Meat and Three / Real Nashville Staples:

-Loveless Cafe: (located directly in front of our wedding venue!) it doesn’t get more Nashville than this. Open breakfast lunch and dinner. No reservations.

-Monells: famous southern family-style food. Country classics - everything served family style. Amazing food. No reservations.

-Arnold’s Country Kitchen

-Puckett’s downtown or Franklin - great southern food

-Wendell Smith’s - Local’s choice. Order the banana pudding and thank me later

Hot Chicken:

-Hattie B’s - popular hot chicken - locations across town, the line isn’t as long at the Westside location (Charlotte) pro move: order it to go as pick up and walk right past the long line of people waiting to place an order

-Bolton’s - native Nashville’s hot chicken spot in East Nashville, if you want the absolute HOTTEST chicken, this is it

-Big Shake hot chicken - if you’re in Franklin this is my favorite hot chicken spot

-Prince’s Hot Chicken - the local’s favorite spot, tourists most fave check off the list spot

-Helen’s Hot Chicken - excellent hot chicken, especially if youre looking for chicken and a waffle

-400 Degreez - The underground champ for superb chicken and sides

Steak:

-Kayne Prime

-Bourbon Steak by Michelin Star chef Michael Mina

-Halls Chophouse

-Oak Steakhouse

Coffee/Brunch:

-Tavern - best brunch in town, they closed and reopened and the whole town went wild! Get the Huevos rancheros or Singapore stir fry

-Surefire coffee trucks -They’re all over and they’re great!

-Hearts - Australian brunch bar on the east side of town

-The Southern Steak and Oyster

-Pinewood Social - great food and drinks good for large groups, upbeat vibe, can make bowling lane reservations

-CREMA - hands down the best coffee in Nashville

-Frothy Monkey - there are several in town

-Dose (get anything with salty whip)

-The Buttermilk Ranch - Brunch spot

-Five Daughters Bakery - get the world famous 100 layer Cronut- best in town for sweets

-YEAST - get the kolaches

-Sweet 16 Bakery

-Proper Bagel - NY-style bagels. If you like Lox this is your spot

-Benjis bagel - closest thing to NY style bagels. Great pastries and coffees as well

More good food in no specific order:

-Liberty Common - absolutely stunning restaurant and great food downtown

-Two Ten Jack - Asian fusion

-Locust - best restaurant in town / oysters and dumplings

-Superica - Incredible Mexican food , casual

-Bakersfield - delicious tex mex food. Walkable to downtown

-Barcelona - (Hillsboro Village area) - small tapa style

-Fable - very fancy, very good

-12th South Taproom - great patio, delicious food, and tons of tapped beer (12th S. area) casual lunch walk around 12th south to shop after casual lunch and beer and walk

-Chauhan Masala - fine dining indian food; opened by famous chef, Maneet Chauhan

Germantown

-Rolf and Daughters - Joe and Sam's favorite date night spot

-The Optimist - amazing seafood restaurant

-Butchertown Hall - Incredible cocktails, smoked meats and apps

-Mother’s Ruin - also a great bar but the food is good

-CityHouse - get the Belly Ham pizza, you won’t regret it, Lambrusco wine to drink

-Henrietta Red - great oyster/seafood closest thing you’ll get to good oysters in Nashville

-Geist - great ambiance for cocktails

-The Farmers Market - Great for lunch, the TN state museum and bicentennial mall are next door

East Nashville

-Two Ten Jack - Incredible ramen and asian fusion food and cocktails

-Lockeland Table - amazing food and cocktails

-Folk - amazing pizza and cocktails sister restaraunt of Rolf and Daughtets

-Treehouse - small plates, so good treehouse vibes outside

-Butcher & Bee - don’t you dare leave without getting the whipped feta and bacon wrapped figs

-Five Points Pizza - late night pizza window; best NY style pizza

-Emmysquared - best Detroit style pizza

Cheaper but just as delicious

-Mas Tacos - best tacos, elote, and margaritas

-Dino’s - best late night burger and animal style fries

-Nicoletto’s Pasta - amazing to go italian

-Joyland - more good burgers! Opened by Sean Brock (amazing chef)

-Bad luck Burger Club

-Jack Browns

-Las Palmas Mexican

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Bars / Nightlife

Broadway:

-Acme - awesome rooftop bar, every floor is a different theme, surprisingly great sushi on floor 3…Live music on the first floor most of the time, DJ on the rooftop most of the time

-Roberts - best western bar on broadway, super famous. Great bar food, you will see someone famous here before / after concerts at the Ryman (order the recessional special, fried bologna sandwich+chips+PBR)

-Tootsies - famous bar, awesome music on every level (3 levels)

-Chiefs - new bar by Eric church, awesome music

-The Underground - 3 stories with a huge light up disco floor -- fun for dancing

-Jason Aldean’s - massive dance floor, good rooftop -- they share a rooftop with Luke Bryans (Pro Move: cut lines for jason’s by going in through Luke Bryans and get to jason aldean’s via the rooftop)

-AJ’s - fun rooftop and karaoke (smaller)

-Whiskey Row - this place gets litty at night (Dierks Bentley’s bar) -- lot of songwriters hang here and you’ll see big time country artists hang here as well (for whatever reason they really like this bar)

-Headquarters Beercade - packed full of free arcade games - it’s fun

-FGL House (Florida Georgia Line bar -- fun, light up dance floor, pretty rooftop)

-Batter’s Box - beware this is only for true dive lovers

-Patterson House - the best speakeasy in town (small and intimate, it’s awesome) - note this bar moved to the gulch and reopened

-Black Rabbit - speakeasy style bar/restaurant

-Ms. Kelli’s Karaoke - one of my fave karaoke bars in nash printers ally

-Burlesque show at Skulls Rainbow Room - starts around 10pm (make sure to call and ask it’s hard to get into) MAKE A REZY

-Yazoo Brewery - moved to outside of Nashville

-TN Brew Works Brewery - midtown hotspot, excellent place to watch a game

-Broadway Brewhouse - order the bushwacker, they’re the home of the original bushwacker

-Listening Room - great writers rounds for music

-Whiskey Jam - great country music writer rounds (monday nights)

-Lucky’s 3 Star (brand new) - in wedgewood Houston 15 mins outside of town. Typical dive bar atmosphere with an eclectic crowd

-Urban cowboy bar in the arcade downtown - excellent cocktails, eclectic crowd off of Broadway so the drinks are cheaper

Rooftops

-LA Jackson - swanky/beautiful rooftop bar insta pics of -Nashville

-Rare Bird - swanky rooftop at the Noelle hotel

-The Bobby - beautiful hotel for dinner, staying, and great rooftop bar -often has holiday themes

-The Virgin Hotel - great rooftop bar

-The Graduate / Limozeen -- great hotel/rooftop bar that is decked out in Dolly Parton and kitschy decor

-L27 - nice rooftop, club like vibes at night

East Nashville Drink and wander:

-Pearl Diver - tropical Cuban style bar with daiquiris and fancy cocktails. Go for the drinks, stay for the aesthetic

-Rosemary & Beauty Queen - old east nash house converted to a speakeasy-style bar, great outdoor space so fun late - young hip crowd

-Urban Cowboy / Public House - great outdoor patio with big ol fireplace and seating. Small plate food is also good but cocktails are best. (I always take out of towners here)

-The Fox - speakeasy (very small, limited space)

-Attaboy - this is a no menu bar out of NYC where they merely ask you questions and then make you a drink (note it’s very small/limited space)

-Mickey’s - great dive with huge outdoor space. Play darts or pool Grab Nicoletto’s pasta for dinner next door and take it to go to Mickey’s to eat

-Dino’s - great late night bar -- end your night here with a pony+shot and animal style fries+cheeseburger

-Red Door Saloon - location in midtown as well - famous Chicago bar. Very divey

-Lipstick Lounge - seriously BEST karaoke in Nashville and such a fun-loving environment Lesbian bar

Breweries:

-Southern Grist - this is my personal fave brewery in all of nash -- they specialize in sour beers

-Smith & Lentz - focused mostly on IPAs but have a variety of others ALSO AMAZING PIZZA

-East Nash Beer works - great outdoor patio, good beer, good pizza #1 for kids as they have a playground

Germantown

-Mother’s Ruin - this bar is original to NYC and some of the owners came down to open the Nashville location and it’s awesome. Incredible food as well, long line to get in

-The Green Hour - this is a hidden absinthe bar that is actually a very good chocolate shop during the day but operates as an Absinthe cocktail lounge in the evenings

-Geist - really beautiful bar / great food

-Neighbors Germantown or Murphy Rd - classic local neighborhood sports bar and food

West Nashville

-Centennial - dive bar, great place to watch a game

-The Nations bar - dive bar , local bluegrass, musicians play Friday nights

-Neighbors West - local neighborhood sports bar

-51st Taproom - (sister to 12th South Taproom) lots of beer choices and great food

South Nashville:

-Bastion - off the beaten path bar with great nachos and amazing cocktails. They also have a 10-course restaurant attached that is one of the best in Nashville. Make early reservations as it only seats 15 people.

-Bar Sovereign

-Santa’s Pub - true dive bar with fun karaoke decorated for Christmas year round

-Flamingo - 70s / 80s style bar with incredible music super fun dance spot for late night

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EXPLORE / RANDOM / OTHER

-Karaoke at Santa’s Pub or AJ’s on Broadway. Santa’s often has famous musicians in disguise

-Grab a fancy ice cream at Jeni’s because it’s delicious

-Explore the River Walk off of Broadway downtown

-Sing your heart out at Big Bang dueling pianos bar

-Walk around 12 South and take a picture at the I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE MURAL (also a bigger one located by Marathon Music Works)

-Visit Marathon Village -- cool, funky shops and an awesome music venue (Marathon Music Works)

-5 Points in East Nashville

-Check out a show at the Ryman or Ascend if anyone remotely good is playing

-Hike / have a picnic at Radnor Lake/Percy Warner

-Look in the hole at Red Door in Midtown or East Nash / Have a bushwacker in Midtown at Broadway Brewhouse or Rebar

Centennial Park and tour the Parthenon or at least just take pictures (Nashville is the Athens of the South!)

-Listening Room - always good writers rounds

-Basement East - always good indie shows here

-Grimey’s, Phonoluxe, or Third Man Records - Nashvilles best record shops (note, Third Man Records is owned by Jack White)

-Go to the Farmers Market, eat inside at one of many fun options, and explore the Bicentennial Mall next door

-Bluebird Cafe - famous, hard to get into. Must get there early and wait in line

-21c Museum Hotels - a museum literally inside a hotel

-First Tennessee Park - The Sounds games are literally SO much fun and they serve great nachos and Jack and Coke slushies because, America

-Take a tour through the Country Music Hall of Fame (new exhibits all the time) and grab tickets to the fabulous Symphony next door for the evening.

-Snag some NSL tickets and watch Nashville’s first professional soccer team play

-Museum of African American music

-Cheekwood for botanical garden walks and seasonal flowers

-Arrington Vineyards Winery (Franklin)

-Nash Trash Comedy tour bus

-Jack Daniels distillery - Lynchburg

-Pedal Tavern downtown