9 Best Restaurants in 12 South, Nashville

You know the offerings are good when the hours include a "or till sold out" proviso, and that's the case with this bakery located just off 12th Avenue South. They serve pastries and cookies, but the large, beautifully decorated gourmet doughnuts are what people talk about most. It is locally owned and named for the family's five daughters.

Part of the 12 South scene before there was one---and still a favorite with a large, covered street-facing patio and small performance space inside---12 South Taproom has a menu that's surprisingly large with seemingly endless variations of quesadillas (rib-eye!), tacos, salads with vegetarian options, and a kids' menu. Your fellow diners will include families, couples, friends, local college kids, and visitors. Enjoy the walls papered in Hatch Show and other concert posters.

This open yet cozy space, with woven baskets as light fixtures, serves upscale bites influenced by the street food and beach cultures of Southern California, Uruguay, and Brazil. Tacos and rice bowls dominate the menu, as well as fresh-squeezed juice and cocktails.

A comfortable neighborhood hangout (there’s a second location in east Nashville) serving—you guessed it—burgers, as well as soups and salads, Burger Up is popular with all ages, including young families. Beef and other meats are sourced from a local farm and butcher shop; some desserts feature Nashville-made Pied Piper ice cream.

You can’t miss the bright red facade or the window where you can order the signature chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies; sometimes there's a tray of samples at the window. This location opened in the summer of 2018, but the bakery has been around since 1985 and tins of the cookies are familiar and beloved holiday and celebratory gifts.

One of three locations in Nashville, weekend brunch here includes the “Nashville Nasty”—fried chicken served on top of homemade biscuits and covered with sausage gravy. This location has a large patio, and a small cocktail menu that includes the signature Bushwacker.

A family-owned restaurant serving traditional Lebanese and Greek dishes with foodie flair, Epice has a large patio, serves lunch and dinner, and has a popular weekend brunch.

This fun pizza place is where all ages gather for deep-dish pizzas made in an open kitchen. Beyond pizza they serve meatballs, sautéed spinach, and salads, and for dessert, cannoli of course.

A former car wash, Urban Grub is now a sophisticated dining space serving seafood and locally sourced meat that's cured on-site. Outdoor seating offers a view of the oversized fireplace for cooking.