Disclaimer: This post created after a press trip hosted by Visit Music Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. All opinions and photos are mine.
Nashville’s live music scene is the city’s number one draw for tourists, but the city’s restaurant and cocktail culture is a close second.
A food-obsessed traveler, I was delighted to visit a couple of the city’s newest eateries and cocktail bars, where Nashvillians celebrate their weekend with southern classic fare in good company.
With over 200 new restaurants opening in the last two years, finding an up-and-coming restaurant to enjoy is easy. But if you want to dine like a local, refer to my pocket guide of must-visit restaurants when visiting Music City.
I recommend checking ahead to see if you should make a reservation at most restaurants.
LUNCH OR DINNER DESTINATIONS
PEG LEG PORKER
Indulge in real-deal barbecue at Peg Leg Porker (903 Gleaves Street), where ribs are the most requested menu item. Owners Carey and Delaniah Bringle decided to open the restaurant in 2013 after running a successful catering business.
Their award-winning barbecue is served with southern hospitality, and if you’re lucky, Carey might swing by your table for a casual chat during the meal. Menu favorites include heaping BBQ Nachos, Memphis Sushi, and Dry Rubbed Ribs, but opt for the shareable Combo Platter when in doubt.
PRO TIP: Leave room for banana pudding or a drool-worthy fried pie fresh from the oven. View Peg Leg Porker’s Instagram to see what to expect.
MIMO AT FOUR SEASONS NASHVILLE
If you’re seeking a fine-dining, chef-prepared meal in the ambiance of a luxury hotel, reserve a table at Mimo (100 Demonbreun Street).
The Four Seasons Nashville restaurant serves meals all day, and it’s known for a rave-worthy Sunday Brunch menu, including live stations and a special beverage selection.
The food was exceptionally prepared and presented during our group’s family-style private dinner service. The Pre-Show Dinner menu, served from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., features Italian-inspired dishes.
PRO TIP: You do not have to be a hotel guest to dine at Mimo or imbibe at its bar, which serves local beers, wine, and creative cocktails. View Mimo’s Instagram to preview what you can expect.
JANE’S HIDEAWAY
Jane’s Hideaway (407 Gallatin Avenue) is an elevated honky tonk, where Southern classic food is served alongside a spirit-based cocktail menu in east Nashville. Known for their live music shows after 8:00 p.m., the “bluegrass supper club” welcomes guests at 5:00 p.m.
I joined others, tapping our feet to the sounds of live bluegrass music while indulging in various shareable appetizers. Skillet cornbread, deviled eggs, and crispy Brussels sprouts satisfied. The sandwiches, with a side salad, are a creative twist on burgers and chicken sandwiches.
PRO TIP: Arrive at 5:00 p.m. to enjoy weekly Happy Hour cocktail menu specials, beer discounts, and $5 snacks. View Jane’s Hideaway Instagram to see what you can expect.
SCOREBOARD BAR & GRILL
Do you plan to attend at show at country music’s biggest stage, The Grand Ole Opry? Pre-game at nearby Scoreboard Bar & Grill (2408 Music Valley Drive). Bite into hot Nashville chicken while listening to the sounds of local bands from an open-air patio setting.
The menu features Southern comfort classics ranging from barbecue meals, oysters, sandwiches, and steaks. Sit back with a deck drink or ice-cold beer as the sun sets. Hot chicken seasoning ranges from Sissy (perfect for me!) to Hiroshima levels, thanks to added cayenne paste.
PRO TIP: The deck gets crowded, especially on show nights at The Opry. It stays open until 3:00 a.m. Monday-Friday for post-show celebrations. View Scoreboard Bar & Grill’s Instagram to see what you can expect.
PRESENT TENSE
A Japanese Charcoal Grill restaurant, Present Tense (301 Hart Street), is where diners go when they’re seeking dinner entreés prepared with imported fresh seafood. Pork belly bao buns, ahi tuna toasts, and brown butter scallops were a few of our group’s preferred dishes.
Meals are artfully plated using traditional Japanese ingredients. Sesame, soy, and miso make recipe appearances. The bar menu showcases boozy and non-boozy drinks with names such as Viva Magenta (gin) and Matcha Limeade.
Of course, Sapporo and a long list of sake are available for meal pairings.
PRO TIP: Reserve a spot at the six-seat sake bar. View Present Tense’s Instagram to see what you can expect.
SIP A CRAFT COCKTAIL, HARD CIDER, OR WHISKEY
THE FOX BAR & COCKTAIL CLUB
The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club (2905B Gallatin Pike) is a dimly lit, speakeasy-style bar behind Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen in East Nashville. Cocktail connoisseurs peruse rotating seasonal drink menus, and if they prefer a classic concoction, the bartenders are happy to mix it.
PRO TIP: Park in the rear of the building and walk up the back stairs. View The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club’s Instagram to see what you can expect.
BOBBY HOTEL ROOFTOP LOUNGE
Enjoy panoramic skyline views from the Bobby Hotel Rooftop Lounge (230 4th Avenue North), known to host thematic parties. During my visit, the rooftop was transformed into a winter wonderland with fire pits, thematic cocktail drinks, and twinkling Christmas trees.
Referred to as Camp Bobby, the pop-up holiday bar was decorated down to every detail. Live bands play during summer’s Backyard Sessions, and it’s a fantastic place to soak of downtown views or play yard games any time of year.
PRO TIP: View Bobby Hotel’s Instagram to see what you can expect at the rooftop bar.
DISKIN CIDER
Diskin Cider (1235 Martin Street) is a craft hard cider tasting room in a trending industrial neighborhood. It’s Nashville’s first and only craft cidery, producing “dangerously good” flagships, seasonals, and imperials.
The cidery rolls out a new seasonal selection every three weeks, so consider adding it to a tasting flight of four pours.
PRO TIP: They love four-legged customers. Ask about monthly dog-friendly events. View Diskin Cider’s Instagram to see what you can expect.
NASHVILLE BARREL CO.
Since 2018, Nashville Barrel Co. has served crafted and bottled whiskey tastings to fans of quality spirits. The downtown tasting room location (425 Church Street) includes a walk-in tasting bar serving small pours and adult slushies.
We enjoyed tastings of four single-barrel bourbons of our choice during a group reservation. Their Small-Batch Cask Strength and Tennessee Single Barrel Whiskey, two of my preferred selections, went down like a warm hug.
PRO TIP: Are you feeling brave? Ask if you can sample Wooshine. View Nashville Barrel Co.’s Instagram page to see what you can expect.
BONUS BRUNCH SPOTS
Forget basic pancakes or waffles with eggs. Nashville chefs serve inventive southern-inspired meals, elevating the typical early morning meal to gourmet status.
OPHELIA’S PIZZA + BAR
Don’t be fooled by the restaurant’s name. Ophelia’s Pizza + Bar (401 Church Street) may be known for its late-day menu of Italian food and handcrafted drinks; its recently added brunch menu is reservation-worthy.
I was impressed by the attention to detail in the restaurant’s cohesive design, which induced a feeling of Europe. The restaurant, named after Shakespeare’s character Ophelia in the drama Hamlet, delivers sophistication. The menu is equally impressive, with breakfast selections incorporating imported ingredients into Southern recipes.
Available for brunch service Friday-Sunday from 11:00 am-4:00 pm, the menu’s starting line-up includes entrees easily shareable amongst friends, such as Prosciutto Di Parma & Melon prepared with whipped ricotta, chili honey, and thyme spreadable on crostini.
Ophelia’s French Toast turns the standard classic on its head. Fresh berries sit atop a perfectly crusted piece of French toast dusted with powdered sugar, topped with whipped butter, and drizzled with Tennessee Honey. The Breakfast Pizza, a two-person pie topped with cream, onion, spinach, Gifford’s bacon, and sunny side eggs, delivers rich, satisfying flavor.
PRO TIP: Diners seeking to pair their meal with a boozy bevvy, will appreciate the restaurant’s short list of cocktails including the Sangria Bianca. View Ophelia’s Instagram to see what you can expect.
SWEETMILK
SweetMilk (329 Donelson Pike #201) is another new-on-the-scene restaurant attracting brunch-goers for its modern interpretation of Southern classics. Judging by the guests waiting for an open table when we arrived by 9:00 am, the restaurant is a popular place to fuel up before exploring Nashville on the weekend.
Known for breakfast service all day (7:00 am – 3:00 pm), the restaurant serves hefty portions of southern favorites, often including a biscuit or a side of grits. Our group shared the Big Ol’ Cinnamon Roll, and each cream cheese-covered bite coated with pecans curbed my morning hunger until my meal arrived.
A massive platter, aka Country Breakfast, arrived with two perfectly cooked eggs, steaming grits, bacon or sausage, and a biscuit-like Grandma used to make. How in the world was I going to eat all of this food? It was easy to devour every down-home delectable bite.
PRO TIP: If you’re hungry after a flight to Nashville International Airport, SweetMilk is less than a 10-minute drive northeast of downtown. View SweetMilk’s Facebook to see what you can expect.
Of course, each of these restaurants serves delectable meals later in the day, but Nashville’s brunch menus beckon people out of bed. If you only have a weekend in the Music City, these additions to Nashville’s thriving culinary scene serve satisfying meals.
I’m betting you’re a fan of live music? Read my blog post, Nashville Blues & Barbecue: A Soundtrack for a Savory City to learn where to indulge in rhythm and blues sound while in Music City.
The community draws musicians of various genres because of its respect for songwriters. Musicians including Keb’ Mo’, Joe Bonamassa, B.B. King, and Etta James have all performed or recorded music in Nashville.
I loved learning how each musician influenced another and the collaborations are endless.
Like me, I think you’ll find the displays showcasing the clothing and guitars particularly interesting. I gravitated to Keb’ Mo’s electric guitar and artists’ song lyrics visible behind display case glass.
The Crossroads gallery tells the chronological story of the blues from its migration from the Deep South north to cities including Nashville.
PRO TIP: For an additional $5 dollars, you can use a RFID bracelet to interact with tech-savvy displays that allow you to save custom music you create and email it to yourself.
As they say, “all are welcome” and this sentiment extends beyond merely hosting country music stars. Blues musicians have also graced the Ryman’s stage, including but not limited to Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, and Blues Traveler.
Museum-quality illuminated glass cases caught my eye during a tour displaying iconic memorabilia. Elvis’ winter coat. Johnny Cash’s acoustic guitar. B.B. King’s blazer.
Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum is the kind of place music lovers could spend at least an hour exploring. If you use the technology stations to make music, plan on a two-hour museum experience.
The creative genius behind the process, Jack White, originally of the band The White Stripes, not only is a fan of blues music but also has recorded blues-inspired music of his own.
Their award-winning barbecue is served with southern hospitality, and if you’re lucky, Carey might swing by your table for a casual chat during the meal.
Menu favorites include heaping BBQ Nachos, Memphis Sushi, and Dry Rubbed Ribs, but when in doubt, opt for the shareable Combo Platter.
PRO TIP: Make time before or after your meal to get a glimpse of the 
With multiple locations to choose from, diners can easily find one near them.
Seating in the bar is limited, and due to its popularity, reserving seats is necessary Wednesday-Saturday. No need for reservations on Monday or Tuesday when walk-in seating is welcomed. View the venue’s upcoming show 
Part retail store, part venue, it’s candyland for guitar enthusiasts. Plus, it’s not uncommon for celebrities to stop by. Chris Stapleton sat down and strummed a few chords. Slash of Guns-N-Roses made an appearance. (Gibson carries the signature 
