Trendy new restaurants are fun while they last, but it takes hard work and commitment (plus the occasional secret recipe) for a place to truly stand the test of time. These local institutions have been operating for nearly three decades or more, meaning you might get a brief history lesson with your order. Here are Nashville’s time-honored, pioneer restaurants, ordered by year of establishment.
Varalloâs
Est. 1907
Neighborhood: DowntownÂ
Claiming the title of Nashvilleâs oldest restaurant, Varalloâs has been serving up its famous âthree-way chiliââthatâs beans, spaghetti, and tamalesâsince 1907. According to legend, the original recipe was so hot that you had to be drunk to eat it. Open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, the family-run eatery is a spinoff of its first location on Church Street but continues to be a downtown gathering spot for everyone from elected officials to famous musicians to hungry students.
Brownâs Diner
Est. 1927
Neighborhood: Hillsboro VillageÂ
Since starting out nearly a century ago in a mule-drawn trolley carâa precursor to the modern-day food truckâBrownâs Diner has been delivering some of the tastiest and most beloved cheeseburgers in town. The hush puppies arenât too shabby, either! At this no-frills Nashville institution, youâll find plenty of locals, a straightforward affordable menu, and the cityâs oldest beer license.
Elliston Place Soda Shop
Est. 1939
Neighborhood: Elliston PlaceÂ
Eight decades after debuting in the Elliston Place corridor, Elliston Place Soda Shop is still thriving. Under new ownership since 2013, Elliston Place Soda Shop is enjoying a resurgence in popularity without sacrificing its nostalgia. Guests can expect classic milkshakes, vinyl bar stools, and jukeboxes.
Loveless Cafe
Est.1951
Neighborhood:Â Bellevue area
The iconic Loveless Cafe was born when Lon and Annie Loveless began opening their front doors to feed hungry travelers on a lonely stretch of Highway 100. The coupleâs homemade Southern dishesâincluding smoked country ham, fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuitsâbecame so popular that they converted their house into a cozy restaurant and built a 14-room motel so guests could spend the night. Today, more than half a million people visit Loveless Cafe annually, and the team bakes up to 10,000 of their world-famous biscuits daily.
Wendell Smithâs
Est. 1952
Neighborhood: The NationsÂ
Wendell Smithâs opened in 1952 as a casual spot to grab breakfast, sandwiches, and salads along Charlotte Avenue. More than 60 years later, itâs added meat-and-threes and soul food to its roster and welcomes a melting pot of customers in the drastically diversifying neighborhood. Running the show is founder Wendell Smith Jr.âs grandchildren, with his great-grandchildren already in training to take over the family business.
Pancake Pantry
Est. 1961
Neighborhood: Hillsboro Village | DowntownÂ
If youâre driving through Hillsboro Village and pass a seemingly endless line of people, theyâre not waiting for a concertâtheyâre waiting for pancakes. For more than 50 years, Pancake Pantry has kept its staff tight-knit (many employees have been there for decades) and its recipes tight-lipped (the batter and syrups are secret family recipes). This eatery also offers burgers, sandwiches, and other non-fluffy items. In 2021 Pancake Pantry opened its second location in Downtown Nashville.
Arnoldâs Country Kitchen
Est. 1982
Neighborhood: GulchÂ
Since opening 40 years ago, Arnold’s Country Kitchen has made a name for itself nationally by earning a prestigious James Beard American Classics Award in 2009 and being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives in 2010. But at its heart, Arnoldâs will always be a low-key mom-and-pop shop, with various family members personally serving up meat-and-threes and sweet tea every weekday.
San Antonio Taco Company
Est. 1984
Neighborhood: Midtown
San Antonio Taco Company, established in 1984, was the first Tex-Mex restaurant to open in Music City. This popular taco destination is still situated in its original location on 21st Avenue in Midtown. If you’ve been in Nashville for a while now, there’s a high chance you’ve dined here in-between classes, on a lunch break, or after work with friends and family. It has remained a staple for Vanderbilt University and Belmont University students and alumni. Their famed queso is now available to be shipped to other cities!
Midtown Café
Est. 1987
Neighborhood: MidtownÂ
If youâre looking for casual fine diningâthink perfectly prepared filets, sustainable seafood, and locally grown produceâyour search ends with Midtown CafĂ©. The popular eatery offers a shuttle service Monday through Saturday (dinner only) for the TPAC, Nashville Symphony, Ryman, and Bridgestone venues with a $40 person check minimum. Midtown CafĂ© offers old-school Nashville charm and superb service.
Merchants
Est. 1988
Neighborhood: DowntownÂ
401 Broadway has seen many iterations since its beginnings in 1892 including a multi-use commercial space, a hotel that hosted musical legends like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and a rowdy honky-tonk. It finally settled as a restaurant in 1988 and, after hitting rough times, was purchased and reimagined by Strategic Hospitalityâs Ben and Max Goldberg in 2010. Today, Merchants houses a first-floor casual bistro and serves finer fare on the second floor.
1984. This is the date the San Antonio Taco Company began on 21st Avenue. It was the first Tex-Mex restaurant in the city and featured one of if not the first outdoor patio. Clearly one of the most desirable, the outdoor seating remains a sought location during all seasons with the shade of its large tree, cool misting or outdoor heaters. Still at its original location, SATCO remains a staple for Vanderbilt and Belmont students as well as generations of Nashvillians who have spent many a lunch, dinner or a bucket of beer there. It remains a âmustâ destination for alumni who return to Nashville and parents regularly request packaging of the famed queso to ship or deliver to their college students in other cities. Sorry for your obvious oversight.
Hi Leigh, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Not sure how this was overlooked! It has been added to the list.
I commented on this article and you failed to post. It was not overly negative. Shame on your lack of transparency.
Hi Leigh, we have posted your comment. We have hundreds of comments, emails, and messages to go through each week. We apologize for the delay!