The Absolute Best Black Owned Restaurants in Nashville
The foodie scene in Nashville is almost as scorching hot as the city’s ubiquitous hot chicken dish. Plenty of fantastic food is cooked up in this Southern city, but if you want to know the best Black-owned restaurants in Nashville to try, we have curated our list of the top 8 spots to visit the next time you dine out in Music City.
photo credit: Yelp
Willie B’s Kitchen & Lounge
918 Buchanan St Nashville, TN 37208
(629) 202-4970
This sleek dinner spot serves up classic southern seafood as well as some surprises like Cajun fried frog legs with a side of live music and hookah. Willie B’s is the kind of spot where you can meet up with friends to pregame, meet a date for a delicious dinner, or even gather with family for a stunning brunch on the weekends. Brunchers love to munch on the CEO Pancake (mac and cheese concoction you will think about for days afterward) while dinner guests rave about Bomb Shrimp and the fried okra side. One of the premier Black-owned restaurants in Nashville, Willie B’s is loved for its phenomenal food, great music, creative drinks and fun late-night atmosphere.
photo credit: Yelp
EG & MC
924 Jefferson St Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 490-3825
This cocktail bar with a curated crave-worthy tapas menu is one of the most talked-about Black-owned restaurants in Nashville because of the powerhouses crafting the drinks and the innovative speakeasy feel of the intimate spot. Grab a luxe barstool or snag one of the cozy tables for a night at this evening-only spot. EG & MC is a destination that just happens to have spectacular southern food with a twist like a queso with collard greens and blackened salmon sliders. Visitors here will want to order one of their award-winning bourbon or gin cocktails, too, like the spicy Earth, Wind, & Fire whiskey drink that is flavored with chili hibiscus and lime.
photo credit: postmates.com
One Spunky Spud
1307 2nd Ave North Nashville TN 37208
(615) 873-4972
This casual potato place has a sister location in a mall, but don’t let that keep you from trying the tasty spuds this spot offers up. The counter service and bright cheery menu welcome you to this fun restaurant that is perfect for families, casual get-togethers or any other group that wants relatively quick food that is still delicious. The Massive Loaded Spuds are so big you may have to take some home with you but on the weekends, One Spunky Spud serves up Pineapple Boats in addition to their daily potato offerings. How fun!
photo credit: usarestaurants.info
Riddim N’ Spice
2116 Meharry Blvd Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 357-7006
This Caribbean restaurant got its start as a food truck, and Nashville foodies loved the mobile version of Riddim N’ Spice so much that they have flocked to their popular brick and mortar location. True to their Jamaican roots, brothers and owners serve up classic island-influenced dishes like cucumber-mango slaw and jerk chicken six days a week for lunch and dinner with brunch offered on Sunday. Vegans love the BBQ jackfruit bowls and carnivores can dig into the Lamb Skillet during weekend brunch. Diners love to grab one of the island juices, made in-house, like the Pineapple Ginger or boozy Cucumber Lime Gin.
photo credit: sinemanashville.com
Sinema
2600 8th Ave S Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 942-7746
This gorgeous Black-owned restaurant in Nashville is equally ideal for brunch with the family as it is hosting a red carpet affair. Located in a former theater, this 8,000 square foot restaurant is spacious without losing the intimacy that makes a great spot. But diners here know that food is outstanding here, too, and choose to nosh on short ribs and the Agnolotti pasta and the decadent chocolate pretzel skillet cookie for dessert that arrives with creamy ice cream and a warm chocolate sauce drizzle. On the weekends, the all-you-can-eat brunch menu includes the Sweet Platter, a dreamy concoction of French toast coated in Fruity Pebbles and white chocolate ganache that just might make Sinema your regular brunch place.
photo credit: wpln.org
The Pepper Pott
4611 Alabama Ave Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 892-4498
The Caribbean flavors at the Pepper Pott have just the right amount of creole island influence to make this spot one of your new go-to Black-owned restaurants in Nashville. This family-owned grab-and-go spot is well-known for its delicious fried plantains, a must for any meal ordered here. Open only a few days a week for lunch or dinner, the Pepper Pott provides delicious plate meals (one meat and two sides) that will fill you up with the rich island flavors and cultural influence of the owner’s roots in Guyana. Traditional offerings like oxtail, curry chicken and jerk salmon are not to be missed here as well as the Hibiscus tea to cool down from the spicy flavors found at the Pepper Pott.
photo credit: draftgrill.com
Germantown Pub
708 Monroe St Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 457-2145
This neighborhood pub is a great place to grab a burger or wings and watch the big game on one of their big-screen TVs. Self-seating and bar tops make snagging a good seat easy but the food here is elevated far beyond simple bar fare. Germantown makes their own sauces like the Nashville Hot and the triple-flavored Trifecta, helping their crispy wings rate consistently as some of the best in Nashville. Other favorites here are the Catfish sandwich and the Chicken & Waffles, served all day.
photo credit: Yelp
Coneheads
1315 Dickerson Pike Nashville, TN 37207
(629) 888-4967
The popular chicken and waffles dish is served up with a twist at memorably-named Coneheads. This spot makes a cone out of the waffle and delivers tasty chicken in the easy-to-hold (and eat) cone along with flavorful toppings to enhance the juicy chicken. Locals love to add on white BBQ sauce and the hot Jam Sauce as well as a “cap” or topping of grits, mac and cheese or pineapple slaw. Sure, you can order a tender basket and forego the cone but what would be the fun of that? Coneheads is one of the quirky Black-owned restaurants in Nashville that also brings flavor and fun.
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