Diners' Choice: Southern restaurants in Nashville

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Southern cuisine in Nashville? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Midtown Cafe

4.9

4.9 (5042)

$31 to $50

Southern

Midtown

About the restaurant

Open Table TOP 50 Best Southern Restaurant in USA offering a casual, affordable, fine dining atmosphere with breakfast / brunch / lunch all seven days and dinner Monday through Saturday with cage free eggs, biscuits, pancakes, seafood, prime steak, veal, pastas & featuring 40 wines by the glass and 150 selections. Located just off West End at 102 -19th Ave S in the West End / Vanderbilt / Music Row / Midtown / Medical Center neighborhoods. Since 1987, casual fine dining with quality ingredients prepared and served by caring professionals.

Open weekdays for Breakfast 8am-2pm. Lunch 11am-2pm Mon-Sun. Dinner starting at 4:30 Monday - Thursday and 5:00pm Friday and Saturday.
Complementary Valet Parking for Lunch and Dinner

Shuttle offered for events at Tpac, Ryman, The Symphony, and Bridgestone with a 40$/ person check minimum. Must call restaurant to reserve shuttle seats. Requests made on Open Table may not be honored, due to limited seating.

Top review

Robert

Dined 6 days ago

Great food, when we r in Nashville, we always stop by

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Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Elliston Place Soda Shop

4.7

4.7 (151)

$30 and under

Southern

Midtown

About the restaurant

We’re one part soda shop, one part meat-and-three, and one hundred percent bona fide Southern eatery. We cook each meal fresh from scratch daily, following time-tested recipes and honoring our founder’s meat-and-three legacy. Bring the kids around for a treat, grab lunch with friends, or drop by for a shake and fries. And did we mention the pies?

Top review

Ginny

Dined on Dec 1, 2024

We always love visiting this restaurant. It has wonderful food, service is great, and just has cozy vibes.

Urban Grub

4.8

4.8 (5300)

$31 to $50

Southern

Waverly / Melrose / Breeze Hill

About the restaurant

**We are currently experiencing technical difficulty with communication between OpenTable and our Table Management Software. Please use our website (urbangrub.net) to see our availability.

Urban Grub is a casual fine dining bar and eatery located in a renovated carwash in Nashville’s iconic 12 South district.

The design of the restaurant features a rustic elegance, filled with custom woodwork, stone fireplaces and rounded booths tucked in intimate corners. Urban Grub offers both indoor and outdoor seating with a combination of the two in the beer garden, accompanied a view of the restaurant’s meat curing room, as well as a covered gazebo for larger parties.

From the inviting indoor-outdoor atmosphere to the elevated Southern cuisine of fresh seafood, house-made charcuterie, and prime dry-aged steaks, the experience is unforgettable.

Top review

Rebecca

Dined 1 day ago

Amazing experience once again! Thank you to James for being so great. Food was to die for as always.

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Kitchen Notes - Omni Nashville

4.8

4.8 (1567)

$30 and under

Southern

Downtown / Sobro

About the restaurant

We are very proud and excited about our upcoming Kitchen Notes Enhancements beginning November 8, 2024 through January 10, 2025, but you can be sure we will be serving all your favorite Southern Homemade favorites in BARLINES. Please still utilize open table to book your reservations. When we reopen January 11th you will see a new and improved look to our restaurant, but you can be sure we will still be serving all of your favorite Southern Homemade favorites and biscuits!

Kitchen Notes is open and serving a new menu created by Chef Jon Moore, of course we still have our fresh biscuits. With recipes reminiscent of your Grandmother's kitchen, we create a southern style dining experience. With breakfast that includes Home Style Grits, Nashville Hot Fried Chicken and more to start off your day. For those of you looking for something on the healthy side of the menu we have Avocado Toast, and a Southern Succotash.

Located inside the Omni Hotel, come enjoy Nashville's best breakfast.

Top review

Nicola

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

We loved the Thanksgiving meal. The selection was great, the food was delicious and the service was fantastic. Well done!

The Farm House

4.7

4.7 (2415)

$31 to $50

Southern

Downtown / Sobro

About the restaurant

We are a southern Restaurant & Bar (Best Happy Hour in Nashville) with a touch of Italian. Chefs Trey Cioccia & Robert Compton have been working side by side for 17 years. We are located directly across the street from the Schermerhorn and one block from the Bridgestone Arena, Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Ascend Amphitheater. We are a casual laid back restaurant, with a bar that makes y'all feel at home. We have Happy Hour every day (at the bar) and valet parking on Fridays and Saturdays. If you wake up hungry on the weekend, we serve Brunch and all you need to drink Mimosa's

Top review

David

Dined 4 days ago

Farm House is a wonderful little restaurant in the heart of Nashville. The food was excellent, especially the deviled eggs and pork chop. The service was outstanding, our server took great care with us. No wonder it came highly recommended.

Henley

4.6

4.6 (1200)

$30 and under

Southern

Music Row

About the restaurant

Rooted in the traditions of regional cooking, Henley celebrates quality products made by American hands. That starts with the hand selected bourbon and Tennessee whiskey barrels that populate our drink program and extends to our rich appreciation for the bounty available in the American South. The atmosphere evolves as you move through the space: bright and breezy on patio, hushed and moody in Snooker. As for the inner sanctum--Henley’s coveted Rabbit Hole--well, you’ll just have to experience that for yourself.

Top review

Ben

Dined on Dec 1, 2024

Lovely meal and service. Best Caesar salad I have ever had.

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Experience

Snooker Private Dining

Commons Club Kitchen and Bar

4.5

4.5 (252)

$30 and under

Southern

Midtown

About the restaurant

Serving as the social epicenter of Virgin Hotels Nashville, Commons Club offers an interactive experience with three distinct spaces inviting locals and hotel guests alike to eat, drink and explore Music Row. The Kitchen boasts an open-style kitchen concept and dining room including an exclusive chef’s table. Guests can enjoy an elevated mix of small plates, craveable entrées and sides available for breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. The Bar offers thoughtfully crafted cocktails, a curated wine selection and a menu of bites. Adjacent to the bar is The Shag Room, a swanky space with a southern twist that features wrap-around tiered seating and a fringe ceiling installation evoking an enjoyable setting for both travelers and locals.

Top review

Marcus

Dined on Nov 17, 2024

“An absolute gem in downtown Nashville! The ambiance is unmatched—chic, cozy, and perfect for any occasion. The attention to detail in the decor creates a vibe that’s both luxurious and welcoming. Excellent service and a fantastic selection of drinks make this lounge a must-visit. Can’t wait to return!”

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4.5

4.5 (462)

$30 and under

Southern

Columbia

About the restaurant

Founded in the fifties, people have been congregating at Puckett's for over half a century. We've updated a bit, added some recipes from our family and friends, and thrown in some great live music. But it's still Puckett's Grocery... nothing too fancy, but everything good. It's where the locals go for real food, real people and real fun.

Top review

Dean

Dined 1 day ago

Always great service, Jimmy does a great job with his staff. Friendly atmosphere and great food

Little Fib

4.2

4.2 (393)

$30 and under

Southern

Downtown / Sobro

About the restaurant

Savor American retro cuisine at Little Fib, a distinct restaurant designed to honor the rich history of Nashville through food, music and libations. Start your morning to the right beat in downtown Nashville or refuel after exploring Broadway. Located in the heart of Music City inside the Renaissance Nashville hotel.

Top review

Susan

Dined 6 days ago

We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel and ate several meals at the restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all excellent. I highly recommend the deviled eggs and the wings!

Puckett's Murfreesboro

4.0

4 (712)

$30 and under

Southern

Murfreesboro

About the restaurant

The Puckett’s roots go way back to the 1950s, and a little grocery store in the village of Leiper’s Fork, Tenn. Ever since then, we’ve been focused on providing friends new and old with great food and Southern hospitality. When it comes down to it, Puckett’s is a community kitchen, with live pickin’ performances just a few feet from your table. Authentic comfort food—barbecue smoked slow ‘n’ low over cherry wood, the home-cooked sides, even a few upscale dishes—is what Puckett’s aims for you to remember! Our philosophy is simple: Real Food, Real People, Real Fun.

Top review

James

Dined on Nov 28, 2024

All good though a tad bit pricey. Food was excellent. Sad they did not let us eat our dessert there. Cost was $40/person (included drink) plus tax and tip. Great ambiance. Friendly server.

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