My Top Five East Nashville Food Spots Right Now
As most people in Nashville know, East is quickly becoming a hot-spot for new restaurants. A neighborhood that used to not be visited by anyone that didn’t live in this part of town has now grown into a destination part of the city for foodies and beer lovers alike. So-here we go- some of my favorite spots to eat on the East side.
1. Bang Bang Hibachi
This place has become a staple in my weekly diet. Honestly, I don’t want to tell anyone about it because I really enjoy being able to only have a ten minute wait every time that I call in. They’re a food truck down Dickerson Pike past Lowe’s and Walmart. Bang Bang focuses on hibachi style food (hence the name) but also offers a HUGE sushi menu with all of the classics as well as some rolls that are unique to them. I personally get the hibachi steak & chicken dish (if you like it spicy, ask them to give you the spicy rice- it is fantastic. For sushi, Hillary loves the avocado roll and the Bang Bang roll (a tad bit spicy).
3720 Dickerson Pike
615-578-7777
2. Nicoletto’s
Home made pasta. Fresh chicken and meatballs. Huge sandwiches. All things that are offered at Nicoletto’s. This joint is basically the really friendly Soup Nazi of Nashville. Step up, pick your noodles, protein, and sauce, step to the right and wait a couple minutes for your Mediterranean goodness creation to be put together. You can even ask them for extra bread and they won’t ban you from the premises. It is a to-go food spot, so you can either take it home or go next door to Mickey’s and grab a beer while enjoying your food. My go to order- Super Garlic Linguini/Red Pepper Fettucini noodles, chicken, and walnut pesto. They also have chips and other Nashville created desserts you can choose from.
2905 Gallatin Avenue
629-202-8102
3. Slow Hand Coffee & Bake Shop
We went hear for the first time on Memorial Day earlier in the year. After a couple of failed stops at places closed for the holiday, we decided to try this fairly new spot out for the first time. Now, it’ll be one of the first places we choose for breakfast on the east side. I have to talk about the “secret fry sauce”. Everyone raves about a sauce created by a certain chicken fast food restaurant that is anti-burger. This sauce blows it out of the water; not even a competition. It’s worth going here just to try the sauce, however, the biscuit that Hillary had was right up there with any other biscuit I have had in town, and they had a huge assortment of other baked goods that I’ll definitely be going back to check out.
1012 Gallatin Avenue
615-730-8032
4. East Nashville Beer Works
The East side has a lot of places that boast a wide beer selection to choose from, but there aren’t many that have a full menu of food to go along with 16 draft options that are all made in house. About half of their beer menu is rotated by season, and the other half have become staples that they keep available year round (my favorites are the Fire of the Century and the Old Hickory Porter). On the food side, I love their Buff Chicken pizza. I’m a big feta cheese fan, so I substitute that for the goat cheese listed on the menu. They also have a great selection of veggie pizzas if that’s something that you are looking for in a pizza (Hillary likes “The White”). Go check them out and enjoy a game of darts or UNO on the patio.
320 East Trinity Lane
615-891-3108
5. Greko
There are not many Greek restaurants in Nashville. Sure, you can get a gyro basically anywhere in town, but they probably aren’t cooked by actual Greek people. Insert, Greko. They’ve taken the street food, food truck model and put it into a booming restaurant. Not only is it delicious, affordable, and “fast” food, it is authentic. All cooked meats are done over a fire oven, where freshly ground beef that is put together daily is roasted to perfection for the souvlaki. My favorite meal is the Athenian chicken. You can either get a quarter or half chicken (and can pick between white or dark), drizzled with a healthy portion of a killer honey-lemon sauce, and the best fries in East. All for $13 (half-chicken). That is an insane value for what is most likely two meals for most people. Not for this guy- that plate is devoured in one sitting every time. They also have huge bowls that come with rice, an assortment of veggies, and your choice of meat all for under $14.
704 Main Street
615-203-0251
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