14 Best Restaurants in Greater Nashville, Nashville

Started in 1945 by James Thornton Prince and passed down to his great-niece André Prince Jeffries in the '80s, this is Nashville’s most renowned hot chicken spot (the original location sadly closed its doors after a fire in late 2018). If you’re a beginner, try the four-piece tenders with white bread and pickles—don’t be a hero; even the mild is plenty hot. There’s limited seating, and the plastic tablecloths aren’t out to impress anyone. Nonetheless, the food is nothing but impressive. Prince’s was even named an American Classic by the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2013.

This Mexican bakery serves up fresh tres leches, bread pudding, cheesecake, and a host of other pastries so flaky you’ll get almost as much on your shirt as in your mouth. Grab a Mexican Coca-Cola made to complete your sugary snack.

Southwest of Nashville on Highway 100, the Loveless Café serves up its famous scratch-made biscuits and country ham every day of the week. Long waits for a table are typical, so be prepared to do some shopping and play a round of cornhole while you wait. When the café opened in 1951, it was just chicken served at picnic tables on Lon and Annie Loveless’s front porch. But over the years, the restaurant has expanded to include every iteration of Southern breakfast and supper. In 2004 the remainder of the on-site motel was converted into quaint country shops—chief among them the Hams & Jams Country Market, where you can get free coffee all day, Southern-inspired home goods and gifts, and barbecue to go.

A bubbling koi pond, panda mural, and jungle of potted plants create a deceivingly kitschy setting for the most authentic Sichuan and Cantonese food in Nashville. You can’t go wrong ordering a hot pot off the menu, but for something really special, come on the weekend from 11 am to 3 pm and order dim sum off the cart. Speaking of special, you can also order specials off the board at the front of the restaurant. Braised oxtail and dry pepper pig feet, anyone?

It’s impossible to overstate how cozy this Irish pub is. There’s live music every night of the week, but on Friday through Sunday, you can catch the owner himself performing traditional Irish tunes with his band, Nosey Flynn. After dinner, Finn McCool's Ice Cream Pie is an unbeatable treat, but you’ll need at least four people to finish a slice. Or, if you’re after something a little stronger, McNamara’s serves every Irish whiskey you can get in Nashville. If there’s a long wait downstairs, they also serve the full menu upstairs in the semi-secret sports bar.

When the Far East comes to West Nashville, it means you get to have a pint of local beer with your bowl of filet mignon pho. Miss Saigon’s selection of Vietnamese delights is unrivaled, but if you need help narrowing it down, the Bún Miss Saigon (their famous five-meat vermicelli) with a glass of homemade corn milk (yes, corn milk) is an unbeatable combination.

With its famous family-style dining and even more famous skillet-fried chicken, Southern hospitality is on full display at Monell’s at the Manor. This restaurant calls Colemere Mansion home, a Southern Colonial mansion built in 1930, and they roll out a different meal every day of the week. Southern classics like roast beef, fried catfish, and chicken and dumplings are weekly staples, but it’s the vegetables that really complete the experience.

For a neighborhood joint that takes diner fare to the next level, Nadeen’s balance of folksy and classy won’t disappoint. The rolls for their Philly cheesesteaks actually come from Philadelphia, and their biscuits are fresh every morning.

Half café (pressed juices, coffee, and wraps) and half restaurant (tacos, burrito bowls, and a full bar), Nectar Urban Cantina is great whether you’re in a hurry or have more time to kill. Inside an updated Tudor-style house, they offer fresh Mexican-inspired cuisine in a bright, casual space. If the weather’s nice, check out their beer garden and outdoor margarita bar.

Maybe it’s the graffitied walls, maybe it’s the local bee pollen honey, but this crunchy-sandwich shop inside a converted garage is undeniably cool. Come any time, morning or night, and you’ll find a goat cheese–smothered waffle, a hummus-stuffed veggie wrap, or a late-night cocktail that will suit your needs.

Drive out to beautiful Whites Creek for live music and authentic New Orleans favorites: po’boys, muffulettas, crawfish étouffé, and (of course) Abita beer. If it isn’t too busy, Ri'chard himself will join the band for a couple of songs on guitar. This place offers laid-back fun for the whole family, and you’ll need your whole family’s help to finish all that fried okra.

This country café in Madison, Tennessee, has a home-cooked appeal. Try a loaded biscuit for breakfast or a pimento cheese--and-- bacon sandwich for lunch, and don’t forget to check the cabinet for a daily selection of house-made pastries and desserts. By the time you leave, the staff will know you by name.

This 1936 schoolhouse-turned-restaurant serves local, sustainable, hyper-seasonal food on a farm 10 miles north of Nashville. The farm’s primary mission is to employ adults with intellectual disabilities, and the restaurant is a leading member of the Nashville Food Waste Initiative. Check their calendar for live music performances, and get a reservation if you can.