A Mediocre Guide to Music City
- torij1121
- Jun 23
- 10 min read

I've had the privilege of visiting Nashville, Tennessee, two years in a row. Here's a bunch of places I went. (Click or tap photos for full-size.)
Eateries
Some of these are chain establishments, so I've included the specific location I visited.
Sweetmilk (Donelson) - 2024 2025
We've started each of my trips to Nashville with Sweetmilk. This brunch spot in Donelson was brand new when we visited last year; I loved it then, and I loved it again in 2025. The decor is light and simple with a soft retro flair, and on good-weather days, their garage door is open, bringing the ambient glow of sunshine and fresh air to you while perched comfortably at your table. Their menu has typical breakfast options, including some southern staples, while tasting fresh and unique. Their raspberry jam is particularly delicious—bright, sweet, and there's never enough of it. You have to have it on a biscuit.
Five Daughters Bakery (12 South) - 2024
Parading specialty donuts and other baked goods, Five Daughters Bakery has a unique spread that makes you want to try it all. I sampled a variety, which were all tasty and creative, but you can only eat so much donut before it's too much donut. Still worth a try! Just like many bakeries that are similar, it's definitely dessert rather than breakfast.
Baja Burrito (Berry Hill) - 2024 2025
One of my husband's favorites. Imagine Moe's but much more authentic, more delicious, and more value for your dollar.
Edley's Barbecue (12 South) - 2024
A great sit-down and/or takeout barbecue chain, that hit the spot for me. There wasn't anything else particularly memorable about it, but a solid choice for lunch or dinner.
Hattie B's (Melrose) - 2024 2025
I'm sure you've heard of Nashville Hot Chicken, and if you want a fast-food way to get it, this is the place. I'm not a spicy food person, but they cater to all spice tolerance, offering a range of heat for your chicken from "Zero Burn" to "Ghost" level. While the "Zero Burn" still has a little kick (at least for my weakling tastebuds), it's still enjoyable. With southern sides, desserts, and other fixings, it's a nice little slice of Nashville in a fast and hot meal.
Puckett's (Franklin) - 2024
Puckett's, touting traditional barbecue and southern cuisine, feels very homey and market-y at the same time. I'd have to go multiple times for it to stand out in my mind, but the atmosphere is memorable. Aside from the regular sit-down restaurant feel, Puckett's has (at least a portion of) their fridges and stores of food supplies out in the dining area for anyone to see and/or pull off the shelf (though they likely would discourage the pulling off of the shelf).
Postino (12 South) - 2025
This is a classy-ish spot amongst the other shops and eateries on 12 South. They're best known for their various bruschetta, which I regret to say I did not order, but I would love to visit again and do so the next time. I had a salad, which was good, though it wasn't as cool and refreshing as I wanted it to be, sitting in the covered outdoor dining area in stagnant humidity. I ended up taking a bite of my husband's steaming panini, which was delicious and made me wish for a redo with the menu. If I were to visit again, I'd sit inside to appreciate the interior design of their main space...and also the air conditioning.
Coffee Shops
I don't drink coffee, but I love coffee shops for a chai latte (☕), baked good (🍰), and a cool hangout space (🛋️). As a bonus, I'll note anything else that was extra special (✨).
Crema Coffee Roasters (Downtown Nashville) - 2024
✔️ ☕ ✔️ 🍰 ✔️ 🛋️ ✔️✨
For some reason, I don't remember too much about this place, though it holds good memories. We met up here with some new friends, who were local to Nashville at the time, loved coffee, and loved Crema. Aside from having a front seat to some downtown traffic sitting outside, I don't remember being so distracted that we weren't able to enjoy the food, drinks, and conversation. The one thing I didn't like was the underwhelming size of my avocado toast. I wish I got more for what I paid, but it was tasty anyway, and I think my chai was pretty good—overall, a positive experience. They seem to be legit with their coffee and goods, and they even do their own coffee-making classes, which is a creative addition to the regular offerings of a local coffee spot.
Forevermore Coffee (East Nashville) - 2025
✔️ ☕ ✔️ 🍰 ✔️ 🛋️ ✔️✨
Forevermore has the usual assortment of drinks in addition to a few baked goods (including gluten-free options—a plus for my friend) and a nice lounge space. To me, its standout features are the photo booth and their "Goods" section, where they have various novelties, jewelry, and thrifted clothing pieces for purchase. While sipping on an iced chai and rifling through their bins of jeans, I found a pair of Barbie-pink corduroy pants from Zara for just $26. And they happened to fit me PERFECTLY. So you may just find some gems. Oh, and be nice to the staff—they get to gift a free session in the photo booth to one customer a day, and they just might give it to you! ;)
Paper Street Coffee (Berry Hill) - 2025
✔️ ☕ ✔️ 🍰 ❌ 🛋️
I had high expectations for this place. The name makes me think "bookish", "traditional", "coffee shop next door". While it's surrounded by apartments, it's not the kind of next-doorness I was envisioning. Tucked in amongst industrial-style flats and sharing a roof with a gym, Paper Street Coffee may not be your hangout spot if you're looking to settle in. I look for cozy vibes in a coffee shop, and this didn't feel cozy. Maybe it's personal preference, but it was too dark, had too many straight edges, and smelled like rubber. It makes sense for the location. There's a streamlined cleanliness that whispers "best enjoyed between workout and work". It's just not the kind of atmosphere I'm drawn to. And the chai was alright—a bit too sweet. I will say, they make a dang good walnut chocolate chip cookie, and they'll warm it up for you. So at least there's something warm about it.
Onyx and Alabaster (Franklin) - 2025
✔️ ☕ ❓ 🍰 ✔️ 🛋️ ✔️✨
Onyx and Alabaster is an interior design studio and boutique in historic downtown Franklin that's also home to a coffee shop inside. I did not purchase anything from the coffee shop part (and I definitely didn't buy anything from the studio part of it—pricey!), but it was such a unique, luxury atmosphere, I would recommend a visit. I can confirm they have coffee/drinks, but I don't remember seeing baked goods, so I can't give a note on that. Most memorable about it was the coffee shop's coordination with and integration into the rest of the space, featuring upscale furniture and decor to draw inspiration from.
One of my favorite parts was their "Alchemy" Wall, displaying an assortment of square cards in a 9x5 grid, each bearing a unique image and an encouraging word on the back. You're meant to choose the image that calls to you and take that card home for yourself or as a gift. Not only did I love getting a takeaway piece from this unique space without spending a large amount of money, but it was something you don't see every day.
Two Hands (borders The Gulch) - 2024
✔️ ☕ ✔️ 🍰 ✔️ 🛋️ ✔️✨
This is technically more of an eatery, but I only went in for a chai and wish I could have stayed to enjoy the atmosphere. It's a restaurant geared toward Australian favorites, with a well-designed interior. Again, I wish I could have sat down and enjoyed an Aussie-inspired meal in the cozy-cuteness at one of their tables, so that will be a goal whenever we can visit Nashville again, or one of Two Hands' other locations in the U.S.
Caliber Coffee (Donelson) - 2025
❓ ☕ ❓ 🍰 ❓ 🛋️ ❓✨
I didn't get anything from this place, nor did I visit inside the building (I stayed in the car), but a friend who's local to Nashville and loves coffee is a big fan. Maybe worth a try!
Shops and Entertainment
12 South - 2024
If you're looking for shopping, food, and photo ops, this is the place to be. It's got all kinds of boutiques, some of the more classy chain retail stores (Madewell, LoveShackFancy, etc.), different eateries to choose from (including Edley's, Postino, and Five Daughters Bakery), novelty souvenir shops, and (of course) plenty of murals on almost every open wall. (This is where you'll find the famous "I Believe in Nashville" one.) There are other streets like 12 South with a wide selection of shops and food, but 12 South is well-known by its name for some reason (you'd have to ask a local). It also lies adjacent to Sevier Park, which offers a beautiful, shady, walkable area that's peaceful compared to the mercantile activity along the rest of the street—a great way to end your 12 South visit.
Broadway - 2024
You could say I went to Broadway, but really, I only drove through it. I didn't get out and experience it for any of what it's worth—and I didn't want to. It was overwhelming enough looking at it from behind tempered glass, and although I might enjoy the live music part of it, Broadway will never be my thing. Maybe it's your speed if you like bars, heavy food, noise, and a lot of people. Be prepared to see pink-cowgirl-hat-clad bachelorette groups on the Honky Tonk Express everywhere you look.
Cheekwood Botanical Gardens (Belle Meade) - 2025
My husband and a few of our friends have made a habit of visiting botanical gardens in new places, and this was another to add to the list. While Cheekwood didn't have as many flowers in bloom as I expected, the grounds were still beautiful and included a Sculpture Trail among the flora.
Sculpture Trail Highlight: The Glass Bridge
Sculpture Trail Lowlight: The very large half-man, half-hare—a little disturbing.
Cheekwood is known for its "enchanted castles" throughout the grounds, which kids can hop into for an imaginary medieval adventure. We only saw a couple of these castles, and as I read a bit about Cheekwood on their website, it seems there's more to this place than what we saw, including more castles and an art gallery!
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Downtown) - 2025
If you're a fan of country music, and more importantly, the history of it, you'll love getting to walk through this Music City landmark. Not only does it offer info and artifacts from country entertainment, but it's also home to the Frist Library and Archive, holding vast collections of records, film, audio interviews, and print materials from decades of country music history.
Grand Ole Opry (Opryland/Music Valley) - 2024
I don't feel qualified to speak on visiting the Grand Ole Opry, because I did not get to go inside, but I did still enjoy getting to see it from the outside, imagining all the incredible musicians who have performed in there at one time or another, both country and non-country. The doors are beautiful. It would be really cool to walk through them and see an Opry show.
Historic Downtown Franklin - 2024 2025
This area, also technically outside of Nashville in Franklin, features shops, eateries, and historic sites/architecture (with plaques to learn about their significance in Franklin's history). It's pretty quiet and not overwhelming; I'd love to go back and spend more time there, even outside of downtown!
Love Circle Park (Hillsboro West End) - 2024
This is a teeny hill of a park that's not very pretty or extraordinary outside of the outstanding view of the city. It lives on a circular road that's actually called "Love Circle" and many people visit for its characteristic wide-angle scene of Nash. It's also known as a cute place to sneak a kiss with your significant other while enjoying the view of the skyline (hence the love).
Music City Walk of Fame and Songwriters Walk of Fame (Downtown) - 2024
Just outside the Country Music Hall of Fame are two notable "Walks of Fame" to see: the Music City Walk of Fame Park and the Songwriters Walk of Fame, framing a corner of Music City Center. On the Music City Walk of Fame, you'll see, of course, all the legendary names in country music, which I loved seeing. However, I loved the Songwriters Walk of Fame even more. While it's special to commemorate those who used their personal style to perform and make notable many well-known works, these individuals usually aren't short on recognition for their contributions to the industry. The Songwriters Walk of Fame is a special nod to the word-architects behind award-winning pieces—the voices behind the voices that don't always get credit on the larger stage. And maybe they don't want it, but their Walk of Fame is a subtle way to gift that to them.
Nashville Farmer' Market (Germantown) - 2025
This farmer's market is like many other market-style places, with a variety of eateries, unique vendors, and good ole souvenirs. I especially liked the outside space, as it was a bit quieter and featured produce from local farms and other specialty vendors. "The Longest Thread" is a Turkish towel vendor who not only had towels for sale there, but also had one of their staff operating a loom on-site while she crafted a new piece.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - 2025
I haven't been to many zoos, but this one was great! There's a large variety of animals to see, the Grassmere Historic Home/Farm on the property to learn about, and lots to do. It's perfect for a family outing, but make sure to bring lots of water to support all that walking in the Tennessee heat!
Opryland Hotel and Resort (Opryland/Music Valley) - 2025
My mom always gushed about the Opryland Hotel, having had the opportunity to stay there a while back. She would talk about the gardens, fountains, restaurants, and balconies—all on the inside of the building. I was delighted to learn that her flowery descriptions were true! It's a must-visit in my opinion, especially because walking inside just to see the building is totally free, outside of the Christmas season. The Delta River (which runs through the building) contains water from around the world, and as you walk along the river, you can read from a series of plaques that note the specific bodies of water "blended in" to the river and the state or country where they're located.
Parthenon/Centennial Park (West End) - 2025
A great little walkable park area with shade, trees, ponds, and paved walkways. I didn't get to go inside the Parthenon, but it was still an impressive piece of architecture to appreciate from the outside. Although it lives next to an open green of artificial turf (there is real grass elsewhere), this building allows you to imagine yourself in Greece, walking among the pillars and hoisting up steps that are larger than they look from afar.
Stardust Drive-In (Watertown) - 2024
While technically pretty outside of Nashville, the Stardust Drive-In was a fun place to visit in the area. Drive-in theaters are always a memorable summer activity, so if you're visiting the Nashville area when the weather is nice and you want something relaxed to do in the evening, this is perfect!
Ugly Duck Vintage (Donelson) - 2024
A cute hole-in-the-wall shop. Not the most affordable resale items, but a cool selection of pieces if they're worth the price to you. Apparently, Nashville has more "vintage" stores than thrift stores, so if you're looking to thrift, you might have to be ok with buying "vintage" instead.
I want to go back to Nashville now! Glad my descriptions of the hotel held up!!! 😉❤️