20 Best Restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee

Fresh, open, airy, and never too buttoned-up, Adele's is a favorite for business lunches and date-night dinners alike. This high-end Southern eatery was an early part of the neighborhood's revitalization, and James Beard–winning chef Jonathan Waxman continues to dazzle with his accessible but polished cuisine.

Tucked away in nearby Salemtown is Big Al's Deli, a neighborhood deli in every sense of the word. Owner Alfonso Hamilton serves home-cooked Southern food out of an otherwise nondescript converted house, making for a dining experience that feels like you're right at home. Seating is limited inside but the food, especially the breakfast, is well worth the wait.

James Beard Award–winning chef Tandy Wilson has built a Nashville institution with City House, one of the first restaurants to take hold in Germantown. The menu changes seasonally but always features thoughtful salads, unusually delicious pizzas, and creative protein options, most of which lean heavily on pork. Visitors on Sunday are treated to the special Sunday Supper menu, which changes each week.

Edley’s offers a delicious taste of Southern cooking in the classic meat-and-three tradition, and their sides are just as delicious as their melt-in-your-mouth meats. Make sure to try their brisket before it sells out for the day in either taco, sandwich, or platter form, and enjoy a craft beer or a signature spiked milk shake called a Bushwacker for refreshment.

Southern charm abounds in both decor and flavors at Husk, located in a converted historic home. With seasonal ingredients sourced from in and around Tennessee, the menu at this must-try restaurant staple (with other locations in Charleston and Savannah) is elevated and dynamic.

Most Nashville hot chicken joints are smaller grab-and-go affairs, but this spacious sports bar provides table service and full bar. Heat levels on these hot chicken dishes—you can find everything from nachos and tacos to salads—range from mild to the scary spicy "Poultrygeist."

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.

Nashville is known for its meat-and-three-style restaurants, and Swett's is one of its most famous; past patrons run the gamut from presidents to pop stars, and everyone in between. If you’re looking for Southern staples like collard greens, baked macaroni-and-cheese, and entrées that range from fried catfish to barbecued ribs, this is the place to be—you might even find the owner out in the dining room with a group of friends, enjoying his meal as much as you will.

You wouldn’t guess from its understated, antique-looking exterior that the restaurant opens up into a bit of an antebellum relic on the inside. This restaurant envelopes you in rich woodwork common in old Southern homes, featuring fireplaces original to the building, white tablecloths, waiters in white coats, and chandeliers, while also serving traditional Southern cuisine.

What started as a beloved Airstream food truck is now a brick-and-mortar staple in the neighborhood that's hailed for its daily scratch-made Southern-style biscuits. There are nine different biscuit sandwiches to choose from, made with a variety of meats, gravies, and toppings, but there are plenty of tempting "Without a Biscuit" options like the surprisingly tasty egg-topped Lindstrom made with shaved brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, and shredded Parmesan.

What goes better with buttermilk biscuits than a historical Queen Anne Victorian home? This one, affectionately known as the Corn House (after the Corn family who lived there from 1920 to 1980), is home to some of the best Southern brunch around, from the traditional (biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of cheese grits) to the unconventional (a biscuit burger with pimento cheese and tomato jam).

One of the early restaurants to open in the now-bustling Germantown neighborhood was Germantown Café. Now a pillar of the neighborhood, the popular dining spot serves inventive takes on an eclectic Southern menu, serving up meals for lunch, dinner, and brunch (on the weekends). Don't miss the bar's happy hour, either, as it's one of the city's most generous.

Before Gray’s signature neon sign signaled innovative cocktails and comfort food, it was the sign for the pharmacy that occupied that space for 72 years. When Gray’s the restaurant moved into the building in 2012, they kept all the discarded memorabilia from the pharmacy and decorated the place with handwritten prescriptions and vintage pill bottles.

One of three Nashville Hattie B’s locations, the Melrose Hattie B’s provides the hot chicken hookup often with less of a line. Enjoy hot chicken of varying heat levels, wash it down with a sweet tea or craft brew, and finish off your meal with a delicious Southern-inspired side or two.

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.

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.

Much of the dining in Germantown is high-end and experimental, making longtime local favorite Monell's Dining and Catering a welcome dose of Southern comfort food, all served family-style. Visit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner to fill up on Southern favorites like skillet-fried chicken and home-style meatloaf. Just be sure to save room for dessert.

If SunDrop and fried chicken set your heart aflutter, this Southern grocery store/restaurant combo is not to be missed. The cherrywood smoker out back churns out piles of pork, chicken, and brisket every day, and you can buy their signature barbecue rub and sauce at the register. On your way out, after you’ve polished off a slice of fruit cobbler with homemade ice cream, shop the produce section for local eggs, milk, and greens. There’s live music every night of the week except Sunday.

This sophisticated eatery serves innovative Southern cuisine in an upscale environment, for a dining experience that’s elegant without compromising on fun. The menu changes six times a year to keep up with the freshest ingredients, and their award-winning wine menu shouldn’t be overlooked; there’s bar seating on both the first and second floors, but for a table, a reservation is your best bet.

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.