Tennessee · best-of list
The 23 Best Restaurants in Tennessee
All 23 restaurants our route editors picked in Tennessee, across 10 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect tables and food stops, with East Nashville contributing the most (4).
Our curated picks
23 restaurants in Tennessee, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
East Nashville 4 picks
Mas Tacos Por Favor
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route + 1 more
Counter-service tacos and soups in a small East Nashville storefront.
Tip: Get the fried avocado and chicken tortilla soup.
Photo: Mas Tacos Por Favor · Google
Lockeland Table
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Neighborhood restaurant with wood-fired dishes and a happy hour in a 1930s building.
Tip: Book for dinner; happy hour pizzas are a cheaper route in.
Photo: Lockeland Table · Google
Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Burgers, house sodas and a large beer garden on Fatherland Street.
Tip: The beer garden is the place on warm evenings.
Photo: S G · GoogleThe Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden
East Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route
Burgers, house-made sodas and a large beer garden on McFerrin Avenue.
Tip: Check holiday hours; it typically opens late morning.
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 3 picks
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
Basement rib house down an alley off Union Avenue, serving charcoal-cooked dry-rub ribs since 1948.
Tip: Go on Dec 30; it is closed Sundays and Mondays and fills early on holidays.
Chez Philippe
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
The Peabody's French dining room, serving a fixed-price four-course menu on New Year's Eve.
Tip: Take the early seating and you are on Beale well before the screening lines build.
Majestic Grille
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
Steaks and classic plates inside a restored 1913 silent-movie theater near the river.
Tip: Reserve for Dec 31; it has hosted New Year's Eve dinners with live music.
Downtown Nashville 3 picks
Husk
Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route
Southern restaurant in a Victorian house on Rutledge Hill, cooking only with ingredients from the South.
Jack's Bar-B-Que
Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route
Counter-service barbecue on Broadway since the 1970s: pulled pork, brisket and Tennessee whole-hog.
Tip: A quick, cheap meal before heading up to Bicentennial Mall.
Kayne Prime
Downtown Nashville · On our Nashville New Year's Eve route
Steakhouse in the Gulch from the M Street group, known for wagyu and a long wine list.
The Gulch 3 picks
Biscuit Love
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Gulch brunch spot known for the Bonuts (fried biscuit dough) and chicken biscuits.
Tip: Lines are long on weekends; go at opening on weekdays.
Photo: Biscuit Love · Google
Hattie B's Hot Chicken
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Nashville hot chicken by heat level from Southern to Shut the Cluck Up.
Tip: "Hot" is plenty for most; weekday afternoon has shorter lines.
Photo: Nathan Kosmak · Google
Peg Leg Porker
The Gulch · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Memphis-style dry-rub ribs and pulled pork from pitmaster Carey Bringle.
Tip: Try the dry-rub ribs and the Kool-Aid pickles.
Photo: Peg Leg Porker BBQ · Google
Franklin 2 picks
Gray's on Main
Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route
Southern restaurant and bar in the old Gray's pharmacy building, under its landmark neon sign.
Tip: The upstairs bar is a good stop after the Dickens crowds thin out.
Puckett's Franklin
Franklin · On our Nashville & Franklin route
Offshoot of the old Puckett's grocery in Leiper's Fork, serving barbecue, Southern plates and live music downtown.
Knoxville 2 picks
J.C. Holdway
Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route
Chef Joseph Lenn's wood-fired Southern cooking downtown.
Tip: Reserve dinner; the fried chicken is a favorite.
Photo: Mark Exposito · Google
Yassin's Falafel House
Knoxville · On our Smokies Weekend route
Beloved downtown falafel shop run by a Syrian refugee family.
Tip: Get the falafel wrap; closed Sundays.
Photo: Paul · Google
Memphis 2 picks
Central BBQ
Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route
Local favorite for pulled pork, dry-rub ribs and smoked wings across from the museum.
Tip: Order half-and-half ribs, wet and dry.
Photo: Central BBQ - Downtown · Google
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
Memphis · On our Arkansas Delta Blues & Bites route
Spicy, crackly fried chicken in a casual downtown dining room.
Photo: Tristan Williams · Google
Townsend 2 picks
Burger Master Drive-In
Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route
Old-school drive-in for burgers and shakes after Cades Cove.
Tip: Cash-friendly; quick lunch stop.
Photo: Burger Master Drive In · Google
Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro
Townsend · On our Smokies Weekend route
Lodge restaurant serving upscale Appalachian dishes.
Tip: Reserve dinner; patio views of the mountains.
Photo: Dancing Bear Lodge Townsend · Google
Nashville 1 pick
Loveless Cafe
Nashville · On our Nashville & Franklin route
Roadside cafe at the start of the Natchez Trace, serving biscuits, country ham and fried chicken since 1951.
Tip: Weekend waits are long; go on a weekday morning.
Photo: Gourneau · CC BY-SA 4.0
South Main & the Riverfront 1 pick
Arcade Restaurant
South Main & the Riverfront · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
Memphis's oldest cafe, a 1919 diner on South Main known for sweet potato pancakes and its neon sign.
Tip: Check holiday hours for Jan 1 and expect a short wait at peak brunch.
Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki · CC BY 3.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in Tennessee?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 23 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Tennessee has the most restaurants on this list?
East Nashville has the most (4 of 23), followed by Beale Street & Downtown Memphis (3) and Downtown Nashville (3).
More lists for Tennessee
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- East Nashville 4 on this list
- Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 3 on this list
- Downtown Nashville 3 on this list
- The Gulch 3 on this list
- Franklin 2 on this list
- Knoxville 2 on this list
- Memphis 2 on this list
- Townsend 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.