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Food tours in Nashville: what to eat and which tour to book
Nashville's signature dish is hot chicken: fried chicken coated in a cayenne-based paste and served on white bread with pickle chips, a dish that came out of the city's Black neighbourhoods and the Prince family's restaurant, which has been run by André Prince Jeffries since 1980. Around it sits ordinary Southern cooking: the meat-and-three (one meat and three sides from a steam-table line), biscuits for breakfast, slow-smoked barbecue, banana pudding, and the Goo Goo Cluster candy bar. The city has also grown fast, so East Nashville, Germantown, 12 South and the Gulch have plenty of new restaurants, while Nolensville Pike is where you find the Kurdish, Mexican, Somali and other immigrant kitchens. Lower Broadway is for music, not food.
Use this page to know what to order and where, with rough 2026 prices in US dollars before tax and tip. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Nashville
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville hot chicken hot chicken | Fried chicken (quarters, tenders or wings) brushed with a cayenne-pepper paste or oil after frying, served on white bread with pickle chips. Heat levels range from mild to very hot; the top levels are genuinely painful for most people. | Long-running hot chicken shops in North and East Nashville, plus newer chains with branches around the city; expect queues at the best-known places at weekends. | roughly $12–20 for a plate with a side or two |
| Meat-and-three | Choose one meat (fried chicken, country-fried steak, meatloaf, catfish, roast beef) and three sides (mac and cheese, greens, fried okra, mashed potatoes, stewed tomatoes, green beans), with cornbread or a roll. Usually served cafeteria-style at lunch. | Old-style meat-and-three cafeterias, several of them south of downtown and in older neighbourhoods; many are open weekdays at lunch only. | roughly $14–20 a plate |
| Biscuits and Southern breakfast biscuits and gravy, country ham | Fluffy buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy, country ham, eggs and grits; some places serve fried chicken on a biscuit. | Breakfast diners and biscuit shops across the city; the best-known ones have long weekend queues, so go early on weekdays. | roughly $10–18 |
| Barbecue barbecue (pulled pork, brisket, ribs) | Slow-smoked pork shoulder, ribs, brisket and smoked chicken; Middle and West Tennessee tradition leans towards pork and whole-hog barbecue, with vinegar or tomato-based sauces on the side. | Barbecue restaurants in Midtown, East Nashville and along the main roads out of the centre. | roughly $14–25 for a plate with two sides |
| Hot fish | Fried whiting or catfish with the same fiery spice treatment as hot chicken, often served on white bread with pickles and onion. Less famous than hot chicken but just as local. | A few long-running hot chicken and fish places, mainly in East and North Nashville. | roughly $12–18 |
| Banana pudding | Vanilla custard layered with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers, sometimes topped with meringue or whipped cream. The standard dessert at meat-and-threes and barbecue places. | Meat-and-threes, barbecue restaurants and bakeries. | roughly $5–8 |
| Goo Goo Cluster | A round candy of caramel, marshmallow nougat and roasted peanuts covered in milk chocolate, made in Nashville since 1912 and often described as one of the first combination candy bars. | The Goo Goo shop downtown and gift shops, groceries and petrol stations across the region. | roughly $2–4 each; more for the shop's premium versions |
| Tennessee whiskey | Whiskey made mostly from corn and, for most brands, filtered through maple charcoal before ageing (the 'Lincoln County Process'). Several craft distilleries in and around Nashville offer tours and tastings. | Bars across the city and distilleries in town and in the surrounding counties. | roughly $10–16 a pour in a bar; distillery tastings around $20–40 |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Nashville Farmers' Market
Next to the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park north of downtown, with farm and produce sheds outside and the Market House food hall inside, where small vendors sell everything from barbecue to Caribbean and Asian food. A better-value lunch than downtown.
East Nashville
Across the Cumberland River from downtown, with neighbourhood restaurants, bars, coffee shops and some of the city's well-known hot chicken. More local and less staged than downtown.
Germantown
A historic neighbourhood next to the Farmers' Market with many of the city's chef-driven restaurants, brick row houses and breweries; also home to a long-running family-style Southern restaurant where you share dishes at communal tables.
Nolensville Pike
A long road south of the centre lined with immigrant-run restaurants and groceries: Kurdish (Nashville has the largest Kurdish community in the US), Mexican, Salvadoran, Somali, Ethiopian, Vietnamese and more. You need a car or rideshare.
12 South and the Gulch
Two newer, busier districts: 12 South is a walkable strip of cafés, bakeries and casual restaurants; the Gulch, just south-west of downtown, has hotels and higher-priced restaurants. Convenient, but more polished than local.
Lower Broadway
The honky-tonk strip downtown with live music from late morning to late night. Many bars serve food, but it is mostly fried bar food at high prices; go for the music, eat elsewhere.
Food tours in Nashville compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Nashville Walking Food Tour with 5+ Tastings | 3 hours | from €88 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Nashville's Speakeasy Secrets: True Crime Tasting Pub Crawl | 2 - 2.5 hours | from €54 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Nashville: The Gulch Walking & Tasting Food Tour | 3 hours | from €88 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Nashville: Taste of Nashville Food and Sightseeing Van Tour | 3 hours | from €115 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Nashville: Big Machine Distillery Tour with Tasting | 1 hour | from €15 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Nashville: Downtown Food, Drink and Sightseeing Walking Tour | 3 hours | from €101 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
East Nashville Walking Food Tour with 5+ Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Secret Food Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €88 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 192 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- An awesome local guide Southern-style 2-bone rib Nashville hot chicken Crispy catfish taco Our delicious Secret Dish Water Bee Bite Double cheese burger Extra drinks (unless drink upgrade option selected) Tips Transpo…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Hunters Station
Nashville's Speakeasy Secrets: True Crime Tasting Pub Crawl
On GetYourGuide · run by Nashville Tours
- Length
- 2 - 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €54 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 155 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Knowledgeable guide who knows where all of Nashville's Hidden Gems and Underground Speakeasies are. Alcoholic Beverages Gratuity for Guide
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.
Nashville: The Gulch Walking & Tasting Food Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Local Tastes of Nashville
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €88 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 98 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guide 4-to-5 food tastings Tips
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Meet your guide inside the lobby of The W Nashville lobby. The guide will be looking for guests in the seating area between the coffee shop and the elevators.
Nashville: Taste of Nashville Food and Sightseeing Van Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Dabble Tours and Events
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €115 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 37 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Guided tour Food tastings Water at all stops Local guide Transportation by private van
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- 330 Harrison St, Nashville, TN 37219, USA
Nashville: Big Machine Distillery Tour with Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Big Machine Distillery
- Length
- 1 hour
- Price
- from €15 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 18 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- 45-minute guided distillery tour Access to the Tasting Room for cocktails and live music Flight of Big Machine spirits
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Please meet us in the upstairs bar of Big Machine Brewery and Distillery. 122 3rd Ave. South, Nashville, TN.
Nashville: Downtown Food, Drink and Sightseeing Walking Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by Dabble Tours and Events
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €101 per person
- Rating
- 3.8 ★ from 9 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Local guide Walking tour Food tastings Beverages
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- 300 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201, USA
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Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Nashville has little street food in the European or Asian sense. The local equivalent is the counter-service hot chicken or barbecue shop, food trucks at breweries and events, and the food stalls in the Farmers' Market's Market House. A car or rideshare helps, because many of the best places are outside the walkable downtown.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down eating ranges from cafeteria-style meat-and-threes at lunch to booked-out chef restaurants in Germantown, East Nashville and the Gulch. Weekend brunch is a big deal and queues are long. Remember that menu prices exclude sales tax (over 9% in Nashville, higher in some downtown districts) and a tip of roughly 18–22%.
Cooking classes
Southern cooking classes (biscuits, fried chicken, cornbread, pies) are offered occasionally by cooking schools and kitchen shops in the Nashville area. They are less common than walking food tours, so check dates well in advance.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | $40–60 (biscuit breakfast, hot chicken or meat-and-three lunch, casual dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | $80–120 (sit-down dinner with drinks and a coffee stop, including tax and tip) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | $180+ (chef's restaurant with cocktails or wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible but watch the sides: greens, green beans and beans in Southern cooking are often cooked with ham, bacon or pork fat, and gravy is meat-based. Ask whether vegetable sides are 'cooked with meat'. The newer restaurants in East Nashville, 12 South and Germantown have good vegetarian and vegan choices, and some hot chicken places offer a cauliflower or tofu version.
Halal: Halal food is available mainly along Nolensville Pike and in South Nashville, where Kurdish, Middle Eastern and Somali restaurants and halal butchers serve the local communities. Downtown and in the barbecue and meat-and-three places, assume nothing is halal and pork is common.
Gluten-free: Fried chicken, biscuits, cornbread (often made with some wheat flour), gravy and fried catfish all contain gluten, and shared fryers are standard. Smoked barbecue meats are often gluten-free but sauces and rubs vary. Awareness is good in newer restaurants, which usually mark menus; ask in older places.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Mixtape or 'free CD' hustlers on Broadway who hand you a CD, write your name on it and then demand money. Don't take anything handed to you; a firm 'no thanks' and keep walking.
- Bills on Broadway and in tourist bars with automatic service charges or 'hospitality fees' added on top, then a tip line as well, so you tip twice. Read the bill before tipping; if a service charge or gratuity is already included, you don't need to add the full tip again.
- Eating every meal downtown, where prices are high and food is mostly bar fare aimed at visitors. Take a short rideshare to East Nashville, Germantown, the Farmers' Market or Nolensville Pike for better food at similar or lower prices.
- Ordering the hottest level of hot chicken as a dare and being unable to eat it. Start at medium or 'hot' at most; even locals rarely order the top level, and some shops make you sign or confirm before serving it.
Top tours & activities in Nashville
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
How much should I tip in Nashville?
Standard US tipping applies: roughly 18–22% of the pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, and a dollar or a few percent at counter-service places is optional. Check the bill first, because some downtown restaurants and large groups get an automatic service charge. On food tours, guides typically receive a tip of about 15–20% of the ticket price if you enjoyed it.
How hot is Nashville hot chicken really?
Very hot at the top levels. Most shops offer a scale from plain or mild through medium and hot to extra-hot, and the highest level is extreme even for people used to chilli. First-timers usually enjoy mild or medium most; you still get the flavour of the cayenne paste. Have something cooling on the side, such as coleslaw, mac and cheese or a milkshake.
What is a meat-and-three?
It is a Southern plate lunch: you choose one meat and three vegetable sides from a daily selection, usually along a cafeteria line, and it comes with cornbread or a roll. Typical sides include mac and cheese (counted as a vegetable), greens, fried okra, mashed potatoes and green beans. Many traditional meat-and-threes open only for weekday lunch, so check before going.
How much should I budget for food per day in Nashville?
Roughly $40–60 a day covers a biscuit breakfast, a hot chicken or meat-and-three lunch and a casual dinner. A comfortable day with a sit-down dinner and drinks is about $80–120 once tax (over 9%) and tip are included. Chef-driven restaurants in Germantown, East Nashville or the Gulch can easily run $100+ per person with drinks.
Do I need a car to eat well in Nashville?
It helps. Downtown, Lower Broadway and the Gulch are walkable, and the Farmers' Market and Germantown are a long walk or short ride north of downtown. East Nashville, 12 South and Nolensville Pike need a car, rideshare or bus. Rideshare is the usual choice for visitors, especially if you are drinking.
When should I book restaurants and food tours?
Book popular dinner spots a week or more ahead for Friday and Saturday, and much earlier during big events such as CMA Fest in June or around New Year's Eve. Hot chicken shops and meat-and-threes don't take bookings; go at off-peak times to avoid queues. Weekend food tours can fill up in spring, summer and autumn, so reserve a few days to a couple of weeks in advance.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.