Hello friends!
SO if you didn’t get to see my insta-stories from a few weeks ago, I had a pretty INCREDIBLE time in Nashville! A mega-huge shout out goes to Libby + Abby for being incredible hosts (and letting me crash their home for a few days) and showing me around their city!
So Nashville is probably one of my absolute FAVORITE towns. There is literally a plethora of things to do there, and I feel like we knocked out a ton of them in a short amount of time, but there are still SO many places I want to visit and areas I want to explore. So know that when it comes to Nashville, the options are endless and really at the end of the day, everything is amazing. I’m pretty sure you can’t go to a local coffee shop or food joint and have a terrible experience. Maybe you can, but everywhere we went I thought it was pretty phenomenal. Now don’t get me wrong – I definitely have my favorite places, but truly everything was great!
So that being said, here is a list of all the places I went and a little review about each stop, and hopefully this simple guide will help you figure out where you want to go the next time you visit this wonderful city!
This adorable print is from High Fancy, and it’s only $18. So you should grab one!
Nashville Guru is also a great place to figure out the boroughs in Nashville (if you didn’t know, Nashville is split into these “neighborhoods” and that’s kind of how everything is categorizes there). Each neighborhood also totally has it’s own vibe, so there’s that too.
Brief overview of where I’ve been the past two trips:
COFFEE SHOPS
- Barista Parlor
- The Perch
- Steadfast
- Headquarters
- Fido
- Three Brother’s
- Crema
- Ugly Mugs
- Eighth and Roast
- Revelator
- Sam + Zoe’s
- Eighth and South
- Dose
- Frothy Monkey
- Pinewood Social
FOOD
SHOPS
OTHER
- Shelby Bottom’s Park (+ bike riding) – here’s a map of the greenway
Okay, so like I said – pretty much everything is amazing! It’s hard to break everything down and describe it, but I’m gonna try to do my best and give you a brief low-down in case you want to know more about each place – and the prices – so hopefully when you go you have a good idea of how to budget and your top pics!
So, first section – COFFEE! We did a #coffeeshoppehop, which if you don’t know what it is, I would recommend looking through the hashtag on instagram! It’s something that Libby + Abby thought of (so it’s not my original idea, I just LOVED it) and it’s something I definitely plan on continuing… I’ll be posting a whole blog post dedicated to the best tips + tricks we learned on our coffee shoppe hop (and the things NOT to do). But the short story is a coffee shoppe hop is like a progressive dinner, where you go to as many coffee shops as your stomach can handle and try a coffee at each one. This is a great way to quickly find out your favorite places, but beware of the stomach ache and caffeine extreme when/if you do this (again – I’ll be posting a blog post next week to help you do this in a much healthier way).
I think for ease and organization – I’m just gonna list out everywhere we went with a little review (including the location + parking, the price, the vibe, etc.)
COFFEE SHOPS
I feel like this is one of those quintessential Nashville stops, but fair warning, it’s probably the most stressful place to order (especially if you aren’t a coffee snob). Their menu is ONLY at the counter, and some of the locations (there are three in Nashville) aren’t very patient with you, so you kind of need to know what you want right away. However, I’ve had a positive experience at the two I’ve been to (The Gulch and Germantown) and if you can get over their potential coffee snobbery, the coffee is actually PRETTY incredible!
- Price: $$ (expect to pay at least $6.50 for your drink)
- Location: There are three – the one in the Gulch and Germantown have pretty easy parking.
- Vibe: Definitely a super cool atmosphere (usually set in a garage – so light and airy with tons of table seating).
- Coffee: Phenomenal! Everything we ordered was superb.
- What we ordered: Whiskey Caramel Latte (fave), Iced Vanilla Bourbon Latte and the Reko Chemex pour over.
So The Perch has two locations, and we went to the one downtown which had an okay location, but apparently the second location in Brentwood is pretty cool (it’s in an old house). If you go to that location, be sure to say Hello to Nick for us, and order an Almond Bark latte (his fave).
- Price: $ (like a $3 latte – so super affordable)
- Location: Downtown parking is kind of difficult, but the Brentwood location has better parking anyways.
- Vibe: Again, I didn’t go to the Brentwood location, but apparently that’s where it’s at.
- Coffee: It’s good, but if you’re trying to figure out the best ones to go to, this doesn’t necessarily need to be on the list.
- What we ordered: Almond Bark Latte
Definitely some of the best branding out of all the coffee shops. We visited the location in Germantown and even though it was totally packed, the atmosphere was super chill. They had indoor and outdoor seating, and even though it was a little too cold to be outside, it is definitely a place I would want to frequent in the spring and fall, bathing in sunshine and delicious coffee.
- Price: $$
- Location: This location was difficult to park in and a little crazy, but the indoor/outdoor vibe is awesome and the architecture of the whole place is really cool.
- Vibe: If you can manage when it’s no busy, or sit outside, this is a great place to hang/work.
- Coffee: Coffee Soda (a must try!) + a butterscotch latte
- What we ordered:
This was across the board our FAVORITE stop.
- Price: $
- Location: Tons of parking!
- Vibe: I describe it as the place where Harry Potter would hang out. It was an alleyway that they converted into a coffee shop, so it has a super unique and “hole-in-the-wall” vibe, but definitely
- Coffee: LOCAL HONEY LAVENDER LATTE. BEST DAY EVER! Seriously, this was the best honey lavender latte I’ve had in a long time, and it was made with local honey which just made it all the better… *swoon*. Libby and Abby also really loved what they ordered – so their Americano’s are fabby, too!
- What we ordered: Honey Lavender Latte + Americano.
We went here for an afternoon work date, but with it being Saturday it was SO packed that we didn’t get to order food or drinks like we had hoped. So I feel like I can’t give it an accurate evaluation, but I have the say that their food looked AMAZING (definitely $$) and the atmosphere was really good. Plus this area of town has a lot of fun shops and it’s definitely a cool place to walk around and get the Nashville vibe.
I was really excited to go here, mostly for the mural that so many people post about. My friend Karlie Pickett even won a contest with Walk in Love with a picture by this wall!
- Price: $
- Location: It’s in the West End
- Vibe: This place was pretty huge! I was surprised how much seating there was – and it’s attached to like a camping brand store? So that was cool and different.
- Coffee: Tons of options, and it was definitely good!
- What we ordered: I ordered my first (ever) Cortado (and a lavender one at that, of course). It was delicious!
Crema is probably one of my favorite coffee shops – mostly because they have a Cuban coffee that reminds me of one of my favorite coffee shops in Louisiana (if you’re ever in Monroe, LA – go to Latin Foods and get their coffee. It’s heavenly).
- Price: $
- Location: So there are two Crema’s – one is in Pinewood Social (which is a really great place) and the other is just across the street and it’s a stand alone store.
- Vibe: Super light and airy! This was probably the best place for me to get focused work done; the natural light was amazing and the buzz of all the conversations felt like white noise, so that was pretty cool.
- Coffee: I’m sure all their coffee is amazing, but I’ve only had their Cuban’s and they are legit my favorite!
- What we ordered: We both ordered cuban coffee because they are THE BEST! Plus, Libby ordered their granola and it looked fabulous, and I ordered (my first ever) bowl of Muesli, and that was fantastic!
This was another really cool work place.
- Price: $
- Location: Easy parking and great location.
- Vibe: This is another great workplace – it has a very chill and open atmosphere, with lots of table space (and farm tables for co-working spaces) and a delicious assortment of coffee, teas and treats.
- Coffee: I actually didn’t order coffee from here because my stomach was hurting,
- What we ordered: I ordered tea, because if I’m being honest, my stomach was still recovering from the #coffeeshoppehop from the evening before. But my friend Libby had their chai tea, which is her go-to!
This was probably my personal favorite coffee shop.
- Price:
- Location:
- Vibe:
- Coffee:
- What we ordered: A vanilla latte (with freshly ground vanilla bean IN the latte – it was nothing short of incredible!) and I had the Ethiopian drip pour. BOTH items were some of the best coffee I had the whole weekend!
So I didn’t actually have the coffee here in during my visit in Nashville, but this week in Atlanta I had a pour over and it was GREAT! Plus again, their branding is pretty fun, and as a designer sometimes we totally judge a coffee shop by their logo… Ha.
- Price: $
- Location: There are several in Nashville and apparently Atlanta! The one downtown by Hillsboro village (all the awesome shopping) and it’s next to Jeni’s – both of which I would recommend!
- Vibe: We didn’t work or hang here, but it had a good combination of a light and earthy vibe. Reminded me of one of my favorite coffee shops in Ruston!
- Coffee: See previous answers 🙂
So this is really like a coffee shop + cafe, and I didn’t have the coffee (but heard it’s good) so I am going to give the full review down below in the food section.
So this was a really cool shop in East Nashville, and if you’re ever in the area I would totally make an appointment to stop in my friends studio – Winsome Easel (it’s literally just around the corner).
- Price: $
- Location: East Nashville
- Vibe: v
- Coffee:
- What we ordered:
So I hit this place up on my way out of town, so I didn’t really get to hang there long but it definitely had chill vibes. I stopped by because I was told they have lavender lattes – so of course I had to order one! It was definitely good, but I’m a big fan of the “super” lavender flavor, and I think Headquarters still has the best lavender latte I’ve had in Nashville.
- Price: $
- Location: There are several! I went to the one in Inglewood.
- Vibe: Very cool. Every coffee shop in Nashville just makes you want to basically live in there.
- Coffee: I had, of course, the lavender latte and it was good! Though I’m not gonna lie… Headquarters wins for the best lavender latte.
- What I ordered: Lavender latte! I’ll give them this – they had some of the best latte art from the whole weekend 😉
So this trip, I didn’t have coffee at Frothy (just ate dinner there) so I’m going to include it in the food section!)
FOOD
So probably my favorite thing about Frothy, is that it actually originally started in my college town! I suppose the hubby + wife closed it down (before I moved to town) and relocated in Nashville, where there are now several locations and expanding!
- Price: $
- Location: So they have a lot of locations! I’ve only been to the one downtown, which has a really cool second floor. I’ve heard the one in the 12th borough is awesome, but it’s generally packed (probably because this is where a lot of famous shops are). There’s a third location, I don’t remember where, but like I said, you have lots of options!
- Food: They have a lot of fun options!
- Coffee: They have something called the “Golden Monkey” which is golden turmeric milk, honey, topped w cinnamon + turmeric root {and espresso}. That’s Libby and
- What we ordered: I’m just gonna tell you, I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I think it’s hilarious that they had this as an option, because that’s something I used to eat all the time as a kid, so I decided to go for it and that’s what I wanted as a grown up and college graduate. HA.
Okay, I can’t do this justice since we didn’t get to eat or drink here BECAUSE the line was over an hour long. Which tells you something. Their food looked AMAZING, and the coffee drinks did, too. And the vibe was really amazing and a totally fabulous place to work!
Okay, you’ve probably had Jeni’s ice cream! They aren’t only in Nashville, and a lot of smaller shops will carry their ice cream because they are unique and delicious! Even though we have several in Atlanta, this trip was actually my first time trying it! I wasn’t too adventurous – I basically just had their version of Rocky Road, but I’m also not a huge ice cream guru… But if you are, this is the place for you!
Mas Tacos (por favor)
This place is a MUST on your list! It’s right across from the Pharmacy (which if I’m being honest, wasn’t as good as everyone made it out to be) and if given the choice, I would choice MAS over Pharmacy any day.
- Price: $ (basically everything is $3)
- Location: It looks like kinda a sketch part of town in East Nash.
- Food: THEIR TACOS AND CHEESE CORN. You have to get them. The corn is corn on the cob, and it’s covered in parmesan cheese. The tacos are all phenomenal (pork, chicken, beef, tilapia and quinoa). The quinoa and sweet potato one was my favorite! It was different, but delicious.
- What we ordered: The nice thing with their menu is it’s pretty simple… I think there are like, 8 options of what you can get (5 of them being different tacos). So I think between all three of us, we tried all the tacos, and they were all delicious. So just go there!
Good ‘ole pizza place in Inglewood. Not sure I would consider it a staple, but it was yummy! We ordered pepperoni pizza and it just tasted like good pizza.
FIRST OFF, they do sell coffee, which I’m sure is great, but if you go, their “fruit juice” (which sounds SUPER sketch) is AMAZING! It basically tastes like nectar of some of your favorite juices, all blended together.
- Price: $
- Location: I don’t remember the borough, but it’s kind of in a random place, but in that random place there are also a lot of other great food options. Vague, I know, but still true.
- Food: I had and HIGHLY recommend their black bean burger on sourdough. It was REALLY delicious and probably one of the better black bean burger’s I’ve had. But they also had some pretty killer soup options, and really all their sandwiches are pretty bomb.
- What we ordered: Black Bean Burger, Soup, Fruit Juice, etc.
YOU HAVE TO GO HERE! It is expensive, and I guess you have to italian food, but OH. MY. GOODNESS. They make the pasta fresh, the sauce fresh, the ingredients fresh… It’s SO heavenly. Plus their branding is totally on point (design by the Hoodzpah sisters) so that’s another bonus.
- Price: $$
- Location: Not gonna lie, they only have like 3-4 parking spots and this place is so popular that the parking is kind of difficult.. But it’s SO. WORTH. IT. This was probably my favorite place we ate at in Nashville! Well, this and Mas Tacos. They were fabulous (but I’m also biased because Italian + Mexican are my fave categories… So take that as you will).
- Food: THEY HAVE FRESHLY MADE PASTA. All caps are necessary. EVERYTHING is made from scratch, so that’s the noodles, the sauces, the meats, etc. It literally is SO good. SO SO good.
- What we ordered:
SHOPS
- Pangea – Hillsboro Village
- Dress Up – Hillsboro Village
- Scout + Molly’s – Hillsboro Village
- Project 615 – Cool Nashville Tee’s in East
- Imogene + Willie – 12th and South
- White’s Mercantile – 12th and South
- Draper James – 12th and South (Reese Witherspoon’s store).
- Abednego – near Barista Parlor in Germantown
Okay, I’m not a big shopper so you’ll really have to go to another blog to get the full review, but here are some cool shops that are worth popping into for fun! Also, Amelia’s Flower Truck is really cool (though I’ve never caught her) and definitely worth stopping by.
Lastly, we went to Shelby Bottoms Park and they have this HUGE greenway, AND $5 bicycle rentals, which is a perfect way to get around and get outside in a fun and affordable way.
Okay, this is already way longer than I ever could have imagined it would be, but I hope you found it helpful and hopefully it can be a guide to your next trip to Nashville! If you have any questions or any suggestions of some MUST VISIT places next time I’m in town, just leave a comment below and let me know!
Until next time – xoxo,
P.S. On my way home, I stopped at Panera for lunch. I was tired so I got some coffee, which I’ve always generally lived (and in fact, that’s where I learned to drink/like coffee in the first place) to accompany me on my drive… WELL, LET ME TELL YOU – when you’ve been drinking some of the best coffee there is, and then you drink Panera bag coffee, let’s just say you will be highly disappointed. I’m sure on any other day, I would enjoy Panera coffee. But coming off a coffee high of delicious roasts, it just wasn’t the same.
P.S.S. I couldn’t get all the photos in this blog post, so here’s a little flipagram with 100 images throughout the weekend 🙂
