gained ground with the opening of Peg Leg Porker, Martin’s Bar-B-Que
Joint, and Edley’s. Peg Leg Porker’s meats are dry-rubbed in the Memphis
tradition, and the specialties include the Rendezvous-style smoked ribs that
that fall off the bone and the smoked and fried chicken wings. Standout sides
include the Smoked Green Beans and the extra-creamy Mac and Cheese
– read more here (Photo by Dana Lane)

21. 20. The Southern Steak & Oyster
The Southern Steak & Oyster is run by Tom Morales, who also runs the
iconic Loveless Cafe and TomKats, which has catered more than 500 film
productions worldwide. It is located in SoBro on the ground floor of the
Pinnacle at Symphony Place. With a horseshoe-shaped oyster bar, old-
fashioned belt-and-pulley fans, and black-and-white tiled floor, it definitely
sets the stage for a classic southern dining experience. The Southern was
named one of the “Best New Restaurants 2012” by Esquire magazine. As the
name suggests, The Southern offers a worthy array of coastal seafood classics
along with excellent steaks from grass-fed beef locally sourced from Bear
Creek Farm in Leipers Fork, TN. Seafood choices include raw and
fried oysters, shrimp prepared many ways, and crab cakes – read more
here (Photo by Rachel Chapdelaine)

22. 21. Bobbie’s Dairy Dip
Bobbie’s Dairy Dip is an old-style burger drive-in in west Nashville. It’s
been there forever- both through good times and bad times – and different
owners. Sam Huh bought the restaurant in 2008, and he transformed the
kitchen by deciding that Bobbie’s was going make their own burgers and
chili and use the best ingredients possible. Today, Bobbie’s is better than
ever. The drive-in closes during the winter months, but, at the first hint of
Spring in Nashville, customers are lined up at the window waiting to order
one of their high-butterfat Soft-serve ice cream cones. The specialty shakes
are named after iconic figures of the 1950’s and 1960’s – read more
here (Photo by Stephen Yeargin)

23. Featured photo by Jamie. All photos CC-BY-2.0.
See our list of the 49 best things to do in Nashville here.