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15 Unforgettable Steakhouses Around Nashville

Nashville Rooftop Restaurants and Bars That Will Lift Your Spirits

Get Out of Bed for These Brunches in Nashville

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Hattie B’s hot chicken and the nashville skyline
Hattie B’s hot tenders
Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

5 Nashville Tourist Trap Restaurants That Are Actually Good

A handful of spots are worth braving the crowds for, on some (well-timed) occasions

by Kristy Lucero and Delia Jo Ramsey Updated
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Hattie B’s hot tenders
| Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville
by Kristy Lucero and Delia Jo Ramsey Updated
1 comment / new

It can be hard to keep up with the city’s changing culinary landscape, but the variety of new restaurants certainly makes it easier to avoid the influx of tourists which seems to grow exponentially with each Broadway visit. And while it is probably safe to say most Nashville residents are glad to circumvent the groups of pedal taverns and bachelorette parties sprinkled around the city’s busiest areas, these are the tourist hot spots that are worth braving the crowds for (or maybe just saving for Monday when the masses have mostly exited).

Map points are listed geographically and not ranked. Did we miss your favorite spot? Take to the comments and let your voice be heard.

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Loveless Cafe

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On a busy weekend one can easily wait a few hours for a table at Loveless Cafe, which draws in tourists seeking its famed buttery biscuits and country charm. The Loveless has changed quite a bit in recent years, adding a few stores on property to help entertain visitors during long wait times. Pro tip: They’re now on OpenTable during non-peak times, so snatch that table on a Tuesday late lunch and skip the insanity.

8400 TN-100, Nashville, TN 37221
(615) 646-9700
(615) 646-9700
A plate of biscuits with three jams. Loveless Cafe [Official Photo]

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Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Midtown Nashville, TN

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Hot chicken has become a forever Nashville fixture, and Hattie B’s is one of the most popular places to find the fiery fried fowl. Of the three Nashville-area restaurants, the Midtown location is the spot that draws some of the longest lines, but place a to-go order at any locations to save a good deal of time. You can count the jealous glares of line-waiters as a calorie-free appetizer.

112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 678-4794
(615) 678-4794
Hattie B’s Hattie B’s

Monell's Dining and Catering

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Groups from out of town love to frequent Nashville essential Monell’s to experience an authentic Southern meal, but the communal tables, atmosphere, and family-style setting lend to a memorable dining experience that locals also love. Plus, the food is actually very good, which makes the occasional long wait worth it.

2601, 1235 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 248-4747
(615) 248-4747
Yelp / Monell’s

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Biscuit Love Gulch

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Just driving by the line at Biscuit Love in the Gulch used to be enough to trigger a panic attack and a quick swerve of the steering wheel to another direction, far from town. But, now that the restaurant has added two additional locations in Hillsboro Village and in Franklin, the wait is a tad more palatable.

316 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 490-9584
(615) 490-9584
Yelp / Biscuit Love Gulch

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Arnold's Country Kitchen

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Visitors unfamiliar with the concept of a meat-and-three rejoice in the opportunity to experience Arnold’s Country Kitchen for some no-frills southern cooking. Between the tourists and the locals, on any given weekday Arnold’s lunch line can get pretty long, but those who have tasted the mac and cheese, fried chicken, or pecan pie, know it’s worth the wait.

605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 256-4455
(615) 256-4455
Yelp / Arnold’s Country Kitchen

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Loveless Cafe

8400 TN-100, Nashville, TN 37221

On a busy weekend one can easily wait a few hours for a table at Loveless Cafe, which draws in tourists seeking its famed buttery biscuits and country charm. The Loveless has changed quite a bit in recent years, adding a few stores on property to help entertain visitors during long wait times. Pro tip: They’re now on OpenTable during non-peak times, so snatch that table on a Tuesday late lunch and skip the insanity.

8400 TN-100, Nashville, TN 37221
(615) 646-9700
(615) 646-9700
A plate of biscuits with three jams. Loveless Cafe [Official Photo]

Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Midtown Nashville, TN

112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Hot chicken has become a forever Nashville fixture, and Hattie B’s is one of the most popular places to find the fiery fried fowl. Of the three Nashville-area restaurants, the Midtown location is the spot that draws some of the longest lines, but place a to-go order at any locations to save a good deal of time. You can count the jealous glares of line-waiters as a calorie-free appetizer.

112 19th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 678-4794
(615) 678-4794
Hattie B’s Hattie B’s

Monell's Dining and Catering

2601, 1235 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208

Groups from out of town love to frequent Nashville essential Monell’s to experience an authentic Southern meal, but the communal tables, atmosphere, and family-style setting lend to a memorable dining experience that locals also love. Plus, the food is actually very good, which makes the occasional long wait worth it.

2601, 1235 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 248-4747
(615) 248-4747
Yelp / Monell’s

Biscuit Love Gulch

316 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Just driving by the line at Biscuit Love in the Gulch used to be enough to trigger a panic attack and a quick swerve of the steering wheel to another direction, far from town. But, now that the restaurant has added two additional locations in Hillsboro Village and in Franklin, the wait is a tad more palatable.

316 11th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 490-9584
(615) 490-9584
Yelp / Biscuit Love Gulch

Arnold's Country Kitchen

605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Visitors unfamiliar with the concept of a meat-and-three rejoice in the opportunity to experience Arnold’s Country Kitchen for some no-frills southern cooking. Between the tourists and the locals, on any given weekday Arnold’s lunch line can get pretty long, but those who have tasted the mac and cheese, fried chicken, or pecan pie, know it’s worth the wait.

605 8th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 256-4455
(615) 256-4455
Yelp / Arnold’s Country Kitchen

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