Where to Eat and What to See in Nashville

road trip nashville

As you might already know, Ryan and I took a road trip over my winter break! It was a lot of fun and we got to visit TWO cities that have been high on our bucket lists for some time now. I wrote a post already on our first destination but now it’s time to talk about Nashville!

Let me just preface this post by saying we only had three days here. I realize there’s a ton more to see and do but these were the top things we felt we MUST try while we were in town. I think we ended up seeing and doing a lot while we were in Nashville but we obviously want to come back for a longer trip sometime soon!

East Nashville.

We arrived on Wednesday, January 11th around 3pm. We checked into our Airbnb which was a loft above a couple’s garage. It was way cooler than it sounded. We loved this place! After getting settled we drove around town in our rental car and checked out a few places (more on that coming up) BUT I first need to pitch you Airbnb. We were total skeptics at first but renting spots with Airbnb was such a great experience and we can’t wait to do it again! It really helps you get an authentic feel for the place you are in and it’s much cozier than a hotel!

PS: If you have never tried Airbnb but you want to, now is the perfect time to sign up! When you sign up today you’ll get $40 towards your next trip and I’ll get $20!

The Pharmacy.

Y’all. I’m a burger queen. I love burgers and I eat them more than I probably should. This place had the BEST dang burger I’ve had in a long time. And tater tots. And milkshakes. What could be better than that? We were so glad we checked this place out, it was the perfect spot to go on our first night in Nashville!

The Pharmacy Nashville

John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.

Because it was our first night in the city, we decided we had to check out the skyline from one of the best places, the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. This was one of many recommendations I took from Helene’s blog, and we absolutely loved the view! It was super easy to get to and the bridge itself was really nice. We were up there around 9pm but there were still a lot of people moseying around. It was a really cool bridge and I’d love to come back here during the day/when it’s warmer. It was so windy that night!

nashville skyline

Pinewood Social.

This one was a recommendation from my friend Kristine who had been to Nashville a few months before us! This place was the best. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner AND they have a huge bar inside. They’re open all day long and they have tons of tables and couches where you can sit and be productive! If I lived in Nashville I would probably eat all 3 meals at this place. It was super cool. The best part though was that there was a BOWLING ALLEY inside! Ryan and I played for an hour and it was a blast. We loved the atmosphere and the fact that we could get tipsy and then bowl against each other lol.

pinewood social

Yeast Nashville.

Ryan found this place on his own and we actually ended up going here twice on our trip! They sell these things called kolaches which is like a breaded sausage and cheese baked good but this place had a ton of different varieties. They had a sweet cream cheese one that was incredible and Ryan had a jalapeño sausage one. They were so good and were just the right size to fill you up at breakfast!

yeast nashville

NashTrash tours.

Ryan was looking up a tour for us to do around Nashville and he came across this one. He was super nervous because he thought they were going to pick on him (if you aren’t familiar with the tour it’s run by these two sisters who are more than a little raunchy but it’s super entertaining) however, they did not and we had a good time! I kind of wished the tour taught us more about the actual city but it was still fun!

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken.

This place was high up on Ryan’s list. And when I say “high up” I mean, literally this was the #1 thing he wanted to do in Nashville. He probably would’ve been happy if we just stopped at a hot chicken place and then left (just kidding, but he was super hype about this). I’m not a spicy foods kinda gal so I got the ‘no heat’ southern fried chicken and it was pretty dang good. What stole the show though was the lemonade. I love lemonade and this was some dang good lemonade. Ryan and I really liked Hattie B’s! It’s definitely a must-try in Nashville.

Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Broadway.

Ryan and I loved checking out different bars and listening to live music on Broadway! Even though it was a little chilly, there were still a ton of people out having a great time! We stopped at The Stillery for dinner which was good and their drinks were really cute! Then we walked to Acme Feed & Seed where they had awesome live music playing (they have the same band play every Thursday and they were really good). For some reason I didn’t take any pics there but trust me, it was so cool!

the stillery food

Biscuit Love.

For breakfast on Friday we stopped in at Biscuit Love. If Hattie B’s was 1st on Ryan’s list, this place was second. To quote him, “Biscuits and fried chicken are my favorite foods together. They’re like me and you. So good.”

We were drooling over the bonuts before we even got here! The decor inside was super cute and the food was delicious. You have to try the bonuts so order them no matter what. I’m not crazy about blueberries but I still loved them! There was a pretty long line to get inside so be prepared. We went on a Friday morning and we had to wait about 40 minutes outside the store before we were able to get in line to place an order.

Biscuit Love Nashville

Biscuit Love Nashville

The Gulch + What Lifts You Mural

Ryan and I briefly walked around The Gulch but it was cold and a little rainy so it didn’t last long. One of the top things on MY bucket list for Nashville was to get a pic at this awesome mural. Turns out,  it was right around the corner from Biscuit Love. Score! It also happened to be our 5 year anniversary so I’m really happy we were able to get a cute pic together that day.

The Gulch

The Gulch

Country Music Hall of Fame Museum.

Ryan and I had a good time at the museum too! It had a ton of awesome info about the most popular country music artists of all time. I always love museums and this one was no exception. I loved getting to see cool things like Elvis’ gold Cadillac and Taylor Swift’s sparkly guitar that I’ve been drooling over for years!

country music hall of fame museum

nashville skyline

Nashville Farmer’s Market and Jeni’s Ice Cream.

I heard that Jeni’s was the spot for some delicious ice cream and we weren’t disappointed! There are a few locations around but we chose to go to the once in the farmer’s market so we could check out the market as well. Mostly everything was closed when we went but it was still cool to take a peek inside! Jeni’s was so good and they had really unique flavors!

jeni's splendid ice creams

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant.

Ryan and I went here before our night out at the Opry! We killed a lot of time sitting at the bar and the food was good as well. I wouldn’t say this place is a “must try” but they did have good food!

The Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman.

Ryan and I got to see the Opry play at the Ryman which was really cool! We didn’t know any of the artists but he got us tickets just so we could experience it. We had an awesome time and I would totally recommend that you try to go! As a singer, I have to add that the acoustics in this place are incredible. One of the groups did an a cappella version of the Lord’s Prayer and it was absolutely stunning. Even if you aren’t a country music fan… if you’re a music fan, you need to go!

grand ole opry

That’s a wrap on our trip to Nashville! After visiting for three days we determined that we’d love to live here forever and ever so if that doesn’t tell you that you need to visit I don’t know what will! Have you been to Nashville? What are some things I missed? I’d love to hear your recs!

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23 Comments

  1. mQs
    February 3, 2017 / 1:35 pm

    WOW! I need to visit her. Definitely saving this to my bookmarks for when I travel here.

  2. Marie Ernst
    February 3, 2017 / 2:32 pm

    I have always wanted to visit the South and Nashville is high on my list!! The food looks incredible!

  3. February 3, 2017 / 3:06 pm

    I have been wanting to go to Nashville for awhile now!!! I will be pinning this to keep all these places in mind for when I do go visit!!!

  4. February 3, 2017 / 3:45 pm

    I’m dying to take a trip there and explore! All of your food pictures look so delicious! Saving this post for later!

  5. February 3, 2017 / 4:07 pm

    Wow that food looks amazing!! Very southern, fried and unhealthy lol, but sure does look tasty! I need to go back to Nashville, we didn’t explore enough!

  6. February 3, 2017 / 4:18 pm

    Nashville is on my list of places I wanna go!! alll your photos are so pretty. I just love food lol

  7. February 3, 2017 / 4:42 pm

    I’ve always wanted to visit Nashville! Seems like such a cool city. Since I’m from New England, the culture is definitely different down there and I absolutely must check it out!:)

    http://www.honestlyhannahblog.com

  8. February 3, 2017 / 7:52 pm

    My husband goes to Nashville on business a lot; I am going to forward your post to him. Looks like some amazing places to eat & drink!

  9. February 3, 2017 / 8:59 pm

    I have heard such good things about Hattie B’s. I’ve been to Nashville once but it was for a wedding so I didn’t have as much time to explore as I would’ve liked.

  10. Mary La Fornara
    February 3, 2017 / 10:45 pm

    We go to Nashville every other year so I’m Pinning this guide for our next trip! Thanks.

  11. February 4, 2017 / 1:13 am

    It seems like you had an amazing time! I hope to make it to Nashville later this year. Thanks for the inspo! Pinning this 🙂

  12. February 5, 2017 / 4:13 am

    Oh you did it up! Glad to see you went to a lot of my recs! You guys did Nashville right – love this! Pinning 🙂

  13. Ariana
    February 5, 2017 / 10:33 am

    I love love Nashville!! We didn’t do much in the city really because we were with my dad on a business trip, but we saw the bridge and toured the Opry! Nashville’s food though is A+++++. Best food EVER! I wanna go to Hattie B’s!!

  14. Courtney Drew
    February 6, 2017 / 8:30 am

    I am dying to go to Nashville! It looks like you went to all of the best spots! All of those food places look beyond amazing!

    Courtney

  15. Marilyn Corbin
    May 9, 2017 / 3:45 pm

    Just returned from a conference in Nashville. Went a few days early and followed many of your suggestions. We ate so much good food: Hattie B’s, Biscuit Love, Puckett’s, the Pharmacy, Acme Feed & Seed. Also went to Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. Ryman Auditorium was really interesting. I would highly recommend eating at Loveless. The food at Monell’s was good, but they prefer you eat quickly and hurry to make room for others. We loved the food at Jack’s, others didn’t have as good an experience. Thank you for a great list!

    • May 9, 2017 / 8:48 pm

      So glad you had a great time! The food in Nashville is incredible, I would gain 100 lbs every year if I lived there! Will definitely add your suggestions to our list next time we venture out there 🙂

  16. Megan
    July 18, 2017 / 9:36 pm

    Hey Kayla!
    Loved your thoughts on Nashville! I’m actually looking to go with my Mom and was wondering if there were any places you wouldn’t recommend sitting in the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman? We are both a bit short and so I wanted to make sure we would be able to see the stage 🙂

    • July 19, 2017 / 10:04 am

      The further back you go, especially on the lower level it gets harder to see. It’s bench-style seating so it’s not really elevated much further back. That’s where we sat and although we could hear perfectly, the view wasn’t as great. I didn’t go up to the second level at all so I’m not sure what it’s like there! Hopefully that helps some!

  17. Monica
    March 2, 2018 / 11:30 pm

    Thank you so much for this blog! I definitely pinned it! It was a great resource to use since I am planning for my next weekend getaway! Can’t wait to try all of this food!
    -Monica
    http://www.rattanachronicles.com

    • March 5, 2018 / 10:32 am

      SO much great food in Nashville! I hope you have an amazing time and I’m glad I could help you plan!

  18. Brianna F
    January 8, 2024 / 7:01 am

    Planning a trip to Nashville in March 2024 and I found your blog extremely helpful — thank you! I also HAD to comment because your photo from The Grande Ole Opry appears to be Luke Combs, now one of the biggest country music singers of our time! How cool!

    • Kayla
      Author
      January 29, 2024 / 4:49 pm

      Yes, It was him!!! So cool to have seen him then

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