12 Best Places To Eat In Nashville, tennessee

The Horn

The Horn was one of the first cafes I tried in Nashville, and it’s been a favorite ever since. The lines are wildly long these days, thanks to their house take on the TikTok viral Dubai chocolate bars. Don’t worry, the queue moves quickly, and The Horn still has all the charm of a family-run operation. You’ll see the whole Sayid family – fathers and mothers and brothers – taking orders, flitting in and out of the busy kitchen, rapidly restocking the fried-pastry case. Hassan Rasul Sayid and his sons, Ahmed and Zakariya, were slotted into Nashville in the mid-1990s, displaced by the Somali Civil War [source]. They’re refugees who introduced Music City to the best kind of chai (Somali chai) by opening a little shop on 619 Murfreesboro Pike in 2014. The Horn’s chai is sweet and soaked in warming spices. And yes, the sambusas, seasoned stuffings sealed in triangular pockets (ground beef and American-style cheesy breakfast are my go-tos), pair perfectly with hot tea. 

Guerilla Bizkits

Only one place in Nashville satisfies my biscuit craving: a tiny, takeout-only shop in the Fatherland District. Guerilla Bizkits’ name riffs off Gorilla Biscuits, a late ’80s straight-edge hardcore punk rock band. So unsurprisingly, Guerilla Bizkits is a nostalgia blast, hardcore and spunky, loudly (and proudly) inclusive, and community-centric. The bizkits are all entirely vegan, down to the butter. Go for The Blackout, a gratifyingly creative upheaval to a homestyle biscuit, with tart, dried cherries and zingy jalapeños that kick back in the throat. 

Pinewood Social

Pinewood is where locals, who don’t want to feel overwhelmed by tourists, take tourists who want to feel surrounded by locals. Here’s why: Pinewood understands third places. It’s a hangout at heart, a cool concept that’s vibey, atmospheric, hard to distill, and odder to pitch. Picture a day menu and soft, spritzy drinks in an old building retrofitted with a copper bar, wood-laned bowling alley, comfy living room, loungy patio pools, and a mini Crema coffee counter. The mood is as casual or clubby as you want. You can grab a latte and read a book in the living room (my go-to), co-work at a communal table, or make reservations for a full-serviced (group-friendly) brunch.    

Kisser

Then, there’s Kisser, Leina Horii and Brian Lea’s comforting take on kissatens, retro Japanese neighborhood cafes that serve yōshoku. On weekends, almost everyone in Nashville seems to be vying for a seat (if you plan on grabbing lunch here, walk in at least an hour before closing). Order the chicken katsu sandwiched between house-baked shokupan (mild, sweet milk bread with a whisper of crust). 

Go for a quarter chicken (it’s soft and tender under crackly-crisp skin). Don’t order the hottest level (unless armed with antacids), but choose a heat point that tingles (a little). And get sweet tea on the side (you can thank me later). 

Bangkok-born Jay Jenratha started Degthai as a street food truck. It’s now a standalone building on Nolensville Pike. The menu is tight, but every item is the kind you can order on repeat: a nest of Pad Thai, thick Red Curry, and sizzling Kra Prao Moo Kai Dao that satisfyingly see-saws between salty and spicy.

The Cupcake Collection

In a little house in Germantown, past a wooden porch and doorway, is Nashville’s sweetest little cupcake shop. The Cupcake Collection is owned by Mignon Francois, a local legend best known for flipping five bucks into a full-fledged cupcake empire. She’s written a memoir and opened a new location in Lenox Village. Her cupcakes are worth the hype, from the cinnamon-dusted sweet potato cupcakes to the boozy, champagne-imbued strawberry cupcakes (my personal favorite). 

Brightside Bakeshop

Brightside grew out of Andrea Borchers’ home kitchen [source]. Her first bakes were made with simple, classic tools. Soon, her pastries became a Richland Park Farmers Market Saturday staple. Over the years, Brightside has bloomed and bloomed and is now a full-time operation. Go early to see the bakery case at its fullest. The churro croissants and cinnarolls are big and beautiful and charmingly aligned behind upright labels. They disappear quickly, as lines form fast (luckily, you can pre-order the day before). 

Cafe Intermezzo

A short walk from The Schermerhorn is Cafe Intermezzo, a date night dessert spot inspired by Central European Konditoreien (pastry shops). Go on an autumn (or winter) evening, to cozy up with a thick hot chocolate and decadent slice of cheesecake.

Edessa

If you’ve never tried Kurdish food, Nashville is one of the best places in the US to try it. The first Kurdish immigrants arrived in Nashville in 1976, and the city is now home to the largest Kurdish population in North America. Edessa spotlights Kurdish cuisine. Imagine large-portioned, meat-forward meals laced with spices. Stews are fragrant, lamb is tenderized, and tomatoes are softened. If you’re looking for a hearty dinner in Nashville, Edessa is always a good choice.  

Epice

The interior of Epice is gray: gray (concrete) walls, gray (stone) accents, gray (marbled) tabletops. It’s the kind of color that would be uninviting in most other places, but at Epice, gray feels easygoing. Gray offers a straightforward, supporting character simplicity to a Lebanese bistro menu that leans heavily into competing flavors. Start with the Al Raheb, and follow up with any dish that hints at lamb. 

Every course (and there are eight to ten courses) is explained within two(ish) hours. You eat and listen and talk. Nashville is a city of storytellers, and Tailor weaves the best stories yet.