Top 20 Iconic Dishes in Nashville, TN

🍗 Nashville Hot Chicken

Chicken marinated in buttermilk, breaded, fried, and coated in a spicy paste of lard and cayenne pepper.

🍱 Meat and Three

A regional dining staple featuring a choice of one meat entree served with three distinct side dishes.

🥓 Country Ham with Red Eye Gravy

Salt-cured ham pan-fried and served with a thin sauce made from the ham's drippings and black coffee.

🥐 Biscuits and Gravy

Soft, flaky buttermilk biscuits smothered in a thick, creamy white gravy seasoned with crumbled pork sausage.

🍌 Banana Pudding

A layered dessert consisting of vanilla custard, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers, often topped with meringue.

🥧 Chess Pie

A traditional southern custard pie with a simple filling made from butter, sugar, eggs, and cornmeal.

🧀 Pimento Cheese

A savory spread made with shredded cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and diced pimento peppers.

🍅 Fried Green Tomatoes

Firm, unripe tomatoes sliced and coated in a seasoned cornmeal batter before being fried until golden.

🐟 Nashville Hot Fish

Fried fish fillets, typically whiting or catfish, seasoned with the same spicy cayenne coating as hot chicken.

🍹 Bushwacker

A frozen, boozy milkshake-style cocktail made with chocolate, coffee liqueur, and rum, iconic to local bars.

🍞 Cornbread

A crumbly southern quick bread made from cornmeal, traditionally baked in a seasoned cast-iron skillet.

🥬 Collard Greens

Leafy green vegetables slow-simmered with smoked pork, onions, and vinegar.

🥒 Fried Pickles

Dill pickle slices or spears battered and deep-fried, often served with a side of ranch dressing.

🥚 Deviled Eggs

Hard-boiled egg halves filled with a creamy, seasoned mixture of yolk, mustard, and mayonnaise.

🥪 Barbecue Pulled Pork

Slow-smoked pork shoulder shredded and tossed in a tangy, vinegar or tomato-based barbecue sauce.

🍤 Shrimp and Grits

Sautéed shrimp served over a bed of creamy, stone-ground corn grits often topped with bacon.

🥗 Chow-chow

A tangy, pickled vegetable relish made from cabbage, peppers, and onions, served as a condiment.

🥘 Squash Casserole

A baked dish of tender yellow summer squash, onions, and cheese topped with a buttery cracker crust.

🍲 Black-eyed Peas

Small, creamy legumes slow-cooked with bacon or ham hocks, traditionally served for good luck.

🍢 Fried Okra

Sliced okra pods coated in a cornmeal breading and fried until crispy.