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Where to Find Non-Chain Drive-Thru Food in Nashville

Drive-thru windows allow alternate options for burgers, tacos, and falafel around town

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There’s no denying the convenience of a good old-fashioned drive-thru. It’s true that most of the city’s drive-thrus are highly mediocre chains, but there are also a number of locally born favorites that serve top-notch eats that don’t even require getting out the car.

Here are 11 restaurants in Nashville with drive-thru options, from shiny new burger joints to donuts, fried fish sandwiches, and tacos. For list inclusion purposes, this list is focused on non (mega) chain restaurants and those only based in Tennessee.

Is your favorite Nashville drive-thru missing from this map? Shout it out in the comments.

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California Tacos Taqueria

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Many in Hendersonville are privy to the aptly named California-Mex-style drive thru stand (formerly a Fat Mo’s) on West Main Street. It’s popular for its tacos, carne asada burritos, mulitos, and Cali fries. There are a few tables for outdoor dining, but no indoor seating here.

California Tacos/Facebook

The Nashville Biscuit House

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Some of the butteriest, most melt-in-your-mouth biscuits around are available in drive-thru form at Nashville Biscuit House. This family-owned restaurant is open every day but Wednesday for breakfast and lunch, but serves breakfast all day long.

King Solomon's Gyros

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The drive-thru only stand on Gallatin in East Nashville gives passersby the option of flavorful falafel and gyros in to-go form. King Solomon Gyros has two drive thru windows for added convenience, plus they take call-ahead orders and are also available on Postmates, Grubhub, and Doordash for delivery. 

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Donut Distillery

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One of few sweets-focused spots with a drive thru option around town, Donut Distillery serves a selection of mini doughnuts in flavors like whiskey-glazed, maple, and rose chantilly cream. They also offer coffee, craft beer, wine, and doughnut milkshakes to wash the mini doughnuts down with.

Donut Distillery/Facebook

Ed's Fish & Pizza House

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The steering wheel-sized whiting sandwiches are the star of the show in the cash-only, drive-thru spot in North Nashville. The sandwiches come topped with onion, hot sauce, and mustard here, but many also choose to add cheese. Catfish is another popular option here — as are the multiple flavors of fruit tea.

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Whitt's Barbecue

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The Nashville based mini barbecue chain opened its first location on Antioch Pike in 1978 — and now there are over 20 throughout Tennessee. The slow smoked barbecue joint gives drive thru diners something other than typical burgers and tacos to grab on the go.

TJ's BarBQ And Fish

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The cash only, drive thru only spot near TSU is best known for its cornmeal-battered whiting sandwiches and catfish sandwiches that come loaded with pickles, onions, mustard and hot sauce. Other meat options include pulled pork, wings, and ribs plus sides like fried okra and spaghetti. For dessert? Just one choice here — a solid Southern standard — peach cobbler.

Hugh-Baby's

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The original Hugh Baby’s on Charlotte provides a drive-thru option for Pat Martin’s fast food menu of crispy chicken sandwiches, burgers, and chili cheese fries. Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint opened the first location of Hugh-Baby’s in August of 2017, with beef ground in-house daily, and touting no freezers or microwaves.

crispy fried chicken, pickles, sauce on a fried chicken sandwich Hugh Baby’s / Official Photo

Taqueria Don Carbon Express

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People rave about the SoCal-style pastor, asada, and barbacoa tacos at the walk-up or drive-thru White Bridge road establishment. There are a few picnic tables for outdoor seating.

Fat Mo's

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Iranian immigrant Mohammad “Mo” Karimy and his wife Shiva opened up the first of several Nashville-area drive-thru-only hamburger joints on Franklin Pike in 1991. Since then, it’s become a local takeout go-to for its cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, and even veggie burgers. Save room for spicy fries and soft serve milkshakes.

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Carniceria Y Taqueria Don Juan

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At drive-thru-only Don Juan, the menu is written on the side of the building, and their tacos, at $1.25 a pop, are hard to beat. Among the choices are carne asada, al pastor, chicharron, and lengua.

Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

California Tacos Taqueria

Many in Hendersonville are privy to the aptly named California-Mex-style drive thru stand (formerly a Fat Mo’s) on West Main Street. It’s popular for its tacos, carne asada burritos, mulitos, and Cali fries. There are a few tables for outdoor dining, but no indoor seating here.

California Tacos/Facebook

The Nashville Biscuit House

Some of the butteriest, most melt-in-your-mouth biscuits around are available in drive-thru form at Nashville Biscuit House. This family-owned restaurant is open every day but Wednesday for breakfast and lunch, but serves breakfast all day long.

King Solomon's Gyros

The drive-thru only stand on Gallatin in East Nashville gives passersby the option of flavorful falafel and gyros in to-go form. King Solomon Gyros has two drive thru windows for added convenience, plus they take call-ahead orders and are also available on Postmates, Grubhub, and Doordash for delivery. 

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Donut Distillery

One of few sweets-focused spots with a drive thru option around town, Donut Distillery serves a selection of mini doughnuts in flavors like whiskey-glazed, maple, and rose chantilly cream. They also offer coffee, craft beer, wine, and doughnut milkshakes to wash the mini doughnuts down with.

Donut Distillery/Facebook

Ed's Fish & Pizza House

The steering wheel-sized whiting sandwiches are the star of the show in the cash-only, drive-thru spot in North Nashville. The sandwiches come topped with onion, hot sauce, and mustard here, but many also choose to add cheese. Catfish is another popular option here — as are the multiple flavors of fruit tea.

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Whitt's Barbecue

The Nashville based mini barbecue chain opened its first location on Antioch Pike in 1978 — and now there are over 20 throughout Tennessee. The slow smoked barbecue joint gives drive thru diners something other than typical burgers and tacos to grab on the go.

TJ's BarBQ And Fish

The cash only, drive thru only spot near TSU is best known for its cornmeal-battered whiting sandwiches and catfish sandwiches that come loaded with pickles, onions, mustard and hot sauce. Other meat options include pulled pork, wings, and ribs plus sides like fried okra and spaghetti. For dessert? Just one choice here — a solid Southern standard — peach cobbler.

Hugh-Baby's

The original Hugh Baby’s on Charlotte provides a drive-thru option for Pat Martin’s fast food menu of crispy chicken sandwiches, burgers, and chili cheese fries. Pat Martin of Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint opened the first location of Hugh-Baby’s in August of 2017, with beef ground in-house daily, and touting no freezers or microwaves.

crispy fried chicken, pickles, sauce on a fried chicken sandwich Hugh Baby’s / Official Photo

Taqueria Don Carbon Express

People rave about the SoCal-style pastor, asada, and barbacoa tacos at the walk-up or drive-thru White Bridge road establishment. There are a few picnic tables for outdoor seating.

Fat Mo's

Iranian immigrant Mohammad “Mo” Karimy and his wife Shiva opened up the first of several Nashville-area drive-thru-only hamburger joints on Franklin Pike in 1991. Since then, it’s become a local takeout go-to for its cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, and even veggie burgers. Save room for spicy fries and soft serve milkshakes.

Delia Jo Ramsey/Eater Nashville

Carniceria Y Taqueria Don Juan

At drive-thru-only Don Juan, the menu is written on the side of the building, and their tacos, at $1.25 a pop, are hard to beat. Among the choices are carne asada, al pastor, chicharron, and lengua.

Delia Jo Ramsey / Eater Nashville

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