The Best Places to Eat in Nashville

Edley's Bar-B-Que

On the verge of opening its third location, Edley's serves up some amazing Southern BBQ in the East Nashville and 12South neighborhoods. The humble restaurant spaces complement the home-cooked feel of its food at prices you can't beat. (Edley's chef and GM, Bret Tuck, aims to keep all meals around $10).

What to Order: Go for brunch on Saturdays for the breakfast burrito—get it with brisket and enjoy the "secret" ingredient. (Hint: It's tater tots.)

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Capitol Grille at The Hermitage Hotel

What started as a private men's club is now a favorite spot for locals, celebrities, and visitors at Nashville's prestigious Hermitage Hotel. All of the beef on the menu is from the hotel's own Double H Farms, just west of Nashville, and many of the vegetables are grown by the restaurant's culinary team a few miles from the hotel.

Make sure to ask to see the men's restroom—it was voted "America's Best Bathroom."

What to Order: While the menu changes seasonally, the sweet onion bisque is a favorite and always makes its way onto the menu. Also grab a drink at Oak Bar, which has a daily Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

RELATED: 10 Gorgeous Hotel Bathrooms Around the World

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Hattie B's Hot Chicken

Nashville's famous hot chicken joint just opened a West Nashville location because the lines were getting too long at its Midtown location (you've been warned if there's a wait!)—but we think the hot chicken is well worth waiting for. Take your pick of chicken meat (white or dark, thigh, wing, leg, or breast) and choose your heat level wisely. We could only have one bite of "Shut The Cluck Up!!!"

What to Order: The black eyed pea salad, pimento mac & cheese, and homemade cole slaw are all excellent complements to your hot chicken dish of choice. And for desert, the banana pudding is to die for.

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Chauhan Ale & Masala House

Celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan from Chopped picked Nashville for her first restaurant, and it's fabulous. The modern Indian gastropub combines Southern staples with traditional Indian dishes for spectacular flavor. Chauhan also recently opened her own brewery with her husband, Mantra, which adds Indian spices to its brews.

What to Order: Gol guppa shots to start, which are typical Indian street food. Then order desi tiffin, Chauhan's take on a traditional "meat and three." This one is served with chef's choice of protein and sauce and three sides with naan, raita, and papadum.

Also try the Saffron IPA (West Coast-style IPA with saffron and cardamom) and Japa (milk stout infused with chai tea) from Mantra.

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5th & Taylor

Located in Nashville's growing Germantown, 5th & Taylor takes Southern causal dining to a whole new level in its gallery-esque space. Set in a swanky warehouse, the open-concept restaurant debuted this year and is quickly becoming a local favorite. In summer, the massive outdoor patio lends itself quite nicely to afternoon drinks.

What To Order: The bacon-wrapped quail and beef tartare are excellent starters, followed by the fried chicken (a crowd favorite). Leave room for the Elvis moon pie—Chef Lindley's take on Elvis' favorite sandwich: peanut butter, banana, and bacon.

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Peg Leg Porker

Founded on the belief that you only need one location if you're doing it right, pitmaster Carey Bringle stays true to his one location in The Gulch. Bringle, who lost one of his legs to bone cancer at 17, hence 'Peg Leg,' now has his own line of sauces, spices, T-shirts, hats, and bourbon. He also has pits outside where he'll occasionally roast whole hogs.

What to Order: Bringle serves a true dry rib (hickory smoked with just salt) and is well known for his ribs and BBQ pork sandwich, so we recommended giving those a try. And don't leave without a bite of fried pie—chocolate, peach, or apple, that is.

RELATED: Best BBQ Joints in America

(Photo: Ashley Rossi) (Photo: Peg Leg Porker)

City House

If you ask any local where to eat no matter what kind of food they like, they'll tell you City House, an Italian-rooted restaurant with Southern flair in Germantown. Go for their Sunday Supper—a unique, always-changing menu meant for sharing.

What to Order: If you go on a non-Sunday, the belly ham pizza is a must-try along with the catfish dish and pork sausage. Don't miss their extensive cocktail menu, whiskey and bourbon list, and wine selection.

RELATED: 10 Famous Cocktails from Cities Around the World

(Photo: City House)

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

Founder Pat Martin is all business when it comes to his BBQ. His menu promises, "No freezers, no microwaves. We cook everything fresh every day." And if he didn't come up with the recipe himself, someone in his family did, making it a true family-style joint. Martin is also the only person in Nashville to roast whole hogs daily. His pig roasters go through extensive training.

What to Order: Martin's is famous for its Redneck Taco—BBQ on top of cornbread hoe-cake with slaw and sauce. The wings in Alabama white sauce are incredible, as well as the catfish, wet ribs, and hush puppies. Surprisingly, Martin's burger is also a favorite—inspired by In-and-Out after a trip to California, he uses the Comeback Sauce as his "special sauce."

(Photos: Ashley Rossi)

Miss Mary BoBo's Boarding House

While this restaurant is located about 1.5 hours outside of Nashville in Lynchburg, you have to eat here if you go to the Jack Daniel's distillery—just a ten-minute walk away. The former boarding house has a long-standing tradition of Southern hospitality and home cooking, and your meal there won't disappoint.

What to Order: There's no menu here, just good ol' Southern comfort food. You need to make an advanced booking for an 11:00 a.m., 1 p.m., or sometimes 3:00 p.m. seating. When the dinner bell rings you will be escorted to your assigned room in the house and joined by a local host or hostess who will tell you endless stories or answer any questions you might have about the town. While the menu changes daily and even by seating, the cooked apples (soaked with Jack) are always served and the famous fried chicken typically makes an appearance.

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Some Breakfast Spots

Nashville has a strong breakfast and brunch game, so we couldn't leave you without some of their best spots.

• Pancake Pantry: You'll be waiting around the corner in Hillsboro Village to get into this breakfast-lover's heaven, but it's well worth the wait. Open until 3:00 p.m. we recommend going on the later end for a shorter wait. Must-try: Sweet Potato Pancakes.
• Fido: In Hillsboro Village, you'll also find the coffeehouse Fido, which serves an all-day breakfast menu. Fido is part of the Bongo Java Company, which has its own roasting company, bakery, vegetarian restaurant, and desert cafe. Must-try: Any of the bagel sandwiches. Hangover and Bachelor are our favorite.
• Frothy Monkey: This coffeehouse concept restaurant chain roasts its coffee in Nashville and serves delicious breakfast items (until 5:00 p.m.) in addition to a sandwich, salad, and dinner menu. Must-try: Breakfast Bun and California (fried eggs with avocado, sprouts, toast, and homemade salsa).
• Biscuit Love: What started as a food truck is now one of Nashville's famous brunch spots with its brick-and-mortar location opening this year. Must-try: East Nasty—biscuit with fried chicken, cheddar, and sausage gravy.

And finally some honorable mentions: Husk for proper fried chicken from James Beard Award-winning Chef Sean Brock; Loveless Cafe, a famous country-style breakfast joint just outside the city where you can get flap jacks all day; and Whiskey Kitchen, one of America's best whiskey and bourbon bars, serving up delicious tavern-style dishes.

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Ashley Rossi traveled to Nashville courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Follow all of her adventures (big and small) on Instagram and Twitter.

(Photo: TripAdvisor, LLC)