The Most Delectable Southern in Nashville

The Southern Steak & Oyster

★★★★☆ 4.1 (2617) • $$$

"Great interior and decor.Service is quick and efficient.The server covered several specials and I'm a shrimp and grits fan. When he said their version of this dish was fish (halibut) and sweet potatoe grits, I was very interested. When he said it was best with the halibut blackened, I was sold!!!The whole entree was delicious! Excellent all around and especially the cook on the fish. Not too much, not too little. Just right"

Monell's Dining & Catering

★★★★★ 4.6 (1995) • $$

"Five stars! What a great experience! AYCE fried chicken meal at Monell's. You enter the landmark building & are seated with 12 people at a communal table. Fried chicken is the main start of this meal. It comes with sides such as cheddar cheese grits, corn grits, bacon, sausage, potatoes, ham, cinnamon rolls, biscuits & white gravy, pancakes, and more! Meals are served with sweet tea, coffee, unsweetened tea. Take a serving and pass to the left!The servers constantly check to see if the table has enough food! You will get your fill and the dishes never run out! Fun meeting people who live locally, across the nation, and even from Canada. Staff are fast and friendly!"

Party Fowl - Nashville

★★★★☆ 4.1 (2079) • $$

"So, this place is excellent, but be warned, I'm a hot food guy, and it's not as hot as I like but It was hot. It was very good, but if you're at all spice averse, order at least one level down from what you think you'll be able to handle. Overall, very good food, good service, cool decor. Don't worry, they have non - hot food, too, so don't let that dissuade you from eating here."

Urban Grub

★★★★☆ 4.2 (1695) • $$$

"Easy to make reservations for a large! Staff was friendly! Valet quick and efficient ! Food was simply delicious! Can't go wrong when you go to Urban Grub."

Husk

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1888) • $$$

"I love this place. I've been to the Charleston and Savannah locations, so naturally I had to come here as well. We came to brunch before driving back home and it did not disappoint. We ordered the biscuits and gravy and the hummingbird cake from the first courses. These were probably the best biscuits and gravy I've ever had. The hummingbird cake was better as a dessert and was delicious. I ordered their breakfast plate and I was blown away. How they transform scrambled eggs and had browns is mind blowing. The flavor explosions were amazing. My husband got the Johnny cakes and they were amazing too, in the middle a delicious sausage patty and egg on top. I love that the menu is always changing based on available ingredients.We will of course be back!"

The Row

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1812) • $$

"Came here for brunch with friends. We were a party of 7 and were seated at a large table with plenty of room for everyone. Nice country music theming and decor like a lot of the places in Nashville. This place is away from the broadway strip though and definitely not as touristy as some of the places over there. The menu is large and definitely southern style cooking. We got the beignets and bacon queso for appetizers and both were great. To drink, I had the Grand Mimosa which was drinkable but I wasn't really a fan. For my entree, I had the French toast which was amazing! It honestly was like eating a dessert. It was huge and I ate the whole thing because it was so good. I also got a side of bacon and it was cooked perfect. My husband got the BBQ hash skillet which he also enjoyed. Service was good. Price was about what you would expect for Nashville, on the pricier side but not unreasonable. I would definitely come here again."

Jack's Bar-B-Que

★★★★☆ 3.8 (1893) • $$

"I'm really at a 3.5 but upped it to 4 because that pork shoulder really is GOOD! The place is right on Broadway in a prime location, but this small/narrow kind of a divey place was just that... a dive.That doesn't take away from the meat's quality and flavor. The usual white bread bun accompanied it, which I didn't eat, I was there for the MEAT!I'd probably opt to go elsewhere in the future, but glad I could try Jack's. It hit the spot at that moment."

417 Union

★★★★☆ 4.2 (1146) • $$

"Good food (breakfast), great country service. Olivia was a delight and full of energy-we waited for nothing. Armed forces are honored throughout the restaurant. One issue is the restaurant is not ADA compliant. If you are in a wheelchair, you're not getting in, stairs as soon as you get through the front double doors."

Butcher & Bee

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1178) • $$

"Sitting in East Nashville on Main Street, Butcher & Bee is pretty unassuming from the exterior. A painted brick building and a box sign is all you get...then you walk in and are immediately transported to a vibey, industrial, new age and uniquely local restaurant that features 1.5 stories of dining space, a bar, open kitchen and great outdoor dining space! This space combined with the amazing cocktails, phenomenal food and great service made for a phenomenal night out! Dinner is served tapas/small plate style, so we opted for a few things off the starters and then one shared plate, and it turned out to be the perfect amount of food. We started with the whipped feta and meatballs. Now if you take one thing from my review, please let it be the whipped feta! It was AMAZING! Meatballs were tender and doused in a curry based sauce that gave them a little kick, so keep the drinks close. For the shared plate we opted for the fried avocado rice with shawarma chicken. It was delightful, but also had a bit of a kick as well! Luckily they seem to know, so they leave you a bottle of water on the table at all times. While the food is certainly enough to bring us back, the open concept, including the kitchen, was such a cool experience. We were lucky enough to belly up to the bar looking into the kitchen and it was really cool to see all the happenings and magic they are creating! Oh, quick tip, make a reservation.Overall, Butcher & Bee has officially made it into the top 10 spots for us in Nashville. Looking forward to coming back many times!"

Nashville Jam Café

★★★★☆ 4.2 (839) • $$

"So, the four of us decided to hit up this spot for brunch today. Everyone went the traditional route and ordered omelettes, but not me--I went rogue with a PB&J chicken biscuit. I asked them to swap the tomato jam for peach habanero, but they gave me plain peach jam instead. Luckily, they fixed it without any drama.The biscuit sandwich? Decent, but no fireworks.Meanwhile, my friends' omelettes were like a game of musical chairs; their orders got all mixed up.The place is tiny inside, and while they have outdoor seating, Mother Nature was throwing a tantrum with rain today.On the bright side, there's plenty of street parking!"

55 South - Franklin

★★★★☆ 4.2 (795) • $$

"We were looking for a dinner spot to catch up friends and stumbled upon this place on a weeknight. The vibe was what we were looking for as it wasn't too loud, but also had a good energy about it. We were sat immediately on the left side of the restaurant, which is the side that does not have a bar. The menu was on your table under the glass so there was nothing to hold, and it was simple to understand.Our server was with us quickly and was good about giving us time to chat as we were slow ordering. Once ordered though, the food came out quickly. we started with the deviled eggs, which were great! The pickle was a nice touch. For my entree, I had the jambalaya and it was also good. The temperature was a bit on the cool side, but the ingredients were top notch and it had a nice kick to it. There is another location in Brentwood."

Prince's Hot Chicken South

★★★★☆ 3.8 (917) • $$

"We came around lunch time, it took about 20 minutes for our chicken pieces to come out. The chicken was oily but flavorful. The quarter breast was decent size."

City House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (821) • $$

"Wonderful place!! Food is delicious and the service excellent. Laid back vibe - can't wait to go back. Recommend reservation. Limited parking. We ubered"

Biscuit Love: Hillsboro Village

★★★★☆ 4.1 (741) • $$

"Let me start by saying this place has a cute interior! Also, the customer service was great! We ordered the shrimp and grits not knowing bacon came on it, and my husband is pescatarian so I asked to order one without it and was happy to pay for it but they told me not to worry and made us a new one, free of charge. The biscuits are amazing but the bonuts were my all time favorite! The lemon marscapone was the perfect compliment. We really enjoyed it here and I am glad I had the chance to go while we were in Nashville visiting."

Big Al's Deli

★★★★★ 4.8 (508) • $

"11/18/23: The reason I had to walk across a highway after breakfast.BIg Al and Miss Andrea are so personable and welcoming. He is at the grill cooking up deliciousness. She takes the orders and handles the flow of customers.My travel buddy suggested this spot I'm not a big fan of "regular breakfast items, eggs, pancakes etc so when I saw the menu had alternate items such as Porkchops and shrimps and grits I quickly called. Big Al himself picked up and stated he had one more and do I want him to hold it. Heck yes was my response.Upon arrival he asked were you the one that called I said yes he replied you look as you sound New York...lol.Folks please note it is a small establishment in the event you need to wait it will have to be outside. Once it was our turn we ordered the Porkchops...folks the "one pork chop" he saved was 3 huge pieces. It came with potatoes, eggs, and a biscuit.We also ordered the shrimp and grits with crab, biscuits with sausage gravy and cinnamon roll.Portions were huge although we shared we still each had leftovers to take.The sausage gravy for the biscuits had chunks of sausage, it was well seasoned and spicy we have like 4 biscuits.As our hotel was not far about a 10 minute walk we decided to walk instead of calling for the hotel shuttle that dropped us off.When in Nashville this a MUST but plan accordingly as its first come first serve. It's basically similar to mom and pop establishment so do not look for fine dining the cups plates etc mismatch which I think adds to the character.So happy we partaked and happy to say we dined at Big Al's."

Party Fowl - Donelson

★★★★☆ 3.9 (702) • $$

"Came here with a large party for dinner on Saturday night, had no issues getting seated right away. Our server was new & she did an amazing job taking care of us. I tried the deconstructed salad w/ mild chicken and it was a huge portion, full of flavor, and really tasty. Private parking lot."

Red Pony

★★★★☆ 4.3 (576) • $$$

Nashville Biscuit House

★★★★☆ 4 (628)

"I am feeling the need to rank this 5 star other than it being an icon and having good value, quality, and flavor. Okay, perhaps that is enough. Roll that beautiful bean footage.Happened to be on this side of town to pick up a game my son-in-law won at the Nashville Game Day and driving back said to myself "myself, you have never frequented this lovely restaurant that looks like a dive". Suggesting insanity, I answered, "self, you are right, let's go". At least that is the version when they make a Hollywood movie out of my life.Place looks like a dive on the outside (see picture). Signage is faded. Some broken parts. WIth the right lighting, it could be a horror film? Probably not, but went in and surprise ... still looks like a dive. Oh, this is gonna be great (can you tell I love the experience as much as I love food). Drawing on the white board shows a cow pissed a chicken for eating his brother and a chicken pissed off at a cow for eating her children (see picture). Got in and a 45 minute wait. People behind me also grabbed a brew at Tailgate during the wait and were only there about 15-20, so they are conservative on wait times. Bonus points! Said 20 mintues for my to go, actually took 10. No bonus points, as I could have used a bit more time, but I never told them, so we are still friends (unlike the cow and the chicken?).I had a Denver omelet, as I was too lazy to read through the menu, with hash browns and a biscuit (this is the biscuit house. Duh!) I guess technically home fries? (see picture) Anyway, got a chance to eat them at a beer bar sans food down the road and it was like magical unicorns cooked my food. No, seriously more like a typical diner, although I do give them additional props for the biscuit which was moist and crumbly inside with a nicely baked outside (hey, they are the biscuit house, right?). Loveless used to be the bomb in town prior to the biscuit lady passing on (R.I.P.).Yes, I am in a mood today, but the thing you should get (besides the insane story telling) is I sincerely love this place. Diner that understands how to cook eggs without being greasy, nicely cooked home fries, and good biscuits (Biscuit House, get it?). Foodwise, probably more of a 3 or 4 (average to above average). Experiencewise, a solid 5. What I saw of the service (and experienced with a togo) is a thumbs up. In summary: Great combination of home cooked type of Southern food with some nicely done biscuits.EDIT: Friends asked "why didn't you get the biscuits and gravy" and I thought "yep, that was really stupid, wasn't it?" Will have to rectify that in the future as I will be back. Oh, and why are the cow and chicken sitting at the same table anyway? So rude!"

Biscuit Love - Franklin

★★★★☆ 4 (609) • $$

"Of course breakfast in Nashville means biscuits and Biscuit Love is one of the best spots! We've previously dined at Biscuit Love in The Gulch, but this Franklin location is amazing! Built in an older home in downtown, the place is beautiful. Same as in the other spot, you get in line and place your order. You're assigned a table and the food is delivered to you. We started out with "bonuts". These are like the best munchkins you could dream of! Little donuts with mascarpone and blueberry jam were the star of the show. We ordered the breakfast egg dish which was served with bacon, cheese grits, and a biscuit. Everything was delicious but the biscuit with jam makes the dish. Easy street parking and friendly service made this a breakfast to remember!"

Midtown Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (490) • $$

"Nice restaurant downtown. They have valet parking because it is literally impossible to find a park anywhere. The nachos were okay and the French kiss was nice and strong. The meatloaf was okay along with the mashed potato's. Customer service was nice. I hope you enjoy."

Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish

★★★★☆ 3.6 (697)

"A small hole in the wall spot, this place really surprised me. I got a fish sando and chicken and it was good, This place imo had the hottest seasoning on their chicken compared to the other well know spots in Nashville. The parking here is easy and a decent amount of seating. The set up here is real simple, counter to order and pick up. They do take card which is nice. The fish sando was crispy and well cooked. The chicken was hott and well spiced."

Jacks Bar-B-Que

★★★★☆ 4 (420) • $$

"Jack's Bar-B-Que is a great option for barbecue if you are on this side of Nashville, Tennessee. The place has a great ambiance and vibe for a barbecue restaurant. You know the type, kind of a hole-in-the-wall type place with an eclectic mix of bric-a-brac adorning the walls and they have the prerequisite pig statue.The ordering process is pretty simple. You go.up to the counter and order your meal, they fill your plate, you pay and either take it to-go or sit at a table and enjoy the feast.I went with the pulled pork dinner and for my two sides, I went with turnip greens and potato salad. I also went with Texas toast. I also went over and tried quite a few of their barbecue sauces. They have a table with their sauces available. The pork was fantastic and the sides were pretty good, as well. The staff was friendly and again, the ambiance was definitely enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Jack's Bar-B-Que and I give it five stars."

Bishop's Meat and Three

★★★★☆ 4 (324) • $$

"While I landed at 4 stars, my true rating would be 3.5, and here is why...Nostalgic southern spot in Franklin next to the Chick-Fil-A. I really wanted to love this spot, as a Meat & 3 speaks to my soul...however, I was underwhelmed here. I popped in for lunch and ordered the Fried Catfish with fried okra, mac n cheese, and rice casserole. What struck me initially was the portion size - only one piece of catfish, which was below average in size. While the sides were decently portioned, the main dish left a bit to be desired.The catfish and okra were disappointingly dry and chewy, lacking the crispiness and tenderness that I look for in fried southern classics. The mac n cheese was sadly watery and thin, however the chicken, broccoli and rice casserole was solid, and of course the sweet tea was sweet! Service was stellar, as you would expect at a southern joint.While my first go was a bit underwhelming, I am comitted to stopping back by for another round of meats and veggies...as I don't give up on a good southern spot so easily!"

NashHouse Southern Spoon and Saloon

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (438) • $$

"Had a good time and a great meal at the NSS&S. Nice menu and decent, reasonable, prices too. The deviled eggs, each with a different topping, was eggsellent!!The maple bourbon salmon was moist and flavorful. The Smashburgers were true Smashburgers!! Juicy, crusty, and packed with flavor. Almost the best Smashburger I've had."

Red's Hot Chicken

★★★★★ 4.7 (197) • $$

"As I've been saying in most of my reviews from my Nashville trip so far, on the whole, I had so many great meals there... but of course, I had to go for some Nashville Hot Chicken, and this place near Vanderbilt's campus came highly recommended. I am happy to say, it was phenomenal!Red's is quite simply a roadside chicken shack. They have a small outdoor covered eating area with counter seating around the edges, everything is served take-out style no matter where you plan to eat it. There is a bar next door that they'll bring your food to, but I didn't explore that, it was a fairly nice day to just eat right out front.I approached the window and my order was promptly taken, no non-sense, no fuss, they're just interested in getting you great chicken made fresh. This IS NOT fast food, and they express that on their sign, but regardless, I waited just 15 minutes for piping hot, made to order, hot chicken. I went with the Hot Chicken Plate with the 3 jumbo tenders, as they were currently out of thighs due to a power outage that spoiled their last supply. That mattered exactly not at all, because the tenders were enormous, juicy, and very filling with a perfect level of spice. I went medium to gauge, and it was just right for me. Flavorful, good heat, not excruciating. The plate came with two sides, I opted for their pimento mac n cheese and cole slaw. The mac was exceptional, really nice sharp cheddar flavor, very creamy. The cole slaw was refreshing and cool, not too mayo heavy, and provided a nice switch to the hot chicken. I also got some great ranch for dipping. It also came with a couple slices of white bread, as is tradition, for mopping up sauce and making little bite size sammies.All told, I could not recommend this place more. I love a place that just cuts to the chase with great food, and Red's is exactly that. I'm sure there is lots of excellent hot chicken available around Nashville, but this should be one of your choices!"

55 South

★★★★☆ 4 (257)

Blue Moon Waterfront Grille

★★★★☆ 3.5 (251) • $$

"This is the perfect spot when the weather is nice. Go sit on their large patio, watch the sun set and drink a bushwacker. You can watch as ducks fly over, boats come in for the night and watch planes taking off or landing nearby at John C Tune Airport. It's very peaceful here. Families and date nights alike- this is a good spot for you. If you're looking for a healthy menu, they do have a few options, but we did not try those. The Goods:- free parking in the large lot at the marina- service was excellent. Our server was very attentive. - food was freshly made to order but came out extremely fast - food was really tasty! - Bushwacker (icy chocolatey boozy drink) for the winHere's what we ordered:- Fried cheese curds - we got them "plain" which means they weren't dipped in buffalo sauce. A side of ranch and also marinara are provided and let me tell you- this dish was a delight. So good!- Mahi Mahi Tacos- yum! This dish comes with 2 tacos (you can add a third for $6) and some delicious sauce made with ranch. Also a side that's mixed with black beans & yellow rice. All very good. - French Fries - so crispy with a hint of seasoning and a lot of salt. Just how I like them!- Fried Coconut Shrimp - didn't love that sauce they come with but the shrimp were SO GOOD! The Not So Goods:- You do have to take a ramp from the parking lot to get to the restaurant. I'm not handicap, but I would imagine this ramp might be a little difficult for someone who is. - They don't allow pets on the patio so keep your furry friends at home. I'd love to bring my dog but this isn't a reason to keep me away. - take a jacket or sweatshirt if you sit by the water. It can get chilly. Love that this place is within walking distance in my neighborhood. We will be back!"

Barbara's Home Cookin

★★★★☆ 4.2 (155) • $

Wendell Smith's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (170) • $

"I always love a basic diner style restaurant. You can't go wrong with the no frills of Wendell Smith's. We went for a late breakfast. My wife had a starchy meal. Eggs with grits, potatoes and biscuits. Everything was excellent I had perfectly cooked eggs and the potatoes were very good, definitely get the onions on the potatoes If you are looking for trendy, this is not it If you are looking for good basic food with nice people, try this. I don't think you will be disappointed."

Sweet P's Southern Style

★★★★☆ 3.7 (122) • $

TENN

★★★★☆ 4 (92) • $$

"TENN located in the Hyatt hotel which is walking distance from all downtown hotels. Love that this is a brunch spot so my husband and I decided to check it out. We walked over and waited for a good amount of time before we were acknowledged to get a seat. I was surprised since a handful of employees walked by us. We finally got seated and it took awhile for a server to come and greet us. Once we were greeted, we got our waters, ordered coffee, and food. There was a wait for our coffee. We were right by the coffee bar so I watched when our order would be up. The baristas were hanging out so I figured our waitress didn't put in our order yet. Once we saw our waitress hanging out she noticed we didn't have our coffees and started making them. Not sure why the service was so slow all around except with the food. Overall, everyone was really nice but didn't understand the lack of acknowledgment and slower service when the restaurant wasn't busy. For brunch, my husband ordered the loaded bowl with steak. It was great! Steak was cooked medium and came out just right. The bowl was topped with a paprika aioli. Diner vibes. Loved the colors. Would come back for the food but not the service."

Jay's Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (100) • $

"Jay's Family Restaurant is a great option for a meal. I stopped in here for breakfast and not only was the food very good and fairly priced, but the service was also personable and professional.Jay's Family Restaurant has an ambiance like many other down-home southern casual restaurants. It is comfortable and inviting. As I said, Jay's Family Restaurant is a great option for breakfast. I met a client here for a breakfast meeting and it was definitely a great choice. I would definitely recommend here."

Our Place Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (94) • $

"Amazing country cookin!!! Jalapeño cornbread is the bomb! Friendly staff. Simple. Fair prices."

Country Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (63)

"I am sure that the homemade fluffy large biscuits are the best in Tennessee and maybe the US! I also know that their from scratch gravy tastes just like mine and it's the best I have EVER eaten in a restaurant!! This gem is worth driving to for the biscuits and gravy alone!!"

Bailey & Cato's

★★★★☆ 3.6 (91) • $

"This place is straight fire!!!! The lady at the hotel recommended we check this place out and I'm glad we did. This was one of the best meals I've had in a long time and we will definitely be back again. Oh yeah and make sure you get the ribs"