Nashville in a Nutshell!

I get asked about Nashville more than any other destination in the US. For me, it is a must-visit city at least 2-3 times a year. It has been so much fun watching it grow and grow and grow…. I have also enjoyed trying new restaurants as well as the ones that have been around for decades. I love visiting the touristy honkey tonks just as much as the local favorites. There are so many places to shop and so many things to do. Believe it or not, Nashville is also a family-friendly city and I have meet some wonderful people who I now call friends. Music City has become a place I would even love to live one day.

You’ll see a lot of entries on my blog about Nashville but, this one sums them all up!

**These are all my opinion only. None of these restaurants or companies paid me 😁

MUST EATS

• Urban Grub (every thing and every meal there is wonderful)
• 5th and Taylor (probably my favorite! Bacon wrapped quail and biscuits!!)
• The Farm House
• Caviar & Bananas (super fun place) 
• Frothy Monkey
• Five Daughters Bakery
• Biscuit Love (bonuts, fresh OJ and Pork Rinds & pimento cheese)
• Butcher & Bee
• Pancake Pantry
• Martin’s BBQ (the best in Nashville) 
• Acme (streetcorn)
• Party Foul (excellent beer selection)
• Fin & Pearl
• HUSK (this a noteworthy “chain” that I love)
• SILO
• Salt & Vine
• Nashville Biscuit House (oldie but goodie)
• The Row (get the Midtown Mule!!)
• E3 Chophouse (it’s new and AMAZING! Known for their steaks….the raspberry spritzer, filet, bacon wrapped dates were delicious)
• donut+dog (I was so excited about this because I’ve been following them on IG. I was disappointed that the Nashville location doesn’t serve a full breakfast yet. The donut was good, but Five Daughters is better) I’m looking forward to trying the full menu soon.

MUST DOS

• Take a picnic lunch to Arrington Vineyards
• Centennial Park
• The Parthenon
• Walk around Hillsborough Village
• The Gulch
• Walk around 12 South (great restaurants and shops)
• Check out the capital building and surrounding blocks. They’re beautiful!
• Visit Cheekwood
• Country Music Hall of Fame
• Tour The Ryman
• See a show at the Grand Ole Opry 
• See a show at Bluebird Cafe
• Find the popular murals (I’ll write another separate post about this) and take pics!
• Attend a Tennessee Titans football game
• Attend a Nashville Sounds minor league baseball game
• Attend a Nashville Predators hockey game
• Run the Rock n Roll or Hot Chocolate 15k race series if you are a runner
• Drive down Music Row to see all of the recording studios
• Drive out to Leipers Fork

MY FAVORITE BROADWAY HONKEY TONKS

• The Stage (I just love this bar. The entertainers are always sooo good)
• FGL House (great food, too – their soft pretzel is fab!)
• Luke’s 32 Bridge (all levels. Check out the safe on the bottom level! This used to be a bank)
• Jason Aldean’s (Love the rooftop bar)
• Tootsies (the upstairs back bar is always wonderful)
• Honkey Tonk Central (all levels)
• Whiskey Row (rooftop bar on Saturday afternoons!!)
• Wild Horse Saloon (my kids love this one, they teach line dancing)
• Winners and Losers Bar

MUST SHOP

• Serendipity (12 South)
• Uncommon James (The Gulch)
• Tribe Kelley (Hillsborough Village)
• The NASH Collections (Broadway)
• Draper James (12 South)
• Kittenish (The Gulch)
• Imogene + Willie (12 South)

DON’T

• Expect to find a “cheap weekend” to visit. Hotels are outrageous and every weekend there is an event. It’s less expensive during the week on occasion.
• Rule out booking an AirBnB. There are hundreds of these in the city, but book ahead! And read the reviews!
• Park downtown
• Wear nice shoes on Broadway (especially a night)

DO

• Use Lyft or Uber. Parking downtown is outrageously expensive
• Rent a car if your AirBnB or hotel offers free parking. This will save you from having to spend money on an Uber/Lyft to/from the airport. Also, you can drive to other beautiful areas like Arrington Vineyards, Creekwood or even Franklin for a fraction of the price it cost for an Uber or Lyft. You can get a rental car for around $80 for a long weekend.
• Tip the entertainers!!! I usually take a bunch of $5 bills and when I leave a bar, I drop it in their bucket. Sometimes, they come around with a bucket too. Respect these aspiring singers and song writers!

HELPFUL TIPS

• Try Southwest airlines for cheap(er) flights
• Rent a car only if the AirBnB or hotel offers free parking
• Buy tickets on line ahead of time for the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman, Bluebird Cafe and Grand Ole Opry. Some of these tend to sell out fast. You’ll also save by booking on line.
• Use an online dining app to make reservations (Resy, Open Table, Yelp)
• Kids are welcome in the Broadway Honkey Tonks until a certain time. Check with each one, because some are later than others. Typically, around 8-10pm (mine love Honkey Tonk Central and Wild Horse Saloon)

Happy to help book hotels in Nashville or use this link for $55 off your first time visit to any AirBnB!

Have fun in Music City!