Last month I took my first trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Besides the fact that I am a huge fan of country music, I wanted to find out what else the city really had to offer; what were the places that Pinterest and Google would tell me to go, the places past Nashville visitors recommended, and how they would shape up and contribute to making my first trip an awesome experience?
After doing research and asking some locals, I set out to explore Nashville. Some of the stops created a great experience while others seemed to be a bit more misleading. I put together a short list of what I consider to be tourist treasures and tourist traps. Within this particular post, I am going to discuss my top tourist treasures that I highly recommend to any first timer or even tenth timer visiting Nashville.
Pinewood Social
This one was at the top of my list as a had-to-be tourist trap. A restaurant that had a café and a bowling alley. With this many themes in one place, there was no way in my mind this place could be more than mediocre. I walked into a packed house. Tables, lounge area, café, bar, and bowling were swarming with people. Still, I was not completely sold. Most of the time people are followers- if something is “cool” or “the thing to do” they go blindly and do it. So although this place had easy parking, an awesome view of downtown and was decorated with the comfy-chic flair, I still wasn’t convinced.
After a few minutes, I bellied up to the bar and met the bartender, Nathan…and he was a talker. I didn’t even have to look long at the drink menu before he asked my preferences, made a suggestion and whipped up an amazing cocktail. If someone can make me fall in love with gin, that’s when I know they aren’t just a bartender, they are a cocktail craftsman.
Next was the food. I wasn’t super hungry, and this was Sunday afternoon so the brunch menu was still in play. I went with two appetizers; the fried broccoli and the whipped mascarpone. Neither were what I expected BUT were more than good, they were fantastic! My only regret from the visit was that I didn’t have enough room to try the Rueben Benedict.
Recommendations:
Sunday at 2 pm is a great time to check out Pinewood Social. I got there a little before 2 pm, and it looked like there was no hope for a table and a seemingly long wait. However, as it neared the top of the hour, it quickly cleared out enough where there were enough tables and bar seats open to not be too intimidating to join the party. As for the cocktails, they are unseeingly strong. Just a heads up in case you don’t Uber/Taxi it to Pinewood Social.
Broadway
I have to admit. I was expecting this to be like the strip at Myrtle Beach (for those of you from the south, like me, it’s not exactly a place I really wanted to be). I did, however, really want to see live country music outside of the Grand Ole Opry (which by the way is a total tourist treasure and you should go, no doubt, whether you know the folks on the lineup that night or not).
So back to Broadway. My husband mentioned that we should just go anyways, despite our original assumptions… So we did, and it was awesome. We enjoyed it so much that we jumped to two more honky tonks until we couldn’t honky tonk no more. It was such a FUN atmosphere. Plus, there were great artists, and the overall experience was different from many other live music bars that I have been to. In Nashville, everyone lives and breathes country music. So it’s easy to walk into a place and make fast friends over a cold beer while singing along with friendly strangers to the aspiring stars on the stage.
Recommendations:
I learned that all honky tonks have different “sets” of performers. The folks that come on at 10 pm are the normally the best and the ones that you want to see. If you only plan to see one honky tonk or go for one day, definitely try to go after 10 pm.
Acme Feed and Seed
Located on Broadway is an old four-story feed factory that is always packed. At first, entering Acme Feed and Seed seemed a bit daunting. However, on our last night in town, my husband and I braved the crowd and headed to the 2nd floor for a few beers.
Every floor is different at Acme Feed and Seed. The first floor has food, a live band, and the menu with the famous hot chicken. As for the second floor, there are a lot of games, TV’s and a small bar menu that includes a great amount of sushi. You will find that the third floor, also known as The Hatchery, is designated specifically for private events. Lastly, you can relax with your friends at the rooftop bar on the fourth floor.
One thing to note is that you can’t order between floors. For example, if you happen to be on the 4th floor and want fried chicken, you’re going to need to head to the first floor, order it and wait and take it up to the fourth with you. The same goes for the sushi on the second floor, you can’t order it on floors 1, 3 or 4.
Acme Feed and Seed may be on “tourist alley” aka Broadway but it definitely is a true treasure and one to check out while in Nashville. What stood out to me the most was the “best hot chicken in Nashville” sign. Having this reputation among the locals made this place a true treasure spot.
Recommendations:
If you’re looking for a laid back atmosphere like I was and you’re up for trying the best hot chicken in Nashville, have one person in your group head to the second floor to scout out a table. This floor seems to churn fairly quickly so you shouldn’t have too hard of a time. The rest of your group should hop in line on the first floor by the entrance to order the food and then bring it up to the second floor when ready.
12th Street South
I loved it so much my husband and I went back twice! This little strip was referred to us by one of my clients. In fact, it was the first place that I saw in Nashville. We started our journey at a little coffee shop called The Frothy Monkey which was nothing short of delicious – great baked goods, wine, homemade soups, sandwiches- this place has it all, and it is good. But that was just the start. 12th street is lined with awesome restaurants, bars, and little shops that really gave us a solid idea of what Nashville was all about. You can find locals and tourists alike drinking on a sunny patio at bartaco, eating a ridiculously good doughnut from Five Daughters or trying on a custom pair of jeans and Imogene + Willie. You could spend hours on this street depending on the meals/drinking you plan to do. 12th street was a true tourist (and local) treasure. It’s also one of the first spots I plan to hit again next time I take on Nashville.
Recommendations:
Parking can be a little tricky. So if you don’t plan to Uber/Taxi it there then I recommend parking along the side streets in a neighborhood. Parking is free here. Weekends are packed so if you can, try going on a weekday so that you can try all of the restaurants you want and score some weekday specials on drinks and food. Also, bring your sunglasses- this street is sunny and definitely not shaded. Many of the patios aren’t covered or shaded either so shades and/or a hat are a must.
These are just a few of the many terrific tourist treasures that are located in Nashville, Tennessee. Mention in the comment section below your favorite treasure spots. I’d love to hear them! Also, stay tuned for the next post about tourist traps you should watch out for.