I had always wanted to visit Nashville, so when I planned my cross country adventure to the east coast I ensured that our route took us right through the city. Music and brightly colored murals are everywhere you turn. At night Broadway is lit up with a seemingly endless view of flashy signs proving the nickname Nashvegas to be very appropriate.
Our home for the next 36 hours was Union Station Hotel - a gorgeous historic hotel converted from a major train station built in the early 1900s. Inside you can find marble floors, a 65 foot vaulted lobby ceiling, and original 100 year old stained glass. We were blown away by the beauty of the hotel, and also overjoyed by it's proximity to all the spots we had on our list. Everything was under ten minutes away, if not walking distance.
We arrived on a Sunday and were surprised by the liveliness of Nashville on the eve of a work week when we went out that night. Union Station is in walking distance from Broadway- the big strip of bars and restaurants downtown. We quickly hopped from bar to bar, soaking in as much music and culture as we could (with a side of $2 Jello shots).
Bar Recommandations: Acme, Roberts, Layla's, AJ's, Skulls Rainbow Room, Tootsies (historic karaoke bar)
We ended the night with some gay karaoke at Canvas.
First stop on Monday morning was Biscuit Love. It came highly recommended from several people and there was a line out the door. After breakfast it was very clear as to why. I ordered The Lily, French toast style biscuits with lemon mascarpone and blueberry compote. SO good.
We tried to visit four breweries while in town, and were successful with 2.5 of them. We made it to Bearded Iris (they were so kind), and Smith & Lentz (a small lager heaven). Southern Grist was counting the drawers as we pulled up, but was sweet enough to trade cans with us. Jackalope's "Ranch" location is closed on Mondays, and to be quite honest the second shared coffee shop location didn't feel all that inviting.
We had apps and margs at a place called Butchertown Hall- great happy hour deals.
Take note that apparently most things are closed in Nashville on a Monday. BUT. My friend Brendan took me around town that night, and here is what we did..
Dinner was at Virago- a hip sushi joint with cozy seats around the bar, wasabi martinis, and rolls that are half price on Mondays. (*tip: we found out that there is a dress code and men aren't allowed to wear flip flops). My vegetarian Yasai roll had pink, beet colored rice. That and the Szechuan cauliflower were delicious.
The first bar we ventured to was The 5 Spot which was having its weekly Motown Monday dance party. It's $5 to get in, and totally worth a cover. We scored two beers and a shot for $13. I am a big fan of Motown music and dive bars. I was in heaven.
We walked about 30 seconds down the street and almost passed Rosemary. From the outside it looked like nothing more than a cute yellow house with a man sitting on his porch. Inside contained chandeliers, stained glass, a disco ball, a dj, a couple booths, and a bar serving craft cocktails. This place was awesome.
When it's late and you're craving some late night eats, luckily 5 Points Pizza is around the corner. They also have a few local beers on tap.
Tuesday morning we had an amazing breakfast in the Union Station Hotel restaurant before we left town. It's a cozy brightly colored nook located in the lobby. We met the manager, Jackie, and ended up chatting a little about beer. If you needed another reason to stay at Union Station, Jackie tries her best to keep only local craft beer on tap.
We had a blast even though we were only in Nashville for 36 hours or so. Below is a list of additional places that were highly recommended by my friend and locals. I'll definitely be back to hit some of them!
- Old Glory: speakeasy in Edgehill
- Honeytree Meadery: they're brand new and use local ingredients
- Cummin's Falls State Park: about an hour and a half away you'll find some gorgeous waterfalls
-Hattie B's Hot Chicken: is the best hot chicken I'm told
- Pepperfire: comes in second after Hattie's
- Edley's BBQ East: go early for lunch and snag some brisket
- Butcher and Bee: for a bit fancier food
- AVO: a cool spot for vegetarian/vegans
- Chopper: brand new tiki bar
- The Crying Wolf: rock n roll bar
- Dino's: olddd divey bar - Lockeland Table
- The Parthenon: a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens
Thanks to Brendan @brenshii, and also John @jpmurphy923 for the great suggestions!
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