Barbecue & bikes & brides — oh my!
“Nashvegas,” they said. Also “hot chicken” and “hope you like country.” While I’m not that into country music or places readily compared to Vegas, Nashville has been high on my list of stateside cities to see someday.
I’m happy to report that the experience, through fraught with more bachelorettes than I could count (well, almost), didn’t disappoint. Here’s how we spent a long weekend in Nashville — what we loved, liked, and wished we’d done differently.
Things to do & spots to explore
Our first couple nights in Nashville were spent in the heart of downtown, a short walk from Broadway. Broadway is the main drag, full of tourists, bars (some overpriced, some offering kick-ass deals), food, live music, stores hawking three-for-one pairs of cowboy boots, and a barrage of bachelorettes.
At one point we even made a drinking game of it: From our perch at Rippy’s, we counted 25 parties in an hour and a half, indentifying each either by their matching shirts/boots, the bride’s dollar store veil/tiara, and/or the steady stream of “Woo!” emanating from neighboring bars and passing pedal taverns.
But back to Broadway itself. It’s fun to check out at least once, ideally at night to get the full neoned effect. Beyond that and a stop at the tasty Jack’s Bar-B-Que (yum!), I’d recommend moving off Broadway sooner rather than later.
Where to? Art lovers can bop into the Frist, a small art museum that welcomes traveling exhibits. We caught the Nick Cave exhibit (below) and had a memorable chat with Mancil, the older & wiser keeper of the Information Desk. He greeted us in his lavender vest, rainbow checked shirt, and pink bow tie patterned with tiny beach umbrellas. This gent was an absolute delight, reminding museum-goers repeatedly that the on-site café fries their own potato chips. He also gave us directions to some of his favorite Nashville hidden gems on a hand-drawn map.
Anywho, the Frist also has an amazing children’s center, the Martin ArtQuest Gallery. Here you can really let your inner child come out to play, creating stop-motion videos where dinosaurs eat babies, busting out the scissors and glue to flex those crafting muscles, and pushing buttons to make sound wave sand art.
Need to get a little active after all that art? There are bikes for rent and kayaks for a three-mile jaunt down the Cumberland River. Check any and all kayaking hesitations at the door — if I can do it solo, so can you! I'd definitely recommend it for the spectacular views of the city and the fun of relatively-easy paddling. Plus, in the heat of the day, it was actually cooler on the water.
By bike, we ventured from downtown Nashville and Printer’s Alley to the Gulch. The Gulch is a really cute area, with a totally different vibe from the Vegas-ness of Broadway. The last few days of our trip, we stayed in East Nashville — again, a different vibe from downtown with plenty to eat, drink, and do.
Germantown is also worth a peek. This corner of the city is close to the home of the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team — so fun! Instead of racing sausages, they have racing country music stars. Yes, I rooted for Dolly. Sadly, she didn’t win.
We also zipped around Nashville on Bird electric scooters. After my life flashed before my eyes as I full-throttled, then full-stopped the damn thing during my first ride, the scooter experience became increasingly more fun and less tensing-every-muscle-in-my-body. But it turns out these scooters are a safety hazard and are in the process of being banned by the city. If they’ve worked out the kinks and the Birds are back in town, give ‘em a whirl! If not, RIP Bird scooters. I’m glad I didn’t die while riding you.
Eating & drinking
Now for everyone’s favorite topic: Food! The number of delicious spots to dine in Nashville are too numerous, but I can tell you the spots we hit in our one long weekend. On our first night, we asked our Uber driver where might be good to eat near Broadway, and she said Panera. Needless to say we didn’t trust her judgment.
So we googled nearby eats and landed on Martin’s Bar-B-Que, walkable from Broadway. The atmosphere at Martin’s is killer: An open-air greenhouse vibe on the roof, sort of rustic-retro-industrial with pops of greenery and neon lights. But despite the ambiance and live music, our food was really just okay. Pro tip: Go to Martin’s for a drink, and make sure you sit on the patio.
On Saturday morning, our group had made a reservation at the Listening Room Café — a place that serves brunch over live music. Little did we know that said live music would be singer-songwriters, and that talking during brunch is highly frowned upon. The experience was cool, but maybe not conducive to a large group of friends itching to catch up. The fried chicken and biscuits, however, were lick-the-plate tasty, full stop. That's one way to keep your audience quiet: feed them Southern deliciousness.
When all you want is a patio and a burger, Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden is a must. The place looks small from the outside, but there’s a sprawling tiered backyard with picnic table-style seating. You may have to wait quite a while for a table, but it was worth it for us in the end. The burgers are awesome, and you can get a milkshake, if your little heart desires. Yummo.
Speaking of waiting for food, two words: Hattie B’s. We’d heard Prince’s chicken is the best, according to several Lyft drivers and locals, but the location wasn’t convenient. So we ventured to everyone’s second favorite, Hattie B’s. There are a few locations, and unfortunately we picked the most-packed one. We waited in line outside in the drizzle for over an hour. Worth it? You bet. I went for medium spice and it was perfect, though next time, I’d probably go for a straight-up hot chicken sandwich. Mmm.
Feeling all barbecued and chickened out, our last dinner took us to Butcher & Bee for “New American” shared plates. We mostly opted for any plate with a surplus of veggies. Our favorites? The whipped feta with honey, avocado crispy rice with greens and chiles, and Israeli salad with mango, pineapple, cucumber, and herbs. So fresh and so divine after a weekend filled with fried food. No food regrets!
For next time
If I ever make it back to Nashville, here’s what’s on my hit list: First, Centennial Park and the Parthenon. Yes, there’s a replica of Greece’s parthenon in Nashville! Second, I’d scope out Opryland Hotel — an insane hotel with an entire indoor river, complete with boat cruises. I’d also like to spend some more time bopping around to various neighborhoods. If renting a car, I’d do a stop at Cheekwood gardens & estate and perhaps a day trip to Mammoth Cave. Oh that there were more hours in a day! Luckily, with the hours we had to work with, Nashville didn’t disappoint.
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