We spent 2 days in Nashville last weekend celebrating a friend’s birthday and had THE BEST time! Even if you’re not a huge country music fan, Nashville needs to be added to your list ASAP! Such a great music scene with lots of up and coming food and drink hot spots.
Day 1
Get brunch at Biscuit Love
I couldn’t go to the south without getting some biscuits. Biscuit Love is one of the more popular brunch spots in Nashville, and for good reason! We ordered the East Nasty (fried chicken and sausage gravy on a buttermilk biscuit) and the Lily (biscuit French toast). They were both AMAZING but the bonuts (fried biscuit dough) took the cake! Also, save yourself some time and head to the Hillsboro Village location instead of the Gulch – way less busy!
Visit Hey Rooster
After brunch, head across the street to Hey Rooster General Store for an adorable shop filled with gifts and trendy Nashville souvenirs that you will actually use and wear. I loved it all!
Take a picture in front of some street art
It seems like there’s a street mural around every corner in Nashville, so we just stumbled onto these spots! The Hillsboro Village mural is located at 2013 Capers Ave, I believe in Nashville is located at 2702 12th Ave S (Right next to Draper James), and the tie dye Nashville mural is located at 2727 12th Ave S.
Go shopping on 12 South
So many people recommended that I should check out the 12 South neighborhood while I was in Nashville. It’s full of cute shops and restaurants – they know me so well! Make sure to check out Draper James (Reese Witherspoon’s store) – it is full of girly southern pride and they even give you sweet tea while you shop! I also loved White’s Mercantile – lots of cute gifts!
Eat donuts at Five Daughter’s Bakery
Ok, so Five Daughter’s Bakery is also located on 12 South, but it deserves its own paragraph. THESE DONUTS ARE AMAZING. Please go here. It’s home to the 100 layer donut (kind of like a cronut aka croissant donut). We tried the maple glaze, vanilla cream, and the strawberry malted milkshake. But if you can only get one, get the vanilla cream. Best donut I’ve ever had in my life.
Visit the Belle Meade Plantation
I’ve never been on a real southern plantation before, so when we saw that the Belle Meade Plantation was only a 15 minute drive from 12 South, we had to go! We arrived too late to get tickets to tour the mansion, but paid $15 pp to tour the grounds and do a wine tasting at their winery. There’s lots of history here, so drink some wine and stroll around while you learn about the people who lived here and the thoroughbred race horses they raised.
Day 2
Caffeinate at Drug Store Coffee
Looking for an escape from the crowds of downtown Nashville? Stop in at Drug Store Coffee for a great cup of coffee and a breakfast treat. The Rare Bird rooftop bar is located in the same building. It looks super cute but we didn’t have a chance to check it out!
Get some barbecue at The George Jones
I’m not a barbecue connoisseur, but we wanted some good food and didn’t want to wait in a long line for it, so we ended up at The George Jones. I loved the brisket (and I’m usually not a huge brisket fan!) and the live music. The 2 meat platter with two sides was the perfect amount of food without getting too full!
Lime around the city
If you haven’t noticed, these electric scooters are in the process of invading every major city in the US. And they’re so fun! Download the Lime app (much more reliable than bird) to find the scooters and scan it once you find a scooter to ride. Take the Korean Veterans Blvd bridge over the river for some great bike paths and views of the city!
Take a tour of Hatch Show Print
If you’re looking for something unique to do in Nashville, this is it. Hatch Show Print has been printing posters for Nashville shows since 1875 when the Hatch brothers created this style of printing. And the process still looks the same today! Take the tour to learn how they continue to create these posters without computers with original presses. So so interesting – and you even get to create a poster of your own! Tours run 3 times a day for $18 per person.
Go out on Broadway
There’s so much to see and do on Broadway, so you have to make at least one trip down the street! We took a few breaks here throughout our 2 days in Nashville and had tons of fun bar-hopping and listening to all the different kinds of music! The bars don’t have covers (yay!) and are made up of multiple stories, each with a different band. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter which spot you go into, so if you hear some music you like, walk on in!
Eat and eat some more
We had another fantastic meal at Acme Seed and Seed while in Nashville, but I forgot to take photos! Definitely get the spicy wings – they’re the best I’ve ever had! Other spots that came highly recommended but we didn’t have a chance to check out are Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Husk, Pinewood Social, Puckett’s Grocery, and The Mockingbird.
Happy Honkey-Tonky-ing Y’all
I’m headed to Nashville for my birthday and this guide is exactly what I was looking for! You found some super cute, not too touristy things and I’m loving it! Thanks! 🙂
Awesome!! So glad to gear that – have a blast!
Just got back from a trip to nashville and wish I would have read your post! Thanks for all the great recommendations! I’m also from MN so will be checking out your other posts as well 🙂
Yay! Thanks so much!
Hey! I’m planning a surprise trip to Nashville for my husband’s 40th. I’ve been before (he hasn’t) but we are both huge country music fans. Where do you recommend staying? I stayed in a hotel downtown; but we are more Airbnb peeps. And like to walk/run/be outdoors …but I’d prefer to be within walking distance of Broadway. Any recommends and/or ideas on where to stay that’s maybe not downtown?
This is an excellent post with great information. Thanks for sharing it.