7 Of The Best Places To Eat In Nashville Today

The city of Nashville is known for its music scene, but have you heard of its food scene? The best places to eat in Nashville today include savory BBQ, sustainable fine dining, and Italian eateries. Get your fill of delicious ramen, tapa-style sharables, or local, and regional fare. Spend your day exploring all the classic sights and sounds of Nashville. Then, when you start to get hungry, you’ll know all about some of the best places to eat in Nashville. Keep on reading as we get into the interesting details, and fun facts.

In this post, we’ll talk about the price point and menu options of each of these great dining spots. Learn about the history, ethos, and locations of some of the best places to eat in Nashville. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or a tourist, there’s a reason these restaurants are featured in Eater, have won awards, and have stuck around in the ever-changing landscape of Nashville, Tennessee. 

Audrey

809 Meridian St, Nashville, TN 37207

Starting off with Audrey, a fine-dining experience centered around organic, locally sourced ingredients, and a menu crafted in a food research and development lab. Chef Brock not only aims to educate others in the artistry of creating good food but also uses Audrey to expand what a modern restaurant model looks like. Audrey focuses on creating an equal and supportive workplace, and a restaurant experience for the books. Audrey offers a la carte ordering as well as a “feast” option. Enjoy four courses of Audrey’s favorite dishes for $99/per person. Let’s take a closer look at the menu.

Start with appetizers like Cherokee white cornbread ($13), Appalachian salt bread with tomato jam ($7/$11), and shaved country ham ($23). Try the fried apples with yuzu and sorrel ($15/add foie gras for another $15), skewered scallops and king trumpet mushrooms ($22), and a relish plate with sausage, crackers, and cheese ($24). Enjoy fresh salads, striped tomato with honeysuckle, basil, and nasturtium ($18), cornmeal fried okra ($16), baked sassafrass potatoes ($18), and grits ($20). Mains feature BBQ lion’s mane mushrooms ($27), grilled catfish ($45), and Audrey’s classic chicken & dumplings with herbs and black truffles ($55). There’s Ossabaw pork with Charleston ice cream ($48), grillled bone-in strip, and grilled Wagyu strip ($75/$100). Desserts feature sourwood honey custard ($14), seasonal fruit cobbler ($18), and olive oil mousse with mango sherbet ($12).

Shotgun Willie's BBQ

4000 Gallatin Pike Suite B, Nashville, TN 37216

Next, for a taste of Texas in Tennessee, go for some barbeque at Shotgun Willie’s. First opened as a food trailer in 2016, its brisket won the title of “Best in Nashville.” By 2019, plans for opening a proper brick and mortar in this city. In 2020, after many delays, Shotgun Willie’s officially opened its doors and expanded its menu offerings.

Specializing in live fire barbecue, Shotgun Willie’s offers pit barbecue meats of all kinds and cuts. The plates include ½ pound of meat, two sides, Texas toast, and housemade pickles and red onions. Meats include prime Angus brisket, pulled pork shoulder, salt and pepper pork ribs, smoked chicken, and beef link sausage. There are sandwiches, tasty sides, and all kinds of desserts. Save room for banana bourbon pudding and Texas sheet cake. No wonder this is one of the best places to eat in Nashville, it’s worked hard to earn its spot in the landscape!

Maíz De La Vida

3101 Clarksville Pike #10, Nashville, TN 37218

Maíz De La Vida has a tortilla shop and a foodcart in Northern Nashville. Booths of which are bringing some great Mexican food to the Nashville food scene. And they have a proper brick-and-mortar coming soon! Start off with popular items like tomato and fruit salads ($10), and specials like pork enchilado ($18),  enchiladas de mole ($18), and squash bisque ($8). There’s quesabirria ($14), and all kinds of corn tacos with carne asada, birria de res, al pastor (all $14), and cauliflower ($11). Try hot sopes, and chilaquiles with salsa verde, mole amarillo, cotijas, crema, and your choice of protein. There’s mole negro, and mole amarillo ($18). You’ll find all the classics and more at Maíz De La Vida.

Lockeland Table

1520 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206 

Lockeland Table is a community kitchen, led by chef Holden-Bache and is community-centered in its atmosphere and offerings. During community hour (Monday-Saturday from 4-6 pm) a portion of proceeds are donated to the Lockeland Design Center PTO. Everyone is welcome. Their signature dishes feature smoked bone marrow, grilled pork chops, dry-aged New York strip, steamed PEI mussels, and a chocolate chip skillet cookie with vanilla bean gelato.

Other dishes include a cheese plate ($2), seasonal empanadas ($17), and chicken liver pate with smoked peach jam, monkey bread, and micro greens ($16). There’s crispy pork belly with sweet potato ($16), a fall squash salad ($15), and a variety of wood-fired pizzas. Enjoy the catch of the day, bone-in pork chops ($40), seared roasted chicken ($36), spinach & mushroom fettuccine with cream sauce ($29), and a vegan farm plate with mushrooms, and roasted kohlrabi in a charred onion vinaigrette ($27). There’s banana foster bread pudding in cremé anglaise ($14), and a pumpkin pie mousse with pecan granola, and amaretto caramel sauce ($14).

Yolan

403 4th Ave. S, Nashville, TN 37201

Yolan is for sure one of the best places to eat in Nashville. Led by Chef Tony and Cathy Mantuano, a Michelin-starred chef, and hospitality expert, you’ll get a fine-Italian dining experience well worth the reservation. They offer a tasting menu experience, inspired by ingredients from the region of Campania. A la carte is also available with a seasonal menu.

The a la carte options start with Mercato market greens with burrata, honeycomb, and hazel ($18), Stracciatella with peaches, and lemon verbena ($22). Try zucchini flower with pesto, ricotta, dill, and honey ($26), or cured sardines with cucumber, and red gold potato yogurt ($21). For a real delicacy have the gnocco fritto with prosciutto di Parma ($35) and add elite or oscietra royal caviar for $195. Mains include gnocchi with black summer truffles and ricotta ($45), and cacio e pepe with pecorino Romano ($21). There are several other incredible pasta dishes, including Bucatini with guanciale ($30), risotto with peekytoe crab ($34), and spaghetti alla chitarra with pesto calabrese and black garlic ($28).

Finish the evening with roasted swordfish with chanterelle mushrooms ($42), and summer squash with fermented green tomatoes ($26). There’s breaded veal chop with lemon and arugula ($65) and 55-dry aged Kansas City strip steak with whipped potatoes and black truffle conserva ($160).

Carne Mare

300 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203

Carne Mare is another great Italian restaurant led by Chef Carmellini and Chef della Cucina Levi Raines. The main feature of Carne Mare is the prime-aged beef options including wagyu and prime cuts. Start your night off with raw oysters ($3.50/$4), and jump gulf shrimp with crab louie ($24). There are chophouse snacks like polpettine ($13), foie gras cones ($22), spicy crab lettuce cups ($26), and mozzarella sticks with caviar ($28). Salads include summer heirloom ($19), yellowfin tuna ($25), Spanish octopus ($23), and farm beef with hazelnuts ($24). With options like that, it’s no wonder this is one of the best places to eat in Nashville today.

Mains feature pasta dishes including sweet corn agnolotti ($38), hand-made pappardelle ($32), and short rib ravioli ($30). Try the center-cut filet, boneless striploin, boneless ribeye, or dry-aged bone-in ribeye (between $56-$85). There’s a pasture-raised rack of lamb ($48), and smoke-roasted beef steak with goat butter ($36). For larger platters try the dry-aged Tomahawk ($168), a 45-ounce porterhouse ($195), wagyu Bavetta steak, and striploin ($65/$110). There are roast prime rib cuts, and Italian specialties like red snapper with lemon leaves ($44), lobster in Calabrian chili (MP), roasted swordfish ($39), Garlic chicken for two ($62), and a Milanese cowboy veal chop ($65). Cortorni dishes include broccolini ($14), potatoes rustica ($13), wild arugula ($11), sweet corn ($16), and other vegetable-based traditional Italian dishes. 

Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House

4101 Charlotte Ave STE E40, Nashville, TN 37209

Located just inside the Sylvan Supply Store, you’ll find Nashville’s take on Japanese-American soul food. Enjoy house-made ramen, and freshly made noodles at the Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House. Start with smaller plates like pork menchi katsu with kewpie mayo, tempura acorn squash with daikon and lemon pepper, and turnip greens with dashi, green apple, bonito, and yuzu oil. Mains include a prime Denver steak with shoyu, molasses, Negi, and sesame, and both vegan and meat-based ramen. 

Enjoy miso with chicken broth, pork loin, fresh noodles, broccolini, and hacho miso. The vegan ramen includes tofu, Szechuan, sesame, and chili oil. Lastly, try the matcha chess pie, or a black apple cobbler with ice cream. There are also sweet potato bao buns that come filled with your choice of coffee, sesame, cinnamon toast crunch, or pecans.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com.